Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Tech => Topic started by: Canadian Steve on December 14, 2006, 10:23:57 PM

Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on December 14, 2006, 10:23:57 PM
I just got my Rebel Yells installed this week and was wanting to know what pickup heights work for you guys and what are some good starting measurements to go by? :)
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on December 15, 2006, 01:06:54 AM
Here is one way that seems to work well and is easy to do

Hold the strings down at the highest fret
Take the thick BKP pick that came with the pickup set
Put it on top of the pickup being adjusted - first on treble side and then on the bass
Raise the pickup till the strings ONLY JUST touch the pick on top of the pickup

Repeat for the other pickup

This should give a very good sensitivity, with quite a hot response
Backing off the pickup seems to give a little less sizzle
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Shag101 on December 16, 2006, 12:14:58 AM
How thick are the BKP picks you got?  That seems really close.  I could prolly stack 3 picks together when freting the last fret...lol
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Twinfan on December 16, 2006, 07:42:02 AM
The picks are pretty thick - probably 1.8mm or so?

By the way, I just checked my SG and I'd got the pickups as Feline says and I'd done it by ear.  The pick method is a great starting point.  Good tip Jonathan!
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: JamesHealey on December 16, 2006, 10:31:57 AM
i have mine about 2mm away at the bridge when the 22nd fret is pressed down, the middle and neck adjusted according to volume balance there after.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on December 16, 2006, 06:36:22 PM
Thanks very much for that guys.  I had the bridge at 1/16" then lowered it to 2mm and it sounds a lot better to me.  I also lowered the neck from 3/32" to 5mm and liked the results better.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: gingataff on December 17, 2006, 01:44:59 AM
I take it you went metric somewhere during the procedure :D
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Philly Q on December 17, 2006, 11:33:19 AM
Quote from: gingataff
I take it you went metric somewhere during the procedure :D

 :lol: LOL

Even though I'm of the (cough) older generation, I much prefer metric.  If I see Imperial measurements I automatically start converting them into mm in my head anyway.  And it avoids unfortunate accidents like drilling a 3/8" hole when it was meant to be 3/16" (Damn, I knew it was 3-something!)

Anyhow, I tried Jonathan's pick-thickness technique and found that I'd foolishly left my Riff Raff about half a mile away from the strings after fitting it (thought it was a bit quiet).  After a bit of experimenting I ended up with about 2mm for the high E and about 2.5mm for the low E, which sounds good to me.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: indysmith on December 17, 2006, 11:38:43 AM
does anyone else palm mute too hard with their bridge pup too close the strings, and even up fretting the pickup, playing an F? lol - i need to be more gentle
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on December 17, 2006, 02:34:12 PM
Quote from: Twinfan


By the way, I just checked my SG and I'd got the pickups as Feline says and I'd done it by ear.  The pick method is a great starting point.  Good tip Jonathan!


Yes - its a starting point
Then adjust to taste- whatever sounds best!
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on December 17, 2006, 02:57:08 PM
Quote from: gingataff
I take it you went metric somewhere during the procedure :D


LOL!  I use both!   :P
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: JJretroTONEGOD on December 17, 2006, 06:05:42 PM
I have the pickups quite far away from the strings, because it brings out the nuances of the guitars natural tone, and the sound of the piece of wood (resonance). The key is to achieve the perfect balance!
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on December 17, 2006, 07:17:23 PM
Quote from: JJretroTONEGOD
I have the pickups quite far away from the strings, because it brings out the nuances of the guitars natural tone, and the sound of the piece of wood (resonance). The key is to achieve the perfect balance!


How far would this be?
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: CJ on December 17, 2006, 08:41:25 PM
here in the US we don't use the metric system very much at all. I don't get why not. Metric is obviously a much easier and overall better system. Who the hell ever thought of using feet, inches, and centimeters? i think milimeters, centimeters, and meters, are much easier to work with.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on December 19, 2006, 06:17:47 PM
What about pickup heights on single coils?  I've heard they need to be set further away from the strings because of the more concentrated magnetic field.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: everton_fc on December 20, 2006, 09:57:52 AM
The whole pickup height thing for me was a bit of a learning curve. One thing I learnt this week though since installing a new set of Mules last week, is to give your guitar a good going over through the set up you play live.

At home I have a cr@p practice amp, and it was with that I was initally setting the height of the pickups. Thought I had it nailed, until I went into a rehearsal room on the weekend on my own.

