Really glad im not the only one who cant sleep if not perfectly happy with the way my pickups and guitars are set up. Saying it out loud makes it sound insane but i truly do STRESS over these things smh lol?!?
Thanks a million for this!! I was about to sell my PRS 594 as it was a dull guitar. But it once was my dream and I loved the playability and looks. With your tips it came to life and what a massive difference. I reduced the neck pickup (58/11lt) to the max and raised the individual screws to 3.5/4.5millimeter treble/base. Somewhat higher for the bridge. Now even the utterly useless coil split is fantastic and really close to the brightness of a strat. Very happy.
I installed a 7 1/2 inch lift kit on my Silverado and now I really feel good about my pickup height. Seriously, thanks for the video, it’s very helpful.
I have a guitar with p90s and thought it sounded pretty damn good. I brought it into a really great guitar tech for another issue. He ended up setting everything up for me including adjusting the pole pieces. I was literally blown away when I plugged it in. Its been two weeks and I still can't believe how great it sounds.
Joe bonamassa was talking about some old burst and said something like "I put the pickups down flush with the pickup rings, how they're supposed to be". When I started lowering my pickups I started loving my tone. And it's not just because I heard him say it. It really opens your guitar up
Well, to be fair, the rings on the '59s are higher. So if you go flush on say, a 50's Standard, it will be lower to the strings than what Joe is playing.
Many top players have their LP humbuckers even with the pickup rings ,las far as height goes, don't hear any difference in pole piece adjustment maybe more eveness between string's, not noticable enough to bother with to me.
I raised the pole pieces on my Harley Benton with Filtertron pickups which were pretty muddy sounding, and i went from being 90% ready to get rid of the guitar to it becoming my favorite guitar in my collection. This trick definitely works in a big way. Add a compression pedal and you can transform most crappy pickups to pretty good ones.
Man you just saved me a few hundreds of dollars. I was about to trash my pickups and after those adjustments i've put them to a decent sound. Thanks a lot and keep posting those videos. Believe me it helps a lot an enthusiastic like me Cheers!
Sometimes Rebuilding Cheap pickups and adjusting pole height makes a world of Difference. I know I really love using Epiphone Humbuckers if I swap the cheap Ceramic for a decent Alnico magnet, make a decent spacer and repot them in Parffin wax. I normally adjust the poles on the coil ahead of doing all this for my neck pickups and seal them in a full Brass Cover.
I’ve experimented with pole pieces a lot when I was younger. The amount of variation you can get is insane. You can have single pole pieces higher or lower and change the way your chords sound a lot, and it effects chugging too with distortion. It really is an art and a science You can make certain strings louder for some songs if you know there are notes in particular chords you want to highlight. that’s next level ocd but you can do it if you really care. I usually try to make all strings sound equal now for versatility but you if you had all the time in the world you could be really creative with making variations from string to string, really under utilized stuff
I basically never picked up my Orville Les Paul Junior as it was just sounding flat and generic. Also the screws on the sides were maxed out in terms of pickup height so not much I could do there. I adjusted the pole pieces to bring them closer to the strings and the guitar immediately came to life. Completely different sound. This is a great tip.
I did exactly this after looking at film of Peter Green and Jimmy Page. Their pickups were sunk right into the bodies of their guitars so I figured, give that a go. The resultant volume drop made me adjust the pole pieces to get a little back. It seemed to me to change the tone and increase resonance.
Seeing that page was really a tele player at heart, he was probably trying to get that sound out of his Les Pauls. In this guys video, I didn’t like the bridge pickup after his height and screw change. It didn’t sound like a proper Les Paul anymore.
I just can’t watch this whole video. I saw this comment early on and I don’t know if he addresses it, but you’ll kill sustain on the low strings if your pups/poles are too high.
I remember when I got my SE. I spent two days tweaking the pickup height and pole piece height. Now, it's exactly the tone I want. None of my other guitars come close so I use my SE for everything. It easily beats out anything else I own and most guitars I've played in music stores.
I'm new to the electric guitar world and was looking at upgrading my pickups because they just didn't sound right. After tweaking my humbuckers like in this video they sound completely different and on point! Thanks my dude.
Another more affordable thing to try (although it's with your amp/cab) is, if you're looking for a different sound, instead of forking out big money on a new amp: try different speakers. They have one of the biggest impact on tone, yet are often overlooked.
@@MrJohnnyDistortion Maybe, but not to any noticeable degree, and certainly not in a full mix. The difference between a cheap cable and an expensive one tends to be how well constructed the jacks are, hence how long it will last. They copper itself isn't too different.
You can (should, IMO) go even further: use your polepieces to fine-tune string balance. Set a clean tone in your amp, play adjacent strings repeatedly with the same pick strength and make tiny adjustments of the polepieces to balance volume. If you go through all strings right, you should end up with a slight modern stagger (check how the Velvet series of DiMarzio single coil are staggered to get an image). Your chords will ring with all strings at the same volume and you will love it!
True. The guitar tech from U2's Edge said in an interview that Edge has his guitars set like this. He also said that Edge is the most meticulous person ever when it comes to guitar setups.
Well, I tried it. It worked. I'm in love with my SG again. I came so close to switching out the pickups so many times. My Les Paul sounds better, too. It helps to tinker with what you have.
I have the bass side of my pickups on my SE almost all the way down with the treble side a little higher. I tweaked the pole pieces until I got the sound I like. Now I can plug in and play through almost anything and know my guitar will sound good.
Hi Kris. You also might want to try & zig zag the pole pieces like / \ / \ / \ . A guy from the gibson custom shop told me to try it at a trade show - the principle is that if you zig zag the pole pieces the magnetic fields run into one another so when you bend a string there will be no dead zone/drop out in volume & sustain as the string moves away from the pole piece - by zig zagging the pole pieces the magnetic fields run into one another & create a constant wherever the string is. I tried it on my custom shop 58 re issue & I did indeed notice the there was no drop out in volume when bending etc - try it!!
If i read you right then you mean higher pole, lower pole, higher pole etc. Surely that means if you bend a higher pole string it will go over a lower one and so on. Have i missed something?
@@fedup3449 That's what I understood but still makes no sense. Unless you're using both Neck and Bridge at the same time.. and you stagger them so that one polepiece is high and the other is low, and vice-versa?? Jeez, grasping at straws here...LOL
This one video has literally changed the way I view my guitars and opened up a whole gateway of customization for tones. It really let's you open up your pickups and explore all the ranges of the tone it can provide, but there are still limits. Nonetheless, I love the way my humbucker guitars sound now. You are a genius.
From Leo: This is a good video, I am glad you posted it. Before replacing a pickup, spending some time adjusting the pickup is good. Most can get the tones wanted. Pickup body down from strings / screws back up is the formula for brighter and more clear. It only take a little (.100" to .170") to make a good difference. You can always turn it back if you do not like it.
@Abs quatulate sometimes we don't have push ourselves to try finding the best of the best sound quality. I will try stop searching for perfection and start playing..
And this comes very handy if you change from straight to wound G-String (i.e. because of Flatwounds) ... And by the way, if you have classic, staggered single coils, buy a set of strings (nickel wound) with wound G ... that's what those pickups are originally designed for. ... cool results too
Damn, you learn something everyday, i never knew one can adjust the pole pieces on open Humbuckers, just the overall hight (the outside screws).....goodness, thank you for explaining.
Pickup height and pole piece height adjustments are crucial for sure. I discovered this years ago and I definitely take great care in how I set up my guitars. Awesome video!!
I bought a new EVH wolfgang and HATED the neck pickup. It was way to dark. Finally tried this method on my own and adjusted the pole pieces on the treb side of the bucker and boom. Phenomenal tone. It was like lifting the neck pickup out of the mud.
WOW, Ive recently put some Kent Armstrong PAF style humbuckers into a Strat with a 9 1/2" neck radius, the pups actually have 12 screws/ no slugs and I set them all to follow the neck profile and it sounds amazing, it sounded OK before but now there is a huge difference, so THANKS............ Edit: I have the coils split and the split tones are so much fuller than before, really cant thank you enough.
Duane Allman was a 'sink the pick-up/raise the pole piece" experimenter. (As you mentioned- dont sink them down too much;could come loose/ for potted pickups wax will likely flake off the screws thread;no worries). btw thankyou terrible epi. alnico classics for driving me mad, and forcing me down a surprisingly interesting rabbit hole of tinkering. Another cool vid. man.
I have a entry-level Epiphone Les Paul that's been gathering dust for 10 years now, because I hated how dark and mushy it sounds. I was thinking about replacing the pickups, but might as well try this before investing in new pickups. Great video. Thanks!
I tried this last night, I have a Jem with PAF Pro pickups and I am accustomed to using my tele guitar. This tip is a game changer. Now I feel that I love my Jem again. Try it!!!
