Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 27 Sep 2009 7:00 am |
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It depends on what you want it to sound like. If you want a hotter and more midrangey sound, keep them raised fairly close to the strings, subject to limitations given below. If you want a more clear tone with the midrange a bit more scooped, keep on lowering them until you get what you want. Of course, the exact pickups, signal chain, and amp matter also. I assume you're talking about an "American Standard Tele"? If so, those pickups are already pretty midrangey for a Tele pickup, so I'd just keep on cranking them down until they sounded like what I want.
The string vibration is wider near the middle of the length of the string, so if I want to equalize volumes, I normally have the bridge pickup higher than the neck pickup. But again - this is all subject to personal taste.
There's another factor - magnetic string pull. If you set the pickup too close to the string, the pickup's magnetic pull can dampen the string vibrations, and also create false notes. This effect tends to be more pronounced as you move towards the middle of the string, so it's more of a consideration for the neck pickup. But one shouldn't get pickups too close to the strings - I'd never go for less than 1-2 quarters thickness at the bridge and 2-3 quarters at the neck, but I often lower them more than that. Again, it depends on what I want that guitar to sound like.
My experience, anyway. |
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