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Post subject: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 12:24 pm
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So I finally get around to recording my guitar straight into my Roland Duo-Capture EX audio converter box. Up until now I've been using a mic on the amp with this new 2013 FSR Stratocaster. When I plugged it in direct I notice, with heavy strumming and pick attack, I was bashing the pickup poles! That made a no so nice sound. I had the pickup height adjusted to roughly 8/64 on the bass side (which is where the issue was). Basically I had it adjusted as if they were Texas Specials. I've since lowered them almost flush with the pickguard to about twice the distance! These poles are so staggered, especially in the middle that's it's weird to me. Wondering if anybody else has come across this. I have another thread in the pickup forum trying to identify these pickups and we are coming up at a loss. I guess these are not standard issue "Standard" Strat pickups? If anybody has any insight into this please advise. I will continue to play with the pickup height and see what works best but man I wish there was some documentation on these pups.

Here's the post if it helps--->
viewtopic.php?f=18&t=91897

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 3:01 pm
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gldfshkpr wrote:
These poles are so staggered, especially in the middle that's it's weird to me. Wondering if anybody else has come across this. I have another thread in the pickup forum trying to identify these pickups and we are coming up at a loss.

Hi gldfshkpr: I've taken a look at your other thread and I'm not quite sure what the mystery is? By the look of it you have MIM Standard single-coil pickups and a MIM Standard humbucker. The spec sheet is here, if you're in doubt (click the "specs" tab below the picture):

http://www.fender.com/guitars/stratocas ... ue-no-bag/

The FSR part of your guitar almost certainly refers just to the finish. Guitar stores often order runs of several hundred guitars in a colour that's not currently in the catalog so's they can sell it as a "special edition". Nuttin' wrong with that, but it usually means that the rest of the spec sheet is the same as the standard guitar model. If the Factory Special Run included Texas Specials you can be certain they'd have let you know about it.

The height of the pole pieces on the single-coils is known as the "vintage stagger". In the '50s electric guitars often had their pickup poles varied in height across the spread like that to accommodate the fact that in those days guitars were always sold with a wound third (G) string, like on an acoustic. For many decades players have preferred an unwound G string and that is almost invariably how electric guitars are now manufactured. And yet a lot of single-coil pickups are still made with that old stagger, with the highest pole beneath the third string to allow for the lower output a wound G would produce, given that it is skinnier than the other wound strings.

It is a complete anomaly on a modern guitar and it bugs the hell out of some players, because it can give an uneven output with an unwound third. And yet Fender and many other pickup makers carry right on doing it. It's the power of tradition.

I know it seems strange, but that's why your pole piece stagger looks the way it does.

Lastly. Regarding pickup height, there is no set-in-stone law as to how high they must be, although Fender do offer guideline suggestions. A general principle is that the closer to the strings they are the more output you get but the less (apparent) sustain. Conversely, the lower into the pickguard you drop them the more sustain, but a slight reduction in output - which is easily compensated for by turning up the amp gain. Also, too high causes magnetic pull on the steel strings and can result in nasty "wolf notes".

Many players find they like how their pickups sound when fairly low to the pickguard, but ultimately your own ears and fingers must be your guide.

Cheers - C

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 7:21 pm
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If it helps you any, I measured the pups i have similiar to those and neck measured 6.8k middle 7.1k and humbucker 8.1k.

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:17 pm
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Thanks Ceri. Oddly Fender tells me my nut width is 43mm instead of the standard 42mm. Not a big difference, but different all the same. So couldn't help but wonder if they made any other fundamental changes. Good info you posted there. I'm going to experiment with pickup height some more with these.

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:19 pm
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socal323 wrote:
If it helps you any, I measured the pups i have similiar to those and neck measured 6.8k middle 7.1k and humbucker 8.1k.


That makes perfect sense as I was adjusting these pickups to more or less equal volumes in my studio today.The bucker is dedefinitely hotter, neck being the softest.

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Tue Feb 04, 2014 10:50 pm
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MIM Standard pups have a different stagger than a vintage style pups. The MIM Standard has the two middle pole pieces the highest, and they get progressively lower towards each end of the pup, closely matching the fret board radius. If the bridge radius is set to match the fret board radius, the pup poles will all be fairly equal distance from their corresponding strings.

The picture in your other post shows that your single-coil pups are the usual MIM Standard ceramic pups.

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 9:29 am
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shimmilou wrote:
... The picture in your other post shows that your single-coil pups are the usual MIM Standard ceramic pups.


Yeah, I had originally picked out a different MIM Standard and exchanged it after a few days. Couldn't get the thing setup right. Somebody had mangled the saddles and bridge. I thought I remembered those pups looking different. I went back and looked at some photos I took and it appears to be the same pickups. I'm not entirely thrilled with these. They do the job, I miss the chime of an alnico pickup I guess.

Anyhow, I've adjusted them basically back to specs. I think my error might have been when I first adjusted them I forgot to depress the strings at the last fret. Couldn't see the forest for the trees! All is fine now, except I'm in the mood for some chime / bell like tones to play with my tube amp.

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 10:15 am
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Glad that the problem is now solved by using the factory specs 8)

But (to keep the forum alive) I'd like to take a note on this:
gldfshkpr wrote:
socal323 wrote:
If it helps you any, I measured the pups i have similiar to those and neck measured 6.8k middle 7.1k and humbucker 8.1k.


That makes perfect sense as I was adjusting these pickups to more or less equal volumes in my studio today.The bucker is dedefinitely hotter, neck being the softest.

It's common that the bridge pickup is wound (hotter than the middle pickup, which in turn is wound) hotter than the neck pickup. This is to compensate that the strings vibrate less near the bridge & has less to do with the string height.

BTW, in the good old days (= days with smaller output pickups) a rule of thumb was to adjust the neck pup level with the fretboard, and the bridge pup as high as possible without buzzing...


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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 11:51 am
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Ceri wrote:
Many players find they like how their pickups sound when fairly low to the pickguard ...

I agree with this. I have found -- for me -- lower is better for both tone and also play-ability.

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 12:36 pm
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01GT eibach wrote:
Ceri wrote:
Many players find they like how their pickups sound when fairly low to the pickguard ...

I agree with this. I have found -- for me -- lower is better for both tone and also play-ability.

How low? Do you measure? I'm surprised Fender doesn't give a range. How low is too low? Or is there such a thing?

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Post subject: Re: Major Pickup Height Adjustment
Posted: Wed Feb 05, 2014 1:00 pm
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gldfshkpr wrote:
01GT eibach wrote:
Ceri wrote:
Many players find they like how their pickups sound when fairly low to the pickguard ...

I agree with this. I have found -- for me -- lower is better for both tone and also play-ability.

How low? Do you measure? I'm surprised Fender doesn't give a range. How low is too low? Or is there such a thing?



Mine are setup with the top of the Bass side of the neck pickup (lowest) even with the top of pickguard, and the top of the Treble side of the bridge pickup (highest) about twice as high off the pickguard as the top of the adjustment screw. The other four screws are set evenly between those two extremes.

Image

It works fine for me. YMMV.

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