This isn't only true for screw type pole pieces. I have what might be the world's cheapest Fender HSS Strat that I made my project guitar. I set the slugs to match the curve of the fretboard and it made a huge difference to its voice!
Man. I had forgotten this. I used it 15 years ago when I got a cheap muddy sounding Ibanez hollow body, and now I have a more expensive Gretsch the information faded from my mind. Great reminder. Shall be tweaking later today. Nice one. And loved the compression vid too. Excellent stuff.
I quite often play around with my guitars, perfecting their action for me and setting up my pickups for different tones all the time. Sometimes when you need some inspiration change your tone at the source. I also always check my stopbar tail piece and relief to make sure it's still comfortable to play. I have my action set for bending comfort and usually higher than most people for clear ringing on all strings.
Now I'm not gonna sleep tonight thinking about trying this. I just strung my les paul with a tail pc wrap around, Bonamossa style. You have me really interested in this set up option. Ok so I did it and I'm really pleased with the results thank you so much for this post.
Been having this with my Sg standard for a few months - I love this guitar... but sometimes I felt it was a bit muddy and lacked a bit of clarity - thanks for the tip - it's made a massive difference. Also just had it re-wired with a Jonsey Blues 21 tone circuit and this really helps the split coil sounds and the our of phase options sound more natural
I have some of the Jonesyblues pickups and wiring harness in my Les Paul style guitar. Great clarity and tone. I just picked up an SG and am having the muddy neck pickup sound at louder volume levels. I’m going to try this adjustment as soon as I can. I’m glad to see it worked for you and your SG.
Sounds awesome. Another cool tip is they actually say at gibson is to adjust the pole pieces to match the neck radius. Stewmac makes a tool for it that has the proper 12 inch curve and you make pole pieces match the curve. Another cool thing you can try.
I recently purchased a Gibson Slash Les Paul, 2022. I was on the brink of getting new pickups until I saw this video. I'm used to a more traditional PAF pickup. The Slashbuckers seemed too hot in my studio. They were shouting. I lowered the pups 2 turns down. Immediately I noticed more clarity and stratish tones in my studio. Thanks for saving me money!
To put it short: "How to dial in the "Air" to your guitar" A careful adjustement makes a heck of a differnce to the sound! You can't turn a JB into a PAF but there is a lot of ground to cover without swapping the pickups. Gutes Video zum Thema, Kris. Servus.
I found a great way to get a better sound from my LP... I learned to play the fucker a bit better. So what’s the best thing to do for you guys? Spend 2 hours learning a new piece, lick, or technique? or spend 2 hours working on the sound from your equipment? I guess it depends what u feel more comfortable with. However, if you’re someone young, who wants to become the next Stone Gossard or Jeff Buckley, shouldn’t you be spending more time working on the aspects you’re not so great at?
@@michaeloberhofer7183 You think this will take 2 hours? You must have terrible dexterity if you can't even use a screwdriver. What business do you have lecturing people about practicing an instrument you absolutely lack the physical attribute to play? Jesus christ, way to miss the entire point of the video. Not once did he say anything to the tune of "changing your pickup height will make you a virtuoso.
This is F*CKING NUTS. That’s amazing, NEVER would have thought a difference like that, from a lowering and pole raise would sound that different and GOOD. Thanks Dude!!!!!
Joe Walsh has a video where he explains how he likes to set up and tune and adjust his pick ups. And he has pretty good tone. I mean if you want to search for it. I used to read articles in the 80s about him and evh and Toni Iommi billy Gibson’s. all the little tweaking is just part of being a recording artist , so if they did it. Then damn it. We probably should try it too. Good video.
My god, is SUCH A BIG difference in the neck hb, you change my life, I was struggling with my pickups, and thinking in spend in another expensive one, but now, is perfect. By the way, now I understand why neck one is most of the time covered, because the poles are too high and the pickup very deep, with the cover look perfec
I have a Les Paul special with burstbucker pickups. I wasn't very impressed with since I got it and was considering changing the pickups out. Not too long ago I saw a video about lowering the pups for better blues tones, which I did. It already sounds better! I was wondering about messing with the pole pieces too and then you post this video! I'm definitely gonna fiddle with them and try to get the tones I hoped it had when I bought it. Thanks for this very timely video and for saving me hundreds of dollars!!
As a Tech -and a pick up builder; i would also like to suggest an 'arc', 'curve', 'radius' -adjustment -on PU poles. This is adjusting all the poles -to match the string radius on the guitar. Basicly this kind of adjustment puts the PU's both E-poles the lowest, -the G, D -poles highest and the B, A poles just in between. This makes the pick up react more optimal and even across all 6-strings. Note: This ONLY brings out the 'even-ness" on the pick up. How 'low' or 'high' over all You choose to adjust the PU poles or over all PU height: Is still fully open and up to You. You can use a modified (shortened on both sides) bridge saddle radius tool -or You can eye ball this. The best way to 'eye ball' this; is to try to create even 'stairs': E (lowest) > A (In between) > D (Highest). The same way on the high side: E (lowest) > B (in between) > G (highest). The difference in pole heights on the stairs does not differ much on a Gibson -style guitar with a flatter 12" fretboard. Recommened using good light -when eye balling this. Tip: Start Your whole pole adjustment process by setting the 'arc'. After that simply count Your turns on the poles as adjusting them higher -or lower (-whole, -half, -qouarter -turn and so on.) With Phlillips pole screws this is pretty easy to see (eye-ball). Alaways remeber to RE-check the 'arc' everytime You have made an height adjustment to all six poles. It's pretty easy fuck up the 'arc' as You go. Another good tip is to check how evenly a PU cover is mounted on the accual pick up (when possible). This can be seen by flipping the pick up -and looking/measureing the distance from bottom of PU baseplate up to the edge on a mounted PU cover. On a good fit; theese measurements should be approx even all around (longside -to longside and shortside to shortside). On uncovered pick ups this does not apply. The cover mounting on individual pickups accually differ some what. The best sound caracteristics from a covered pick up is achieved when the PU cover is mounted evenly on the PU baseplate -and positioned closest possible to the PU:s slugpoles. If the PU cover is mounted un evenly over the pick up creates additional 'muff', 'sag' and 'headroom' in the PU's tonal qualities -and it's nearly impossible to determen and adjust the PU poles optimally.
