Handy Humbucker Setup Guide (pole pieces)

I’ve always just used the pickups flat how they come out of the box. I feel like the unbalanced string to string volume makes it sound more “guitarish”.
 
bruzanhd said:
I’ve always just used the pickups flat how they come out of the box. I feel like the unbalanced string to string volume makes it sound more “guitarish”.
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“Guitarish” only because we’re used to hearing the unbalanced string volumes. Traditional single coils have staggered pole pieces because the heights were set to balance with a wound G string. We don’t use those much now days, yet we continue using the staggered heights.
 
I think yngwie has his custom pickup sets with a vintage stagger even though he uses modern string sets. You’re definitely right about being use to hearing over powered g strings.
 
This makes no real difference unless you play with your humbuckers dropped down too low.
Only Vigier set there pole pieces in a way that actually balances the string outputs from the factory and it is not the pattern Gibson use.
it's;
IMG_2071.jpg
 
Andy Eagle said:
This makes no real difference unless you play with your humbuckers dropped down too low.
Only Vigier set there pole pieces in a way that actually balances the string outputs from the factory and it is not the pattern Gibson use.
it's;
View attachment 105446
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The image in the pic is the diagram in the first post. Gibson does flat across like 99% of OEMs if Im not mistaken. My R9 burstbuckers were matching the radius - i set the neck pickup like your pic and it was a massive improvement.

Im sure you’ve heard many an overpowering neck pickup in many setneck models.
 
Budda said:
The image in the pic is the diagram in the first post. Gibson does flat across like 99% of OEMs if Im not mistaken. My R9 burstbuckers were matching the radius - i set the neck pickup like your pic and it was a massive improvement.

Im sure you’ve heard many an overpowering neck pickup in many setneck models.
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Gibson custom shop guys building for big names do it, That's who told me about it. Yes the Vigier version works but I still find the whole pickup a bit lower doesn't need it . It also depends on how powerful the magnet is.
 
Andy Eagle said:
Gibson custom shop guys building for big names do it, That's who told me about it. Yes the Vigier version works but I still find the whole pickup a bit lower doesn't need it . It also depends on how powerful the magnet is.
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I had my R9 neck dropped way down, still flub city. Did the suggested stagger and it sounds how it should have from factory haha.
 
I have a flubby neck humbucker, even though it's at a 24 fret placement, so to balance the pickups I lowered the poles on the bridge, raised the bridge, raised the poles on the neck really really high, and lowered the neck. That worked wonders. But I'm going to try the method in that MyLesPaul post anyway; it makes sense.
 
Well hell. Here I am in my later years and never heard of this. I do screw around with my pickups but usually close to matching the neck radius. Not too late to teach an old dog a new trick. I do know that on my Strat, the neck sounded like garbage until I lowered it. So I’ll try this out later. I have noted that most pickup manufacturers say to have them very close to the strings which has never worked out for me. Thanks for posting.
 
On my Pro Jet, I simply tipped the whole neck pickup a bit so the neck coil was closer to the strings than the bridge, and it really helped get rid of the flub....

I also have the neck HB on both the CU24 and the SE24 set up with pole pieces a little higher and the pickup a little lower.

On my red Tele, the neck 'bucker is rotated so the slugs coil is next to the fingerboard, and the pole pieces tune the one coil used when the 5 way is set to 1/2 OOP N+B. The natural position of the pickup puts the slugs coil slightly closer to the strings
 
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I decided to give this a try tonight, following my thought of keeping bridge humbucker poles low in general and neck poles really high in general. I totally just used my ears, downpicking the 12th fret on each string to balance the output, and I really really like the way it sounds. Once I had the volume of each string set by ear based on the extremes of the pole height I set the neck humbucker to get to a defined but sweet height, then the bridge to match perfectly when striking a chord. Thanks again @Budda for posting this; it got me to revisit and reconsider something I had woefully neglected. Here's what it ended up looking like:

Pickup Pole Height.jpeg
 
State of Epicicity said:
I decided to give this a try tonight, following my thought of keeping bridge humbucker poles low in general and neck poles really high in general. I totally just used my ears, downpicking the 12th fret on each string to balance the output, and I really really like the way it sounds. Once I had the volume of each string set by ear based on the extremes of the pole height I set the neck humbucker to get to a defined but sweet height, then the bridge to match perfectly when striking a chord. Thanks again @Budda for posting this; it got me to revisit and reconsider something I had woefully neglected. Here's what it ended up looking like:

View attachment 105472
Click to expand...
Picked up most of my adjustable pole guitars this evening and rolled the staggered height thing through them. Played through my volpan --> 70 Plexi preset.

