pick up distance from strings

[Wolf Jackson]

Hello I don't know if this is the right place to ask, I have tried looking everywhere for the answer with no luck. My question is...What is the proper distance, in metric, between the strings and the pickups on a Les Paul?

[Versatile]

Hi Wolf, welcome to the forums

Distance between pickup and string is a personal choice

Some people set it at the absolute minimum without fouling the pickup...fret the strings at the highest fret and pluck a sample note to check clearance

Others leave more space believing that tone is better and sustain due to less magnetic 'pull' from the pickup magnets

 

V

 

 

[neilpanda]

like what Verstile said, its preference. just watch out as you adjust your action lower.

 

Beastie

[surfpup]

Sit in front of your amp with a screwdriver handy and move them around until you find what you like.

 

I like mine pretty close to the bezel generally...

 

[Wolf Jackson]

I Want to say thank you for the responses, I sort of thought there was a standard. But in the end, you all justified what I had done, which was to adjust them to the sound I liked, without having the magnets interfere with string vibration. I can give you a bit of detail as to what happened. I am 46 and I have wanted a Gibson Les Paul ever since I first heard Jimmy play the first cords to Whole Lotta Love. Of course living on my own from an early age prevented me from having the funds to indulge my fantasy. As time went on the responsibility of life, saving for a house, being a husband, father, provider, made living my dream impossible. My wife also knew how much I have lusted over Les Pauls, the fact that all of my screen savers have been Pauls, every magazine that had one on the cover was in my possession, Fast forward to one month ago. I came home from work to find my wife and my son sitting in the living room with these huge grins, not those subtle grins, but those face cracking grins. My son says sit down dad we have something to show you, I'm thinking they are going to play a practical joke on me. He walks into my music room and within moments I hear what I know to be the sound of vintage humbuckers crunching out the first chords to whole Lotta love. At first I thought he bought the guitar he had been looking at from his friend, a Univox les paul copy. But as he kept playing, I glanced at my wife who still had this huge grin on her face and said "what's this all about"? She quickly said "don't you recognize that sound"? I paused for a moment and it hit me, those were paf 57's I was now sure of it, so I said wtf is going on, my excitement getting the better of me. She then yelled to my son to "come on out" as he turned the corner still playing the zep, I saw it, a beautiful honey-burst traditional. That moment of seeing my son playing my dream guitar with the hang tags still on it and saying " a little something to show you how much you mean to us. That is something that will sustain me the rest of my life! I love my guitar and I am glad to see that there are so many others that feel the same way as me on this site. Nothing beats a Gibson ! I would like to show you all my guitar, I have tried to load a picture but it seems the file is too big or something is that possible? Anyway I hope you liked my story and thank you again for the responses to my question. Wolf.

[zigzag]

WOW

[damian]

That is a sweet story. We'll tell you how to up-load pictures....Traditionals are nice LPs.....We want pictures so we can drool and congrat you repeatidly...

 

Any questions you have about music and guitars, ask them here.......

 

 

( and religion and politics, especially politics )

 

Wolf, a recent thread titled ' Image Scale On ?' may help you.............