In this pandemic/qoarantine time: I thought it would be nice to take the extra time offer some extra insight in this subject; to Your christmas stockings: You probably already have watched some of the endless stream of theese "how to..." -on adjusting humbucker pick ups. Information is always good. Knowledge is never a heavy burden to carry around -as my father said. Today i would like to focus on one of theese important factors in setting up twin wound/humbucker pick ups: The way that is hardly mentioned at all: Pick up 'tilt' angle. The tilt of a pick up is the angleled position of a pick up mounted on to a guitar body, pick up ring -or scratchplate/pickguard. In order to get the full/optimal preformance from a humbucker pick up; the pick up should have the same tilt -as the angle of the strings passing over it. The orginal PAF-style humbucker pick up was orginally designed to work this way. Both individual coils are evenly wound -and purposely matched to work together. In more simple terms: Each coil should pick up the equal ammont from the strings. If this PU tilt is 'off': The bobbin located nearest the strings becomes automatically 'dominant'. This means that the 'dominat' bobbin picks up more string -compared to its neighboring bobbin. This innedialetly alters the 50/50 work arangement between the individual bobbins in the pick up. You can easily check this phenomenon by shifting the tilt angle of your pick up in Your guitar with Your finger. Angeling the PU changes the sound. Having an optimal tilt is one of theese majour, untold secrets in getting that orginal creamy and mellow PAF-tone. However: This is is also true for ALL humbucking ups. For a HB- pick up to function according to spec; both the bobbins need to be able to pick up the equal ammont from the strings. Trade secrets: To accieve the optimal tilt in a humbucker pick up; has to do with other things than adjustment possibilities in the accual pick up. This is accually pure custom work. This has to do with the pick up mounting in the guitar. The flat surface on top of the pick up ring -or the flat surface of the scratchplate/pickguard -usuaally gives the pick up its tilt/angle. Also: Depending on how high -or low You choose to adjust Your strings on a T-O-M bridge: Increases -or decreases Your string tilt angle to the guitar body. Therefor theere are no universal measurements for this. in other words: You personal preferences is the only true guide here. On a pick up ring this work is done by RE-shaping the bottom angle of the PU-ring. This to match the new desired tilt. With scratchplates/pick guards this gets a little more tricky: New wooden spacers needs to be custom manufactured for the deeper, recessed PU screw cavities on each side in PU pocket. Theese are usually and preferably made out of the same type of wood as the guitar body. (Other wood types will work too.) The shape of theese resessed PU-screw cavities -are usually an rectangular shaped -with well rounded edges. Specers of a fitting shape to RE-fill the bottom floor of theese cavityfloors -needs be manufactured. The thickness in each of theese wooden spacers needs only be enough to prevent the pick up height adjustment screws from clearing the bottom with a few (approx 2 to 3) millimeters. Theese spacers can simply be pushed in -if they are made snug. Adjusting the tilt/angle -with spacers: When all needed spacers are mounted into the PU cavities; it's time to get started on the correct tilt -angels for the pick ups. This is done by taking off both the mounting springs around the PU mountingscrews -and RE-mounting and height adjusting the HB pickup to Your PU-ring -or PU-guard without the springs on to the body. If done correcty; the HB mounting screws should bottom out -against the spacers (stick up approx 2 - 3 millimeters) from the surface of the PU-ring -or PU-guard surface. Short: They're loose; but they're in there. Next thing is to tune up both the outher E-strings on the guitar. This provides the correct tilt angle for the pick ups. Now it's just about tilting/angeling the loose pick ups correctly agianst the strings. When done take take the pick up height adjusting screwdriver. Place it on the groove of the PU height screw; and genty tap the screwdriver with a smaller hammer. This should leave a mark on the spacers inside the PU cavities. Final step -and fitting the pick ups with the new, optimal tilt angle: Off with the E-strings; and off with pick ups. You should clearly see the marlkings made on the specers from the tapping You have done. Mark theese out and drill matching holes for the PU-height adjustment screws. Using an Dremel -type multi tool with a longer drill bit is smart. IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU DRILL: - Make sure Your taps are well marked out; so that the drill will not wander as You drill. - Set drill for slower rotation. - Mark/tape out You drill bit for ONLY the nessesary depth needed here; approx 3 mm. - Remember Your new PU tilt angle. Position the drill approx in the PU's desired tilt angle. When done just find the new drilled holes in the spacers with the pick ups height adjusment screws as You RE-mount Your scratchplate/pickguard. The tilt angle should be now be the same as You measured before tapping. The sound -when pluggin' in should be pretty sweet too... The absolutely biggest difference from this kind of custom spacer modification Yuo'll get from all Gibson guitars with scratchplate mounted pick up design. Like the V's and the SG's. All theese have a majour manufactoring flaw with their pick up tilt angeles. Almost all Gibson Guitars with scratchplate mounted pick ups have this flaw. By RE-tilting the pick ups right in theese instruments makes 'em sound really delicious!
I've not really messed with the pole piece adjustments but I have in the past worked on the pickup height and it makes a huge difference. A number of years ago, I owned a Gibson ES335 Studio and it had been upgraded with Gibson 57 Classic pickups. They sounded great to my ears and one time I got them back from a setup and fret level and my guitar guy had raised the pickups a lot. The guitar was a different animal - it screamed like my SG. At first I thought it was kind of cool but then I later realized that I missed the softer, woody sound I had before. Sure enough, moved the pickups back down a bit and I was happy. Really night and day difference from just a minute of effort. For what it's worth, I liked the change to the neck pickup too but I thought the bridge pickup sounded a little bit thin after the change. Great video showing what you can do!
@@lukegalvan3093 I think I’m going to try this. I recently got a LP slash November Burst and I find the neck to to be a bit too muddy for my liking. I have another LP standard with burstbucker pros and I do like the neck sound better on that one. A little more top end and compression.
My thinking is that, whatever the tech wizards may say, pickups are pretty basic components - and provided that they work in the first place - the difference between budget and high end humbuckers won't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Especially if playing with effects pedals. So this video has very good practical information on how to adjust pickup and pole piece height to better home in on the kind of response that is desired.
One should also consider the impact of the magnetic pull on the strings when a p/u is set too high. This can definitely interfere with the natural vibration of the strings (bass strings especially).
I've been doing this for years on all HB pickup based guitars. There are many variations you can get without changing out Pickups. Excellent Video, my Friend!
Great video. People who don't like neck humbuckers are almost always looking for a p90 without knowing it :) If you don't mind the look, reversing the neck humbucker is also an option. Moving the raised pole pieces closer to the bridge brings out a bit more clarity. You can also remove the pole pieces completely for a stacked single-coil'ish type of sound.
Very very cool video. The differences before and after adjusting are subtle, but definitely noticeable. A lot of times, just those little subtle changes makes all the difference. I remember watching a Mr.Big live video in the 90’s and they showed Paul Gilbert’s guitar very close up when he was playing his solo and I noticed he really adjusted his pole pieces up, especially on the neck pickup. I wondered what that was all about and tried it myself. I no longer wanted to get different pickups.
TheAxe4Ever Thanks a lot! Sometimes subtle differences can drive you mad or make you really happy, right? It’s also really interesting how subtle differences can feel huge when you’re playing and not just listening. I guess it’s all about the feel. :) cheers
Kris Barocsi Exactly! As cliché as it may sound, you know when you’ve hit upon the perfect tone when you feel it more than hear it. Us guitarists are a peculiar bunch. LOL!
Literally, you can make any humbucker guitar sound more acoustic. It is because the magnetic induction in the screws, this results in a electrical current reduction. It is a nice trick when you're not comfortable with the overdrive/distortion texture, even when you have tweaked your amp and pedals. After the mod, the sounds is little bit clear, acoustic.
I'd never thought that those screws can make a difference...i also had some trouble of sound clarity and the height of the pick ups...thanks for the hack
I tend to like my pickups to be very low on all guitars, the only exception being a bridge pickup on a tele which i generally have pretty close to strings.
You can also just remove them and get a single coil sound without the hum. It also will brighten the tone and make it very Strat/Tele like. Or, remove the bottom three to get an even brighter sound, or thicken it up by taking the top three. Or take out every other one or any combination you like. So many ways to alter a sound. So easy too!
This is a topic im new too, but my G&L has their MFD single coil pickups that have hex key adjustable pole pieces. It took me 3 years to get the courage or curiosity it mess around with them, but im so glad i did. Just raising the G and B string pole pieces on the bridge pickup completely transformed its sound.
My les paul neck position has always been too dark and round. After 15 yrs and dozens of pickup swaps trying to get the perfect sound…One day it just occurred to me….I lowered the 3 pole pieces on the E,A and D strings…..and BAM!
LOL ! I was just about to go to the next clip & got the end bit where he played them loud ! That's what I wanted, humbuckers have to be played loud . Anyway, like the man said, with todays effects & amps available, you can almost get any sound you want, but if one owns both humbucker & single coil guitars, the sound of a humbucker is unmistakable
Man I'm here a week after seeing the video to thank you Kris, I've modified the heck out of my Les Paul Studio to make it sound more vintage: Swapped the bridge pickup for a 57' Classic, changed the entire wiring harness for a MojoTone 50's wiring, and this was the final touch i needed. The neck pickup still sounded a little bit muddy (490R I believe) so I was thinking about replacing it for something more PAFy, but I gave this a try and I FREAKING LOVE IT NOW! It sounds amazing, sweet airy tone, super touch responsive, since I lowered a little the middle position sounds AMAZING. Maaan this was super good advice, thank you so much!
@@KrisBarocsi Yes, absolutely! Can't believe how much it changed with a couple of turns on a few screws. Again, thank you so much Kris, huge fan of your videos.
I liked the result on the neck pickup for both guitars. Not so much on the bridge pickups. I’m definitely going to keep it in mind for future adjustments’
Loved it, thanks Kris. I just adjusted my Strat pickups for the first time, the difference was like night and day, I might just start twiddling with my humbuckers.
I knew it! Ever since I discovered you can adjust the height of the poles on MFD pickups from G&L, I started to wonder if it's possible to do the same with other pickups that have "screw slits". Well, now I know, thanks! Awesome video!
Awesome! I actually did something similar on my Gretsch G2422T because I wanted more "twang". It has 12 adjustable poles! So I ended up with splitting the high ones closer to the bridge side on 3 high stings and 3 closer to neck side on 3 low stings. Did it with both pickups and it sounds perfect now!! I however kept overall pickup height relatively high. Obviously the neck a little lower for clearance. Did that b4 watching this but thought I'd share in case others may not think of this variation.
Middle road is the way to go on this one. Your volume control is the “magical” element here. You’re going to naturally go easier with your picking style and your left hand at lower volume because a mellow is what you’re going for. More volume? You’ll dig in harder with your picking hand and you’ll find your vibrato and your bends to become RAW and, obviously, more aggressive.
I did this to my Epiphone LP Deluxe and really noticed improved clarity, along with a noticeable increase in compression (in a good way). Thanks for the tip!
I adjust the height and the pole pieces all the time. It’s a great way to clean up a muddy pickup. I’m sure many people have replaced pickups when they didn’t need to.
