Hey guys. I’ve always raised to pickups to the maximum amount. I was just wondering how this affects the tone? Particularly the distortion in the chugs. I’ve always felt like my chugs have that kinda speaker break up sounding distortion compared to the chugs in the songs I hear. Could this be contributing to this? Tuned anywhere from C1 to C2 if that matters
Pickup Height for Metal
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TedEH
Cromulent
There is no pickup height "for metal". This is one of those things that is entirely up to taste, and will depend on too many things for someone to be able to answer for you - how you pick, what the pickups are, what you're playing into, etc etc.
Nothing will answer a question like this better than just trying it and seeing what happens. Grab a screwdriver and a drink, and Just Have Fun With It.
Nothing will answer a question like this better than just trying it and seeing what happens. Grab a screwdriver and a drink, and Just Have Fun With It.
Fair. I specified metal because of the chugs. I have used them at stock height (1/2” or something) and they have like half the distortion of when they’re right under the strings. I wasn’t sure how much my specific tone had to do with it so I was wondering if others with different tones had knowledge to share that I could compare with my experience
Winspear
Winspear/Noisemother
Record three clips, low, middle, and high, with input volumes adjusted to result in the same amount of gain saturation - that's the important part (to me anyway it doesn't really make sense to use height to change the output - as I would assume one wants consistent distortion on tap). See which one has your favourite tone 
TedEH
Cromulent
I guess the intuitive answer is that the closer you get to the strings, the hotter your output will be, unless you're using actives or a compressor or something that squashes it back down. I tend to think of pickup adjustments as a way to balance output between the heavier and lighter strings, and to keep far enough away that you don't overload an active preamp or anything like that.
Input volume? Like input to the plug-in/amp?Record three clips, low, middle, and high, with input volumes adjusted to result in the same amount of gain saturation - that's the important part (to me anyway it doesn't really make sense to use height to change the output - as I would assume one wants consistent distortion on tap). See which one has your favourite tone
Ok. So roughly speaking you could lower the pickups and raise the gain and get the same result? Also you mentioned actives being different. I wasn’t aware that they reacted differently. What is the difference?
TedEH
Cromulent
Probably not. I would expect some timbral differences, which is why Winspear recommended doing some comparisons. Like I said - these will all depend on anything from the kinds of magnets in your pickups, to what strings you use, etc etc etc. Nobody is going to be able to describe what you'll hear when you change your pickup height. You have to try it. I'd be willing to bet some youtuber out there has done a pickup-height comparison video.
I mention actives because some people think of them as being really hot or compressed to begin with. I'd imagine that if your pickups have a preamp in them, it's possible to overload them and get some distortion (however minor) before the signal even leaves the guitar. I've never done that. I'm speculating.
Ok thanks. I’ll mess with it a bit but it sounds like most likely it’s my tone that I need to mess with and the pickup height isn’t the biggest contributor to the tone
Webmaestro
Ibanez Fanatic
I use the typical rule of 2-3mm from the strings (while fretted at the 24th fret) as my general starting point, then adjust by-ear based on the pickup's characteristics. I've gone a little closer than 2mm, and have gone a bit farther away than 3mm... just depends. 90% of the time though, I end up somewhere in that range, then begin tweaking individual poles (if possible) if I'm feeling really OCD.
As others have said though, use your ear. I just like to start in the 2-3mm range.
As others have said though, use your ear. I just like to start in the 2-3mm range.
Neon_Knight_
Well-Known Member
"Optimal" pickup height is subjective and any individual will find different heights work better for different pickups / different styles. However, this is good advice for a starting point: https://www.dimarzio.com/node/1722
Thanks. Yeah I’ve always raised it up to the strings, palm mute hard, chug as hard as possible and lower till it barely doesn’t hit. Lol
Noisy Humbucker
Only obsesses over guitars when not playing them.
To echo what other have said - I start with the bridge at 2.5mm, then raise or lower until I can get a decent clean tone with light strumming (no or very little breakup). I start the neck around the same height, then adjust until the output is on par with where the bridge is at.
I typically use pickups that are hot by vintage standards but moderate compared to modern high output pickups. Using the above guidelines I end up getting a rich, fairly dynamic tone that’ll breath when I want it to and crush when I dig in just a little bit.
Also, don’t think that the pickup has to be the same distance on both the bass and treble sides.
I typically use pickups that are hot by vintage standards but moderate compared to modern high output pickups. Using the above guidelines I end up getting a rich, fairly dynamic tone that’ll breath when I want it to and crush when I dig in just a little bit.
Also, don’t think that the pickup has to be the same distance on both the bass and treble sides.
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Neon_Knight_
Well-Known Member
I've always thought it's "normal" to have the bass side further from the strings.
Big difference between the different pickups, and personal preferance.
SD Distortion I liked to have far away from the strings, to get more clarity and chuggs. For EMG 81, I like them closer because they sound less thin, more fat and full this way. For SH5 - somewhere in the middle. But then again, I would maybe do it different If I were to record, or play in a band situation instead of just playing at home.
But in general you will get a tighter and clearer sound when far away from strings, but thinner. Fuller, warmer but less tight closer to the strings. I also like more distortion for the leads and tigher lows, as Neon Knight says - bass side further and high side closer.
SD Distortion I liked to have far away from the strings, to get more clarity and chuggs. For EMG 81, I like them closer because they sound less thin, more fat and full this way. For SH5 - somewhere in the middle. But then again, I would maybe do it different If I were to record, or play in a band situation instead of just playing at home.
But in general you will get a tighter and clearer sound when far away from strings, but thinner. Fuller, warmer but less tight closer to the strings. I also like more distortion for the leads and tigher lows, as Neon Knight says - bass side further and high side closer.
cardinal
Buys guitars, sometimes plays them
I tend to always end up liking it to where the strings just clear the pickup under heavy palm muting.
Except for generic high output pickups that can be pretty muddy. Those are better backed off.
Except for generic high output pickups that can be pretty muddy. Those are better backed off.
Yul Brynner
Fabricated Background
Sounds like you're doing it right. For metal you want the pickup as close as possible to the strings without actually touching. Higher output. Plus the extra magnetic pull on the strings will stifle the sustain and make your palm mutes tighter.
