Pickup height

The distance between a pickup's pole pieces and the strings, adjustable with screws at each end of the mounting ring.

It is the most direct tone control on an electric guitar and costs nothing to change. Close to the strings a pickup is louder and more aggressive with a stronger fundamental and more output into the amp, but the magnetic field can also damp the string, reducing sustain and producing odd overtones. Further away it is quieter, cleaner and more balanced, which often lets the two pickups match each other better. The bass and treble sides can be set independently to even out string response.

Example: lowering a bridge humbucker a couple of millimetres commonly clears up a muddy sound and restores sustain that was being pulled out by the magnet.

Pickup height

See also