krazyderek Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 Well i want to try playing around with some direct mounting for a couple dimarzio humbuckers i have laying around, and i checked dimarzio's website and the only info they have for they're full size humbuckers is For standard, full-size humbuckers, a reasonable starting point for the bridge pickup is at least 1/16" (1.5mm) from the high E and 5/64" (2 mm) from the low E. There are no recommended distances for the other 4 strings. Their polepieces should be adjusted (if necessary) by ear in relation to the volume established for the first and sixth strings. Once the bridge pickup is adjusted to a useful distance, the neck pickup can be adjusted by ear for a good balance. I've only used dimarzio single coil size hb's and i use the measurements they sujjest on they're site which work good for me, so i have the bridge routing calibrated for 1.5mm pickup to string distance but what about the neck pickup??? I don't really feel like tuning my floyd strat (the only guitar routed for humbuckers right now) 7 or 8 times trying to figure out the best combo and heights... so far my selection is something like this. (pickups i already own but haven't installed in any guitars yet, only 1 of each) Evolution Bridge, steve's special in the neck Super 3 bridge, Super 2 neck, Evolution bridge, Super 2 Neck Super 3 bridge, PAF neck Steve's special bridge, Super 2 Neck.. So just woundering any neck pickup heights recommended for any of these combo's? and i'm open to moving the bridge height or something too.. Thanks, Derek. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 I don't know if this will be of any help, but I have a FRED at the bridge which is at 1.8mm. Any closer and I start hearing a beat especially when I fret a note on a high fret. I have a Humbucker From Hell at the neck which has a lower magnetic field which is at 1.5mm. Both of these measurements are taken with the string fretted at the 22nd fret (you probably know that's how you should measure the pickup distance). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted September 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 ooooooooooooh crap, i forgot about pressing down at the last fret when i was doing my calculations!!!!! CRAP!!! lol back to the drawing board Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strings to the Max Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 I just play around W/ the Height adjustments , you'll find that to close and they will over bleed My neck P/U's keep at least 1/4 in away for that warm tone!!! Bridge as close as possible without over bleed . Only time I've ever gone by "Specs" are W/ EMG's Max! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted September 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 DIRECT MOUNT ie, no adjustments except downward (away from strings) by routing pocket deeper. ya.... so any other takers ? anybody at all use high powered humbuckers in the neck???????????????/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 maybe i'm weird but i put it about 1/4"inch away on bridge and neck both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 I also put my neck HB's about 1/4" away but not for my EMG's - they are as close as I can get them. No particular reason though. Derek, I'm not familiar with direct mounting other than I know what it means. When you direct mount, are you saying that there is no way to adjust the pickup to go closer to the strings? Is it common to put something under the pickup like foam or something else to help give some adjustment? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated - I think I'm going to be doing this soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 be carefull with the Steve's Special, It's taller than any other Dimarzio I've tried. I found that out the hard way on my JPM that I finished a couple weeks back. I used the Air Norton to take the measurements from and when I mounted the Steve's Special it hit the strings Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jehle Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 I also put my neck HB's about 1/4" away but not for my EMG's - they are as close as I can get them. No particular reason though. Derek, I'm not familiar with direct mounting other than I know what it means. When you direct mount, are you saying that there is no way to adjust the pickup to go closer to the strings? Is it common to put something under the pickup like foam or something else to help give some adjustment? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated - I think I'm going to be doing this soon. Not knowing any better, I plan on putting the screws through the springs under the pickup. That will give me some adjustment up and down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted September 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 I also put my neck HB's about 1/4" away but not for my EMG's - they are as close as I can get them. No particular reason though. Derek, I'm not familiar with direct mounting other than I know what it means. When you direct mount, are you saying that there is no way to adjust the pickup to go closer to the strings? Is it common to put something under the pickup like foam or something else to help give some adjustment? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated - I think I'm going to be doing this soon. you and jehla are both thinking about a different type of direct mounting, where you have a spring or peice of foam between the pickup and the guitar, where as direct mount means you remove as little wood as possible, and make 2 wholes for the wings, you want do have a good part of the pickup base along with the wings physicaly pressed against the wood held in place by the screws here, they are similar but supposedly have different tone, under the more mass = more tone theory (the first one is direct mounted, then second is just floating, and the purple stuff is supposed to be a foam cushion) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 yeah i did that with my v but i wasn't happy with the sound.it took away some of the crispness,so i routed it deeper and hung it on a metal ring.much better.i would be interested to know wether or not you like it when you get through. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goat Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 I`m also curious about the humbucker routing.I`m putting a DiMarzio ToneZone(HB) at the bridge and a Virtual Vintage Blues(S) at the neck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Saber Posted September 12, 2003 Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 Derek, I just thought of a possible solution. Route the cavities to get about 1mm pickup-to-string clearance with the bridge at the proper height. Then adjust your bridge as high as possible (for maybe 3-4 mm clearance). With the bridge at that height, use the foam method to determine the right pickup-to-string clearances. Once you know the clearances for proper functioning and balance of your pickups, calculate the route depth required to get those clearances for a properly adjusted bridge. I think that should work. P.S. Don't forget to fret the string at the last fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted September 12, 2003 Author Report Share Posted September 12, 2003 i think i see what you'er saying, but no worries, i did all the calculations on paper, i just have to find that sheet... i've only done preliminary routing for the pickups, (just pre prilling the whole to ruff size) so there's plenty of depth left. hmm i know i didn't throw that peice of paper it out... it's probably in pile C over in the corner.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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