This is why i love Dimarzio pickups they have the same thing but on both coils and instead of a flathead screwdriver they have a bit more grip with hex pole pieces adjusted by an allen key
I guess a matter of preferance. You get the clarity but loose a lot of the dynamic lowered. I like to use the volume control to back off the gain. A lot of players dont take advantage of the middle position. So many cool sounds using the controls at varied volume and tone settings. Also a huge weapon is a boss equaliser modded for guitar frequency. The key as you said play with the adjustments it makes a differance. I use to drive myself crazy on the duncan website listening to pickups. My ears not the greatest but quite honestly a lot of them sound the same yet i buy into the advertising hype
Thanx for the advice, Kris. Tried it with several Gibsons and did test recordings. I love the tad more transparency on the neck pickups, really less wooly, cool.
Dynamics is what sperates the guitar community, it's the fine line that has to be crossed to go from begginer to intermidiate. Advanced players can be obsessed with intonation and perfect tuning (Eric Johnson)
You're giving your amp more room to breathe. People feel like they need to drive the hottest signal possible into their amp. Some people dig that sound, but I feel like that takes away all the definition and nuance of your playing. Low pups with raised pole pieces gives you a delicious dynamic range.
Pickup height also changes distortion response -- dropping more bass by lowering the pickup allows the rest of the pickup signal to be boosted and less compression happens.
Thanks for the amazing tips! I'm one of those guys who change pichups like 1239213 times...but now i tried this in my guitar that has a P90 (Lollar) in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge (SD/JB). I wasn't very happy with the sound. I lower both pickups, the P90 sound SO MUCH clearer, really amazing tone, and in the bridge i also rise the pole pieces...that clarity in the notes, specially the higher string that wasn't there with some distortion or overdrive, now sounds amazing!
Gibson used to tell people about this back in ancient times. It was mentioned in the little hang tag booklet that came tied to the tuners on a piece of string. It said to adjust the screws so that they follow the radius of the fretboard, and then set the height to some number that I forgot ages ago. But for some reason, people just quit doing this. I show them this trick all the time, and they think I'm some kind of master engineer with magic powers. No, it's physics 101, and a little common sense. It sounds to me like it works best with Tweed style amps, and lower powered things like Valco products, (Silvertone, Airline, etc.) ,and also if you're not using a lot of pedals, it's more noticeable. It seems to be something that works best when you're trying to ride the saturation curve between clean and moderately dirty. The touch sensitivity improves dramatically.
@G P It was probably that, and the popularity of massive distortion all the time, with no clean at all...ever. When you medicate the signal chain with pedals it also doesn't matter much any more. It's all about the pedals because it's hard to tell one guitar or amp from another any way. It's probably why most people these days are happy with the cheap stuff.
I always drop dunkan pickups like the 5o down really low to try to get them smoother. I every so often bring up the b and g but you know each one is different
I agree with trying the tweaks before you replace. There are always some options and you nailed one here that does make a difference. I have always been more for brighter than darker and clarity over muddiness person and on your LP it shined IMHO. I'll have to try this myself. I have never messed with the pickup heights beyond just getting them a certain distance and leaving during a setup and I am happy with mine 99.89999999. This may be a subtle tweak that polishes things off. Thanks! Be well!
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro with the Probucker pickups and I was planning to swap them out but after Iowered the height of both pickups to where they were flush with the pickup rings and raised the poles as far as I could without removing them, I quickly changed my mind! Thanks for sharing this information!
Love these tips! I definitely will apply this, especially on my Ibanez semi hollow as I almost always play it clean. ( Ok sometimes with a little chorus, but still pretty clean, LOL)
I tried this after watching your Video and i can confirm it makes a huge Difference i will do it on all my Les Pauls now :) Thx Kris i love your Chanel one of my Favs :)
I've raised the polepieces on all my Humbucker equipped guitars in relation to the fretboard radius half a year ago. I find (or think) my guitars sound far more dynamic and have a more precise punch then before. I was a bit surprised at first, but it actually works well with my sound (even tho it's pretty high gain)
Hey Kris, now you could try balancing the output of each string usimg polepieces and recording a dry signal to daw, generally G string is too loud and D string is too quiet, when you balance ouputs chords have great note separation and middle strings get more clarity on their own and tone becomes more balanced and open
You would be surprised how much adjustment of pick ups CAN give you. It seemed anyway, you had your pick ups too high anyway. 1-2mm is way too close you'd get string pull. I find, 4-5mm under the string @ the bridge gives a good balance, and 5-6mm for the neck, to even the vol between both. Then adjust the pole pieces a mm or 2 to fine tune and give a bit more treble response! Raising the whole pick up senses more of the string and gives more of everything due to the WIDER field the string moves thru, while raising the screws gives a much NARROWER sensing field, picking up more treble and less bass.
@@DMSProduktions most common way of measeuring is with the string pressed on the last fret. In that light around 2 mm is very normal. PRS has factory specs 2.3 mm on bass side.
"Forgotten" Secret? I don't think so. Most likely just something many players never learned about :) Nonetheless great info and sound samples. I could definitely hear the difference. Knowing what to expect with each change really helps when trying to dial in that perfect tone. I've never tried removing the polepieces like some have suggested which seems like an interesting idea though I did try flipping the pickup around. BTW just my personal preference but I vote for bridge pickup before and neck pickup after the adjustments on the LP.
I'm Going to try it. I have several guitars, many of them with Duncans. I don't replace Duncans, unless by Lace Sensors. I love how they sound as they are, but now I'm curious.
More than once have I lost sleep over thinking about pickup height
LOL!!!
I found the ol’ saying “don’t fix it if it ain’t broken” very useful, guitar wise.
Yup
Really glad im not the only one who cant sleep if not perfectly happy with the way my pickups and guitars are set up. Saying it out loud makes it sound insane but i truly do STRESS over these things smh lol?!?
A everyone’s concerns
Thanks a million for this!! I was about to sell my PRS 594 as it was a dull guitar. But it once was my dream and I loved the playability and looks. With your tips it came to life and what a massive difference. I reduced the neck pickup (58/11lt) to the max and raised the individual screws to 3.5/4.5millimeter treble/base. Somewhat higher for the bridge. Now even the utterly useless coil split is fantastic and really close to the brightness of a strat. Very happy.
That’s so cool to hear man! Keep that beauty and enjoy it with the new setup. 🙌
I bet I use way lighter strings but I'm going to try exactly those measurements on my CE24
Shoot, I would've bought it😒 I'm a fan of PRS and glad your reunited with your 594.👍🏻🎸🍻
You'd be trippin' if you thought 594 sounded dull.
Or I just love my SE 594 too much 😂
I installed a 7 1/2 inch lift kit on my Silverado and now I really feel good about my pickup height.
Seriously, thanks for the video, it’s very helpful.
Funny!
7 1/2 inch "P
I tried that exact same kit on my Les Paul. didn't quite get the same results
My man wit the hockey pucks!
Da' Hell ?! 🎸
I have a guitar with p90s and thought it sounded pretty damn good. I brought it into a really great guitar tech for another issue. He ended up setting everything up for me including adjusting the pole pieces. I was literally blown away when I plugged it in. Its been two weeks and I still can't believe how great it sounds.
Joe bonamassa was talking about some old burst and said something like "I put the pickups down flush with the pickup rings, how they're supposed to be". When I started lowering my pickups I started loving my tone. And it's not just because I heard him say it. It really opens your guitar up
That low huh? I’m going to try it.
@@daveyboy8907 lmk how it goes. I prefer it even for metal. High output and clipping are the enemy of good tone
Well, to be fair, the rings on the '59s are higher. So if you go flush on say, a 50's Standard, it will be lower to the strings than what Joe is playing.
Many top players have their LP humbuckers even with the pickup rings ,las far as height goes, don't hear any difference in pole piece adjustment maybe more eveness between string's, not noticable enough to bother with to me.
@@2dazetake depends how high you previously had them. I had them pretty high, so lowering them changed the sound considerably
I raised the pole pieces on my Harley Benton with Filtertron pickups which were pretty muddy sounding, and i went from being 90% ready to get rid of the guitar to it becoming my favorite guitar in my collection. This trick definitely works in a big way. Add a compression pedal and you can transform most crappy pickups to pretty good ones.
Man you just saved me a few hundreds of dollars. I was about to trash my pickups and after those adjustments i've put them to a decent sound. Thanks a lot and keep posting those videos. Believe me it helps a lot an enthusiastic like me
Cheers!
Sometimes Rebuilding Cheap pickups and adjusting pole height makes a world of Difference. I know I really love using Epiphone Humbuckers if I swap the cheap Ceramic for a decent Alnico magnet, make a decent spacer and repot them in Parffin wax. I normally adjust the poles on the coil ahead of doing all this for my neck pickups and seal them in a full Brass Cover.
