[augustwest1]

Since things have been so slow around here, I'll risk repeating what might already have been said, and probably multiple times.

I've read lots about pup height affecting envelop filters. But I'd always been okay switching from single to humbuck mode to solve that problem. But I raised my PUPs today - by probably an 1/8" if not more, just for fun.

It definitely did change how my mutron reacted in single coil mode. But I was totally stunned to see how much it changed my tone entirely apart from the mutron issue.

Writing about sound is hard for people like me who aren't great writers. I've always thought of Jerry's 80s tone as of having a definite sort of hollowed out wood tone. Sort of nasal, to my ears. Or sort of like the difference between someone tapping a (musical) wood block as opposed to hitting a piece of lumber.

Anyway, since I'm not a total tone junky, I've always been okay with not being able to capture that particular aspect of Jer's sound. But raising my pups I instantly heard exactly "that." It was totally unexpected, and had nothing to do with the "issue" I was playing around with. But there you have it. And as a not insignificant aside, it also seems to have seriously blunted the glassy highs I've always despised in my playing.

Here's https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCDWjNa ... load_owner a short clip, from a phone, but which hopefully conveys a little of what I'm talking about. Mostly, the high end aspect

[hippieguy1954]

forum/viewtopic.php?f=419&t=11692&hilit=pickup+height

[augustwest1]

That's an interesting thread, thanks.

Although I completely disagree with the comment that adjusting pup height impacts output/volume but has no effect on tone.

[williamsaut]

Everything seems to effect the tone not least of which is the pick attack, the flesh of the fingers of the left hand, palm muting techniques and alike. But yes, Raising (or lowering) the pickups makes a big difference in the tone. As you raise the pickup height, the bass gets louder and there's more signal. Of course you end balancing this out to your overall volume level and the result is more bass, (and less relative treble). I lower the bass side of my pickups but leave the high side closer to the strings to get what you've experienced but without the boomy-ness of the lower strings.