PICKUP HEIGHT QUESTION

[rymiraflores]

OK , so if the pu is too close to the string it affects the string´s vibration...how do you know if that is happening...what does it sound like..and is there an approximate optimum distance?

[line6man]

You're overthinking it. Adjust the pickups until they sound and balance best, and that's it. You will know when the pickups are too close or too far when they don't sound as good.

[Ric5]

You can get false harmonics with too strong of magnets. But most pickups will not do that. The main problem if you raise the pickups too high is the strings will hit the pickups and that will sound bad.

[elgecko]

Strings too close to the pickups can cause a warbling, chorus-like effect.

[cflat]

with my new DM Area J's on the jazz i have them set nicely for Thomastik Infeld Jazz Flats as so....
Bridge..Both sides (strangely) 3/16
Neck ..E side..4/16 G side..7/32

[darkstorm]

In some cases raising the pups can also improve articulation and detail. Yesterday in doing a last tweak for the pups on my warlock bass, I found I needed to raise the D&G string sides a little bit, to get a better sound char balance with the E&A strings.

On my ESP Ltd F bass the bridge pup is about 1/8 inch under the strings. With the neck pup slightly further away on the G string side. On my BC Rich Warlock theyre about 3/16 under the E string and slightly less on the G string side. The warlock having more powerful humbucker type pups. On The Traben I used to have, its mm bridge pup didnt sound to good untill I got it as close as possible to the strings without strings hitting it.

On dimazrio P pup equipted basses Ive had them about 1/8 inch below strings.

[lowendgenerator]

Originally Posted by elgecko

Strings too close to the pickups can cause a warbling, chorus-like effect.

I'm fighting this on a few of my Jazz basses right now. At the 12th fret, you can watch my tuner freak out and want to stab me. The fundamental all but disappears. It mostly stems from the neck pickup's magnetic field. I thought I had mine low enough, but apparently these cheap MIM jazz pickups are REALLY strong.

Lower the pickup, raise the string, or both.