I’ve experimented with pole pieces a lot when I was younger. The amount of variation you can get is insane. You can have single pole pieces higher or lower and change the way your chords sound a lot, and it effects chugging too with distortion. It really is an art and a science
You can make certain strings louder for some songs if you know there are notes in particular chords you want to highlight. that’s next level ocd but you can do it if you really care. I usually try to make all strings sound equal now for versatility but you if you had all the time in the world you could be really creative with making variations from string to string, really under utilized stuff
I basically never picked up my Orville Les Paul Junior as it was just sounding flat and generic. Also the screws on the sides were maxed out in terms of pickup height so not much I could do there. I adjusted the pole pieces to bring them closer to the strings and the guitar immediately came to life. Completely different sound. This is a great tip.
I did exactly this after looking at film of Peter Green and Jimmy Page. Their pickups were sunk right into the bodies of their guitars so I figured, give that a go. The resultant volume drop made me adjust the pole pieces to get a little back. It seemed to me to change the tone and increase resonance.
It would be interesting to compare Page's Tele setup from his recordings with the Paul setup he's used live.
Seeing that page was really a tele player at heart, he was probably trying to get that sound out of his Les Pauls. In this guys video, I didn’t like the bridge pickup after his height and screw change. It didn’t sound like a proper Les Paul anymore.
@@davidbakerscuba I agree. On the other hand, the neck pickup sounded much better as it didn’t fart like a Les Paul anymore.
I just can’t watch this whole video. I saw this comment early on and I don’t know if he addresses it, but you’ll kill sustain on the low strings if your pups/poles are too high.
@@BobSperber Which is why he screwed the whole pickups down and then raised the pole pieces a little back up to compensate.
I remember when I got my SE. I spent two days tweaking the pickup height and pole piece height. Now, it's exactly the tone I want. None of my other guitars come close so I use my SE for everything. It easily beats out anything else I own and most guitars I've played in music stores.
I'm new to the electric guitar world and was looking at upgrading my pickups because they just didn't sound right. After tweaking my humbuckers like in this video they sound completely different and on point! Thanks my dude.
Another more affordable thing to try (although it's with your amp/cab) is, if you're looking for a different sound, instead of forking out big money on a new amp: try different speakers.
They have one of the biggest impact on tone, yet are often overlooked.
@castleanthrax1833
And speaker cabinet cables and guitar cables will change tone and volume.
@@MrJohnnyDistortion Maybe, but not to any noticeable degree, and certainly not in a full mix. The difference between a cheap cable and an expensive one tends to be how well constructed the jacks are, hence how long it will last. They copper itself isn't too different.
@castleanthrax1833
Sure it will.
@MrJohnnyDistortion That doesn't make any sense, mate. 🤷♂️
You can (should, IMO) go even further: use your polepieces to fine-tune string balance. Set a clean tone in your amp, play adjacent strings repeatedly with the same pick strength and make tiny adjustments of the polepieces to balance volume. If you go through all strings right, you should end up with a slight modern stagger (check how the Velvet series of DiMarzio single coil are staggered to get an image). Your chords will ring with all strings at the same volume and you will love it!
YES!!!
Would this have a lot of benefit with light overdrive?
Juan, this is beneficial in any scenario!
True. The guitar tech from U2's Edge said in an interview that Edge has his guitars set like this. He also said that Edge is the most meticulous person ever when it comes to guitar setups.
@@necurrence1776 He can AFFORD it!
Well, I tried it. It worked. I'm in love with my SG again. I came so close to switching out the pickups so many times. My Les Paul sounds better, too. It helps to tinker with what you have.
I have the bass side of my pickups on my SE almost all the way down with the treble side a little higher. I tweaked the pole pieces until I got the sound I like. Now I can plug in and play through almost anything and know my guitar will sound good.
Kris, you just made your hbuckers sound very similar to a single coil but preserving the humbucking of your pickups. Good job!
A great share for us all by Kris!
I Bhutto buvbkbkkbbkbi ok iiibbthank k
Time to switçh up i was told this about p 90s too i never tried on buckers!
Hi Kris. You also might want to try & zig zag the pole pieces like / \ / \ / \ . A guy from the gibson custom shop told me to try it at a trade show - the principle is that if you zig zag the pole pieces the magnetic fields run into one another so when you bend a string there will be no dead zone/drop out in volume & sustain as the string moves away from the pole piece - by zig zagging the pole pieces the magnetic fields run into one another & create a constant wherever the string is. I tried it on my custom shop 58 re issue & I did indeed notice the there was no drop out in volume when bending etc - try it!!
Doesn't that make each string different volumes??
If i read you right then you mean higher pole, lower pole, higher pole etc. Surely that means if you bend a higher pole string it will go over a lower one and so on. Have i missed something?
@@fedup3449 I think he means to orient the flathead "slots" of the pole pieces in a zig-zag pattern, but I'm not certain.
@@PlanetTelex2 That should have absolutely NO impact whatsoever.
@@fedup3449 That's what I understood but still makes no sense. Unless you're using both Neck and Bridge at the same time.. and you stagger them so that one polepiece is high and the other is low, and vice-versa?? Jeez, grasping at straws here...LOL
That sounds so much better. This is a vital skill to know when playing guitar seriously, because it gives you control over your sound
🌴🎸🎶🥁🎶🎸🌴✌️😎👍🍺🤠👌
The pickups have more air to breathe, it's about time someone brought this up. 1000 thanks.
This one video has literally changed the way I view my guitars and opened up a whole gateway of customization for tones. It really let's you open up your pickups and explore all the ranges of the tone it can provide, but there are still limits. Nonetheless, I love the way my humbucker guitars sound now. You are a genius.
From Leo: This is a good video, I am glad you posted it. Before replacing a pickup, spending some time adjusting the pickup is good. Most can get the tones wanted. Pickup body down from strings / screws back up is the formula for brighter and more clear. It only take a little (.100" to .170") to make a good difference. You can always turn it back if you do not like it.
You don't always have to go "up" with the pole pieces. Sometimes going down on a string (looking at you B string) can drastically improve the sound.
EXACTLY!!!
I change pole height mostly for loudness.. is that only me or this G strings is always too damn loud !
@Abs quatulate sometimes we don't have push ourselves to try finding the best of the best sound quality. I will try stop searching for perfection and start playing..
@@johnktistis I don't notice it on humbuckers but on staggered single coils the G string is so loud hahaha
@Abs quatulate in a not perfect world ill do my best and ill accept the 98% .. ;)
And this comes very handy if you change from straight to wound G-String (i.e. because of Flatwounds) ... And by the way, if you have classic, staggered single coils, buy a set of strings (nickel wound) with wound G ... that's what those pickups are originally designed for. ... cool results too
Damn, you learn something everyday, i never knew one can adjust the pole pieces on open Humbuckers, just the overall hight (the outside screws).....goodness, thank you for explaining.
Pickup height and pole piece height adjustments are crucial for sure. I discovered this years ago and I definitely take great care in how I set up my guitars. Awesome video!!
Cheers Paul, thanks! 😁
I bought a new EVH wolfgang and HATED the neck pickup. It was way to dark. Finally tried this method on my own and adjusted the pole pieces on the treb side of the bucker and boom. Phenomenal tone. It was like lifting the neck pickup out of the mud.
"Less top end, less bass end, less punch, less compression, less volume"
*And Less Paul*
Les Paul technically became Less Paul when Les Paul died
😂
And my axe!
@@roni6135 You're hilarious!
I prefer mine with Moore Paul.
Sorry. 😓
I used t do the same thing back in the days when I played a Heavy LP custom. Many people don't know this little trick! Thanks Kris
Yes, too bad people forgot about this. A few decades ago much more seemed to know about this and use this setup trick than today.
WOW, Ive recently put some Kent Armstrong PAF style humbuckers into a Strat with a 9 1/2" neck radius, the pups actually have 12 screws/ no slugs and I set them all to follow the neck profile and it sounds amazing, it sounded OK before but now there is a huge difference, so THANKS............
Edit: I have the coils split and the split tones are so much fuller than before, really cant thank you enough.
After hearing your playing in the thumbnail, I had to click the vid and hear what you had to say. Your tone is great and your words are wise.
Duane Allman was a 'sink the pick-up/raise the pole piece" experimenter. (As you mentioned- dont sink them down too much;could come loose/ for potted pickups wax will likely flake off the screws thread;no worries). btw thankyou terrible epi. alnico classics for driving me mad, and forcing me down a surprisingly interesting rabbit hole of tinkering. Another cool vid. man.
