
Image 1. Photo courtesy of singlecoil.com
What’s the ideal pickup height? And how do you adjust the pole pieces?
I receive a lot of email about setting the correct height for humbucker pickups, so this month let's address that subject.
Humbuckers aren't simply big single-coils, so not all the usual single-coil setup rules apply. Generally speaking, you can move a humbucker a little closer to the strings without encountering the magnetic interference that can cause tuning problems and lack of sustain in single-coils.
Don't ditch those stock pickups yet!
Adjusting pickups is an important but often overlooked process—even some guitar companies pay little attention to it. Most guitars I see on the workbench have pickups that haven't been set up in any way, but it's exactly this process that can help address such player complaints as "It just doesn't sound right" and "There's something wrong with the pickups."
Most owners think they need replacement pickups, but it often turns out that proper adjustment makes them satisfied with their stock guitars. Yes, there are times when you should change pickups. (For example, if you want to shred, but your guitar has underwound PAFs.) But if you feel a certain something is missing in your tone, play around with the height adjustment screws before buying a new pickup set.
Adjusting pickups is an important but often overlooked process—even some guitar companies pay little attention to it.
Many players think their guitars come out of the box with perfectly adjusted pickup heights and fear changing the factory settings, so a goal of this column is to encourage you to grab a screwdriver and play around with the adjustment screws. After all, it's what they're for!
You don't need many tools—just a sharp pencil, masking tape, a small precision ruler, and an appropriate screwdriver. (Remember, flat screwdrivers aren't made for Phillips screws, and vice versa.) Before you start, apply some masking tape to both sides of the pickup covers. You can now mark the current pickup height with a sharp pencil. As long as you leave the tape on the cover, you can always return to the old adjustment in seconds, so you don't have to worry about recovering your old settings should you need to.
Height makes right. Tune your guitar and place it on a table or a workbench with a towel or blanket underneath.We measure pickup height from the top of the pickup to the bottom of the string while the string is pressed against the highest fret (Photo 1). It's a great help to use a capo on the top fret so you don't have to press the strings while adjusting the pickups, but this isn't possible on all guitars. Use a precision ruler.
The guys from Stewart-MacDonald have a special ruler for this called a String Action Gauge. This handy tool can measure not only pickup height, but also string height, saddle height, nut height, saddle slot depth, and more.
Image 2. Photo courtesy of singlecoil.com
The specs. If you do a web search on this topic, you'll find that everyone seems to recommend something different, so let's start with Gibson's official recommendations. In the 1950s Gibson recommended a distance of 1/16" (1.6 mm) for their PAFs in both neck and bridge position, and for both the bass and the treble sides of the pickup. Today Gibson recommends 1/16" (1.6 mm) for the bridge pickup and 3/32" (2.4 mm) for the neck. My own preference is to start with 3/32" (2.4 mm) on the bass side and 1/16" (1.6 mm) on the treble side for both bridge and neck humbuckers.
These specifications aren't set in stone—they're only starting points for your individual setup process, though there's a good chance this height will work for you right from the start. The perfect pickup height depends on your particular pickups, your strings, and, of course, personal taste. Some people like the sound of the pickups close to the strings, while others don't. If you have very powerful humbuckers, lower the pickup height a tad.
Next, adjust the height of the individual pole pieces so they mirror the radius of your fretboard, as shown in Photo 2.
After you've finished this process, play your guitar with your usual amp settings to get a first impression of the new tone. If the new setting works for you right from the start, excellent! If not, fine-tune by ear to taste, compensating for such culprits as a meddlesome G string that overpowers the adjacent strings, or a weak-sounding B string. Adjust the pole piece heights in small increments until it sounds right to you.
One final tip from my experience: On many guitars you'll suddenly hear a kind of "natural vibrato" once you dial in the sweet spot for the pickups. This can be a good indicator for you that you are done, or at least very close. See you next month. Until then, keep on modding!
[Updated 7/27/21]
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PG contributor Tom Butwin reveals his favorite songwriting secret weapon: the partial capo. Watch how the Shubb C7 and C8 can simulate alternate tunings without retuning your guitar—and spark fresh creative ideas instantly.
Shubb C8b Partial Capo for Drop-D Tuning - Brass
The C8 covers five of the six strings, leaving either the low E or high E string open, depending on how it's positioned.
