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Post subject: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:04 am
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I'm curious if anyone is sensitive to the middle pup on their Strats in that it affects picking.
I lower my middle pickup about 50% lower relative to the other pups because it gets in my way for picking.

Where I feel most comfortable picking is nearly on top of the middle pup.
If I leave it set like the other pups it forces me to play forward or rearward and that feels awkward for me.

Anyone else find the middle pup getting in your way?

I have Lace Sensors end though the mid pup is 50% lower than the other's the output isn't bad at all, and the tone is great.
How are your standard singles affected?


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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:07 pm
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Rverb wrote:


Anyone else find the middle pup getting in your way?

Yes , long time ago when I begin to play on Strat . Not since many many years ...



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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 12:39 pm
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stratele52 wrote:
Rverb wrote:


Anyone else find the middle pup getting in your way?

Yes , long time ago when I begin to play on Strat . Not since many many years ...



Yeah, I've had mine for 22 years and it still gets in the way, that's why I lower it.
Different styles, different comfort zones. :)


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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 7:34 pm
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Location: In a house....unless I'm at work....then I'm in a shop.
You could just get a "New York Strat"....that should fix it for you.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:06 pm
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Not at all for me. I find myself mostly picking and strumming above the neck pup or bridge pup depending on the tone I want and any locations in between. Sometimes I find myself playing on the neck itself. What is underneath the strings where I am picking and strumming seems irrelevant to me as far as playability so I guess the issue is dependent on the particular players technique and what they are used to.

When I set up the middle pup for myself or my customers I never even considered anything but the sound when adjusting the height. So far no complaints.

For anyone who questions this go....try this right now. Pick up any guitar closest to you and play it all the way by the bridge....then try again by or on the neck. Unless you have a tin ear will notice a vast difference in tone...plugged or unplugged. Not trying to convince anyone there is a problem with their technique or that mine is better but I assume we are all after "tone" and many fail to realize how much of that comes from technique.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:24 pm
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Each set of pickups is different. I raise or lower pickups on a Strat (or any guitar) until I find a balance of volume and tone between selector switch positions. Balance is what I am after. Sometimes one pup is higher than another. Sometimes I raise or lower only one end of a pup depending on what it needs to achieve a balance. As far as pups being in the way, ummm ... that's just is not an issue. Never has been. I can't even begin to fathom how it could ever be an issue. If the pup is in your way for picking then just pick someplace else. Problem solved. If you are absolutely stuck on picking in one spot and one spot only then you really, really, REALLY need to work on your right hand technique.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:44 pm
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IIRC, Blackmore and Malmsteen keep their middle pickups very low to be out of the way.

And eventually Blackmore did away with his middle pickups.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:51 pm
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Not saying everyone should want to sound like SRV or even like his music...but he is pretty much the undisputed king of Strat "tone". If you watch his pick hand technique on the following vid for example....even though he is not playing "number 1" but some other Strat that looks like it fell down a 50,000 ft gravel mountain, you can see he typically plays anywhere from right below the neck pup, to right on top of the neck himself.

So why sacrifice the tonal options you have with a 3 pickup strat when you can simply learn to play in a different position? The other option of course is the easy way out and just lower or remove the pickup. The choice is to each his/her own. Personally the last tone I want is Yingvey malsteem whatever I can't even name a single song he did...however I do respect his virtuosity, I just have no desire to lower my middle pup to sound like him when I do not play that kind of limited style to nothing but shredding.


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Last edited by ebaysux on Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:09 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 9:57 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
IIRC, Blackmore and Malmsteen keep their middle pickups very low to be out of the way.

And eventually Blackmore did away with his middle pickups.

Wow.
I never heard that about Blackmore before.
Kind of tarnishes my impression of him.

That sucks.
:cry:

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:06 pm
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BMW-KTM wrote:
orvilleowner wrote:
IIRC, Blackmore and Malmsteen keep their middle pickups very low to be out of the way.

And eventually Blackmore did away with his middle pickups.

Wow.
I never heard that about Blackmore before.
Kind of tarnishes my impression of him.

That sucks.
:cry:


I agree..but only to a point. I am disappointed to a degree that he would use a strat and find the middle pup in they way so decided to eliminate it...but if he never used it anyhow it is not a big deal. He earned his spot in rock. However it is not exactly like Blackmore is known to be a tone monster as compared to let's say SRV or Robert Cray....again, to each his own. I just try my best to influence others to not always take the easy way out and limit themselves, especially if you choose to play such a tonally versatile guitar as a strat.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Wed Jun 25, 2014 10:26 pm
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Or..for another example....watch this entire vid and keep an eye on where he plays-(all over -sometimes by the neck, sometimes by the bridge or anywhere in between depending on the tone he wants)....and this guy is certainly a fine example of a tone monster that uses a 3 pickup Strat. I can't imagine he would ever be a pansy and remove the middle pickup because it is "in the way" of his playing. Watch and learn kids....watch and learn.....


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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 12:12 am
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Can someone please tell me what a "tone monster" is?

RB


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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 1:25 am
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RichBrew wrote:
Can someone please tell me what a "tone monster" is?

RB


I will try. It is a person that can play any guitar and get it to sound good or even amazing. Now add to that a zillion people play Les Pauls...but how many can you name? Same with Stratocasters. That said, "tone" can be a very subjective thing. However it is hard to objectively deny certain players that have a "signature" sound so to speak and often it is not so much the particular brand or model guitar they are playing that makes the sound so recognizable to anyone with a good ear....but the technique. In other words for some of us idiots in this quest for a certain "tone" like it is the freaking holy grail...it may just be that some are holding the pick wrong :twisted:

On the other hand if someone is tone deaf, has a tin ear, or thinks only distortion and feedback and speed and effects and tricks "sound" good, then everything I tried to communicate is irrelevant. Monster tone is not required for any of that.

If that did not explain it well enough I blame it on the alcohol.

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 2:02 am
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ebaysux wrote:
Now add to that a zillion people play Les Pauls...but how many can you name?


Gee, this seems like a no-brainer......

Eric Clapton
Joseph Walsh
Leslie West
Duane Allman
Jimmy Page
Gary Richrath
Neil Schon
Martin Barre
Pete Townsend
Phil Keaggy
Carlos Santana
Tom Johnston
Joe Perry
Tom Scholz
Keith Richards
William Gibbons
Rick Neilsen
Ronnie Montrose
Gary Rossington
Slash

(the list is near-endless)

:mrgreen:

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Strat middle coil height
Posted: Thu Jun 26, 2014 2:35 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
ebaysux wrote:
Now add to that a zillion people play Les Pauls...but how many can you name?


Gee, this seems like a no-brainer......

Eric Clapton
Joseph Walsh
Leslie West
Duane Allman
Jimmy Page
Gary Richrath
Neil Schon
Martin Barre
Pete Townsend
Phil Keaggy
Carlos Santana
Tom Johnston
Joe Perry
Tom Scholz
Keith Richards
William Gibbons
Rick Neilsen
Ronnie Montrose
Gary Rossington
Slash

(the list is near-endless)

:mrgreen:

Arjay


Well considering I did not ask you the question that is a still quite an impressive list. Not exactly "a zillion" or "endless"... but most impressive nonetheless. Not sure if it made my point or hurt it though...or even what the intention was, but only a handful of those players (if that and I am being generous) do I relate to a Les Paul. Oh and you forgot to mention me. I have also played them.... but limited to recordings. Live I find them too darned heavy.

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