Modifying the Pickup Height on an Electric Guitar

Changing the pickup height, a modification similar to lowering the action, is a customization that can make a big difference in your sound. By moving the pickups closer or farther from the strings, you can make the sound they register more or less focused. This means that it will be louder and sometimes clearer if the pickups are closer and you can get a softer airy sound with them farther away.

To make this simple modification on your guitar, look at your pickups and try to see how they are connected to the pickup rings and the body of the instrument. Many guitars will have different set ups but for most humbuckers with pickup rings you will have a screw in each corner and two in the middle. These are the screws that control the pickup height.

Now that you know how to raise or lower the pickups, start moving them around and test out the sound they produce. Note that you can raise one side higher than the other to have certain strings closer to the pickups than others. Make sure if you have pickup rings that you do not break through the rings by going too far with the screws.

Modifications such as this wont change the look or feel of your guitar but they can do a lot to the sound. It is an easy and free way to customize the sonics of your guitar so you might as well play around with it to get your sound as good as possible. After modifying your pickup height you may be surprised at how good your guitar is sounding.