Pick up height too low

[dmccombe7]

What's the best / easiest option to raise a soapbar pick up that seems to be maxed out at 10-12mm below the strings. ?

Dave

 

[paul_5]

Longer screws?

[dmccombe7]

15 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

Longer screws?

Maybe not described it properly.

When i unscrew it the pick up only comes up a little but nowhere near as much as i expected.

Looks like i have enough screw length but i need to add deeper or more foam packing below the pick up but was wondering what people use. ?

Dave

[PaulThePlug]

I like the foam with a spring in the middle... gives a firmer ride...

 

I just found this on AliExpress: 
￡7.41 | Dopro 2pcs Bass Pickup Height Foam Pickup Height Adjustment Pads with Springs for Jazz J Bass/Jazzmaster Pickups
https://a.aliexpress.com/_EH6B8gO

 

Same price for double (4) rather than ebay for 2... worth the wait?

 

But if a real big gap, double foam can be wobbly, so maybe a small block of wood, then single foam.

Edited 10 hours ago by PaulThePlug

[dmccombe7]

I removed the neck pick up completely tonight and there's no springs but the 2 strips of foam have a 7-8mm hole in the middle of them suggesting there should be springs fitted.

I had some foam i bought for below some bass pedals i had mounted at one time and put an additional strip on the existing ones. Its allowed me to get the pick up to 5mm below the strings and it has made a huge difference on the sound and made the tone more balanced and fuller. The bridge pick up was already at 5mm but its now a bit quieter than the neck pup. I want to use this bass at tomorrows gig and will possibly revisit the bridge pick up next week and raise it a couple of mm to see the effect.

The existing screws were just long enough. I think if i take this any further i'll need to go down the strip of wood idea and screw the pick ups onto the strip of wood. I can't find longer screws that will fit thru the pick up holes.

I've had this bass for several years and it was always an ok bass but never great to play.

I bought some nut files and dropped the string height at first fret from 30 to 25thou as a starting point as i've never tackled a nut adjustment like this before. It worked really well and it plays far better now than ever before.

Now that pick up height is up a bit it has a more rounded, even and deeper tone. 

Its an Overwater Contemporary J4 bass that was put together by Chris's team at Overwater from spare parts they had when taking the idea to Tanglewood. It has no serial number or anything like that as i think they only did about 3 of them so in a way its quite rare 😂 I had just bought my Overwater Custom fretless 6er and i was offered one of these basses.

Dave

 

[PaulThePlug]

Pics Please...you know the score...

[MichaelDean]

Could always add threaded inserts and use bolts for the pickups if you need it a bit longer. Alpher use M2.5 bolts in mounting their pickups. 

 

I have used a bit of laminate flooring offcut when I routed some P90 cavities a bit too low in a project this year. Turns out fake granite laminate is an excellent tonewood 😂