Just bought an American Standard Tele (2013) and I'm a bit disappointed with the non existent owners manual that came with it. Fender just puts a " generic" manual that applies to many different instruments. Anyway, can anyone tell me the recommended pickup heights for the Broadcaster and Twisted Tele pickups? I know pickup height is a matter of taste, but just curious what Fender recommends. Thanks.
Pickup heights
- Thread starter Bruno.sin
- Start date
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Generally two nickels is a good starting point... then adjust up or down from that point.... you shouldn't need more than 1/16 either way to dial 'em in.
A precise measurement isn't possible because all guitars are different,
Do NOT move them too close... specially the neck pup. the magnets are so strong, doing so can pull the string into an asymmetrical waveform, sounding exactly like a guitar with horrible intonation anomalies..
Ron Kirn
A precise measurement isn't possible because all guitars are different,
Do NOT move them too close... specially the neck pup. the magnets are so strong, doing so can pull the string into an asymmetrical waveform, sounding exactly like a guitar with horrible intonation anomalies..
Ron Kirn
Thanks Ron
So, my question is do the Twisted Tele and Broadcaster fall under the "Vintage Single Coil" or "Standard Single Coil" category?
Maybe this will help. The pickups themselves in my 2012 American Standard are as follows:
5.65K ohms for the Twisited Tele, and 9.33K Ohms for Broadcaster. The broadcaster I believe has different gauge wire than other Fender pickups and this reading may not reflect the true measurement of the guitar as far as resistance goes. As a practical matter, I set my bridge pickup close to custom shop texas special specs since they are similar in ohm readings. I set the pickup at 8/64ths as measured with the strings depressed at the last fret from the bottom of the string to the top of the pickup poles at the sixth string and 6/64ths at the 1st string. Then adjusted up or down a little to taste.
The neck pickup or twisted tele seems much stronger than the ohm reading would suggest, but I have read that this pickup uses magnets similar to a bass pickup so maybe there is something to that, anyway I set it about the same as I did the bridge pickup to start then adjusted it a little to taste. It is actually a little further away than the bridge pickup, and works for me since I want the middle to be flavored a little more towards the bridge than the neck. The neck sounds so good alone, as does the bridge, that I tinkered to get a distinctive sound out of the middle position which I also like.
5.65K ohms for the Twisited Tele, and 9.33K Ohms for Broadcaster. The broadcaster I believe has different gauge wire than other Fender pickups and this reading may not reflect the true measurement of the guitar as far as resistance goes. As a practical matter, I set my bridge pickup close to custom shop texas special specs since they are similar in ohm readings. I set the pickup at 8/64ths as measured with the strings depressed at the last fret from the bottom of the string to the top of the pickup poles at the sixth string and 6/64ths at the 1st string. Then adjusted up or down a little to taste.
The neck pickup or twisted tele seems much stronger than the ohm reading would suggest, but I have read that this pickup uses magnets similar to a bass pickup so maybe there is something to that, anyway I set it about the same as I did the bridge pickup to start then adjusted it a little to taste. It is actually a little further away than the bridge pickup, and works for me since I want the middle to be flavored a little more towards the bridge than the neck. The neck sounds so good alone, as does the bridge, that I tinkered to get a distinctive sound out of the middle position which I also like.
Thanks, that makes sense to me.
Interesting. I've got three different sets of Don Mare pickups in three Teles. I set them all to the same spec's as you, Bass 8/64th's and Treble 6/64th's. I might twist the adj screws 1/2 a turn one way or the other to dial in a little. Regardless of the readings my ears tell me they sound good at that height. I just find it interesting that your at the same place with pickups that measure different than mine. I've adjusted by ear and for curiosity gone back and measured. I'm always right at those spec's. I might have that front adjusted a little different with each set but basically they are the same.
That is interesting. I adjusted mine a little one or the other but not much. They are pretty close to where I started. Maybe that's just a good general place to start off. I find when I get them too close I don't care much for the extra harmonics, some like that though. I like 'em cleaned up but still sounding a tad jangly if you bear down.
A Strat will let you know right away what it likes too close and they do the Stratitus thing. I don't really encounter that on a Tele, I guess the cover on a Tele neck pickup settles 'em down, and the bridge is too close to the end of the strings to make a lot of difference other than tone. I keep the pickups in my Strat pretty low save for the bridge pickup. I have Custom Shop 54's in it and they are not very hot but still require some breathing room.
