Pickup Height and Strings MC150 1978

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Author Message   Bambusa Username: Bambusa Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Thursday, September 13, 2007 - 10:56 pm:    Hi all, I need some advice about the best pickup height for a 1978 MC150 with 2x Super70s. I am currently using 10-46's but what did they originally ship with? FYI I have an MC150 1978 and a 1987 RG550   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 12:03 am:    The closer the pickup to the strings, the more compressed the sound is, with sronger bass response, and more "immediacy"(is that how it's spelled?). The further from the strings, the clearer and more dynamic the response, but too far and they'll sound thin. What I usually do is hold the two outer strings down at the last fret and set both pickups 3/32 inch from the strings, Then I'll fine tune the height for balance between the pickups, and also for tone. If the bridge pickup is too biting, I'll back it down 1/32 of an inch at a time. Your pick attack will have something to do with it as well, since you may bump the strings into the pickup if you're fairly aggressive. For a smoother "jazzier" tone, I'll start 'em at 5/32 inch and go from there.   Bambusa Username: Bambusa Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 12:30 am:    Thanks Guitarwhisperer - I must have a height balance problem. I have multimetered both PUs and they have the same output (both super70s), but when in situ the bridge PU doesn't sound as loud. I realise this may be because the strings don't vibrate as much at the bridge... but does this mean that i will have a high PU at the bridge and much lower at the neck - is this what normally happens on Musicians?   Chipsotoole Username: Chipsotoole Registered: 2-2004 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 5:42 am:    FWIW I have an Ibanez PF200 Les Paul and an Antoria 1912 (330 copy) both with super 70's. I find the output so strong on them that the neck pup has to lowered further than normal and/or the volume rolled off (to 9) to get the best tone. it's less to do with the guitar and more to do with the pups characteristics i reckon . They tend to be on the deep and dark side.   Bambusa Username: Bambusa Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 7:55 am:    I agree! the neck ones has to be very low in the body and the bridge one quite high to get balanced volume..thanks for confirming what I was thinking Are you using 0.022 capacitors and 500K pots?   Guitarwhisperer Username: Guitarwhisperer Registered: 6-2007 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 9:31 am:    Nowadays, the bridge pickups are wound hotter than neck pickups, to compensate for the tighter string movement at the bridge, which excites the magnetic flux field less than at the neck, where the string movement is wider. If both pickups have the same (or nearly so) output, the bridge pickup will have to be signifigantly closer to the strings than the neck pickup. I'm guessing in the 70's to facilitate production, Ibanez just made them all the same, that way they didn't have to worry about matching them up. Humbuckers typically use .022 caps and 500k pots. .022 caps are more useable on humbuckers than .047's. The higher value rolls of highs sooner, giving you less useable range. The lower value allows you to fine tune your tone, since it takes more movement to roll off a signifigant amount of highs. I use orange drop caps on all my guitars that I build. I roll the tone down about a third of the way. It takes down a nearly imperceptible amount of the highs off, appearing to increase the bass response of the sound, while not making the guitar sound muddy. If you wanted a hotter sound, you can try 1 meg pots, or if you wanted a smoother lead tone, try 250k pots. The Jackson soloist uses 250k pots on their humbuckers.   Chipsotoole Username: Chipsotoole Registered: 2-2004 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 10:58 pm:    hmm capacitors and pots...you lost me there...i'm a liability with a soldering iron. I do believe everything on the wiring side to be original so probably 500k pots.....   Bambusa Username: Bambusa Registered: 9-2007 Posted on Friday, September 14, 2007 - 11:20 pm:    Yeah I always end up putting the caps where I can access them easily (especially on guitars where you need to remove the pickguard to access the stuff) this way I can change them out without having to disassemble/ damage existing wiring. Its personal choice as to how you want your guitar to sound as to what caps you use. Some manufacturers contradict others regarding what caps they recommend to. ATM I think ive got 0.022s on the Musician.

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