Pickup Height Adjustment-2 Strats....

[Cheapstrat]

I've tinkered around, used factory and pickup manufacturer specs...really want to ask the resident experts here. I have 2 standard Stratocasters. One I have refitted with Red/Silver/Blue Lace Sensor pickups for little more punch and the other has stock single coils.

Regarding pickup height adjustment. What is your recommendation for both guitars? Both of them play great...love them. Just looking to optomize the tones from each instrument.

Before you all yell and throw things at me, I'll "confess" that I play through a Flextone II Plus. Honestly, I love the sound of a Strat through this amp...the amp is fine...just looking for the "best" recommendations for pickup adjustments.



Looking forward to your recommendations. Thanks to all!

:)

[brianf]

The fun thing about PUP height is it is a mod that does not cost a penny. Just play around until you dial in a tone you like.

FYI. My Am. Dlx. Fat Strat, Has the neck and middle Noiseless Single coils way down. The covers are just barely above the Scratch guard. The Bridge Humbucker is set so that when the strings are pushed down at the 22nd fret. the strings are about 1/8" from the poles.

brianf

[photoweborama]

On Lace, I have no idea. They just say put them where ever you want. It's really different for each pickup.

On my MiM Standard I have Kent Armstrong Tweed Tone pickups and I have them set at 8/64" and 9/64" on the bass side. The bridge is a bit closer, but I don't remember where.

I played with them quite a bit. If I set them closer, they get really muddy sounding and when I kick in overdrive they sound really brittle, not smooth.

If I set them lower, they still sound OK, but I loose too much volume. This is about best for these pickups. Overdriven, sound really smooth.

I have Curtis Novak hand wounds in my Squire at work. They adjust right, at factory spec. 4/64" and 5/64". I can't get them much higher. When they are lower they sound muddy and really blah. Right at this height the have a true chimey vintage sound. Very clean and crisp.

My Tele has the same problem as my #1 Stat. It has stock AmSer pickups but at factory speck they sound muddy and distortion is brittle. It's set at 8/64" and 9/64" also. It sounds really good at that height also.

[Cheapstrat]

Thanks to both of you for suggestions and your experience...will do some experimenting here...trying to get the best tones I can from each guitar...amazing how many people don't even bother with pickup height adjustment...or dismiss it as unimportant...coming from a Gibson non-strat background, I'm learning to appreciate the quirks and differences of Stratocasters....amazing guitars.

:)