@FalconerPhoto Dude, I bet he knows more about guitar than you do
I have a entry-level Epiphone Les Paul that's been gathering dust for 10 years now, because I hated how dark and mushy it sounds. I was thinking about replacing the pickups, but might as well try this before investing in new pickups. Great video. Thanks!
I've been meaning to lower my LP's neck pickup. Now I'll try raising the pole pieces too. Good vid.
I tried this last night, I have a Jem with PAF Pro pickups and I am accustomed to using my tele guitar. This tip is a game changer. Now I feel that I love my Jem again. Try it!!!
This isn't only true for screw type pole pieces. I have what might be the world's cheapest Fender HSS Strat that I made my project guitar. I set the slugs to match the curve of the fretboard and it made a huge difference to its voice!
How do you set the slugs? That is so cool!
Man. I had forgotten this. I used it 15 years ago when I got a cheap muddy sounding Ibanez hollow body, and now I have a more expensive Gretsch the information faded from my mind. Great reminder. Shall be tweaking later today. Nice one. And loved the compression vid too. Excellent stuff.
I quite often play around with my guitars, perfecting their action for me and setting up my pickups for different tones all the time. Sometimes when you need some inspiration change your tone at the source. I also always check my stopbar tail piece and relief to make sure it's still comfortable to play. I have my action set for bending comfort and usually higher than most people for clear ringing on all strings.
Now I'm not gonna sleep tonight thinking about trying this. I just strung my les paul with a tail pc wrap around, Bonamossa style. You have me really interested in this set up option. Ok so I did it and I'm really pleased with the results thank you so much for this post.
Liked the Neck pickup before and the bridge after… goes to show… ✌🏻🎸
Been having this with my Sg standard for a few months - I love this guitar... but sometimes I felt it was a bit muddy and lacked a bit of clarity - thanks for the tip - it's made a massive difference. Also just had it re-wired with a Jonsey Blues 21 tone circuit and this really helps the split coil sounds and the our of phase options sound more natural
I have some of the Jonesyblues pickups and wiring harness in my Les Paul style guitar. Great clarity and tone. I just picked up an SG and am having the muddy neck pickup sound at louder volume levels. I’m going to try this adjustment as soon as I can. I’m glad to see it worked for you and your SG.
Sounds awesome. Another cool tip is they actually say at gibson is to adjust the pole pieces to match the neck radius. Stewmac makes a tool for it that has the proper 12 inch curve and you make pole pieces match the curve. Another cool thing you can try.
I recently purchased a Gibson Slash Les Paul, 2022. I was on the brink of getting new pickups until I saw this video. I'm used to a more traditional PAF pickup. The Slashbuckers seemed too hot in my studio. They were shouting. I lowered the pups 2 turns down. Immediately I noticed more clarity and stratish tones in my studio. Thanks for saving me money!
To put it short: "How to dial in the "Air" to your guitar"
A careful adjustement makes a heck of a differnce to the sound! You can't turn a JB into a PAF but there is a lot of ground to cover without swapping the pickups.
Gutes Video zum Thema, Kris.
Servus.
The only way I've ever enjoyed a JB is buy raising individual coils. Sounds so boring to me laying flat, at any height
I found a great way to get a better sound from my LP... I learned to play the fucker a bit better. So what’s the best thing to do for you guys? Spend 2 hours learning a new piece, lick, or technique? or spend 2 hours working on the sound from your equipment? I guess it depends what u feel more comfortable with. However, if you’re someone young, who wants to become the next Stone Gossard or Jeff Buckley, shouldn’t you be spending more time working on the aspects you’re not so great at?
@@michaeloberhofer7183 You think this will take 2 hours? You must have terrible dexterity if you can't even use a screwdriver. What business do you have lecturing people about practicing an instrument you absolutely lack the physical attribute to play?
Jesus christ, way to miss the entire point of the video. Not once did he say anything to the tune of "changing your pickup height will make you a virtuoso.
That was a great summary on the flexibility of Humbuckers. Thanks dude
This is F*CKING NUTS. That’s amazing, NEVER would have thought a difference like that, from a lowering and pole raise would sound that different and GOOD. Thanks Dude!!!!!
So you like a raised pole?
I tried it out on my Humbuckers. And their was a difference. The sound changed. It works
Joe Walsh has a video where he explains how he likes to set up and tune and adjust his pick ups. And he has pretty good tone. I mean if you want to search for it. I used to read articles in the 80s about him and evh and Toni Iommi billy Gibson’s. all the little tweaking is just part of being a recording artist , so if they did it. Then damn it. We probably should try it too. Good video.
That was truly informative. Raised the screws and lowered my pickups in my PRS. It has never sounded better. Thanks for the video bud!
I’ve been adjusting pickup and pole heights for years. It amazes me when other guitarist can’t understand that.
✌️🤪🎸🎶🎵🎶🎵🎶 Great video!
My god, is SUCH A BIG difference in the neck hb, you change my life, I was struggling with my pickups, and thinking in spend in another expensive one, but now, is perfect. By the way, now I understand why neck one is most of the time covered, because the poles are too high and the pickup very deep, with the cover look perfec
I have a Les Paul special with burstbucker pickups. I wasn't very impressed with since I got it and was considering changing the pickups out. Not too long ago I saw a video about lowering the pups for better blues tones, which I did. It already sounds better! I was wondering about messing with the pole pieces too and then you post this video! I'm definitely gonna fiddle with them and try to get the tones I hoped it had when I bought it. Thanks for this very timely video and for saving me hundreds of dollars!!
Try the 57 and 57 classic +
As a Tech -and a pick up builder; i would also like to suggest an 'arc', 'curve', 'radius' -adjustment -on PU poles. This is adjusting all the poles -to match the string radius on the guitar. Basicly this kind of adjustment puts the PU's both E-poles the lowest, -the G, D -poles highest and the B, A poles just in between. This makes the pick up react more optimal and even across all 6-strings. Note: This ONLY brings out the 'even-ness" on the pick up. How 'low' or 'high' over all You choose to adjust the PU poles or over all PU height: Is still fully open and up to You.
You can use a modified (shortened on both sides) bridge saddle radius tool -or You can eye ball this. The best way to 'eye ball' this; is to try to create even 'stairs': E (lowest) > A (In between) > D (Highest). The same way on the high side: E (lowest) > B (in between) > G (highest). The difference in pole heights on the stairs does not differ much on a Gibson -style guitar with a flatter 12" fretboard. Recommened using good light -when eye balling this.
Tip: Start Your whole pole adjustment process by setting the 'arc'. After that simply count Your turns on the poles as adjusting them higher -or lower (-whole, -half, -qouarter -turn and so on.) With Phlillips pole screws this is pretty easy to see (eye-ball). Alaways remeber to RE-check the 'arc' everytime You have made an height adjustment to all six poles. It's pretty easy fuck up the 'arc' as You go.
Another good tip is to check how evenly a PU cover is mounted on the accual pick up (when possible). This can be seen by flipping the pick up -and looking/measureing the distance from bottom of PU baseplate up to the edge on a mounted PU cover. On a good fit; theese measurements should be approx even all around (longside -to longside and shortside to shortside). On uncovered pick ups this does not apply. The cover mounting on individual pickups accually differ some what. The best sound caracteristics from a covered pick up is achieved when the PU cover is mounted evenly on the PU baseplate -and positioned closest possible to the PU:s slugpoles. If the PU cover is mounted un evenly over the pick up creates additional 'muff', 'sag' and 'headroom' in the PU's tonal qualities -and it's nearly impossible to determen and adjust the PU poles optimally.
In this pandemic/qoarantine time: I thought it would be nice to take the extra time offer some extra insight in this subject; to Your christmas stockings:
You probably already have watched some of the endless stream of theese "how to..." -on adjusting humbucker pick ups. Information is always good. Knowledge is never a heavy burden to carry around -as my father said. Today i would like to focus on one of theese important factors in setting up twin wound/humbucker pick ups: The way that is hardly mentioned at all: Pick up 'tilt' angle.
The tilt of a pick up is the angleled position of a pick up mounted on to a guitar body, pick up ring -or scratchplate/pickguard. In order to get the full/optimal preformance from a humbucker pick up; the pick up should have the same tilt -as the angle of the strings passing over it. The orginal PAF-style humbucker pick up was orginally designed to work this way. Both individual coils are evenly wound -and purposely matched to work together. In more simple terms: Each coil should pick up the equal ammont from the strings. If this PU tilt is 'off': The bobbin located nearest the strings becomes automatically 'dominant'. This means that the 'dominat' bobbin picks up more string -compared to its neighboring bobbin. This innedialetly alters the 50/50 work arangement between the individual bobbins in the pick up. You can easily check this phenomenon by shifting the tilt angle of your pick up in Your guitar with Your finger. Angeling the PU changes the sound.
