PLEASE try adjusting pickup height on Am.Std. Stratocasters!

[mcarte07]

I've read other threads on here about dramatic tone differences caused by pickup height changes, but man, I didn't expect what I got.

I simply took some time to sit down and play and really listen with a critical ear, and after lowering my pickups until they sounded the best to me with my currect setup, I was amazed at the improved tone! The guitar rings with an incredibly improved, natural sounding sustain (blocked trem prob. helps too), and I've lost the overly bright, brittle notes that often plagued me and my Matchless Spitfire. I once before thought I would get rid of my Timmy pedal because I just couldn't get it to work with me. Now it sounds incredible!

It took me some time adjusting, playing, coming back later to play and adjust, but the end result is WELL worth it. PLEASE try this!

[jaycee]

There is definitely truth to the "sweet spot" notion and it's a matter of millimeters. I lowered the neck pickup in my strat just about a turn of the screwdriver and it just sizzles now. Amazing.

[gigs]

Yes.

[JRC4558Dude]

I've been playing guitar for 20 years. Never once sat down with my guitar plugged into my amp and got out a screwdriver to adjust pickup height.

Guess I should try that...

[hacker]

There are so many ways to improve tone that just don't cost a penny. Adjusting pickup height is one of them. Lowering the pickup improves string vibration so that you get more sustain, along with less mids, etc.

Pickup screw height on humbuckers and P90s, or some single coils can also effect tone, especially the balance of output between each string. Play your low E, than your high E and see if one is considerably louder.

Also, alot of amps have a high input and a low input, but most players just plug into the high input all the time. Plugging my humbucker guitars into the low input (the right jack on the reverb channel) on my Fender amps gives a more natural, cleaner sound with more headroom. On the high input, even low powered PAF type humbuckers can overdrive those Fender amps at low volume.

String gauge, intonation, string height all effect tone in some way.

Want more "quack" out of your strat? Lower the middle pickup slightly more than the neck and bridge, than play the in between positions.

[rabbuhl]

I get the specs from the Fender website. I use an allen wrench between the pup and the string to ensure that all of the pickups are set to the right distance and then listen to the pups to see if they need to be lowered or raised. I always measure the distance so in the end every pup has exactly the same setting. That way when I switch between pups the level is consistent.