black Beauty 3 basic setup

[alwassia]

Hello, just bought me the black Beauty 3 and changed the strings, now (and before) the action feels to high so

 

could someone point me in the right direction where i could find the set up details / checks for the Black Beauty 3.

 

When i try to adjust the bride (3/64 and 5/64 on 12th) i find that the pickup closes to the bridge is nearly touching the strings.

 

What should be the distance form the pick ups to the strings?How do i adjust them?

 

I guess i need to check the whole set up. Pick ups, bridge and all.

 

Please do not tell me to bring it to a professional, there are non in Saudi Arabia. :- (

 

Thanks

 

Khaled

[alwassia]

Thanks for the quick reply.

Ok that is clear now but to what measurement ? Is there a factory address where i could send an inquiry to to get the measurements?

[Witmer]

Pickup height/distance from the strings will have an effect on the guitar's tone, so I believe it's rather a matter of taste. My inexpert guess is that somewhere around 0.5 cm would be a place to start.

[pippy]

The instructions which came with the original Les Pauls carried the folowing advice;

 

"...this dimension to be approximately 1/16" from the underside of the string to the top of the pickup when the string is depressed at the last fret of the fingerboard..."

 

These guitars came fitted with a set of 12's. Lighter strings may need a bit more clearance.

[vagabond]

I forget the stock measurement for pickup clearance under the strings, but it's mostly a matter of preference. If the pickups are too high then you'll get notes that flatten out and sound dull due to electromagnetic pull from the pickups 'dragging' the strings as they vibrate. If the pickups are too low then you can experience and lack of clarity and sustain. Find what works for you, a lot of people around here keep our pickups pretty low because of the positive effects it has on the tone.

 

Another thing to mention is that if you turn the screws on either side of the pickup an unequal amount of times, you'll notice that either the treble will be louder than the bass strings, or vice versa. You can play around with this to help form your sound too, but most people suggest just balancing your pickups to be even.

 

Have fun setting up your guitar. Learning how to do it yourself is an awesome thing to do. Guitar care and maintenance is a great hobby.

[yabbadoo]

From the Gibson Backstage Pass - Gibson Custom Shop Setup Tips...

 

Set pickup height. Fret on the last fret of the guitar. Pole pieces should be 3/64” from the bottom of the string.

 

Cheers!

[cdntac]

If it had heavier gauge strings on it before...you may have to adjust the neck as well as the bridge height in order to achieve the desired action height you're looking for.

[dmeds]

According to guitar guru Dan Erlewine, the factory spec for pickup heights are as follows while depressing the last fret: neck pu - 3/32" bass & treble, bridge pu - 1/16" bass and treble. Your string height at the 12th is spot on. As everyone has already stated, it comes down to what makes you happy. Play on!

[Bram]

Basically there's one rule; use your ears. Play with the pickup heights untill the pickups sound most balanced in your Black Beauty.

[RichCI]

Basically there's one rule; use your ears. Play with the pickup heights untill the pickups sound most balanced in your Black Beauty.

 

+1000

 

My thoughts on pickup height, yours may vary:

http://forums.gibson.com/Default.aspx?g=posts&t=11254

[six-string]

just send the guitar to me and i will let you know when its fixed.......maybe. =)

[Volvo16750]

Have black beauty would like the pic up heights for all three pic ups thanks 

[IanHenry]

 This is a useful source of information:

 http://www.gibson-talk.com/forum/threads/gibson-factory-set-up-specs.15130/