KeithRichard
Tele-Holic
- Joined
- Dec 20, 2012
- Posts
- 835
I start out my setups by using fenders specs, then I adjust from there.
gallred
TDPRI Member
I've tried nickles, dimes, rulers......found that ears work the best. Usually start with the bridge and adjust up until the bass strings start to compress in a bad way and then back off until they don't. Balance out the bass and treb sides to taste. Match the neck pickup to the bridge and balance the neck pu to taste. The fine tune the middle position for max sparkle by using small adjustments on the neck pu. Done.
this is what works for me. I've spent years looking for some magic measurement and have come to the conclusion that pretty much everything factors in, amp, player, guitar, pickups, strings, picks....everything. best thing to do is spend an evening with a screwdriver and try em high, low, and everywhere in between. I don't get the ruler out until I'm done adjusting and that's just to document what I ended up with.
Its all about the ears.
Gavin Allred
this is what works for me. I've spent years looking for some magic measurement and have come to the conclusion that pretty much everything factors in, amp, player, guitar, pickups, strings, picks....everything. best thing to do is spend an evening with a screwdriver and try em high, low, and everywhere in between. I don't get the ruler out until I'm done adjusting and that's just to document what I ended up with.
Its all about the ears.
Gavin Allred
The ruler can be a friend as a starting point to us old guys, and to the people listening to us.
(And not straying to far from what it says)
(And not straying to far from what it says)
fezz parka
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Twisted Tele is basically a Vintage Strat pickup with a Tele footprint. Broadcaster would be a vintage clone.
Here's how I set up a Fender:
Start with the neck pickup, set it level with the fretboard. Listen for stratitis. Chances are you'll want to go a little lower. Once you get the neck sounding the way you want it too, match the bridge to the neck output volume. You're done. No rulers, no pocket change. Just your ears and a screwdriver.
Here's how I set up a Fender:
Start with the neck pickup, set it level with the fretboard. Listen for stratitis. Chances are you'll want to go a little lower. Once you get the neck sounding the way you want it too, match the bridge to the neck output volume. You're done. No rulers, no pocket change. Just your ears and a screwdriver.
fezz parka
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FenderGuy53
Poster Extraordinaire
EXCELLENT! No pocket change, no ruler. WORD!
This technique may work for experienced technicians and those with a keen sense of hearing, but what about the majority of folks, that is, the rest of us?
fezz parka
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Adjust the bridge to match the neck and middle in volume. You're not going to get stratitis on the bridge pickup. It'll just sound nasty if it's too close.
This technique may work for experienced technicians and those with a keen sense of hearing, but what about the majority of folks, that is, the rest of us?
If you can't hear that, you should give up.
This technique has worked for a long time, and it doesn't take experience. The video above is as simple as it gets, and you hear the results. Different pickups have different gauss strengths, different mags. They need to be different distances from the strings. For example, Texas Specials sound best really on the deck. 57/62's a little higher. CS69's a little higher too. The best way to tell is to use your ears. FenderGuy53
Poster Extraordinaire
If you can't hear that, you should give up.
If you mean the wound strings, oh, sure, I can hear that. But I believe that there are some key elements missing in the video:
- The demonstrator fails to point out that one needs to begin with all of the pickups close enough to the strings to cause the oscillation in the first place. If the pickups are already far enough below the "oscillating" point, then the assumption is that the pickup height is okay, when, in fact, it may be way too low.
- The demonstrator stroked the unwound strings briefly, only to say that it's difficult to hear the oscillation on those strings, but he never attempted to adjust the treble side of the pickups. Huh?
fezz parka
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1. He does say that it's up too high.
2. Magnetic pull has less of an effect on the unwound strings because of the OD and tension they are at.
Here's how you do it:
No coins, no slide rules, no wondering about 8/64ths or whatever. Just a guitar that sounds good to you.
2. Magnetic pull has less of an effect on the unwound strings because of the OD and tension they are at.
Here's how you do it:
- Adjust neck pickup so that it is level with the fretboard (The tallest polepiece if it's a Strat).
- Plug it in, hit the harmonic at the 12th fret on the low E and listen.
- If it wiggles, lower the bass side til it goes away.
- Adjust (if necessary) the treble side to balance it out.
- Match bridge pickups output volume to neck (middle too if a Strat).
No coins, no slide rules, no wondering about 8/64ths or whatever. Just a guitar that sounds good to you.
