Topmusicanswers
There is no special rule that governs how pickups should be adjusted. It's entirely preference. Bridge pickups tend to be higher than neck pickups because the output of the strings is weaker in that area.
- Are pickups supposed to be level?
- Should pickups be high or low?
- Should bass pickups be level?
- How low should your pickups be?
Are pickups supposed to be level?
For single coil pickups, your treble side should be slightly higher than your bass side, this provides a nice even balance of signal. Humbuckers aren't as critical as single coil pickups when it comes to heigh adjustment.
Should pickups be high or low?
The correct pickup height orientation is lower on the bass side and closer on the treble side. Your Bass strings have more mass and will disturb the magnetic field more than treble strings. Reversing your pickup height orientation will provide you with “warbling” bass strings and thin treble strings – not good.
Should bass pickups be level?
They don't have to be level. If you want more output from the treble side, raise that side of the pickup. On some basses you can raise or lower the pole pieces individually. The pole pieces are the round, magnetic poles under the strings.
How low should your pickups be?
Start by setting all of your guitar pickups to 3/32” (0.093”, 2.38mm) on the bass side and 2/32” (1/16”, 0.0625”, 1.98mm) on the treble side. Remember, this is the space between the top of the pole piece and the bottom of the string, held down at the last fret.
