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Hi again
Most pickups have a number of ‘pole-pieces’. These are are the screws or ‘slugs’ that you see in your instrument’s pickups.
Some instruments only have the non-adjustable slug-type poles but many pickups will be fitted with screw-type poles that can be raised or lowered.
By adjusting each screw pole, you can balance the output of each individual string.
Last time, when I talked about matching pickup pole piece heights to the same radius as the strings, I didn’t give you the whole picture.
Truth is, it’s a bit more complicated.
String output and pickup poles
By raising the screw pole-pieces into an arc matching the string radius, you will even out the distance between each string and its associated pole.
That’s all fine.
Until you remember that the actual ‘influence’ each string can have on the pickup’s magnetic field is not the same.
Essentially, some strings have more output than other strings.
Wound and unwound string output
Conversely to what you might think, the unwound strings can have more output than the wound strings. This is because it’s the ‘core’ of the string that gives most of the ferro-magnetic action rather than the wrap windings.
Therefore your skinny strings might actually have more output than that big fat bottom string.
There have been efforts to address this string imbalance over the years and it’s worth having a read about pickup pole-piece stagger.
What string imbalance means for adjusting pickups
What this means for someone adjusting their pole-piece screws is that following the string radius is good, but not great.
We need to compensate a little more (or a lot more in one case) to get a better string-to-string balance.
The ‘G-elephant’ in the room
I made a bad joke by putting a ‘G’ at the start of ‘elephant’. Sorry.
The unwound G string is the main problem though. That unassuming little guy has the most output of all the strings on your guitar. Honest.
So, when you’re adjusting pickups to get a consistent volume across all your strings, that’s the one that needs more attention.
So, you'll want to adjust that G way down compared to your other strings.
How the whole picture looks
This is a rough idea of the heights I generally set on adjustable pole pieces.
Yes. That G string pole is below the top of the pickup.
Crazy, eh?
Like a fox, I say!
Just have a listen.
Of course, it’s important to note that this is a rule of thumb. Think of it as a good starting point. Set your screw poles in roughly this pattern and then listen to each string’s output. Don’t be afraid to adjust things if your ears tell you something’s not right.
Ears are the most important tools.
Plain versus wound G string
The pattern above only applies to plain or unwound G strings.
A wound G string is the opposite and actually needs the pole closer to the string. If you play a wound G, bring that pole piece higher even than the D string.
But, but, the little strings are far away…
Our natural inclination is to adjust the pickup closer under the first couple of strings because they look so wimpy. That's not always a good idea, though.
Listen to the output as you play slowly across the strings. Try to listen to the output or volume rather than the ‘tone’.
Then adjust as needed.
Screw slot pattern
Should the slots in the top of the screws be adjusted in any particular pattern? Should you turn the screws so they point in a particular direction?
Nope. I don’t think so.
There has been a school of thought that an alternating diagonal pattern (viewed looking down on the pickup) is best — possibly because adjusting poles to the string radius can sometimes end up like that. Personally, I don’t hear any difference according to which way the screw slots orientate.
I don’t like to line the slots up with string direction but that’s aesthetic rather than for any tone reasons. Follow your heart for slot direction — it doesn't matter.
The bottom line
I know that the pole height pattern above looks weird. Try it next time you’re setting up, though. Then use those lugs on the side of your head and see how the string-to-string output sounds.
Cheers
Gerry
Rossberry Avenue, Lucan, Dublin IrelandS?
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06-27-2025 08:58 PM
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Agreed. But, on my new Gibson 335 with T-tops, my B 2nd string has to sit way below the p/up cover, it is so loud! The G and E are above the top and even in height , on both p/ups. On my Epiphone 335, it is a very different pattern, much more even.
I only comment because my friend, a very good guitarist and guitar tech, says he never adjusts pole pieces!
There will be a discussion to follow here, I am sure.
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The B is usually the loudest because it's the thickest. The Charlie Christian bar pickup was often modified by cutting out a small piece under the B string because of that. The guy is right, though, about plain G strings, they're even thicker than the B, so they need to be lower.