- Standard setup: Placed on the 2nd fret while leaving the low E string open, it simulates Drop D-style sounds—except you're still in standard tuning (key of E). You get that big, droning bass feel without retuning.
- Reverse setup: Flipping the capo allows the high E string to ring, giving you shimmering drones and new melodic options across familiar chord shapes.
- A flexible tool that lets you simulate alternate tunings and create rich sonic textures—all while keeping your guitar in standard tuning.
Shubb C7b Partial Capo for DADGAD Tuning - Brass
The C7 covers three of the six strings—either D, G, and B or A, D, and G—depending on how it's flipped.
- Typical setup (D, G, B): Creates an open A chord shape at the 2nd fret without needing your fingers. This frees you up for new voicings and droning notes in the key of A.
- Reversed setup (A, D, G): Gets you close to a DADGAD-style tuning vibe, but still keeps you in standard tuning—great for modal, spacious textures often found in folk or cinematic guitar parts.
Use it alone or stack it with the C8 for wild, layered effects and truly out-of-the-box inspiration.
The Future Impact V4 is an incredibly versatile pedal with an exceptional range of sounds. In addition to producing synthesizer sounds such as basses, leads and pads, it can function as an octaver, chorus, flanger, phaser, distortion, envelope filter, traditional wah-wah, tremolo, reverb, etc., and even has a built-in tuner. It can potentially replace an entire pedalboard of dedicated single-effect pedals.
The very powerful signal processor of the Future Impact V4 is able to replicate the various oscillator, filter, amplifier and envelope generator blocks found in classic synthesizers. In addition, it contains signal processing blocks more traditionally used for processing the sound of an instrument such as a harmonizer block and audio effects such as chorus, distortion and EQ. These architectures complement each other in a very flexible way.
Setting the standard for the bass guitar synth pedals since 2015, together with an enthusiastic community and long line of great artists, the Future Impact V4 is the guitar synth platform for the next decade.
Belltone Guitars has partnered Brickhouse Toneworks to create a one-of-a-kind, truly noiseless Strat/Tele-tone pickup in a standard Filter’Tron size format: the Single-Bell pickup.
The Single-Bell by Brickhouse Toneworks delivers bonafide single-coil Strat and Tele tones with the power of a P-90 and no 60-cycle hum. Unlike typical stacked hum-cancelling designs, Brickhouse Toneworks uses a proprietary ‘sidewind’ approach that cancels the 60-cycle hum without sacrificing any of the dynamics or top-end sparkle of a Fender-style single coil.
Get the best of both worlds with clear bell-like tones on the neck pickup, signature quack when combining the neck and bridge pickups, and pristine twang in the bridge position backed with the fullness and power of a P-90. Push these into overdrive and experience the hallmark blues tone with plenty of grit and harmonic sustain — all with completely noiseless performance.
Key Features of the Single-Bell:
- Cast Alnico 5 Magnet, designed to be used with 500k pots
- Voiced to capture that signature Fender-style single coil tone without the 60-cycle hum
- Lightly potted to minimize squeal
- Made in the USA with premium quality materials
The retail price for a Bridge and Neck matching set is $340.00 and they’re available directly and exclusively through Belltone® Guitars / Brickhouse Toneworks at belltoneguitars.com.
Designed for players who demand flexibility without sacrificing tone, the Aquanaut fuses the rich warmth of classic analog delay with the extended range and clarity of modern digital designs. Featuring up to 600 milliseconds of delay time, the Aquanaut easily covers everything from tight slapback echoes to lush, ambient textures and rhythmic soundscapes – all with a simple, intuitive control layout.
Unlike many digital delays that can sound sterile and detached, the Aquanaut retains an organic, analog-inspired voice. Repeats are smooth and musical, gently fading into the mix to create depth and dimension without overwhelming your dry signal. Whether you’re chasing vintage tape echo, adding subtle space to your solos, or building massive atmospheric layers, the Aquanaut keeps your tone clear, present, and inspiring.
Berserker Electronics Aquanaut Delay/Echo
Key features include:
- Up to 600ms of delay time for expanded creative possibilities
- Analog-voiced digital architecture for warm, natural-sounding repeats
- Ambient-style echo that enhances, not distracts from, your core tone
- Simple, intuitive controls for delay time, feedback, and blend
The Aquanaut is available direct at www.berserkerpedals.com and Reverb at a $149 street price.