Hi everyone,

I recently got my dream guitar - a 2010 American Deluxe Ash strat. I think the N3's sound great, and by tweaking the factory height settings by ear a little bit, I got them sounding even greater. But then I wondered if I could get more output by raising them higher. I looked up the recommended heights for "noiseless" pickups on the Fender website (http://www.fender.com/support/stratocas ... _guide.php) and found than mine were substantially lower. So, I set them to the heights specified by Fender, but the guitar suddendly sounded more muffled or "boxy" and less "open". Maybe the new N3's have a higher output and/or stronger magnets than the old "noiselss" pickups? I'm not sure.

So, anyway, I've tried to go back to how I had the pickups set before, but the problem is that I can't get it to sound as good as it did! So, I was wondering if there's anyone on here who - unlike me - actually knows what they're doing and has set up a strat with N3s and got a really good sound out of it? If so, could you please let me know the heights you have set each pickup at so that I can copy? Any help would be hugely appreciated!

Thanks!

Its totally up to you where you want the pickups to sit.
There probably is a factory setting but really its better to set them up where your happy and adjust if you need it.

Here is one way.

To set them up you need to put your guitar on the clean channel and the middle EQ with no gain of your amp.
Run no effects and use a good cable. Use headphones on your amp if its noisy.
Have your tone and and volume maxed on the guitar.

Set all the pickups fairly low either side to start and bring up the neck pickup first on the low E side.
Make sure your pickup selector is in correct single pickup position.

Hold the guitar in playing position.

Pick the string while fretting the last fret on the neck (closest to the neck pickup).
Listen to the clarity of the note while picking and gradually raising the pickup.
When you hear the sound start to break up then lower the pickup half a wind or so and recheck. Then check the other strings as you bring up the high E side.

If you run into problems just lower it and start again.
Practice and you will be able to hear the distinct difference between volume and harmonic distortion.

Move onto the next pickup and then recheck everything. If you find your getting a little too much pull on the string after setting up the other pickups then back the neck pickup down slightly.

Using this technique will mean when your playing all over the neck the pickups will never cause unclean notes due to being setup too high.

Obviously if you do not like how loud it is or want a quiet setting for your specific play style you can lower one where you like.
There are artists who use this technique.

If you get stuck watch this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9erpxHYFBrQ

Welcome to the Forum!!

Do a search for my post on the "Nickel Method". Use that as your starting point and fine tune from there.

I have found that I like my pickups down almost even with the pickguard.

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Chet Feathers

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.