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Post subject: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 7:23 am
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Hey all

Just a question with regards to the height of the FAT 50's.

Fender suggests a height of 6/64 bass side and 5/64 Treb side. (All Vintage pups)
When I got my guitar, the factory setup actually had a height of
10/64 and 8/64 (I measured it before making any adjustments)
So I wanted to try the Fender suggested height, but found that the
"stratitis" was really bad (especially G string) and basically the pups all sounded "almost" similar especially between the middle and neck pup.

I have actually checked about 6 different AM std strats at my local music shop and
all of them have a setup of 10/64 and 8/64, which now confuses the hell out of me,
because why would Fender suggest one setup, but the guitars out of the factory has a different setup.

I went back to that original height and the guitar sounds 100 times better and I know some of you will say "use your ears" :) but I just would like to know if anyone else finds it weird that they suggest a setup height, but none of the guitars (at least that I have seen)
has those specs.

Peace :)


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 2:11 pm
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Did you fret strings at the last fret when you take mesurements for the pickups height ?


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:28 pm
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Hi Stratele52

Yes, all measurements were done/taken by fretting at the last fret, from the top of the pole pieces (bass/treble sides)


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:46 am
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IMO Fender specs are only a starting point, a guide .

And who can say that at the factory ajustments are accurate to a tenth of an inch?


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 2:19 am
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Yes I agree, I seriously doubt they adjust exactly according to spec and do it more by "feel". It's just weird that they suggest a spec that differs so much from what I have seen on the guitars. I suppose it's due to the strength of the magnet that differs from pup to put, thus requires different height adjustments. They mention "The distance will vary according to the amount of magnetic pull from the pickup"


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 2:33 am
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I agree with you.


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Fri Sep 26, 2014 12:33 pm
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Yea, it's a suggestion not a rule, it's like saying their guitars are made to play with .9 strings. You should experiment with height on all pickups and find what sounds best.


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2014 4:23 pm
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I just installed a set in my 2011 AmStd. Got them just before a big gig, installed and used the one nickle on the treble side and two on the bass side setup. Man did not like, didn't have much time to deal with it so took my Tele to the gig. Afterwards had some time and lowered them about halfway more and they really sweetened up.

So it seems lower is better with these babies.


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2014 1:00 am
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Stinger22 wrote:
I just installed a set in my 2011 AmStd. Got them just before a big gig, installed and used the one nickle on the treble side and two on the bass side setup. Man did not like, didn't have much time to deal with it so took my Tele to the gig. Afterwards had some time and lowered them about halfway more and they really sweetened up.

So it seems lower is better with these babies.


Yes, lower are better than higher.

I meet a New- York guitar builder on a guitars show , Chihoe hahn of Hahn Guitar (http://www.hahnguitars.com/about-us/
He tell me he like the pickups low and put a booster between guitar and amp .


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Post subject: Re: Fender FAT 50 height?
Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 11:37 am
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I've found that it matters what strings you're using. Nickel wounds can go closer on the bass side, while nickel plated steel need to be farther away, or you get the intonation/stratitus problem. Pure nickel wounds are less affected by the magnetic pull from the pole pieces. 3/32 on both sides.

_________________
The design of each element should be thought out in order to be easy to make and easy to repair.
Leo Fender


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