Pickups louder when playing higher up the neck?

[dvrader]

I just installed Model J pickups on my fretless. They are very responsive. One thing I noticed is as I slide up the neck, the string gets slightly closer to the pickup and the volume increases significantly.

What is the best way to fix this issue?

 

[LoveThatBass]

I just installed Model J pickups on my fretless. They are very responsive. One thing I noticed is as I slide up the neck, the string gets slightly closer to the pickup and the volume increases significantly.

What is the best way to fix this issue?

Do you have too much bow in the neck or bridge set too high. If neither are found to be the problem Try lowering the neck pickup a little

 

[Killed_by_Death]

It sounds to me like your action is too high.

 

[dvrader]

Neck is perfectly straight, action is super low and the pickups won't go much lower.

I think I need to raise the action and shim the neck so there is less variance in distance from string to pickup.

 

[mech]

.....I think I need to raise the action and shim the neck so there is less variance in distance from string to pickup.

This is a good idea. It's the percentage of change in the distance. The smaller the percentage of distance change the smaller the change in output. You are also playing "high" notes on a larger string so the output will be greater with more fundamental.....G on the D string as compared to G on the A string, etc. That's one reason most of my four strings are BEAD.

 

[Growlmonkee]

The fact that the action will work set super low would steer me away from a shim, I'd try short screws, and neck pickup very low, as low as just above pickguard height, if it needs to be, and sounds good, my Jazz with Super55's sounds great with the neck pickup about 3mm over the pickguard, that would not work with the stock pickups, it might with the Dimarzio's. the pad under that pickup is only the thickness of 2 mouse pads, and it has short screws, (so they don't poke through). you may wind up with almost no pad if those have ceramic bars.

 

[dvrader]

I already shimmed the neck and raised the action and it seems to work. The string is about 5mm higher than the neck pickup.

I think I need the extra height to compensate for the higher output of the Model Js compared to the stock pickups.

 

[mech]

I already shimmed the neck and raised the action and it seems to work. The string is about 5mm higher than the neck pickup.

Glad it's working out. That distance is not unreasonable at all. PUs on some of my basses are farther away than that on the bass side. I do use shims or neck tilt adjustment to get the PU height where I can use them for a thumb rest if it works out with the bridge. If not I change the bridge.