It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:24 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 3:35 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:33 am
Posts: 12
Can anyone confirm the right pickup heights for this guitar?
I have all the factory settings, including those for my American d/l and different fingerboard radii, but I'm not even sure what pickups were fitted . . . . it hasn't really mattered up to now, I've been happy with the sound, but as wear increases, string height has needed adjusting (I'm OK with that, no problem) but I'm not sure where to start from with pickup height.
Hope someone can help - I love these pups, I'd really like to know what they are!!
Cheers,
Weedsy


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 4:13 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 1:57 pm
Posts: 1089
Location: Rossendale UK
There's no straight answer to your question.
The setup guide is pretty vague http://www2.fender.com/support/articles ... tup-guide/

If it sounds good I wouldn't worry about it.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:26 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4241
Pickup heights are always just guidelines, IMHO.
Plus, there were different models of 50th Annies with different pickups.

So, choose the pickups from s-mangler's link that are closest to what you have, start with their factory defaults, and then use your ears to get to the sweet spot with equal
(or "matching according to your own preferences") volume levels.

On a wild guess: you have either Vintage style or Noiseless™ Series pickups.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Sun Jun 14, 2015 7:34 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Dec 07, 2010 2:39 pm
Posts: 1340
Firstly if you do have a 50th Anniversary Std it will be two tone with ash body and maple neck/fretboard no exceptions.
The tweed case will also come with an embroidered 50th logo in red with gold interior.
The original pickups were a take on custom 54s but without the cotton on the wires.
Hope that helps! :D


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Mon Jun 15, 2015 3:51 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician
User avatar

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 4:54 am
Posts: 2573
Location: Laurel, MD
I think someone beat me to the punch. If we're talking about the American Series 50th Anniversary Strat, then it does have the CS '54 Strat picks. I would start with whatever height is suggested for those pickups. On the other hand, it's a very personal thing. Too close and you get what I call "string warble." If you move them far away, you'll get a less bighting done, a little more mellow tone. Move them up and down to see what you like. Keep in mind that you want the bass side E, A and D side, a little lower than the other strings.

I owned one of these guitars and loved the heck out of it. One of the best Strats I ever played. Neck felt great, the 2-color-sunburst ash body was stunning and the case was just perfect.

Sadly I found a '75 Strat and had to trade it in to get the guitar. This '75 Strat has Strat tone and vibe from another world.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 1:37 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:33 am
Posts: 12
Some really useful info, thanks all you people.
Especially the confirmation of what a '54 should be; mine is certainly genuine, all aspects (including the dealer''s invoice from new) tie in - including the fact that it's the best Fender I've ever played, the pickups are astounding. Nice to know what they are!
I realise that specs are just starting points, but I'm looking for a very slight change in sound on the middle pickup when using an Echorec (Binson emulator) pedal; difficult to explain, but there's a tiny metallic "tingling" overtone that shouldn't be there. I need to isolate the pickup heights as a possible cause, and one post has led me to believe that this could be the area to look at before fiddling with other pedal/eq/guitar settings. (Yes, I'm chasing the holy grail of "Shadows" sounds . . . . still chasing after forty years!)
So thanks again for all the info, I'll post again with results if anyone's interested!


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Tue Jun 16, 2015 3:28 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4241
weedsy wrote:
I'm looking for a very slight change in sound on the middle pickup when using an Echorec (Binson emulator) pedal; difficult to explain, but there's a tiny metallic "tingling" overtone that shouldn't be there

Pickups are easy to remove from the equasion, just lower them so much there's no way they interfere with the strings. Mark your starting height, so it's easier to return to.

Do you get that tingling overtone with just that pedal, or do you hear it always (unplugged/amplified)?
Unplugged points to something in the setup, only amplified to something in the signal chain. On the latter: I usually check the "electricity" first - often the power supply and battery (even if you use the power supply) are the culprit.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: 50th anniversary Strat purchased 2005 No.Z4028782
Posted: Tue Jun 30, 2015 12:53 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Tue Jan 27, 2015 6:33 am
Posts: 12
update: tingling overtone appears to be pedal-related, not pickups - there's an internal setting that emulates the slight "phasing" found on old (electro-mechanical) Binsons, with an adjustment by tiny internal pot (you have to take the back off!)
Too much produces this tone (and there's a default "always on bypass" that leaves the pedal preamp in the circuit). That needs a back-off dismantle to reset to true bypass, as well; dumb not to have checked that out first - obviously it's not just a delay pedal! RTFM, I suppose . . . . :oops:
Doesn't do it with my American d/l on N3's and shawbucker, though . . . . weird.
Thanks for all the help and advice!


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 2 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: