Jazz Guitar Pickup?!
Question: I have a Washburn archtop with a floating pickup, but it is way too low- so I need to have the amp turned up to compensate. The problem is then, I get tons of feedback. I can not adjust the pickup since it has no polepieces.
Is there anything that I can do with the existing pickup to help the problem, or do I need to get a new pickup, and if so, what sort would you advise?
Answers: I have a Washburn archtop with a floating pickup, but it is way too low- so I need to have the amp turned up to compensate. The problem is then, I get tons of feedback. I can not adjust the pickup since it has no polepieces.
Is there anything that I can do with the existing pickup to help the problem, or do I need to get a new pickup, and if so, what sort would you advise?
Hmm. So it doesn't have any screws on each side of the pickup? Cuz those would alter the height of the pickup itself and fix your problem. I can't think of too many times a *floating* pickup doesn't have those adjustment screws.
Hmm. Does it have a smooth metal surface? If so, that's a metal cover. Get that metal cover off and I'd bet there are pole pieces inside. Unless it's a soapboar pickup, but hey, one can hope.
One of those two options should work. If not, look into shimming the pickup up and getting longer screws - at this point, I'd be thinking about taking it into a music shop and having them look at it to see what they think. In fact, if those first two options aren't working out for you, then you better take it in, cuz you don't want to screw around with your guitar if you don't know what you're doing.
If you do end up getting new pickups, I recommend Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates - lots of nice treble, you could roll of some high end and get great jazz tone, or keep it for shimmery cleans. Fender Lace Sensors are pretty decent, too - that's the pickup that Billy Corgan uses on his main axe. Of course, he's got way more effects on his tone than you do, but ... well, you get the idea. I like Seymour Duncans - they have a very smooth sound.
Saul
You can try to shim the pickup to the proper height using 1/16th inch balsa wood, you can cut small pieces and stack as needed, making contact with the body underneath . That would be the quickest and easiest way I can think of to raise a floating pickup.
As far as feedback, if you play loudly then it'll be a problem for all semi- and hollow body guitars. If you play at a lower volume then your pickup may have developed a harmonic resonance problem from a bad wax potting, in which case it needs to be replaced.