View unanswered posts | View active topics It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:56 am




Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
 G&L Commanche Pickup Height 
Author Message

Joined: Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:49 pm
Posts: 1
Post G&L Commanche Pickup Height
Hey guys, just picked up my first G&L yesterday from Buffalo Bros.

My question is how high are the Z-coils supposed to be set up?
What are the factory specs?
What have you guys found that works best for you?

When I recieved it the pickups were between 8/64" to 10/64" on the treble side fretted at the 22nd fret. Is that a bit low? I'm not sure how these magnetic field pickups work.

Thanks guys


Wed Dec 29, 2010 11:55 pm
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Sun Feb 28, 2010 6:10 pm
Posts: 271
Location: Asheville, NC
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
I know others here may disagree, but I always set my pickups, including Z coils, as close to the strings as I can without the string vibration actually hitting the pickups. I don't scientifically measure the distance, it's all done by sight and a little experimenting.

In general, I set the bridge PU closer to the strings than the neck PU because the strings have a narrower vibration range being close to the bridge. Also, bridge PU's tend to be weaker sounding to my ears than neck PU's, so I usually lower the neck PU a tad to balance the sound between them.

Z coils are hotter than most PU's, but I don't care - I want the most output I can muster out of a PU. It's just habit. Besides, most modern amps have 2 inputs to accommodate both weak and strong PU's.

My 2ยข
Will Ray

_________________
Will Ray says - Less War, More Guitars.


Thu Dec 30, 2010 9:03 am
Profile WWW
Site Admin
User avatar

Joined: Tue Mar 03, 2009 10:52 am
Posts: 10979
Location: Either Coto De Caza, CA or Paso Robles, CA
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
Sambooby123 wrote:
Hey guys, just picked up my first G&L yesterday from Buffalo Bros.

My question is how high are the Z-coils supposed to be set up?
What are the factory specs?
What have you guys found that works best for you?

When I recieved it the pickups were between 8/64" to 10/64" on the treble side fretted at the 22nd fret. Is that a bit low? I'm not sure how these magnetic field pickups work.

Thanks guys


As a starting point, check the G&L Owner's Manual in our Gallery.
Then adjust to your own preferences.

Hope this helps.

_________________
--Craig [co-webmaster of guitarsbyleo.com, since Oct. 16, 2000]
Welcome! Read This First
Got a G&L question? Check out the: G&L Knowledgebase
Current G&L Specifications and Options


Thu Dec 30, 2010 10:41 am
Profile WWW

Joined: Fri Mar 05, 2010 1:32 am
Posts: 101
Location: Dixon Ca, (Near UC Davis)
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
Having played guitars with humbuckers most of my guitar-life I adjust the bridge pickup for the sound/tone/ouput I want and the neck lower to balance the volume and when I middle pickup is involved I again balance the volume.

I have two Will Ray models (thanks Will for designing such a cool guitar) one is a semi-hollow(chambered body with no F hole) and one is a solid body. There's no way I would set the pickup height identical, even though the electronics are identical they are very different in tone.

I have done a lot of experimenting and after reading Wills' post I'm gonna try adjusting like he has it set as well.... I'll experiment with the bridge pickup only as that is the one that seems to be the key for me. If I can get the bridge pickup to sound great, the rest are easy as I tend to adjust them for volume..


Thu Dec 30, 2010 1:54 pm
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Fri Oct 08, 2010 3:28 am
Posts: 201
Location: Shrewsbury, England, United Kingdom
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
Ok guys,

This post will expose my ignorance, but how exactly do you adjust the pickup height? Is it simply a matter of 'loosening' the screws which fix the PUs to the guitar body? Is there a spring under the PU cover and between the PU and the guitar body which will raise the PU towards the strings when the screws are loosened? And, how much 'loosening' will the screws allow before the PU just 'pops' completely off the body? Sorry if this is an 'idiot question'. The User Manual is great on details of recommended PU height, etc., but it assumes the User knows how to adjust the PU height with confidence.

Thanks in advance for your help.

Bill

P.S. I have a Legacy with single coil and humbucker pickups, and two ASATs with the MFD pickups. Is adjustment the same for both types? Ta.


Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:19 am
Profile WWW

Joined: Thu Aug 12, 2010 12:59 pm
Posts: 432
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
BillEvans1956 wrote:
Ok guys,

This post will expose my ignorance, but how exactly do you adjust the pickup height? Is it simply a matter of 'loosening' the screws which fix the PUs to the guitar body? Is there a spring under the PU cover and between the PU and the guitar body which will raise the PU towards the strings when the screws are loosened? And, how much 'loosening' will the screws allow before the PU just 'pops' completely off the body? Sorry if this is an 'idiot question'. The User Manual is great on details of recommended PU height, etc., but it assumes the User knows how to adjust the PU height with confidence.


Yea you have the process down the mechanics change a little PU type to PU type, you can raise PU's so much they come off, but it is not a problem, just put turn the screws back a little. (I have some Seymore Duncans that are the reverse, you tighten the screw to raise the PU, because it has a slick bracket.) I can't help with the guitar specific questions cause I am only smart enough to play 2 PU guitars. Three just puts me on tilt!

I setup my pickups much like Will and CrisP. Start with bridge and get it as high as possible and still be attached to the guitar and sounding good. Then guess and check the other(s) (in my case on the neck) into position by adjusting and playing on the both pickup setting. Then finally checking neck only setting for tone. You can always turn gain down, but turning it up--and keeping the great tone in the signal is a bigger challenge! It's pretty much whatever sounds good to you.

By the way, I saw Derek Trucks this summer, and the bridge pickup came off his SG on stage. He didn't miss a beat, just screwed it back on. His guitar tech came running out with a screw driver, but I think he had it back on before he got there. I am guessing he has that bad boy set pretty high!


Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:29 am
Profile
User avatar

Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 3:30 pm
Posts: 743
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
Quote:
P.S. I have a Legacy with single coil and humbucker pickups, and two ASATs with the MFD pickups. Is adjustment the same for both types? Ta.

On the ASAT's you can also adjust the pickup pole height for better string to string balance using the hex key that came with the instrument. That's a great feature of the MFD pickups that is often overlooked. :thumbup:


Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:42 pm
Profile

Joined: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:35 am
Posts: 59
Post Re: G&L Commanche Pickup Height
helle-man wrote:
I know others here may disagree, but I always set my pickups, including Z coils, as close to the strings as I can without the string vibration actually hitting the pickups.


Yeah, I do the opposite. Neck and middle pickups are about the height of a nickel, bridge pickup about twice that. Magnets farther away from the strings reduce the output but let them vibrate longer.


Fri Jan 07, 2011 10:36 am
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Reply to topic   [ 8 posts ] 

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Bing [Bot] and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB © 2000, 2002, 2005, 2007 phpBB Group.
Designed by STSoftware.