Having an optimal tilt is one of theese majour, untold secrets in getting that orginal creamy and mellow PAF-tone. However: This is is also true for ALL humbucking ups. For a HB- pick up to function according to spec; both the bobbins need to be able to pick up the equal ammont from the strings.
Trade secrets:
To accieve the optimal tilt in a humbucker pick up; has to do with other things than adjustment possibilities in the accual pick up. This is accually pure custom work. This has to do with the pick up mounting in the guitar. The flat surface on top of the pick up ring -or the flat surface of the scratchplate/pickguard -usuaally gives the pick up its tilt/angle. Also: Depending on how high -or low You choose to adjust Your strings on a T-O-M bridge: Increases -or decreases Your string tilt angle to the guitar body. Therefor theere are no universal measurements for this. in other words: You personal preferences is the only true guide here. On a pick up ring this work is done by RE-shaping the bottom angle of the PU-ring. This to match the new desired tilt. With scratchplates/pick guards this gets a little more tricky: New wooden spacers needs to be custom manufactured for the deeper, recessed PU screw cavities on each side in PU pocket. Theese are usually and preferably made out of the same type of wood as the guitar body. (Other wood types will work too.) The shape of theese resessed PU-screw cavities -are usually an rectangular shaped -with well rounded edges. Specers of a fitting shape to RE-fill the bottom floor of theese cavityfloors -needs be manufactured. The thickness in each of theese wooden spacers needs only be enough to prevent the pick up height adjustment screws from clearing the bottom with a few (approx 2 to 3) millimeters. Theese spacers can simply be pushed in -if they are made snug.
Adjusting the tilt/angle -with spacers:
When all needed spacers are mounted into the PU cavities; it's time to get started on the correct tilt -angels for the pick ups. This is done by taking off both the mounting springs around the PU mountingscrews -and RE-mounting and height adjusting the HB pickup to Your PU-ring -or PU-guard without the springs on to the body. If done correcty; the HB mounting screws should bottom out -against the spacers (stick up approx 2 - 3 millimeters) from the surface of the PU-ring -or PU-guard surface. Short: They're loose; but they're in there. Next thing is to tune up both the outher E-strings on the guitar. This provides the correct tilt angle for the pick ups. Now it's just about tilting/angeling the loose pick ups correctly agianst the strings. When done take take the pick up height adjusting screwdriver. Place it on the groove of the PU height screw; and genty tap the screwdriver with a smaller hammer. This should leave a mark on the spacers inside the PU cavities.
Final step -and fitting the pick ups with the new, optimal tilt angle:
Off with the E-strings; and off with pick ups. You should clearly see the marlkings made on the specers from the tapping You have done. Mark theese out and drill matching holes for the PU-height adjustment screws. Using an Dremel -type multi tool with a longer drill bit is smart. IMPORTANT BEFORE YOU DRILL:
- Make sure Your taps are well marked out; so that the drill will not wander as You drill.
- Set drill for slower rotation.
- Mark/tape out You drill bit for ONLY the nessesary depth needed here; approx 3 mm.
- Remember Your new PU tilt angle. Position the drill approx in the PU's desired tilt angle.
When done just find the new drilled holes in the spacers with the pick ups height adjusment screws as You RE-mount Your scratchplate/pickguard. The tilt angle should be now be the same as You measured before tapping. The sound -when pluggin' in should be pretty sweet too...
The absolutely biggest difference from this kind of custom spacer modification Yuo'll get from all Gibson guitars with scratchplate mounted pick up design. Like the V's and the SG's. All theese have a majour manufactoring flaw with their pick up tilt angeles. Almost all Gibson Guitars with scratchplate mounted pick ups have this flaw. By RE-tilting the pick ups right in theese instruments makes 'em sound really delicious!
I've not really messed with the pole piece adjustments but I have in the past worked on the pickup height and it makes a huge difference. A number of years ago, I owned a Gibson ES335 Studio and it had been upgraded with Gibson 57 Classic pickups. They sounded great to my ears and one time I got them back from a setup and fret level and my guitar guy had raised the pickups a lot. The guitar was a different animal - it screamed like my SG. At first I thought it was kind of cool but then I later realized that I missed the softer, woody sound I had before. Sure enough, moved the pickups back down a bit and I was happy. Really night and day difference from just a minute of effort.
For what it's worth, I liked the change to the neck pickup too but I thought the bridge pickup sounded a little bit thin after the change. Great video showing what you can do!
I typically raise the high E and the G string pole...does make a difference...this vid really demo'd that. Thanks!!
Just bought a LP Standard 60s today so this came at the right time, thanks!!!
How are you liking it?
@@wiseguy9202 they are amazing. Ive sold all my other electrics
@@lukegalvan3093 I think I’m going to try this. I recently got a LP slash November Burst and I find the neck to to be a bit too muddy for my liking. I have another LP standard with burstbucker pros and I do like the neck sound better on that one. A little more top end and compression.
My thinking is that, whatever the tech wizards may say, pickups are pretty basic components - and provided that they work in the first place - the difference between budget and high end humbuckers won't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Especially if playing with effects pedals. So this video has very good practical information on how to adjust pickup and pole piece height to better home in on the kind of response that is desired.
One should also consider the impact of the magnetic pull on the strings when a p/u is set too high. This can definitely interfere with the natural vibration of the strings (bass strings especially).
Magnetic pull is a fallacy.
I've been doing this for years on all HB pickup based guitars. There are many variations you can get without changing out Pickups. Excellent Video, my Friend!
Great video.
People who don't like neck humbuckers are almost always looking for a p90 without knowing it :)
If you don't mind the look, reversing the neck humbucker is also an option. Moving the raised pole pieces closer to the bridge brings out a bit more clarity.
You can also remove the pole pieces completely for a stacked single-coil'ish type of sound.
Appreciate you always sharing crucial information and reminders we all need as players 🙏🏼💯
Very very cool video. The differences before and after adjusting are subtle, but definitely noticeable. A lot of times, just those little subtle changes makes all the difference. I remember watching a Mr.Big live video in the 90’s and they showed Paul Gilbert’s guitar very close up when he was playing his solo and I noticed he really adjusted his pole pieces up, especially on the neck pickup. I wondered what that was all about and tried it myself. I no longer wanted to get different pickups.
TheAxe4Ever Thanks a lot! Sometimes subtle differences can drive you mad or make you really happy, right? It’s also really interesting how subtle differences can feel huge when you’re playing and not just listening. I guess it’s all about the feel. :) cheers
Kris Barocsi Exactly! As cliché as it may sound, you know when you’ve hit upon the perfect tone when you feel it more than hear it. Us guitarists are a peculiar bunch. LOL!
Wonderful! Every part of the guitar ment to be adjustable is to be adjustable.
Literally, you can make any humbucker guitar sound more acoustic. It is because the magnetic induction in the screws, this results in a electrical current reduction. It is a nice trick when you're not comfortable with the overdrive/distortion texture, even when you have tweaked your amp and pedals. After the mod, the sounds is little bit clear, acoustic.
I'd never thought that those screws can make a difference...i also had some trouble of sound clarity and the height of the pick ups...thanks for the hack
Okay man this is awesome! My neck pickup now has the clarity that i always wanted! Many Thanks
So cool man, happy to hear that! Cheers
I tend to like my pickups to be very low on all guitars, the only exception being a bridge pickup on a tele which i generally have pretty close to strings.
You can also just remove them and get a single coil sound without the hum. It also will brighten the tone and make it very Strat/Tele like. Or, remove the bottom three to get an even brighter sound, or thicken it up by taking the top three. Or take out every other one or any combination you like. So many ways to alter a sound. So easy too!
This is a topic im new too, but my G&L has their MFD single coil pickups that have hex key adjustable pole pieces. It took me 3 years to get the courage or curiosity it mess around with them, but im so glad i did. Just raising the G and B string pole pieces on the bridge pickup completely transformed its sound.
My les paul neck position has always been too dark and round.
After 15 yrs and dozens of pickup swaps trying to get the perfect sound…One day it just occurred to me….I lowered the 3 pole pieces on the E,A and D strings…..and BAM!
LOL ! I was just about to go to the next clip & got the end bit where he played them loud ! That's what I wanted, humbuckers have to be played loud . Anyway, like the man said, with todays effects & amps available, you can almost get any sound you want, but if one owns both humbucker & single coil guitars, the sound of a humbucker is unmistakable
Well, to be honest I didn't found that much massive difference except in between position, it could be my monitors too. Btw, unique Chris.
