SG Pickup Height (where to take measurement)

[Whizzinby]

Guys, trying to dial in pickup height but given how SG’s bridge and pickups are setup at an angle I’m unsure where to take the measurements. Take the bridge for example, the pole screw is further away from the string than the cover edge. (By several 64ths, on mine by 3/64ths) 

I understand “spec” for Gibson humbuckers is 3/64th on the bridge and 4/64th on the neck, but I’m just curious where that measurement should be taken since they differ at pole vs humbucker cover. 
 

Thanks in advance

[brad1]

Sorry I don’t know anything about measuring pickup height. Someone will though.  
I measure with my ears.  I listen to how it sounds at various heights and adjust accordingly.  Seems to work for me.  😄

[Rabs]

I dont know why people take any notice of the height....  If it sounds good to you whats the difference?   

I do what Brad does above..  I move them till I like the sound of them and then you dont have to worry about the exact height. If it sounds too bright and grating move them down a bit.. If it sounds too muddy move them up a bit..  Simple as that.

[Eracer_Team]

There are two screws that hold the pickup in

With the spring pressure can cause a twist in the pickup. 

Undo the 4 screws pull the pickup, put a foam block in the pickup cavity   , screw pickup back in

This should level out the pickup for you

[Whizzinby]

23 minutes ago, Rabs said:

I dont know why people take any notice of the height....  If it sounds good to you whats the difference?   

I do what Brad does above..  I move them till I like the sound of them and then you dont have to worry about the exact height. If it sounds too bright and grating move them down a bit.. If it sounds too muddy move them up a bit..  Simple as that.

I knew I’d get some  “use your ears” replies. lol

Im just trying to get a feel for how Gibson establishes a baseline setup, which doesn’t seem like a wild ask.

I adjusted my pole screws to level the individual string output volumes, but my bridge is noticeably hotter than the neck, and obviously I could raise/lower one or the other to level set them, but I’d like to establish a proper baseline before doing so. 

Edited December 30, 2020 by Whizzinby

[Rabs]

3 minutes ago, Whizzinby said:

I knew I’d get some  “use your ears” replies. lol

Im just trying to get a feel for how Gibson establishes a baseline setup, which doesn’t seem like a wild ask.

I adjusted my pole screws to level the individual string output volumes, but my bridge is noticeably hotter than the neck, and obviously I could raise/lower one or the other to leave set them, but I’d like to establish a proper baseline before doing so. 

Well what I would say to that is that every guitar is different..  Slightly different values on the pickup resistance and pot value and then theres the wood itself.. All of these things make small differences and is why you could take several LPs that are all the same model and each one will be a bit different to the last..  Because of this I dont think there  is a baseline.

[rct]

1.  Lose the springs, use tubing.  

2.  "Specs" were determined after a certain point in guitar history, the point at which you could throw a rock from your house and hit a house with guitar(s) in it.  They were selling to everyone and anyone, guitars were no longer for guitar players.  So people see things that adjust, and the internetz was taking off, and BAM!!!!  "HOW HIGH DO I SET MY PICKUPS FOR MAXIMUM CARAMELY SWEET UPPER MID RANGE?????".  Gibson, along with everyone else, had to start writing stuff down and making decisions about what to tell people, whereas before this time, for most of guitar time, we mostly just turned screws until it sounded good.

So here is some opinion based on long experience going back to 1977 when a famous guy who shall remain nameless handed us his Les Paul.  We were amazed that anyone could play it the strings were so high, and the pickups were all the way down, both of them.  Mr. Betts told us that was how he got that clear ring, that sustain, that delicious harmonic content.  I believed him, and I have lived that advice ever since.  Pickups perform best when they "see" as much of the string as possible.  That means they perform best when they are as low as possible.  I would set your SG neck pickup even with the ring and the back pickup just a smidge above the ring, since it is farther from the strings it already "sees" them better.

The balance you seek is almost impossible to get when you have the output differences between pickups and the string distance differences between pickups.  You can only get it so close, you'll have to use your hands and the pesky volume knob(s) to balance them.  If you are going to move a pickup closer to balance things, move the back pickup a little at a time to get close to balanced.  There is only a very small difference between Good Height and Too High, they start to distort their intended sound when they get even a little too close.

Guitars don't live in a world measured in 64ths.  When you lay into that thing, when you start leaning and muting and banging on it with your pick or fingers, all of those uber precise measurements are gone in a flash, and the heat and the light and the sweat and the vigor you are using all turn it into something good, not something measured in parsecs or quarks.

Good luck with it.  Don't get caught up on some number you saw on the internet.  Before the internet there really were not such numbers to even see, and we lived just fine.

rct

 

[Pinch]

It's my understanding you measure from the top of the pole piece. 

[Whizzinby]

7 minutes ago, Pinch said:

It's my understanding you measure from the top of the pole piece. 

That’s what I assumed too, but on an SG the bridge pickup and string is at an angle, so if you cranked the bridge up to where the string was 3/64ths from the pole, the string would be touching the pickup cover. 
 

