seems every set of single coils is special in some way that there is no perfect set-up done right by 'pros' in the shop. I seem to always adjust the angle and height to meet the sound I want from them.

I love the characteristics of the classic strat a subdued tone controlled neck pickup and middle that can be 'colored' different to give a variation. I'm heavy on the bass side but want a close high end. the bridge I like being the 'wild' of the bunch doing its own 'free' thing of tone and bright as can be with a punch over the other two neck and middle usually by bringing it up incrementally.

I know the 'set up' is outlined and follow pretty much to a standard when you pay for a 'set up' at the shop- but how many here really tweak their sound or have abandoned the 'set' guidline for the strat?

I have a strat with texas specials and one with vintage single coils (50's classic) I got them to sound close - mainly I like the texas specials so I used its' sound character as a my reference.

Instead of a swap out for certain mod pickups like noiseless or lace sensors - how do you like to set the pick ups?

does anyone really check the output decible level for each pickup to be even across all 6 strings? (if thats even possible- I just go by ear) I don't want to get techy with using any line level meters- just wondering if it's something anyone does.

Before I respond, I have a question for you: Why did you make the Strat with Texas Specials and Vintage 50s "sound close"? They are different pickups meant to sound different. Making them "sound close" defeats the puprose of having different pickups.

To answer you question, I start with the Fender specs and go from there. Some things I measure exactly like action and neck relief. Others I adjust by ear, like pickup height. To me, a pro setup makes a good baseline. The pro is not going to know what you like to "hear" but they will (usually) put the guitar in the best playable condition. I had my first setup done by a pro. I measured and wrote down all of the settings he used. That way, when I chose to deviate from something he did, I had a known setting to return to. Now, if I could just find where I stuck that piece of paper I wrote everything down on, I'd be set.

_________________
Bill

i set mine almost flush with the pickguard , then raise the bridge one slightly higher than the neck, and then put the middle pickup roughly double the bridge pup's height. i then listen to each one, and maybe fine tune it up a little, or down a little till i get what i want out of it. that gets me what i want to hear, but everybody's preference is different. as for the "specs", they're just a place to start-you gotta carve out your own sound and way of doing things. most "techs" would probaly spend all day undoing what i've done to mine-i'd put it right back. i play 12's or 13's, and my action is about as high as it can be, plus i think my pickup heights would probably be considered a bit unconventional (by fender's standards anyway). i got the idea to put the mid pup higher from www.kinman.com (though i'm fairly certain i've seen others on here talking about it too). he sells pickups and such, but there's also an interesting section on guitar setup,which i stumbled upon one day. once again, i didn't bother with the precise measurements, i just make sure i like what i hear. but if you like your sound, i wouldn't change it to suit fender, a tech, or anyone else. if you don't, grab a screw driver and go one pickup at a time till your ears start smiling.

hey blue sky,

after playing the strat with the vintage set in a set up that is to the guidline- I found that although I love the look of the model and features of the neck body- I have a prefence for punchy midrange and bottom end- I can only get so much from eqaulization- so I adusted the pickups to sound the way they are giving me that bottom and mids like the texas specials-

-indeed there are things that are still different between the sound but I say 'close to' or 'like' the texas' because I set those too to give more bottom and more even output on the bridge pickup.

so- in general its' specifically the 'curve of the freqs range' rather then acual 'tone' or coloration of the actual pick ups -I meant to say if asked a technical reasoning.

hope that answers your question- didn't think of that one comming- as it was a natural thing for me to do -since I have a particular sound- as I shure every one has. I'm sure this is something many have difficulties achieving a success at because they want their rig to sound a certain way- but I found it all starts with the most basic materials- and go from there. I use few if many effects at all generally- with the exception of fender 'spring' reverb and some overdrive as needed.

hi king harvest,

right on with 'till your ears smile'- that it exactly. to the point
wow- with your set up = I never played 13's don't think I played 12's -ever?- why the high action - slide player?

na, started out on the blues, and srv was my hero, and he got it from jimi (using big strings). to me high action just comes with the territory. guitars with small strings and low action feel like i'm playing spaghetti noodles. believe it or not, renee martinez claims at one point stevie ray was usin' a 15 for his high e!!! said he convinced him to move down to 12's to "save his hands". i've been doin' it so long now, i don't even notice them. the 13's are hard to find, ernie ball is the only one i know of that makes 'em, and even then i have to order them from the internet. 12's are usually available at shops, so i usually end up with those. my gf's brother came over the other day, and he's into metal, and he always kept tiny ones and lower action on his guitars. anyway, he picked up my guitar, and says, oh, this must be for a rhythm player, cause he couldn't handle the strings or the action. you should've seen his face when my band started rockin' out! couldn't believe "a lead player" (his words-to me its all just playin' guitar) played with strings that big and action that high! to me, a guitar has got to give it back as hard as it gets it to be worth a damn. everybody's different, but that's my opinion. can't play slide to save my soul for some reason. my brother is in my band, and he takes on slide/steel guitar duties. he also plays 12's/13's. for the record though, we're no srv clones! gotta do your own thing, i believe that from the bottom of my heart.

I tend to tweak mine to get just the right inbetween sounds. It's amazing how much a hair width change can affect those positions tone and quack.

Good techs measure first and listen second.

KingHarvest

Hendrix apparently used light strings mate. A mixed set.



Found here

http://www.musicplayer.com/article/the-gear-jimi/Mar-05/4046

Lots of good info there.

_________________
No no and no