First was the neck pickup on the red Tele. The 1/2 OOP setting has a bit more definition than before, and the neck bucker alone sounds more balanced in either series or parallel mode.

Next was the SE24. The two 85/15S pickups really sound awesome in either series or parallel modes. The bridge pickup, in particular, has an awesome bright, middy growl to it.

Next was the CU24. The 59/09 pickups sounded pretty good already, but, wow! String balance improved, and the bridge pickup now sounds pretty much exactly like Ronno's LP. Neck pickup sings!

Next was the CU22 triple P90. Backed the pickups off just a bit (one full turn of the height screws) and started at the bridge. The middle pickup's bass side is a bit lower than the other two, to keep the lows crisper in the 'notch' positions. Overall, clarity is improved, and each pickup's balance is much better.

Next was the SE 245. Not sure what pickups come in this one, but after adjusting the poles, raising the neck ones across the board, and dropping the pickup a bit to compensate, the neck pickup is clearer and better balanced, and the bridge has a bit more spank and better balance. Dialed the neck pickup back just a tad more until I heard what I wanted in the 1/2 OOP tones (added a phase switch early on).

Finished the evening tweaking in the Pro Jet. It has the "KERRRANG" one would expect in spades.

Tomorrow, Hobbes (the orange tiger Studio) gets his bridge pickup poles adjusted, and the Ricky 620/12 gets both of its pickups' poles adjusted....
 
Joe Bfstplk said:
Picked up most of my adjustable pole guitars this evening and rolled the staggered height thing through them. Played through my volpan --> 70 Plexi preset.

First was the neck pickup on the red Tele. The 1/2 OOP setting has a bit more definition than before, and the neck bucker alone sounds more balanced in either series or parallel mode.

Next was the SE24. The two 85/15S pickups really sound awesome in either series or parallel modes. The bridge pickup, in particular, has an awesome bright, middy growl to it.

Next was the CU24. The 59/09 pickups sounded pretty good already, but, wow! String balance improved, and the bridge pickup now sounds pretty much exactly like Ronno's LP. Neck pickup sings!

Next was the CU22 triple P90. Backed the pickups off just a bit (one full turn of the height screws) and started at the bridge. The middle pickup's bass side is a bit lower than the other two, to keep the lows crisper in the 'notch' positions. Overall, clarity is improved, and each pickup's balance is much better.

Next was the SE 245. Not sure what pickups come in this one, but after adjusting the poles, raising the neck ones across the board, and dropping the pickup a bit to compensate, the neck pickup is clearer and better balanced, and the bridge has a bit more spank and better balance. Dialed the neck pickup back just a tad more until I heard what I wanted in the 1/2 OOP tones (added a phase switch early on).

Finished the evening tweaking in the Pro Jet. It has the "KERRRANG" one would expect in spades.

Tomorrow, Hobbes (the orange tiger Studio) gets his bridge pickup poles adjusted, and the Ricky 620/12 gets both of its pickups' poles adjusted....
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Man, you were dedicated. I applaud your working for the cause of perfected tone!
 
State of Epicicity said:
I decided to give this a try tonight, following my thought of keeping bridge humbucker poles low in general and neck poles really high in general. I totally just used my ears, downpicking the 12th fret on each string to balance the output, and I really really like the way it sounds. Once I had the volume of each string set by ear based on the extremes of the pole height I set the neck humbucker to get to a defined but sweet height, then the bridge to match perfectly when striking a chord. Thanks again @Budda for posting this; it got me to revisit and reconsider something I had woefully neglected. Here's what it ended up looking like:

View attachment 105472
Click to expand...

Whoa. Hope that G string pole piece on your bridge pickup enjoys his new cave dwelling. :)
 
la szum said:
Whoa. Hope that G string pole piece on your bridge pickup enjoys his new cave dwelling. :)
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The G string is the naughty one, as the name suggests. As the poet laureate of cock rock, Mr. David Terwilliger Coverdale solemnly tomed:

You ain't a bad girl, honey,
No matter what the neighbors say,
It's just that you were those skin-tight dresses
With your G-string tuned to "A"
 
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