Shaller Pickup Adjustments

[Mike535]

Checking PU heights on a 2001 Heritage 535. Assuming the PUs are PAF style Schaller Golden 50's.  There are 2 screws on each side of the PUs. I can't find an explanation or diagram anywhere on how they function. Any insight is appreciated, Thanks. 

[loudtubeamps]

The 2 per side was designed to allow for a bit of tilt to align the pups parallel to the strings.

 I found one per side in opposite holes works better.

[MartyGrass]

Interesting.  Who would've guessed?

[Mike535]

Thanks loudtubeapms.  Image added.  Guessing one is for tilt the other for height.

[DetroitBlues]

Pickup height is to taste.  While there are recommendations from manufactures, its all about adjusting them to where the pickups sound right to you.

As far as the double adjustment screws, its meant to counter this design flaw to have a more balanced pickup to string alignment.

[loudtubeamps]

17 hours ago, Mike535 said:

Thanks loudtubeapms.  Image added.  Guessing one is for tilt the other for height.

 

Both actually....Once you start adjusting you will notice the correlation between height and pickup angle and as DetroitBlues suggested...height is to taste.

A good starting point that works for me is to depress the string(s) at the last/ highest fret, adjust pickup height as high as possible without the strings physically touching the pickups and then lower to suit you tonal taste.

Some like the bridge pickup higher/hotter , I prefer a good output balance between the neck and bridge but again it's all about what sounds best to you.

 Cheers...

[MartyGrass]

40 minutes ago, DetroitBlues said:

As far as the double adjustment screws, its meant to counter this design flaw to have a more balanced pickup to string alignment.

The design flaw being the neck angle?

Schaller hardware is engineered very well.  Sometimes it addresses problems no one sees as problems.  I appreciate Schaller more now than in the distant past.  For example, I do use the tilt option for the pickups sometimes.  The bridge allows changes in string spread for fingerstyle.  Bringing the high E inward can help with finger vibrato.  The tuners are excellent and durable.  The tailpiece makes string changes a little easier than some, but I'm not a huge fan of it.

[DetroitBlues]

10 minutes ago, MartyGrass said:

The design flaw being the neck angle?

Schaller hardware is engineered very well.  Sometimes it addresses problems no one sees as problems.  I appreciate Schaller more now than in the distant past.  For example, I do use the tilt option for the pickups sometimes.  The bridge allows changes in string spread for fingerstyle.  Bringing the high E inward can help with finger vibrato.  The tuners are excellent and durable.  The tailpiece makes string changes a little easier than some, but I'm not a huge fan of it.

Tailpiece is the only Schaller piece I didn't like. Mine had an issue where it would dig into the string and cut my high e off at the ball end.

[MartyGrass]

My issue with the tailpiece is that it is heavy.  That's pretty minor.

An interesting thing about the tailpiece is that it starts out straight but over the years of string tension it arcs.  No harm with that, but it's pretty common.  Here's an example.

 

 

[bobmeyrick]

 

11 hours ago, MartyGrass said:

An interesting thing about the tailpiece is that it starts out straight but over the years of string tension it arcs.  No harm with that, but it's pretty common.

I'd noticed that too. That Schaller tailpiece is basically the fine tuning version without the fine tuners.