Not Digging my Crawler

[6string]

I recently had a Crawler and 2 MMs put in to a MIM alder strat body and I'm really digging the MMs but I'm having a hard time with the Crawler.  I'm not getting that full, warm rich tone that everyone describes.  In fact its just the opposite.  I had it installed by a very qualified tech so I'm confident the wiring is correct.  He did set it quite low as he said the Crawler is quite a bit hotter than the MMs and tried to balance them.  Is pickup height my issue?  I'm hearing a very open almost muffled sound to it that is grinding and thinner than what I expected.  Hard to describe but not the warm full that I thought I was going to get.  Not sure what to do at this point.  Anyone have any suggestions?

[Madsakre]

hmm it sounds like you've mixed up the two :D

[Transcend]

i believe by MM the op means mothers milk as the miracle man is a fair bit hotter than a  crawler

[Madsakre]

aaah :D

[Telerocker]

Must be something wrong. I have the Crawler/IT's-set and the Crawler is fat, thick and balanced. Everything but thin.

[6string]

Yes, I meant Mothers Milk  sorry.  Abbreviation confusion.

I agree that something must be wrong or I'm just tonally deaf.  The only thing I can think of at this point is either the pickup height is causing it or the Crawler just isnt for me and I cant describe it very well.

[MDV]

If you think it might be height...

change the height

And welcome! (since I havent seen you before)

[6string]

If you think it might be height...

change the height

And welcome! (since I havent seen you before)

Thanks for the welcome!  I guess I wanted to ask the question regarding pickup height before I did it.  Would it make a difference?

[MDV]

Yes, it makes a huge difference.

Trying it would be way, way faster, and much more informative than asking us, however.

[kevinr]

I think that if you have tried to balance the Crawler with the MMs by adjusting  it too low that may be your problem! I have said before that I thought the Crawler is too strong to mix with MMs! I would have went for a Mule or VHII, I had a HD with MMs and that was out of balance, so I changed to a Mule and it mixes well. Your Crawler should sound nice and fat with plenty of mids.

[6string]

I wasnt necessarily looking for a good mix with the MMs and Crawler as much as I wanted good single coils and a humbucker with the specific tones It was more about different applications than it was blend.

What is a good base line height to start at with the Crawler then?  If it makes any difference I'm using 9 gauge strings.

[Afghan Dave]

Just use a screwdriver and your EARS!  :P

When it sounds good, it is good.

[WezV]

i like the crawler/MM sets

also, if the height doesnt sort it (which it probably will) dont rule out that it could be wired wrong just because you went to a good tech - pickup wire colour codes vary between manufacturers so its an easy mistake to do a BKP wrong after installing a few other brands.

when things dont sound quite right i always take a look at my wiring!

[Telerocker]

I wasnt necessarily looking for a good mix with the MMs and Crawler as much as I wanted good single coils and a humbucker with the specific tones It was more about different applications than it was blend.

What is a good base line height to start at with the Crawler then?  If it makes any difference I'm using 9 gauge strings.

9 gauge is quite thin. Most guitars sound way better with 10's or 11's. I noticed the difference on my tele as I used to play 9's in the past, but changed to heavier strings. Much more mids, more tone, tighter. Yeaj, you have to work harder, but after a while you're used to the heavier gauge.

[6string]

I appreciate everyone's help.  I'm gonna go grab a screwdriver and a pair of ears and see if I can get this thing dialed in.  I'll let you know how it goes.