Love Rock Pickup Height: Neck below the ring?

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tmknight

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Hi, likely discussed elsewhere, though I couldn't find anything in a search. I have a MIJ LR, 2018 I think (first two s/n are 18), and have been experimenting with PUP height. The neck is very loud, at full vol, and tends to get a better tone when lowered below the ring - in fact, that is how I originally received it from JP. The bridge gets over-distorted if raised high enough to match the neck vol. I believe the PUPs to be OEM and in the correct neck (~9 Ohm) and bridge (~11 Ohm) orientation. Relief .010in; action at 12: Low, 1.5mm; High; 1.0mm.

What are others using for height? TIA

This is what I'm currently using unfretted:
  • Bridge pickup
    • Low E: 3.5mm / 0.14"

      Hi E : 3.1mm / 0.12"

  • Neck Pickup:
    • Low E: 4.0mm / 0.16"

      Hi E : 2.8mm / 0.11"
 
I would start with the Std setting and adjust until it suits your style and sound requirements. this book https://www.stewmac.com/Items.aspx?search=Building_and_repair:_Guitar,_electric/How_To_Make_Your_Electric_Guitar_Play_Great has a lot of setup info including the ones used by some of the top guitarists.

Different approaches suit different playing styles and tonal preferences. It’s best to experiment with different heights and see what works for you. Measuring between the top of the pickups and the bottom of the strings, with the strings depressed at the last fret, the best advice is to start with a gap of 1/16 inch between bridge pickup and strings and 3/32 inch between neck pickup and strings, and this makes a good general base from which to launch your own experiments. If you really do want more drive and intensity for a hot, compressed crunch to lead sound at all times, you might want your pickups a little closer to the strings, within reason. If you want more balance, air, warmth, and definition, along with less mud, chances are that moving them a little further away might do it for you. Play around with it for yourself—it’s the easiest “mod” you can do—and remember to experiment with your amp and pedal settings as you do so, because a new pickup height adjustment might require you to find some new preferred settings on other gear to achieve your ideal tone.
 
villager said:
and then you get into the whole 'polepiece height' thing.. lol

Right. It's all about the polepiece height and distance from the strings anyway - regardless of how high/low the pickup is. Look at old P90's with the pole pieces screwed almost all the way out of the pickup itself ....

Let's not forget about the pole pieces following the string arc of the radius of the neck curve 8)
 
marcusnieman said:
villager said:
and then you get into the whole 'polepiece height' thing.. lol

Right. It's all about the polepiece height and distance from the strings anyway - regardless of how high/low the pickup is. Look at old P90's with the pole pieces screwed almost all the way out of the pickup itself ....

Let's not forget about the pole pieces following the string arc of the radius of the neck curve 8)

Oh yes, I see all sorts of weird configurations :lol: my base setting is the two outer ones are level with the pickup body and then arc the rest to the neck, I then use an oscilloscope to fine tune them, so that each string gives the same amplitude. after that pickup height does the rest mostly. Strats are weirder depending on year and model of pickup. :wink:
 
My moderate output PAF clones are below the rings. Don't forget Tokai uses 50's style tall rings so they may not look like you're used to.
 
Paladin2019 said:
My moderate output PAF clones are below the rings. Don't forget Tokai uses 50's style tall rings so they may not look like you're used to.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it is what it is relative to the design of the body and desired tone.

Cheers
 

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