Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Stingray Special. Pickup height preference
- Thread starter ics1974
- Start date
For my 4HH Stingray Special? Pretty much the same as all but a few of my other basses; 1/8" on the bass side, 3/64" on the treble side. I do have some basses that don't like that, but they tend to be either old basses with "limp"" pickups, so the pickup height is higher; or, they're just really picky about pickup height - like my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. Don't know exactly what the numbers are for that thing; I just know that, whatever the height is? 1/64 of an inch either way, and it sounds like 
. They aren't really adjustable, anyway, so once I got them to sound decent? They ain't moving... And, my '78 Kramer 450B "lumie" has more clearance than usual, because the pickups are Kramer custom wound ones, and the output is insanely high. At my usual height setting, they make Gawdawful squally noises. But, for most of my basses - including the Stingray Spl.? 1/8" - 3/64" works just fine for me...
. They aren't really adjustable, anyway, so once I got them to sound decent? They ain't moving... And, my '78 Kramer 450B "lumie" has more clearance than usual, because the pickups are Kramer custom wound ones, and the output is insanely high. At my usual height setting, they make Gawdawful squally noises. But, for most of my basses - including the Stingray Spl.? 1/8" - 3/64" works just fine for me...
From the top of the plastic case to the bottom of the string
Bass side 7/32”
Treble side 6/32”
Mine is an HH and my measurement for the neck pickup is 1/32” more than the bridge pickup.
Much closer and I start getting chorusing in the upper registers.
Bass side 7/32”
Treble side 6/32”
Mine is an HH and my measurement for the neck pickup is 1/32” more than the bridge pickup.
Much closer and I start getting chorusing in the upper registers.
Last edited:
Are you measuring while fretting the last fret and are you measuring from the top of the pole piece or plastic?For my 4HH Stingray Special? Pretty much the same as all but a few of my other basses; 1/8" on the bass side, 3/64" on the treble side. I do have some basses that don't like that, but they tend to be either old basses with "limp"" pickups, so the pickup height is higher; or, they're just really picky about pickup height - like my '94 Gretsch Broadkaster. Don't know exactly what the numbers are for that thing; I just know that, whatever the height is? 1/64 of an inch either way, and it sounds like
Yes, and from the top of the pole piece; on the basses that that's possible, anyway. Some basses - like my Kramer 450B, or the Gretsch - don't have exposed poles, so... I have to measure from the top of the pickup cover. But, always while fretting the last fret...
Wow you set your pickup very high for a stingray. I may try it that high out of curiosity.Yes, and from the top of the pole piece; on the basses that that's possible, anyway. Some basses - like my Kramer 450B, or the Gretsch - don't have exposed poles, so... I have to measure from the top of the pickup cover. But, always while fretting the last fret...
Last edited:
I just adjust until my ears tell me they are right.
My opinion? Dump that sucker low. Much smoother tonality.
I set my pickup a lithe higher than I would have thought. But I set it by ear and now it has a nice amount of bite and warmth. And the pickup is low enough that the strings aren’t striking it when I play slap-style.
I can try to measure it and see what the numbers actually are.
I can try to measure it and see what the numbers actually are.
What he said.
There’s no magic to a specific measurement, there’s only reference to a starting point as what pickup height you end up with is highly dependent on how hard you play and what the sound is that you are going after (which is influenced by your individual pickups as they do have variations). Just don’t get the pickup too close to the strings.
I bought a EBMM 25TH Anniversary 4H; When it arrived I noticed the 'Chorusing' effect[maybe why he sold me for such a good price
]
Adjusted to EBMM suggested Spec; Chorusing gone
From there I tweeked[towards strings] to my liking fitting my fairly hard/aggressive plucking style
I now set pickup height by fretting 15th fret; won't be going any higher 99.9% for what I play
]Adjusted to EBMM suggested Spec; Chorusing gone
From there I tweeked[towards strings] to my liking fitting my fairly hard/aggressive plucking style
I now set pickup height by fretting 15th fret; won't be going any higher 99.9% for what I play
StingRay's pickups are hot as hell! Many manuals says that should be about 3/32 but it's too close for those pickups. I tweaked a lot with pickup height in mine and I discover that the best results when it comes to tone, sustain, consistency on every string and fret you can get when you set pickups like that - G - 12/64, E 15/64 (from plastic pickup cover to the bottom of the strings). If you have 5 strings too then B 16/64. I don't know about 6 strings but probably for C 11/64 will be great starting point too. Since I discover those heights I don't mess with my pickup height no more.
Edit: And I set them parallel to the pickguard not to strings. Why? Because pickups catch more bass in that setup cause magnets on the left (close to the neck) are closer to the strings than those on the right side of the pickup (close to the bridge). Tone is more balanced. When I setup them to the strings I get more bite and harshnes in sound. You may like it but I don't.
Edit: And I set them parallel to the pickguard not to strings. Why? Because pickups catch more bass in that setup cause magnets on the left (close to the neck) are closer to the strings than those on the right side of the pickup (close to the bridge). Tone is more balanced. When I setup them to the strings I get more bite and harshnes in sound. You may like it but I don't.
Last edited:
Never have gone by what's "supposed to be". I do it purely by sound. Whatever works for you.
I have been playing around with my pickup height today. This is with my Stingray special 4H. Starting at factory specs. At factory specs you definitely get a smooth sound. Any lower it gets even smoother with less output and sounds thinner to my ears.
I start messing around with higher than spec pickup heights. The higher you go the more aggressive it sounds. If you go too high though it can get too boomy with the e string. The height I settled with is 5/32 treble and 13/64 bass. This is measured from the plastic and not fretting the last fret. The sound is more aggressive yet still smooth. I really like it.
Next I will mess with my Special 5 HH.
I start messing around with higher than spec pickup heights. The higher you go the more aggressive it sounds. If you go too high though it can get too boomy with the e string. The height I settled with is 5/32 treble and 13/64 bass. This is measured from the plastic and not fretting the last fret. The sound is more aggressive yet still smooth. I really like it.
Next I will mess with my Special 5 HH.
So there are a lot of similarities cause mine is 12/64 and 15/64. Looks like 3/64 is optimal difference for 4 string StingRay. I noticed that 12 and 15 is where all strings sounds smooth on all frets. Higher than that and last frets start to loose sustain and get wobbly sounds.
This has been my experience as well. I tend to set mine lower because it sounds better to me.
Interested to hear your findings on the 5 HH, which I also have. I'm starting with the 'user guide' heights, measured from the G string, and going from there. Mine were too high from it's initial setup from my tech when it was restrung, intonated for my tuning choice, etc.