Man I'm here a week after seeing the video to thank you Kris, I've modified the heck out of my Les Paul Studio to make it sound more vintage: Swapped the bridge pickup for a 57' Classic, changed the entire wiring harness for a MojoTone 50's wiring, and this was the final touch i needed. The neck pickup still sounded a little bit muddy (490R I believe) so I was thinking about replacing it for something more PAFy, but I gave this a try and I FREAKING LOVE IT NOW! It sounds amazing, sweet airy tone, super touch responsive, since I lowered a little the middle position sounds AMAZING. Maaan this was super good advice, thank you so much!
Luis Coll So happy to hear that Luis, it’s funny how little things can make a huge difference sometimes, right? Cheers man!
@@KrisBarocsi Yes, absolutely! Can't believe how much it changed with a couple of turns on a few screws. Again, thank you so much Kris, huge fan of your videos.
I liked the result on the neck pickup for both guitars. Not so much on the bridge pickups. I’m definitely going to keep it in mind for future adjustments’
Loved it, thanks Kris. I just adjusted my Strat pickups for the first time, the difference was like night and day, I might just start twiddling with my humbuckers.
I knew it! Ever since I discovered you can adjust the height of the poles on MFD pickups from G&L, I started to wonder if it's possible to do the same with other pickups that have "screw slits".
Well, now I know, thanks! Awesome video!
Awesome! I actually did something similar on my Gretsch G2422T because I wanted more "twang". It has 12 adjustable poles! So I ended up with splitting the high ones closer to the bridge side on 3 high stings and 3 closer to neck side on 3 low stings. Did it with both pickups and it sounds perfect now!! I however kept overall pickup height relatively high. Obviously the neck a little lower for clearance. Did that b4 watching this but thought I'd share in case others may not think of this variation.
Middle road is the way to go on this one. Your volume control is the “magical” element here. You’re going to naturally go easier with your picking style and your left hand at lower volume because a mellow is what you’re going for. More volume? You’ll dig in harder with your picking hand and you’ll find your vibrato and your bends to become RAW and, obviously, more aggressive.
I did this to my Epiphone LP Deluxe and really noticed improved clarity, along with a noticeable increase in compression (in a good way). Thanks for the tip!
I adjust the height and the pole pieces all the time. It’s a great way to clean up a muddy pickup. I’m sure many people have replaced pickups when they didn’t need to.
Yeah ,,, Good one ... Thanks ... D ...
This is why i love Dimarzio pickups they have the same thing but on both coils and instead of a flathead screwdriver they have a bit more grip with hex pole pieces adjusted by an allen key
I guess a matter of preferance. You get the clarity but loose a lot of the dynamic lowered. I like to use the volume control to back off the gain. A lot of players dont take advantage of the middle position. So many cool sounds using the controls at varied volume and tone settings. Also a huge weapon is a boss equaliser modded for guitar frequency. The key as you said play with the adjustments it makes a differance. I use to drive myself crazy on the duncan website listening to pickups. My ears not the greatest but quite honestly a lot of them sound the same yet i buy into the advertising hype
Thanx for the advice, Kris. Tried it with several Gibsons and did test recordings. I love the tad more transparency on the neck pickups, really less wooly, cool.
people think im crazy but i always put my pickups quite low. i feel like it gives me more clarity and dynamics.
Dynamics is what sperates the guitar community, it's the fine line that has to be crossed to go from begginer to intermidiate. Advanced players can be obsessed with intonation and perfect tuning (Eric Johnson)
Ghhu
Sustain improves as well
You're giving your amp more room to breathe. People feel like they need to drive the hottest signal possible into their amp. Some people dig that sound, but I feel like that takes away all the definition and nuance of your playing. Low pups with raised pole pieces gives you a delicious dynamic range.
I hear ya
Pickup height also changes distortion response -- dropping more bass by lowering the pickup allows the rest of the pickup signal to be boosted and less compression happens.
Great video, one question: after lowering the pickups, did you rise the pole pieces so they would have the same distance from the strings? Thanks!
Same or different height should be clarified...
Thanks for the amazing tips! I'm one of those guys who change pichups like 1239213 times...but now i tried this in my guitar that has a P90 (Lollar) in the neck and a humbucker in the bridge (SD/JB). I wasn't very happy with the sound. I lower both pickups, the P90 sound SO MUCH clearer, really amazing tone, and in the bridge i also rise the pole pieces...that clarity in the notes, specially the higher string that wasn't there with some distortion or overdrive, now sounds amazing!
Glad to hear that man, that’s quite a result, isn’t it? Enjoy your guitar!
Gibson used to tell people about this back in ancient times. It was mentioned in the little hang tag booklet that came tied to the tuners on a piece of string. It said to adjust the screws so that they follow the radius of the fretboard, and then set the height to some number that I forgot ages ago. But for some reason, people just quit doing this. I show them this trick all the time, and they think I'm some kind of master engineer with magic powers. No, it's physics 101, and a little common sense. It sounds to me like it works best with Tweed style amps, and lower powered things like Valco products, (Silvertone, Airline, etc.) ,and also if you're not using a lot of pedals, it's more noticeable. It seems to be something that works best when you're trying to ride the saturation curve between clean and moderately dirty. The touch sensitivity improves dramatically.
@G P It was probably that, and the popularity of massive distortion all the time, with no clean at all...ever. When you medicate the signal chain with pedals it also doesn't matter much any more. It's all about the pedals because it's hard to tell one guitar or amp from another any way. It's probably why most people these days are happy with the cheap stuff.
I always drop dunkan pickups like the 5o down really low to try to get them smoother. I every so often bring up the b and g but you know each one is different
Is there a problem if the screwdriver head is magnetic? I adjusted two of my screwd in the neck. And boom. No sound from the pickup
No, that shouldn't affect anything. Maybe a wire came loose while you were adjusting?
I agree with trying the tweaks before you replace. There are always some options and you nailed one here that does make a difference. I have always been more for brighter than darker and clarity over muddiness person and on your LP it shined IMHO. I'll have to try this myself. I have never messed with the pickup heights beyond just getting them a certain distance and leaving during a setup and I am happy with mine 99.89999999. This may be a subtle tweak that polishes things off. Thanks! Be well!
That neck pick up change was tasty
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro with the Probucker pickups and I was planning to swap them out but after Iowered the height of both pickups to where they were flush with the pickup rings and raised the poles as far as I could without removing them, I quickly changed my mind! Thanks for sharing this information!
Love these tips! I definitely will apply this, especially on my Ibanez semi hollow as I almost always play it clean. ( Ok sometimes with a little chorus, but still pretty clean, LOL)
I tried this after watching your Video and i can confirm it makes a huge Difference i will do it on all my Les Pauls now :) Thx Kris i love your Chanel one of my Favs :)
I've raised the polepieces on all my Humbucker equipped guitars in relation to the fretboard radius half a year ago. I find (or think) my guitars sound far more dynamic and have a more precise punch then before. I was a bit surprised at first, but it actually works well with my sound (even tho it's pretty high gain)
Hey Kris, now you could try balancing the output of each string usimg polepieces and recording a dry signal to daw, generally G string is too loud and D string is too quiet, when you balance ouputs chords have great note separation and middle strings get more clarity on their own and tone becomes more balanced and open
You would be surprised how much adjustment of pick ups CAN give you. It seemed anyway, you had your pick ups too high anyway. 1-2mm is way too close you'd get string pull. I find, 4-5mm under the string @ the bridge gives a good balance, and 5-6mm for the neck, to even the vol between both. Then adjust the pole pieces a mm or 2 to fine tune and give a bit more treble response!
Raising the whole pick up senses more of the string and gives more of everything due to the WIDER field the string moves thru, while raising the screws gives a much NARROWER sensing field, picking up more treble and less bass.
That's a great comment!
@@AvnerRosenstein-ULTRA-LXV Of course!
5-6mm seems very high. Do you measure this with pressing the strings on the last fret or without?
@@KeepChessSimple Without!
@@DMSProduktions most common way of measeuring is with the string pressed on the last fret. In that light around 2 mm is very normal. PRS has factory specs 2.3 mm on bass side.
Thank you for the setting of the humbucker height on the Gibson lespaul i know how to set it up now and will set up my lespaul copies in my flat.
"Forgotten" Secret? I don't think so. Most likely just something many players never learned about :)
Nonetheless great info and sound samples. I could definitely hear the difference.
Knowing what to expect with each change really helps when trying to dial in that perfect tone.
I've never tried removing the polepieces like some have suggested which seems like an interesting idea though I did try flipping the pickup around.
BTW just my personal preference but I vote for bridge pickup before and neck pickup after the adjustments on the LP.
correct; but few guys ever hear it explained by a real guitar setup guy, as I did (Fralin's luthier is a pal of mine in VA).
I'm Going to try it. I have several guitars, many of them with Duncans. I don't replace Duncans, unless by Lace Sensors. I love how they sound as they are, but now I'm curious.