Solo FB Style DIY Electric Bass Guitar Kit
Copyright © 2011 Solo Music Gear. All rights reserved
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v1.02
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Adjusting Pickup Height:
Before adjusting the pickup height, make sure that both the volume and tone controls on your bass are set to
the full (“10”) position. Get your amp set to a medium/low volume and all tone controls to the middle. You
will get a better picture of the pickup’s tone change during its height adjustment with a clear sound.
There is no universal “optimal” pickup height position in a setup – it depends on playing style and personal
preferences of a bass player. Remember: bringing a pickup closer to the strings makes it sound brighter, but
bringing it too close will make the magnetic field of the pickup interfere with the vibration of a string which
will, not only result in reduced sustain, but may also cause complex harmonics sound rather unpleasant.
Moving a pickup too far from the strings will result in loss of its output signal and some higher frequencies. It’s
not necessary to maintain an even height of the pickup – you may find it more satisfactory sounding by setting
it somewhat angled, depending on what you are looking for in the output sound.
There are a few mm of real usable range where you can find the pickup tone that you’ll like the best.