The SG is a unique setup. With Les Pauls, the pickups are level with the string so it’s pretty straightforward. 

[Leonard McCoy]

While holding down the string at the last fret, you measure the pickup height on the E strings for both the treble and bass side from the respective top of the polepiece to the underside of the string. When setting up a Gibson I bring up the individual polepieces in height so as to match the 12" radius of the fretboard and set the pickups to 3/32 (neck) and 2/32 (bridge), respectively, to start with. Once you have a baseline established go by ear to fine-tune the sound even further to your liking.

Edited December 30, 2020 by Leonard McCoy

[Pinch]

1 hour ago, Whizzinby said:

That’s what I assumed too, but on an SG the bridge pickup and string is at an angle, so if you cranked the bridge up to where the string was 3/64ths from the pole, the string would be touching the pickup cover. 
 

The SG is a unique setup. With Les Pauls, the pickups are level with the string so it’s pretty straightforward. 

Ideally (https://forum.gibson.com/topic/161059-project-humbucker-angle/)... 

[SteveFord]

https://www.gibson.com/GibsonTV/Gibsons Guide to Guitar Setup and Maintenance/gtvortac0/epbopx4l

[Whizzinby]

36 minutes ago, SteveFord said:

https://www.gibson.com/GibsonTV/Gibsons Guide to Guitar Setup and Maintenance/gtvortac0/epbopx4l

haha that series is great and has been my starting point for this entire endeavor, but his doesn’t cover how to measure an SG bridge! Lol 

[IanHenry]

I asked one of the Gibson Technicians (the guys who do the online setups) this question regarding my 335 neck pickup and he told me they always measure from the poll piece. 

[SteveFord]

I just checked my 2019 SG Standard which has not had the pick ups messed with at all.

Bridge pick up with string held down at highest fret:

Dime on pole piece high E

Penny on pole piece low E

 

Edited December 31, 2020 by SteveFord

[Pinch]

3 hours ago, SteveFord said:

I just checked my 2019 SG Standard which has not had the pick ups messed with at all.

Bridge pick up with string held down at highest fret:

Dime on pole piece high E

Penny on pole piece low E

 

I raised the pole pieces on B and E and Dinstead of raising that pickup side the other day... D'oh! 

OTOH, sounds good. I read somewhere pole pieces alter not only the volume but the tone/magnetic field when you adjust pole pieces... No idea how that works... 

Edited December 31, 2020 by Pinch

[Whizzinby]

I’d assume if Gibson is sending SG’s out with the bridge pickup at angle with the string, then they must not think straightening it makes a difference. Has anyone that’s straightened it notice an substantial difference in tone, or did you do it for aesthetics or ease of adjusting? 

[Angus.Mc]

yeah, no. Gibson gives a baseline for Neck and Bridge pickup height, 4/64 high and 6/64 low, at the poles. It's a general and relative measure. How many Gibson guitars come out of the factory with exactly the same specs? Set your pickup height as indicated above. Then, forget about the numbers. Turn both volume and tone knobs to 10. Switch to the Neck pickup and adjust to taste, first. Then, switch to Brigde pickup and adjust height to match Neck pickup volume level. Middle switch position should blend nicely. As to Batwing SG pickup angle, the above makes it a mute point. Looks and numbers don't have tone!  Cheers

[Pinch]

On 12/30/2020 at 8:20 PM, rct said:

So here is some opinion based on long experience going back to 1977 when a famous guy who shall remain nameless handed us his Les Paul.  We were amazed that anyone could play it the strings were so high, and the pickups were all the way down, both of them.  Mr. Betts told us that was how he got that clear ring, that sustain, that delicious harmonic content.  I believed him, and I have lived that advice ever since.  Pickups perform best when they "see" as much of the string as possible.  That means they perform best when they are as low as possible.  

It's a good rule of thumb. I generally set them a LOT lower than the specs. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

On 12/30/2020 at 2:59 PM, Pinch said:

It's my understanding you measure from the top of the pole piece. 

That sounds good. Let me see we have a pickup, and stings over it that affect the pup when plucked. That should be your answer. The pup, pole pieces and the strings can all be raised and lowered really easily on an electric guitar. You need to get the distance between those things where you think it sounds best not just some generic measurement.

Edited December 13, 2022 by Sgt. Pepper

[GibSinCity]

On 12/30/2020 at 11:20 AM, rct said:

"Pickups perform best when they "see" as much of the string as possible.  That means they perform best when they are as low as possible."

-Yes

 

 

[Pinch]

On 12/31/2022 at 11:56 PM, GibSinCity said:

 

I see all six strings in their entirety, yet I perform like crap. 

[Sgt. Pepper]

Joe is gonna sort this out. Anyone see the Firebird X, POS in the background?  I think there is 2 of them. I think in a few years it will be rolled over by an excavator.

 

Edited January 12, 2023 by Sgt. Pepper