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Post by zoso on Oct 7, 2018 15:33:26 GMT
Hi! I just bought a 2nd hand Harley Benton JB-75 NA. I'm a guitarist since 25 years but this is my first bass. I'm quite sure there is something wrong with pickup heights. The neck one, for example, is 6mm from the E string, I think is too much, right? But the baddest thing is that screws seems useless, they dont' rise or low the pickups in any way. I noticed that there are no springs on that screws as it would be on a guitar pickup... is that right?
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Oct 7, 2018 15:58:19 GMT
There are no springs in a Jazz Bass, the pick-ups lay on a piece of foam which is meant to have the necessary elasticity. At least that's how mine works but it's not a Harley Benton. It came with the neck pick-up significantly lower than the bridge one too. I could take it further down but it wouldn't rise. It did after I put something under the foam and I could take it where I wanted it.
6 mm looks like a long way down but it will depend on the sensitivity of the pick-ups themselves. I left mine lower than the bridge pick-up and it's louder.
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Post by zoso on Oct 7, 2018 16:04:09 GMT
There are no springs in a Jazz Bass, the pick-ups lay on a piece of foam which is meant to have the necessary elasticity. At least that's how mine works but it's not a Harley Benton. It came with the neck pick-up significantly lower than the bridge one too. I could take it further down but it wouldn't rise. It did after I put something under the foam and I could take it where I wanted it. 6 mm looks like a long way down but it will depend on the sensitivity of the pick-ups themselves. I left mine lower than the bridge pick-up and it's louder. Oh great, I understand... probably the old foam has been over-compressed... So I just have to find something good to put between the old foam and the body... A question... do you think I can taKe the PU out just loosening the strings?
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Oct 7, 2018 16:17:27 GMT
I took the strings out to lift the pick-up. I doubt you'll be able to do otherwise and if you are, you'll be fiddling forever. The pick-up should go as deep below the surface as you see it above or likely more.
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Post by zoso on Oct 7, 2018 16:36:20 GMT
I took the strings out to lift the pick-up. I doubt you'll be able to do otherwise and if you are, you'll be fiddling forever. The pick-up should go as deep below the surface as you see it above or likely more. Ok, thank you!!!
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Oct 7, 2018 17:01:04 GMT
6 Millimeters is about right for the neck pickup, it's bass guys not a guitar where this distance is a lot less. 4 to 4.5 for the bridge pickup.
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Oct 7, 2018 17:31:22 GMT
My Ibanez SR has 3.5 and 2.5 mm. I never touched the pick-up height on this one. I saw Dave (a bass player) set a Jazz Bass at 1/8 of a inch for both pick ups when fretting at the last fret, which is 3.2 mm. This is what Fender themselves recommend (at most). Now, that brings it around 4 or a little more when the strings are not fretted.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Oct 7, 2018 19:07:22 GMT
When I set up the pickups om my basses this close to the strings the magnetic pull of the pole pieces will influence the vibration of the strings, aka string pull. On a string with a higher mass, for instance a bass string, this will happen sooner than on a skinny guitar string.
Your Ibanez can be set up this close because it probably has no visible pole pieces, if so these are covered in a layer of plastic which will mean the actual pole pieces are further away from the stings than top of the pickups.
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Oct 7, 2018 19:19:02 GMT
BTW, I do my set-ups by ear and eyeball, I hate measurebating.
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Post by JAC on Oct 7, 2018 19:35:31 GMT
BTW, I do my set-ups by ear and eyeball, I hate measurebating. My pickups are about " " that far
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3,457 posts
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Post by LeoThunder on Oct 8, 2018 0:20:59 GMT
When I set up the pickups om my basses this close to the strings the magnetic pull of the pole pieces will influence the vibration of the strings, aka string pull. On a string with a higher mass, for instance a bass string, this will happen sooner than on a skinny guitar string. Your Ibanez can be set up this close because it probably has no visible pole pieces, if so these are covered in a layer of plastic which will mean the actual pole pieces are further away from the stings than top of the pickups. So people at Fender are talking nonsense?
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1,481 posts
Disclosures: Everything I don't like I can modify.
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Post by blablas on Oct 8, 2018 7:39:55 GMT
Wouldn't be the first time.
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