Adjusting SG pickup height

[Yesman]

I just bought a 2016 Gibson SG Traditional and I wanted to play around with the pickup height a bit to find the sweet spot. I understand that there are no hard and fast rules for the height but most pickup manufacturers recommend a starting point of 1/16 of an inch from the bottom of the string to the pole piece while holding down the string on the 22nd fret. I can adjust the neck pickup to this height with no problem, but I can only adjust the bridge pickup to about 7/32 of an inch from the pole piece because the front end of the chrome cover will come in contact with the string. My question is are all SGs designed this way or did I buy a defective model? I have 2 Les Pauls with chrome cover pickups and I can easily reach the recommended pickup height. Is it just the way the SG is designed?

[kidblast]

I checked mine to see what my setting is and what the gaps are.

 

while fretting at the last fret, I'm at ~7/64s Bass side and ~6/64s Treble side, I have a 1/32 gap from the string to the pup cover

 

your photo, looks a lot like mine with respect to the pickup covers/string angle. in fact I think my pickup cover is even a slight bit closer...

[Zentar]

Delete

[Zentar]

oops

[Zentar]

Lower the bridge pup. Just use a nickle on the pups. If the strings touch the nickle at any point with the strings held down at the last fret then it's too high.

 

Humbuckers aren't real picky about height. Don't get so close your pick might scratch the pup cover. The magnetism from the pup can even retard string vibration robbing you of tone. Just put the pups in the middle of spec amd don't overthink it. Some people back them way from the strings preferring the tone over the volume.

 

Balance the neck and bridge volume. Don't be too picky about that either.

[Yesman]

I appreciate the replies from everyone. I think the way I worded my question was a little confusing. I was curious if the angle of the bridge pickup was normal for an SG. It's not level with the strings like the neck pickup is, which makes it impossible to raise the pole pieces to the recommended height because the opposite end of the bridge pickup would come in contact with the strings. I did some searching and found out that this is normal for large pickguard SGs because they don't have a pickup ring to hold them in place. And some people take off the pickguard and put foam rubber under the pickup to level it out. I may try that to keep my pick from hitting the pickguard when I play.

[capmaster]

SGs with a batwing pickguard come with the pickups mounted to it. The pickguard is flush to the flat top and thus doesn't mimic the neck angle like pickup rings typically do. Therefore the pickup surfaces are aligned to the body instead to the string runs.

 

Some players add pickups rings which calls for drilling screw holes through the pickguard and into the body as well as routing the pickguard for the pickup brackets. Another solution without drilling any holes and completely reversible would be attaching appropriately wedged shims between springs and brackets.

 

Anyway, I think most players just live with it and enjoy the specific tones. It's all up to you!

[Zentar]

This is an exaggeration for purposes of making a point:

A humbucker's magnetic field is shaped like a cucumber standing on end. A P90 single coil's magnetic field is shaped like a cucumber laying on its side. P90s like being close to the strings. Humbuckers can sit further away. A little tilt on a humbucker won't matter. Generally you can even bend humbuckers over to sit more parallel to strings.

Either way, you check pup height at the point closest to the strings.

[kidblast]

I was curious if the angle of the bridge pickup was normal for an SG. It's not level with the strings like the neck pickup is

 

yes it's normal.

 

my 2012 standard, (batwing pick gaurd) looks identical to yours.

[btoth76]

Hello.

 

Instead following specs provided by others, You might also play and listen while making small adjustments until You like what You hear.

 

Bence.