MusicMan pickup adjustment

[ray]

I have a Music Man Sterling HS, it has 3 pickups. My questions is this; the d & g string seem to have less volume than they should . I have to hit these two strings harder than the a & e string. Is there a way to increase the volume for these 2 strings? can the pickups be adjusted? Please let me know.
Ray

 

[fidooda]

I usually adjust the screw at the bottom of the pickup. The screw that is closer to the the D & G strings. I let the pickup go up a little. I'm no bass tech but i find a small screw adjustment goes a long way in adjusting volume.

 

[Hutton]

Before adjusting the pickup height you should go to the Ernie Ball website. Click on FAQ and you will find setup instructions for your bass. After you have followed the instructions all should be well. However, if the D & G are still unequal in volume then you can have a go at adjusting pickup height to suit your bass. All the best!

 

[phatduckk]

ive personally not experienced this. check out the faq and get the pup height to what MM suggests. see how u like that. remember, too close to the strings will also decrease volume.

maybe try raising the pup a bit from there if its not to your liking.

calling customer service for their advice is never a bad thing either

 

[73jbass]

I had the same problem with my previous EB basses a few years ago. I swapped the pickups with an aftermarket,and the problem went away. The current EB basses I own don't have that issue. Might have been an oddball batch of pickups?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

I have a Music Man Sterling HS, it has 3 pickups. My questions is this; the d & g string seem to have less volume than they should . I have to hit these two strings harder than the a & e string. Is there a way to increase the volume for these 2 strings? can the pickups be adjusted? Please let me know.
Ray

The third pickup you mention would be the phantom coil for the front "S" single coil pickup. It's used to cancel hum and is not used as a pickup in itself.

Invest in a good quality 6" steel rule.

To adjust the bridge "H" pickup:

While holding the E string down at the last fret, adjust that side of the pickup so there's a gap of 4/32" between the the bottom of the E string and the top of the E string magnet. Adjust the other side of the pickup the same way using the G string but aim for a gap of 3/32". You may have to re-adjust this side up or down a tad to make sure the strings are the same volume all the way across.

To adjust the "S" neck pickup: Adjust this pickup the same way as you did for the "H" pickup.

When finished, you'll notice that the "S" neck pickup is set lower than the bridge "H" pickup. That's how they should be.

Contact Customer Service if you still have probs.

 

[Machines]

I've adjusted my Stingray to have the D/G side slightly higher, makes a significant difference.

 

[newtley]

6" Flex Economy Steel Rule - General Tools & Instruments

..a seemingly innocuous but indispensable setup tool..cheap too! Most any hardware store should have these.
I used to trust my "eyeball" but now my setups are much quicker; and better. For those of us with multiple instruments using this device simplifies replicating the setup specs of one bass to another.

Maybe one with the EBMM logo emblazoned on it could be issued to those applying for the "KnuckleHead Card"..

 

[nashman]

To adjust the bridge "H" pickup:

While holding the E string down at the last fret, adjust that side of the pickup so there's a gap of 4/32" between the the bottom of the E string and the top of the E string magnet. Adjust the other side of the pickup the same way using the G string but aim for a gap of 3/32". You may have to re-adjust this side up or down a tad to make sure the strings are the same volume all the way across.

To adjust the "S" neck pickup: Adjust this pickup the same way as you did for the "H" pickup.

When finished, you'll notice that the "S" neck pickup is set lower than the bridge "H" pickup. That's how they should be.

Rod ... the FAQ would suggest (bridge pickup) 5/32" between the the bottom of the E string and the top of the E string magnet ... but it doesn't say while holding the string down at the last fret ... ???

 

[midopa]

I thought Stingrays only had the middle S pickup and Sterlings had the phantom coil underneath the bridge humbucker?

 

[Rod Trussbroken]

Rod ... the FAQ would suggest (bridge pickup) 5/32" between the the bottom of the E string and the top of the E string magnet ... but it doesn't say while holding the string down at the last fret ... ???

A gap of 4/32" will equate to 5/32" when the string is not depressed. I've found that depressing at the last fret is a handy method when adjusting dual pickup Basses.