What is the distance between pickup and string?

Updated
heraN bUdDHikA

I have a ESP LTD EX-50 Guitar.Is there a standard distance between the string and pickup?I just ajusted the bridge pickup and i cant remember the previous distance between pickup and string.Please help me

Thank you

Jerome L.

There isn't any real standard. But active are generally closer to the strings than passive pickups. 

I usually start about 1mm from the bottom of the string to the top of the pickup while holding down that string at the last fret and then lower from there to taste. I usually end up at about 2-2.5mm. 

patrick p.

Thats sounds right , i used a nickle for the treble side and two nickles for the bass side while holding down all of the strings at the last fret . also if your not getting the quality tone your looking for adjust the way you  strum the strings go gentle and smooth and try a heavy pic from dunlop tortex . i have a crappy guitar i re adjusted pickup height and i made it sound like a 400,dollar guitar lol 

Jerome L.

I forgot to mention that would be the bass side. 1-1.5mm usually on treble side. 

heraN bUdDHikA

So there is no specific standard.No harm to the guitar with this gap isn't it?Okay.Thank You for your help very much

Michael P.

Its really up to you. what sound do you want. you can adjust your pick up any height you want

Travis L.

just adjust it until it sounds the way you want it. closer means more output. lower has a tighter sound. its all what you like

heraN bUdDHikA

Thank you friends...

Stevie Strings

There certainly is a factory spec for the pickup to string height... sadly, it would have to come from ESP. I am not sure you will find it posted on the internet. Now as for harm to the guitar from string to pickup distance, there should be none, unless you consider cosmetic damage which will result if your strings are too close to the pickup. Otherwise, there will be no "harm". What will be effected will be your tone... The closer the string to the pickup, the stronger the magnetic pull will be, producing a louder(hotter) output, yet causing the string to not ring out as long. The further away, the electromagnetic field will be weaker, producing a less loud tone and should ring out longer. This is all true of passive pickups. As Jerome mentions, active pickups, like EMG, have very little magnetic pull, so they should be placed as close to the strings as you can get, without interfering with playing. So, as you can tell, this is something that will be as much determined by the player as it is by the designer of the instrument. But make no mistake, there is a factory spec for this distance... will you find it? That's for you to tell us after contacting the manufacture. Gibson and Fender will both provide this to you if you own their instruments.

heraN bUdDHikA

My guitar is ESP LTD-EX50.I'll try to find out.Any way thanks for reply.

Jerome L.

Just going through some old posts and thought I'd add to this one lol. Stevie's right. BKP seem to be height specific and the smallest adjustments can change things whereas most vintage humbuckers are much more forgiving. I find string gauge and how hard you play affects things too a bit. And I play with the height again once the strings are broken in. Just for tone really. 

Mandar K.

I have ESP  ltd M100Fm and i want to change pickups so which spacing should i go with f-spacing or stardard one ?

Pushead

Mandar, you'll want F spacing (a DiMarzio term) or a Trembucker (a Seymour Duncan term.)

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