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Pickup to string distance

Posted by Laurence Owen on September 29, 2019 at 1:40pm in Building Secrets, Tips, Advice, Discussion

Hi, still in the process of gathering components etc for my guitar which WAS going to be a shovel variety but may yet be made out of an old pew.

I have bought a double coil humbucker for use and am curious just how far it is possible to have the strings from the surface of the pickup?

I plan to be going fretless so there is a good spacing between neck and string which also obviously occurs at the pickup.

So, what's the reckoning?

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Replies

  • Cause the Blue rat October 2, 2019 at 1:41am

    Totally agree. Distance is preference. I played with a guy who had his deep into the guitar. He had an awesome sound. 

  • Poorness Studios September 30, 2019 at 11:13am

    As BrianQ states, its really personal preference more than anything. That said, I've found that I often use 1/4" as the reference point. If the pickup is adjustable, I make it so its 1/4" away from the strings at the midpoint. That should give a good range to go both up and down.

    • Laurence Owen > Poorness Studios October 1, 2019 at 5:47pm

      thanks for the responses I was under the impression that on a shovek guitar it was greater than that but on closer inspection it isn't.
      will post pictures when built.

      thanks once again.

  • BrianQ. September 29, 2019 at 2:14pm

    You can go off all the specs on the net, but ask any professional & they’ll tell you it’s personal preference? Having said that, I have seen professional musicians with the pickups just a hair under the point where the strings buzz on the poles & have seen them so low they were buried into the body? So I would start at the standard 3/32” & back it off from there or go lower until you like the tone/loudness of the pickups? It’s that easy? Cheers :)

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