I plugged into my live rig, and was surprised by how it sounded - strings choking high up the neck, muddiness etc.

So I began a slow process of lowering the pickups, half a turn at a time - playing some chords, small lead runs, then making another half turn and so on - took a little while, but the results were fantastic.

I dont really have the opportunity to play through my live rig at home due to wife/kid/neighbours. But it made so much difference to me to actually set the pickup heights using the exact set up I will play live.

Just have to say, the Mules sound great - especially the bridge pickup. So much fun to play - and playing on my own in a rehearsal room, with the amp CRANKED was so much fun, highly recommended to other guys out there who are restricted to volume levels at home.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: capitaine_banane on March 02, 2007, 11:31:56 AM
HEllo

I have 2 BK pu: a warpig in a SG and an abraxas in a LP, both in bridge position.

I installed the abraxas yesterday, in neck position is an old pu. the pus are at the same distance from the string, but the neck one sound more louder than the BK (especially in clean).
the BK sound thin and poor at this distance with no power.

I have to set the distance of the BK about 1,5 -2 mm from the string to balance the sound.

same with my warpig.

is it a particularity of BK pu to set very close to the string?
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: cokecan72 on March 02, 2007, 11:51:50 AM
with my few guitars (all single coils) i've always set the pickup height so the top of the plastic cover is about 2 - 3mm higher than the scratch plate

for me it sounds good, not too quiet but not too sensative
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on March 02, 2007, 12:53:41 PM
Quote from: capitaine_banane

I have to set the distance of the BK about 1,5 -2 mm from the string to balance the sound.

same with my warpig.

is it a particularity of BK pu to set very close to the string?


I would set the bridge (with the strings at the last fret pressed) at 2mm-2.5mm and the neck (with the strings depressed at the last fret) at 3.5mm-4mm

This is how I set up my RYs, hope it helps!
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: capitaine_banane on March 02, 2007, 01:13:03 PM
the neck is at 10mm!
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Canadian Steve on March 02, 2007, 01:57:55 PM
Quote from: capitaine_banane
the neck is at 10mm!


 :o

Do you by any chance know how hot/the DC rating the neck p'up is?  Is the guitar plugged into a guitar amp or into a mixing desk?
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: capitaine_banane on March 02, 2007, 03:35:31 PM
plugged into a tube amp.

I will check the DC.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: shaman on March 04, 2007, 04:30:33 AM
-is it 2 or 4 conductor??when I installed my reb yell 2 conductor, some hard to see individual wires form the shielding was touching the inner wire,resulting in a weak output-sounded like a messed up single coil instead-once we pulled the shielding much farther away it was balls to wall..man
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: capitaine_banane on March 05, 2007, 08:52:45 AM
it is the 4 conductors version.

I have the two wires soldered together (for split), the red wire and black and metal wrires soldered together to the ground.

The DC of the other pu is 8k.
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Sailor Charon on March 05, 2007, 08:02:34 PM
Quote from: callme.nasty
here in the US we don't use the metric system very much at all. I don't get why not. Metric is obviously a much easier and overall better system. Who the hell ever thought of using feet, inches, and centimeters? i think milimeters, centimeters, and meters, are much easier to work with.


Well... I'm of the generation that learnt the metric system at school, but never used it much outside school.
In truth, metric is easier to work with for more complex maths, but in everyday situations it doesn't make a lot of difference. (For example recipes tend to be for 4... [and 8 (oz) divides by 4 more neatly and less finickly than 250 (grams)... :wink: ])
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Philly Q on March 05, 2007, 09:28:37 PM
Quote from: capitaine_banane
I have the two wires soldered together (for split), the red wire and black and metal wrires soldered together to the ground.

Is the red wire soldered to the first tag on the volume pot?
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: Muzzzz on March 06, 2007, 07:04:26 AM
That's true, Sailor Charon, but 250 grams is also a 1/4 kilogram.

And I believe that the Imperial System was originally based off the king's foot...
Title: Pickup Height...
Post by: capitaine_banane on March 06, 2007, 08:58:23 AM
Quote from: Philly Q
Quote from: capitaine_banane
I have the two wires soldered together (for split), the red wire and black and metal wrires soldered together to the ground.

Is the red wire soldered to the first tag on the volume pot?


euh yes I think so, I will check.
Anyway it is soldered to the pot connected to the tone pot