Weak B and E string volume

[JazzDaddyD]

Hi, I'm a semi-professional jazz guitarist (whatever that means)- I have some excellent instruments, including a '51 Epi Triumph Regent with a floating Pete Biltmore CC pickup, and a sweet Ed Shaefer archtop with a floating custom built Duncan pickup.
Both instruments sound wonderful and well balanced between low and high E strings unplugged, but amplified, and especially live, the high B and E strings almost disappear, which causes me to over play (pick too hard) on those strings and sound like poop.
I've had a similar experience with other good guitars. Pete sent me some teeny magnates to attach to his pickup below the B and E in order to get more gain, but they fell off. The Duncan does not have adjustable pole pieces, and neither pickup can be adjusted height-wise from bass to treble.
Please tell me that someone else has a similar experience? Is there there something that can be done via EQ that can mitigate? I have good amps, a Polytone and a Henrikson, but that doesn't seem to be the issue- it would seem that the signal being sent to the amps from those strings is weak. I typically use 12-54 flats.
I'd most appreciate any insights-
peace-

[Maxr]

I had the same experience using the Vintage Vibe CC pickup. I did have the ability to adjust the height on the treble side to be closer to the strings, which helped somewhat. This didn’t help with an overly-strong “G” string, though, so I ground down a notch in the metal blade of the pickup under that string (and filed the bass side down a bit too). This also helped somewhat. I also tried adjusting string gauges to go higher on B/E (I used a 13 set) and then lower on the others (I think a 10/11 set). This helped somewhat too, although I didn’t like the huge variations in string tension it caused.

I experimented around with adding magnets to the pickup but never got any improvement. I’m curious to know more about what Pete sent you and how they were connected to the pickup.

Eventually I moved into a house where the electromagnetic interference was so bad I had to swap the CC pickup for a noiseless P90. Although I really love the sound of the CC over just about everything else, I learned that I really need adjustable pole pieces to be happy with my sound. (I later learned TK Smith makes a CC with pole pieces, but it didn’t have the right form factor for my application.)

That said, maybe it is worth experimenting more with other string brands - maybe there are some with smaller core diameters on the wound strings (or a less magnetically sensitive material) as to give a lower strength signal.

[skiboyny]

I find that pure nickel strings have a much lower output than the steel B&E strings. That might help you. The closer to pure the lower the output.

[garybaldy]

My Korean EER - a- like by Fenix came with an Atilla Zoller neck mount. I had the same issue. I tried a load of different strings with zero success. I changed the AZ to an Ibanez mini hb from a budget AF84e. It solved the problem. And no pole screws!

[bluejaybill]

I went through several floaters on my Campellone and for your reason I ended up with an Armstrong 12 pole. It finally allows me to dial in perfect string balance after others didn't do it (JS type pickups).

Going up one gauge on the first two strings can help as well.

[Sigmund451]

Those reasons are why I grabbed an Armstrong single coil.
When you have to pickguard mount pole pieces get pretty important IMHO.

[JazzDaddyD]

The magnets Pete sent me were maybe an 1/8" in diameter and attached magnetically to the pickup rail in the CC pickup, but could be easily knocked off by an over-zealous picker like me.

Based on all your helpful comments, it sounds like the issue won't be resolved through EQ adjustments but can be resolved by using a pickup with adjustable pole pieces. I think I'll go that route.

I REALLY wish someone (Kent, please?) would make an adjustable mounting bracket for a floating pickup. I really don't like the pick-guard mounting because it involves too much dinking around with the angle and location of the pick guard, and then the final result can't be readily adjusted. The JS style pickup on my Shaefer is epoxied to the pick guard, that's going to be fun to remove.....

[sgosnell]

I no longer use pickguard-mounted pickups. I prefer DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1100 pickups, but if I need to use something else, I just use Blu-Tack to mount the pickup to the top, usually right at the end of the neck, using the putty both underneath the pickup and between the side and the neck end. That has been secure enough for me for years. It's not too difficult to angle the pickup so that the treble strings are closer to it by just using a thicker strip of putty there. Removal is easy as can be.