ok, so the Axis pickups are screwed directly into the body... how do you adjust the h

[Dr. Tweedbucket]

..... height on the darn things, or are they fixed and where they are in relation to the strings is where they're going to stay?

I haven't pulled it apart yet to look, but figured before I do that, I'd just ask the experts here!

 

[threeminutesboy]

I have adjusted the heigh slightly by adding a small pearl between the wood the pups

 

[cm_17]

There are 2 screws on either side of the pickup. Loosening the screws will lift the pickup, tightening the screws will lower it.

The problem with lifting in a direct-mount setup like the Axis is that the pickups require some spongy material or springs below them, or otherwise they will go lose when lifting them.

An easy remedy is to take the strings off, fully unscrew the pickup and lift it out of the cavity. Then, stick a small strip of adhesive window sealer undeneath the pickup and drop it back into the cavity. The window sealer is spongy and will help with adjusting the height.

Keep in mind that the spongy material will become compressed over time and not lift the pickup sufficiently anymore when performing future adjustments, so it will need replacing.

 

[TNT]

tiny washers work great too for raising.

 

[ef_in_fla]

But then you lose the benefit of having them direct mounted, no?

 

[TNT]

well, yes & no!!

Have you ever put a guitar headstock on a wall and then played it? Unbelievable resonation - right? Kinda the same thing.

I've also used custom "wood" washers as well as brass washers. NO discernable difference from direct mount!

 

[the24thfret]

If you do "shim" the PUPs by putting something between the PUP and the wood, I recommend using wood shims. Cm_17 is right that it is easiest to use spongy material to set height, but in my experience only solid material will transfer the best tone. A PUP that is "floating" on a softer material, IMO, will not pick up the full range of tones resonating through the body, which is a major reason to have direct-mounted PUPs in the first place.

 

[threeminutesboy]

if you do "shim" the pups by putting something between the pup and the wood, i recommend using wood shims. Cm_17 is right that it is easiest to use spongy material to set height, but in my experience only solid material will transfer the best tone. A pup that is "floating" on a softer material, imo, will not pick up the full range of tones resonating through the body, which is a major reason to have direct-mounted pups in the first place.

+1

 

[fsmith]

If you have the tools or the time and patience I used a piece of maple stock cut to fit the contours of the pickup cavity. I adjusted the thickness for the height needed and screwed it all back together. Nice and tight.

I've seen other guitars that used a piece of foam and eventually it will end up coming loose.

If you're not confident in your skills a luthier would probably do it for around $50 or so, I did some checking around before doing mine.

fred

 

[LawDaddy]

I ended up using a water hose washer I cut into segments, and placed a pie-shaped piece between the pickup ear and body. The washer is made from a real dense material that still has a bit of compression to it. This allows about +/- 1/16" of adjustability.

 

[GHWelles]

try raising just the pole pieces with a hex wrench

 

[meanMRmustard]

What I did with my Luke was loosen the strings and then unscrew and lift up the pups and put foam shims under them all. The foam was spongy so I could use different heights. Ended up taking em out as the stock height was best.

 

[guitar ER]

1/2" foam...Leo fender used it under the tele neck pickup...still works today. 99% of what a pickup senses come from the strings vibrating.