Maximizing Quack

[fdesalvo]

This one goes out to all you strat dudes out there who want to turn your guitar into a bad motherclucker.

The first thing I do is find the ideal height for my neck pickup. I happen to like this one pretty low. Once the tone is where I want it, I raise the middle pickup a couple millimeters above it. The bridge is then set a couple of mm above the middle pickup. Then I fine tune to taste in the 4 position first. Then the 2 next. I do raise the treble side of the pickups slightly higher than the bass side. 

In the 2/4 position, the height of the pickup closest to the bridge has to be greater than the one nearest the neck. This is critical. If this isn’t the case, the low frequencies will dominate those switch positions and you’ll never get the high end shimmer. What you should end up with is a gradual increase in pickup heights as you move towards the bridge.

You’ll have to determine what heights work best for you. Low or high, the difference in height between the pickups themselves makes the difference.  Once you get the ratio right, the difference is startling. A minor turn of the height adjustment screw will quickly put the pickup in or out of the sweet spot, so take your time. 

HTH

 

[rgand]

Good information, there. For years I raised my bridge pickup somewhat closer to the strings than the neck pickup and the middle (if there was one) somewhere in between. It just sounded better to my ear. Then, come to find out, there's a reason for it. :toothy12:

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Great observation! In my experience, the wind of the pickups plays a part too: an overwound bridge won’t “quack” with the middle like they will if they are wound the same (or close). I personally like the sound of a low output neck and middle pickup in a Strat, but I like a darker/beefier bridge than what you get with that kind of a wind. Beefing up the bridge pickup however sacrifices the quack... When I wound the pickups for my Strat, I wound the bridge with a tap. In position 2 (bridge + middle) it uses the tap, which is wound to the same spec as the neck and middle, then in position 1 (bridge only) it uses the full coil at about +10%. I like this a lot... I’m away from home right now but when I get back I’ll definitely be taking a look at my pickup heights.

 

[fdesalvo]

Great observation! In my experience, the wind of the pickups plays a part too: an overwound bridge won’t “quack” with the middle like they will if they are wound the same (or close). I personally like the sound of a low output neck and middle pickup in a Strat, but I like a darker/beefier bridge than what you get with that kind of a wind. Beefing up the bridge pickup however sacrifices the quack... When I wound the pickups for my Strat, I wound the bridge with a tap. In position 2 (bridge + middle) it uses the tap, which is wound to the same spec as the neck and middle, then in position 1 (bridge only) it uses the full coil at about +10%. I like this a lot... I’m away from home right now but when I get back I’ll definitely be taking a look at my pickup heights.

Truth!  The pickups def have to be up to the task. Not that it’s the only measure of pickup tone, but I’m using a set in the high 5k range and they give me legit dire straits tones on the in-betweens and JM/SRV on the others. Big revelation for me bc I always went for mid 6k on up winds.

Good information, there. For years I raised my bridge pickup somewhat closer to the strings than the neck pickup and the middle (if there was one) somewhere in between. It just sounded better to my ear. Then, come to find out, there's a reason for it. :toothy12:

Ha!  This is the first time in an embarrassing amount of decades that I am able to articulate why. I usually stumble into good tone lol.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

Great observation! In my experience, the wind of the pickups plays a part too: an overwound bridge won’t “quack” with the middle like they will if they are wound the same (or close). I personally like the sound of a low output neck and middle pickup in a Strat, but I like a darker/beefier bridge than what you get with that kind of a wind. Beefing up the bridge pickup however sacrifices the quack... When I wound the pickups for my Strat, I wound the bridge with a tap. In position 2 (bridge + middle) it uses the tap, which is wound to the same spec as the neck and middle, then in position 1 (bridge only) it uses the full coil at about +10%. I like this a lot... I’m away from home right now but when I get back I’ll definitely be taking a look at my pickup heights.

Truth!  The pickups def have to be up to the task. Not that it’s the only measure of pickup tone, but I’m using a set in the high 5k range and they give me legit dire straits tones on the in-betweens and JM/SRV on the others. Big revelation for me bc I always went for mid 6k on up winds.

Mine are right at 6k with the full bridge at 6.6k. That was with 42AWG formvar, if I can rustle up some 41 or even 40AWG I’d be interested to wind a set in the neighborhood of 5k...

 

[fdesalvo]

Great observation! In my experience, the wind of the pickups plays a part too: an overwound bridge won’t “quack” with the middle like they will if they are wound the same (or close). I personally like the sound of a low output neck and middle pickup in a Strat, but I like a darker/beefier bridge than what you get with that kind of a wind. Beefing up the bridge pickup however sacrifices the quack... When I wound the pickups for my Strat, I wound the bridge with a tap. In position 2 (bridge + middle) it uses the tap, which is wound to the same spec as the neck and middle, then in position 1 (bridge only) it uses the full coil at about +10%. I like this a lot... I’m away from home right now but when I get back I’ll definitely be taking a look at my pickup heights.

Truth!  The pickups def have to be up to the task. Not that it’s the only measure of pickup tone, but I’m using a set in the high 5k range and they give me legit dire straits tones on the in-betweens and JM/SRV on the others. Big revelation for me bc I always went for mid 6k on up winds.

Mine are right at 6k with the full bridge at 6.6k. That was with 42AWG formvar, if I can rustle up some 41 or even 40AWG I’d be interested to wind a set in the neighborhood of 5k...

Some folks have had luck stretching the wire as they wind, but that's the voodoo that is pickup winding. I'll post a sample of the pickups in the studio area.  Just whipped up something.

- and RGAND - man, congrats on the GoM!  Another fine instrument you've created!

 

[rgand]

- and RGAND - man, congrats on the GoM!  Another fine instrument you've created!

Thanks, Frank.

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

I think EMG single coils do quack quite well, and if you use the RPC in place of the neck tone, you can really dial it in specifically.  I may get one of those https://www.stewmac.com/Hardware_and_Parts/Knobs/Plastic_Loknobs.html to set it & forget it.