What does raising and lowering a pickup from the strings do to the sound of a pickup? Ed davis-mt. Shasta, california - Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals (2024)

FAQs

What does raising and lowering a pickup from the strings do to the sound of a pickup? Ed davis-mt. Shasta, california - Guitar Pickups, Bass Pickups, Pedals? ›

When I move my pickup closer to the strings I get more output and more attack. When lowering a pickup you get less output and a smoother sound. As the pickup is moved further away from the bridge the louder and fuller it sounds. The pickup has more string vibration moving over the coils.

Pickups that are set too high can pull your guitar out of tune because the magnets will push and pull the strings. If pickups are set too low, the magnetic field from the pickups won't pick up the vibrations from the string and your resulting tone will sound quiet or thin.

Raising pickups closer to strings will increase signal intensity to the amp. All else being equal that will tend to make the guitar louder. That said, overall volume is still controlled by the amp and guitar volume knobs and you'll probably get more real-world volume increase by twisting those than moving pickups.

Typically, lowering a guitar's pickups will yield a woodier and more natural sound with great playing dynamics and clarity.

Having your pickups set too high can cause intonation/tuning issues. Because pickups are essentially magnets, when they are set too high it can cause the string to be pulled downwards. This is something you need to be careful to avoid.

Setting your pickup height too high will cause your magnets to push and pull your strings out of tune. Here's a quick way to tell if this is happening to you: play the Low E string at a high fret (15th fret is a good one to start at). You might hear a “warbling” sound. That sound is your magnet fighting your string.

"The lower the action, the easier it is to push the string down to the fret, but it also makes it more possible that your fret will buzz.

As well as the strings acting on the pickup's magnetic field, that magnetic field can also act on the string. Adjusted too close, the magnetic field can interfere with the strings' vibration.

A small or short muffler, as well as no muffler in the exhaust system will also make the exhaust louder. Another way to adjust exhaust sound is with the overall length. Shortening the exhaust will make it louder. Some owners will terminate the exhaust at the rear axle.

When lowering a pickup you get less output and a smoother sound. As the pickup is moved further away from the bridge the louder and fuller it sounds. The pickup has more string vibration moving over the coils.

What is the best pickup height for humbuckers? ›

For standard, full-size humbuckers, a reasonable starting point for the bridge pickup is at least 1/16" (1.5mm) from the high E and 5/64" (2 mm) from the low E.

The lower your action, generally, the better the playability for your guitar. The higher action, the more openness you're going to have with your guitar itself.

Summary. In summary, the position of the pickups on a guitar greatly affects the sound of the instrument. Each position has its own unique sound characteristics, and players can choose the position that best suits the type of music they are playing.

Adjusting a pickup closer to a string will improve its bass response, while moving it further away diminishes the fundamental and bass response with it. Reducing the distance between the top of a pickup and the strings also increases the sensing strength of a pickup exponentially.

The number of turns of coil wire will dictate the voltage created – how 'hot' the pickup is. So, in essence, the more turns of wire will generate more voltage and a stronger signal. Generally speaking, more turns of wire will create a louder pickup, and fewer turns of wire will equate to a weaker pickup.

By moving up or down one level, in terms of magnetic strength, you can usually add or subtract a little edge from a pickup. If your guitar is too tangy, moving down one pickup level (e.g., from alnico 4 to alnico 2) may smooth it out.

I find that raising and lowering a pickup does several things. When I move my pickup closer to the strings I get more output and more attack. When lowering a pickup you get less output and a smoother sound. As the pickup is moved further away from the bridge the louder and fuller it sounds.

The operator X is a raising operator for N if c is real and positive, and a lowering operator for N if c is real and negative. In particular, if X is a lowering operator for N, then X^† is a raising operator for N and conversely.

Your guitar's pickups only affect sustain if they are set too high. Setting pickups too high can affect the string's oscillation pattern physically (your strings are bumping into the pickup) or magnetically (your strings are getting pulled by the pickup's magnets).