I don't think it's possible to use any pattern to adjust polepieces, because there are so many different strings - different gauges, different winding materials, etc. All I know to do is to adjust by ear, so that the strings sound about the same, volume-wise, and I may have to readjust after a string change, because I'm not smart enough to just use one string set, and have to keep experimenting with different ones.
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Yep. Thing is, you have to start somewhere and this pattern is a reasonable beginning. Especially for those that haven't been doing this since the newest tech came in a vacuum tube.
Originally Posted by sgosnell
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Ya got me. I still remember what a big deal the invention of the transistor was. I owned a very early transistor radio, and they were easily repairable, because everything was still normal-sized on a PCB, and the transistors could be replaced with any soldering iron. Humongous things compared to modern ones.
I start from wherever the polepieces are when I install the pickup. It's more trouble than it's worth to me to adjust them to any pattern to start. YMMV.
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All good stuff ….
but don’t forget the overall slope of the
whole pickup (controlled by the ourside
screws on the pickup ring ….)
I try to get that about right Before
doing the individual string adjustments
mine always end up lower on the
bass side ie more volume from the
three treble strings , less volume from
the three thicker strings
this on a clean neck humbucker on
an archtop ….
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yes just do it by ear , get the volumes Originally Posted by sgosnell
The B is usually the loudest because it's the thickest. The Charlie Christian bar pickup was often modified by cutting out a small piece under the B string because of that. The guy is right, though, about plain G strings, they're even thicker than the B, so they need to be lower.
I don't think it's possible to use any pattern to adjust polepieces, because there are so many different strings - different gauges, different winding materials, etc. All I know to do is to adjust by ear, so that the strings sound about the same, volume-wise, and I may have to readjust after a string change, because I'm not smart enough to just use one string set, and have to keep experimenting with different ones.
of the strings even ….
easy to do
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I can say the opposite...lol....
I just had a session on the L5 and lowered the treble string side of the p/up. This may change, but I was looking for smoother warmer tones. This is with Seth Lover p/ups, they are a bit bright.
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I would have thought that would just make the treble strings quieter. Adjusting the pickup/screw height is to balance the volume of each string. Turning down the volume on the guitar will make it warmer. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
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Problem with that, at least for playing jazz, is your bass strings will be way too loud in relationship to the high stings (up until you're using telephone pole wire for strings, and possibly even then).
So... take that, and drop your bass side fairly significantly and raise the treble until your high e balances correctly (and actually it's cool to have it be pretty loud, kinda mimics a trumpets dynamics as it goes up high.
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As the discussion goes on, it becomes evident that different people like different settings, and have different ways of getting the sound they prefer, and that they prefer different sounds. All are valid for them, and it's just another reason there is no single pattern, not even as a starting point. The distance of the pickup from the strings has a strong influence on the needed polepiece heights, because the further from the strings, the more movement is necessary to change the volume enough to be heard. With the pickup body close to the strings, a small turn of the polepiece can be heard. Drop the pickup down and the polepiece has to be turned much more to change the volume. Some players like the pickup close to the strings, some like it lower. It's a choice, just like preferring the volume control full open or rolled down. Personally, I tend to like the volume control down, but it depends on the guitar and all the other factors. It's easy enough to turn knobs, and while it's fussier to adjust polepieces, it's not that difficult to dial them in at home.
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Another way to get a mellow, bell-like, piano-like sound out of the high strings instead of a twangy, shrill, or banjo-like sound is to do just the reverse. That is, raise the treble end of the pickup and lower the bass end, then roll off the guitar tone control and/or turn the amp treble down and the bass up. You get an overall warmer sound without the dreaded mud. The eq adjustment also prevents the higher strings from sounding too loud, despite their closer proximity to the pickup. Also, this method brings out the high E string a little more, relative to the B and G strings which are usually louder. Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack
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And so it goes, different guitars, diff. amps, strings, picks, fingers, pickups, rooms............
All good ideas guys.
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