Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

[rudygeorge]

I was looking on the internet and I came across some close up pictures of Phil Collen's PC-1. Why is the neck pickup raised alot higher than the middle pickup? Here is the link.

http://www.brooksguitarworld.com/pcmodels/pc1setup2.JPG

http://www.brooksguitarworld.com/pcmodels/pc1setup3.JPG

Rudy D.

[dinkyjacksonman]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

No idea.
I guess it has to be on the same level as the bridge pickup to get the sustainer works right.

[Ace]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

Probably because he picks around where the middle pickup is. Many, many players, including myself, lower the middle pickup out of the way of our picking hand.

[pedalGEEK]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

What Ace said.

[Newc]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

Also, doesn't he have the Sustainer in there? That needs to be fairly close to the strings to work properly.
If he's still using the Classic Stack as his middle pickup, it's s hot enough pickup that you can back it way down like that and still get a good tone.

Newc

[shreddermon]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

What Newc said. The sustainer works best when positioned closer to the strings. The middle pickup on the PC1 is a Dimarzio HS-2, though, not a Duncan CS.

And remember that there's a bit of an optical illusion going on there. The middle HS-2 has pole pieces that stick up a fair bit taller than the PU's plastic housing. That's not the case with the neck's sustainer, which is a blade-type. When you compare the top of the pole pieces vs. the tops of the blades, the height difference is a lot less in reality.

[BGWwebguy]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

I wondered that too. When I gave that Lace to Phil for the tour, it was still set up from the factory. When I got it back, well, you saw the pictures....

Brooks

[vwall]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

What they all said [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I say nix all middle pick ups lol
I back em all the way down on my guitars...
I guess thats why I dont own and SL1's or PC1's...

[Deneb]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

When you place a pickup too close to the strings, you run into intonation problems, because the magents in the pickups, pull the strings out of their revelations, and cause distortion (not the good kind) of a mathmatical nature...meaning the guitar sounds like ****.

Also, to me, it looks high enough, that if he was playing the 24th fret, or even 22ndish, he'd damn near hit the pickup. I've had guitars with sustainers before, and they don't need to be that close (as close as that is) I've held notes around 4 minutes long with the sustainer, (Fernandes variety) and that's with the positioning just like I've had on my other pickups.

With the lowering the middle thing, that's spot on, on my strat I do that, and on any guitar I've owned that's had a middle I've done that (That's another reason I love 2 hum guitars!).

[Deneb]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

http://onlinerock.com/clubs/marywith.../pc1setup2.jpg

I've drawn a line to show what I'm talking about, look how close that is.

[vwall]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

Also, withg sustainer models, if you cant tweak it out on the pc board settings, you have to raise/lower the driver to make it sound correct.

[toejam]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

When the sustainer is on, it only works on the bridge pickup anyway. Does it work as a regular neck pickup when the sustainer isn't switched on?

[whackmaster]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

Yup.

[shredmonster]

Re: Why is the neck pickup on the PC-1 raised higher?

If your thinking about getting a PC-1 - get one.
They are the best guitar Jackson makes in my opinion and I have played most of the Jackson models out there.
I too lowered my middle pick up by the way.
The necks are killer - like the old Charvels with 24 frets.
The fret job is fantastic and the tone is incredible.
They are also unbeleivably versatile.
And they are stunning in person.
I changed my pickup to a Duncan Custom and it sounds even better now.