Setting up

[Baxlin]

Could I have some help/advice please with my Epiphone EB3?  I tend to use the neck pickup, with the tone knob wound back, then straight to the amp.

I've always found the second and third strings to be fine (it’s strung with black tape-wounds), but the first string sounds a tad ‘thin’, and the E booms a bit.

I’ve lived with this, but recently I’ve been doing some remote recording, using Audacity, and the inconsistency between the strings is so pronounced that I’m almost restricted to only using the two middle strings!

My old Marlin Sidewinder fares much better:  there is still some disparity between the strings, but it’s nothing like on the EB3.

I’m a novice when it comes to setting up instruments, so apart from “use the Marlin” is there anything I can do to improve it, or can anyone recommend a guitar technician in the Aylesbury/Hemel/Watford area who could set it up properly?

Many thanks in advance

Malcolm

[P-Belly Evans]

I do believe the individual pole pieces on the neck pickup can be adjusted using a screwdriver (like my EBO). I would start there. Just screw the g slightly closer to the string and the e slightly further away. This may solve the problem. You can also bring the rear pickup closer to the g and lower it away fron the E should you need to, although it sounds like the front pickup could be the culprit. 

[Skybone]

Raise the G string polepiece & lower the E string polepiece.

Only do say a quarter turn of the screw, then try it out. Obviously, don't leave it plugged when you're adjusting the polepieces.

[Baxlin]

Thanks, both.  I was hoping for something like that, but tbh daren’t touch the screw heads!

[Skybone]

Had to do it a few times on various humbucker loaded guitars, just take your time.