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Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:54 pm
by Spellcaster
Is there a standard reference measurement that's used on 4003 basses in setting pickup heights? I've looked online, but haven't been able to find one. The tech who did the wiring on my bass claims that my pickups are far too low. Part of his rationale is the fact that the neck pickup is really high output (too high in my mind) and the bridge pickup volume is much lower. I tried to explain to him that I was using two neck pickups (rather than the standard bridge assembly) and that explained the difference in the pickup volumes, but he's insisting that the Hi Gain neck pickup I'm using at the bridge should be cranked up far above pickguard height. I don't remember ever raising my pickups super high on my past Rickenbackers, but he claims that by setting the pickups at the heights I think are appropriate, I'm having to run the amp at a much higher level than I should.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Tue Nov 22, 2022 11:38 pm
by lumgimfong
I heard 5/32.
My notes say that my 4003 from factory was 5/32”, no pressing strings.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:57 am
by jdogric12
All you should use are your ears. Serious.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2022 10:44 am
by Dirk
Agreed if you want even volume, the height is the control.
And yes ears are the way, unless you want to use a meter.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2022 11:32 am
by jps
jdogric12 wrote: Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:57 am
All you should use are your ears. Serious.
This.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2022 6:26 pm
by lumgimfong
Yes, use the 5/32 as a staring point and then raise or lower depending on how much responsiveness you want or what is dear to your ear.
If you get too close you can get strange sounds like warbly tone and bad intonation, too overdriven, etc.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2022 4:11 pm
by Isaac
Spellcaster wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:54 pm
Is there a standard reference measurement that's used on 4003 basses in setting pickup heights? I've looked online, but haven't been able to find one. The tech who did the wiring on my bass claims that my pickups are far too low. Part of his rationale is the fact that the neck pickup is really high output (too high in my mind) and the bridge pickup volume is much lower. I tried to explain to him that I was using two neck pickups (rather than the standard bridge assembly) and that explained the difference in the pickup volumes, but he's insisting that the Hi Gain neck pickup I'm using at the bridge should be cranked up far above pickguard height. I don't remember ever raising my pickups super high on my past Rickenbackers, but he claims that by setting the pickups at the heights I think are appropriate,
I'm having to run the amp at a much higher level than I should.
Yeah, so? I can't think of any reason that turning up the volume knob (or gain) would create a problem. That's what they're for.
Now, if you want to push the input stage a bit, then having the pickups too low would make that difficult. And pickups can sound different, based on height. But those are personal preferences. I can only assume that you've been playing long enough to know what you want your bass to sound like.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 6:04 pm
by bluewhale
Spellcaster wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:54 pm
Is there a standard reference measurement that's used on 4003 basses in setting pickup heights? I've looked online, but haven't been able to find one...
The question stands.
This would be good to know for a variety of reasons. As far as I know, Rickenbacker hasn't published this information the way some other manufacturers do.
bluewhale
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Sat Dec 10, 2022 8:13 pm
by Isaac
FWIW, when I got my 4003W, I had to lower the bridge pickup. So, even if RIC has a standard height, it isn't right for everyone. Well, unless the dealer changed mine, or a mistake was made.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 11:29 am
by cheyenne
jps wrote: Wed Nov 23, 2022 11:32 am
jdogric12 wrote: Wed Nov 23, 2022 9:57 am
All you should use are your ears. Serious.
This.
100%
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2023 5:56 pm
by iiipopes
It's not about the volume knob. The signal induced by the strings to the pickup varies as the square of the distance from the strings, not linearly. So you must find the sweet spot of tone and output. Any suggested measurement is only a starting point. Why is that important? If the pickup is too far away, you lose tone and sustain. If the pickup is too close, the pickup's magnetism can pull the string out of tune (best known as Strat warble). So you start at, in this case, 5/32 inch, then adjust the pickup up and down until the player achieves the desired tone and sustain, as well as balance between the strings. And then on the newer adjustable pole high-gains, you can adjust that as well to get a balance between articulation and tone: adjust the pole closer to the string to get more articulation; farther away to have less articulation.
Re: Setting Hi Gain pickup heights
Posted: Mon May 01, 2023 10:10 pm
by Korladis
Spellcaster wrote: Tue Nov 22, 2022 9:54 pm
Is there a standard reference measurement that's used on 4003 basses in setting pickup heights? I've looked online, but haven't been able to find one. The tech who did the wiring on my bass claims that my pickups are far too low. Part of his rationale is the fact that the neck pickup is really high output (too high in my mind) and the bridge pickup volume is much lower. I tried to explain to him that I was using two neck pickups (rather than the standard bridge assembly) and that explained the difference in the pickup volumes, but he's insisting that the Hi Gain neck pickup I'm using at the bridge should be cranked up far above pickguard height. I don't remember ever raising my pickups super high on my past Rickenbackers, but he claims that by setting the pickups at the heights I think are appropriate, I'm having to run the amp at a much higher level than I should.
The standard bridge position high gain pickup is louder than the neck pickup due to having a larger magnet.
The strings have a larger range of motion where the neck pickup is, so you will need to crank the bridge pickup higher to compensate if you're using the neck model pickup there.