Topmusicanswers
- How do I know if my pickups are too high?
- How does pickup height affect tone?
- What does raising and lowering pickups do?
- Should pickups be level?
How do I know if my pickups are too high?
Setting your pickup height too high will cause your magnets to push and pull your strings out of tune. Here's a quick way to tell if this is happening to you: play the Low E string at a high fret (15th fret is a good one to start at). You might hear a “warbling” sound. That sound is your magnet fighting your string.
How does pickup height affect tone?
Raise the pickups up a bit too high and your tone will muddy up and be harder to shape with your amp. Conversely, if you lower the pickups too much, you might not have enough signal left over to 'feed' your amp adequately -- luckily, if your pickups are too low for optimal performance, it should be fairly obvious.
What does raising and lowering pickups do?
Generally, lowering the pickup gives it a darker, maybe even a woodier sound, while raising the pickup gives it a brighter, sometimes harsher sound or tone.
Should pickups be level?
Play in a comfortable position that is natural to you. For single coil pickups, your treble side should be slightly higher than your bass side, this provides a nice even balance of signal. ... This allows you to get as close to the optimal performance height of your guitar kits pickups as possible.
