black dog pickup height?

[ryanverbena]

hey i got my new set of black dogs installed and i was wondering if anyone could offer any advice of adjusting the pickup height? I know you should do it by what sounds good, but i was was wondering if there were any guidelines to start from?

[Twinfan]

I've got all my BKPs set at about 1.5mm from the strings (bass and treble).  That's with the strings fretted at the last fret.  Works for me...

[hunter]

Use a sound with lots of gain, play hammer-on-pull-offs with your left hand, do it first on the high b or e string, adjust the treble side till you like the harmonics, then play the h-o-p-os on the low A or E and adjust the bass side. I actually played the last months on very high setting, but now am around 4-5 mm and like the sound better.

[Twinfan]

4-5mm????   :o

[hunter]

4-5mm????   :o

I am picking very hard  8)

[Fourth Feline]

Hi,

I once asked Tim about this and he confirmed he usually ends up between 2-3 mm away from the strings when fretted at the last fret. He did however remind me that it can vary from guitar to guitar. I have my 'Mules' at about 3mm. I do like a more open / clean sound from my guitars.

Regards,

Derek.

[Canadian Steve]

What about single coils?  What would be a good guideline to start with in p'up height for a low powered set like the Apaches?

[Carlsuth]

A leaflet inside the blackdog box tells u how to do it, but it basically says of the top of my head:

The closer the pickup is to the strings, the more output it will have.

The further away the pickup is from the strings, the clearerthe sound will be, but slightly less output!

so just put it close to the strings, play a little lick/riff, then gradually move the pickup away from the strings until u have a balance of output and clarity (so it will have decent output, and clear tone).

Thats what i do, but i always think its best in the middle cos u can always turn sound up (unless u have your amp on 10!!)...but you cant make something sound clearer...well not easily...

[remak]

Sorry to bump an old thread but since the archive is useful to many let me ask one question:

When we are talking about 2-3mm where are we taking the measurement - from the pickup poles/screws or from the pickup cap/bobbin?

[Twinfan]

Fret at the last fret, top of the pickup screw to the bottom of the string  :)

[Philly Q]

What about single coils?  What would be a good guideline to start with in p'up height for a low powered set like the Apaches?

Generally further away than humbuckers.  Despite the low output of the pickups, because the polepieces are rod magnets they have more pull on the strings than humbucker polepieces.

And I find you often need the bass side of the pickup a little bit lower than the treble side.