Things You'll Need:
- Guitar amplifier
- Guitar cable
- Screwdrivers and/or Allen wrenches
- Small, accurate ruler with gradations to the edge
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Step 1
Determine what sound you are trying to get out of your pickups. Listen to the music you enjoy and compare the sound of the music to the sound you get when you play your guitar. If you are not satisfied with your sound, gather your tools and amp, and prepare a workspace for your guitar.
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Step 2
Plug your guitar into your amp. Set the gain to the level you prefer. Set your volume to a listenable level. Play some barre chords and listen for clarity and note definition. If it's difficult to determine clarity, you may need to turn the amp's gain down.
Turn the guitar's volume control all the way up. Play chords and single-note runs and listen to the lows, mids and highs, and the relative volume of the pickup. If the guitar has multiple pickups, switch between them and compare their relative volumes and tones. -
Step 3
Measure the height of the pickup's top from the guitar's top and take note. If your pickup seems too loud in comparison to the others, lower it until the volume matches that of the other pickups. Quiet pickups may be raised for balance, and different volume effects may be obtained by changing other pickups' heights as you prefer.
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Step 4
If your pickups have adjustable pole pieces, raise individual pole pieces to increase the sound produced by the corresponding strings. Conversely, to decrease the sound produced, lower the pole pieces.
Nonadjustable pole pieces present a slightly different problem. Height-adjustable pickups do not have to be adjusted evenly. If you find that you need more treble or more bass from pickups without adjustable pole pieces, raise the corresponding side of that pickup to suit your needs. If you find that you need less treble or bass, lower that corresponding side.
Direct-mounted pickups (non-height adjustable) will usually have adjustable pole pieces, which can be adjusted the way any adjustable pole pieces may be. In the event that a guitar with hard-mounted pickups has nonadjustable pole pieces, the guitarist can utilize a separate equalization unit, which can cut or boost selected frequencies. Other height-changing methods could change the tone or sustain of the guitar and should be discussed with a professional guitar technician. -
Step 5
Check your new sound by playing barre chords and single-note runs. Fret every note on every string to check for buzzing or fretting out against the pickups. Switch between clean and dirty tones to determine that the strings are ringing clearly and are sustaining the way you want. Switch between the pickups to determine if the volume balance is to your liking. If the adjustments have not changed the sound of your guitar to how you want it and there is no more room for more adjustment, consider purchasing aftermarket replacement pickups.
