Pickup Height
Tuning
Pickup height can have a dramatic effect on the audio output signal. The closer the strings are to the pickup, the higher the audio output signal will be. If the strings are too close, distortion is caused by magnetic interference from the elec- tronic components.
Tuning is an important guitar concept. If the guitar is not in tune, the resulting sound is unpleasant. These instructions explain how to tune by ear. You can also tune by using an electronic tuner such as the Grizzly H3097 Chromatic Tuner shown on Page 24.
Tools Needed | Qty |
Metal Straightedge | 1 |
Phillips Head Screwdriver | 1 |
To measure the string height at the pickup:
1.Measure the height of the 1st and 6th strings at the pickup while the strings are “fretted” at the 21st fret (Figure 38).
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1 | /8" |
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| Figure 39. Example of standard tuning. |
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| To tune the guitar: |
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| 1. | Play a Low E pitch on a piano, a tuning fork, | |
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| or an electronic computer file. |
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3/32" | 2. | Play an open | and | |
21st Fret | adjust the tuner to match the Low E. |
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| Figure 38. String heights over the pickup. |
| Note: Always tune up. If the string is tuned | ||||
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| high, loosen the string to lower the pitch, |
2. | With a Phillips head screwdriver, adjust the |
| then tune the string up to the correct note. | ||||
| screws on each side of the pickup until the | 3. | Tune the 5th string by playing the 6th string | ||||
| 1st string is | 3 | /32" above the pickup and the 6th | ||||
| string is | 1 | /8" above the pickup. |
| while it is being pressed (fretted) at the 5th | ||
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| fret, and then play the open 5th string. Adjust |
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| the 5th string tuner until the notes match. | |||||
| height of the pick up, therefore, decreasing |
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| the string height. |
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| the height of the pick up, therefore, increas- |
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| ing the string height. |
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H8070 Heirloom |