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Does anyone have recommendations for how high I should set the LB-1 mini-buckers on my Capri CE-100D?
Thanks!!
Thanks!!
ideal pickup height? LB-1 mini-buckers
- Thread starter Philippe Elskens
- Start date
parker_knoll
Senior Member
Philippe, there is lots of material about this online in all sorts of places. You get a slightly different sound further away than closer, and too close you'll magnetically affect the strings; too far and it will be very quiet.
The neck pickup is louder and the bridge pickup often sounds better closer, so one method is to set the neck till you get a sound you like, then adjust the screws on the top of the pickup for string to string balance (so all the strings are equal in volume), then set the bridge to match the volume of the neck, so there is no perceived volume drop or boost when switching from one to the other. I usually have my the bass side of my pickup further away than the treble side to avoid boominess. There is lots of other advice out there as well.
Here's what jazz fingerstylist Tuck Andress says:
"neck position, angled 23/64 inch from pickup to sixth string, 10/64 inch from pickup to first string
Note the pickup angle implied by the above: Very close to the first string; much farther from the sixth string. It lets me boost the bass for tone without having low notes feed back or overwhelm high notes. It really makes the high end sing without having to play too hard. I do it on every guitar, including ones I play in bands. This is a trick of the trade."
The neck pickup is louder and the bridge pickup often sounds better closer, so one method is to set the neck till you get a sound you like, then adjust the screws on the top of the pickup for string to string balance (so all the strings are equal in volume), then set the bridge to match the volume of the neck, so there is no perceived volume drop or boost when switching from one to the other. I usually have my the bass side of my pickup further away than the treble side to avoid boominess. There is lots of other advice out there as well.
Here's what jazz fingerstylist Tuck Andress says:
"neck position, angled 23/64 inch from pickup to sixth string, 10/64 inch from pickup to first string
Note the pickup angle implied by the above: Very close to the first string; much farther from the sixth string. It lets me boost the bass for tone without having low notes feed back or overwhelm high notes. It really makes the high end sing without having to play too hard. I do it on every guitar, including ones I play in bands. This is a trick of the trade."
Quantum Strummer
Senior Member
I've found that pickup height & tilt (if any) are guitar dependent. With a new guitar or pickups I start with the neck p'up, raising it up & down while plugged in and listening to how it sounds. Once I find a height I like I'll set the bridge p'up, if there is one, to match it volume-wise and listen to the pickups individually & together. Then usually some tweaking. After I'm happy with the sound I'll adjust the polepieces, when possible, for even string-to-string balance. Then I'll probably tweak some more over a period of days while playing the guitar through my two most-used amps. This is typically when I throw in some tilt, if necessary. With the NS Thunderbird's LB-1s it took me over a week to dial in the p'ups, though the process also involved upping the string gauge & tweaking the trussrod. And I'm admittedly fussy about this stuff. 
Interesting "trick" by Mr. Andress. I have my Jazzmaster's pickups tilted opposite his suggestion. (The guitar is strung with flatwounds.) I like the high end with the p'ups set quite low but the bass comes alive when they're set higher. So the bass tilt balances 'em just right.
-Dave-
Interesting "trick" by Mr. Andress. I have my Jazzmaster's pickups tilted opposite his suggestion. (The guitar is strung with flatwounds.) I like the high end with the p'ups set quite low but the bass comes alive when they're set higher. So the bass tilt balances 'em just right.
-Dave-
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
That looks like a LOT of tilt !
Quantum Strummer
Senior Member
The photo exaggerates the tilt a bit. But ultimately it comes down to how it sounds. Sounds great! With Thomastik flatwounds anyway…with roundwounds it'd likely be bass heavy.
-Dave-
-Dave-
guildman63
Senior Member
To me it's very simple. I set all my pickups to where they sound best to me. Every guitar and each type of string may warrant a different setup. It's all in the ears!
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This is the right answer, IMO.
On my one and only strat, the pickups are decked because a) they get in the way, and b) I like the way they sound with the low output and the amp cranked.
On one of my HB1 guitars, the bridge pickup is very close to the strings because I like the way it sounds and responds. On my Bluesbird, though, with its 16k SD pickup, the bridge pickup is farther away because it gets fizzy and obnoxious when its too close.
Every guitar is different.
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
I need to learn this stuff, now that I have a couple of them thar 'lectric guitars.
I guess the first issue is knowing just WHAT sound it could have and trying to get it and the second is...knowing when what you have is wrong.
I guess the first issue is knowing just WHAT sound it could have and trying to get it and the second is...knowing when what you have is wrong.
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guildman63
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Just trial and error. First, put the bridge pickup as high as you can with a clean sound, then adjust the neck pickup to a height that gives slightly lower output. Play it, hear how it sounds, then lower each pickup slightly. Play it, note how it sounds, then adjust down again. Continue this process until you get to a point where an adjustment down results in a less desirable tone. You can then fine tune the height up from there. It takes time, but isn't very difficult.
And balance the pole pieces first.
And balance the pole pieces first.
JohnW63
Enlightened Member
When it's wrong it sounds bad. Easy!
Ah, but there is the rub. You might pick up one of mine and say, " Woah. We need to do some pickup adjusting ! " and I could look at you wondering what was wrong.
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What difference does it make what I think?
"If I had asked people what they want, they would have said, 'faster horses.'"
~ Henry Ford
Some of the most iconic sounds in Rock music are the result of something being "wrong".
Peter Green's Les Paul was out of phase (nasally tone).
Eddie Van Halen's amp had too little voltage (brown sound).
Brian Setzer uses a cord that's WAY too long (acts like a buffer).
Hell, the sound of a distorted amp is "wrong".
Anyway, when adjusting the pickups, you'll find a sweet spot of sorts. Too close to the strings and it will get sort of screechy and fizzy. Too far away and the tone will probably just sound week (and out of balance with the other pickup). When moving towards the strings, louder can sound better, but listen to the quality of the tone and you'll see what I mean. Also, you may notice differences with gain vs. clean! Since higher gain means, well, higher gain, it will accentuate any problems you may have if the pickup is too close.
This is one of those things that you can't really break short of overturning the screw to the point of damage or turning in the other direction so far that the pickup falls off the screw, but those are easy repairs (and I've never actually seen either happen.)
I know that's a lot of words, which is why "mess with it until it sounds good" is really the right answer.