Adjusting pole pieces?

[Slinky-Blinky]

Salutations! I've just acquired a Fender MIM Jazz Bass and was wondering if the poles themselves can be adjusted. I've done set-ups on my basses and I know how to do the pick-up height, I just need to move those poles. Can this even be done? Any help would be fantastic.

 

Thanks

[jeremy c]

Hello, the answer is no. If the pole pieces don't have screws in them, they can't be adjusted.

 

The only way to adjust pickup height is by using the screws at one end or the other of the pickup.

[Slinky-Blinky]

Thanks Jeremy, Yeah, I've seen the "allen screw" type poles, but I've never encountered jazz p-ups with the poles raised for the A and D strings, and flush to the p-up cover for the E and G. Apparently its supposed to match the neck radius, but it seems to make the E sound kind of like a volume swell when I use distortion (of which I am quite fond) Is this a common MIM Jazz issue? Or will I have to replace the pick-ups altogether?

[Rocky McDougall]

Have you tried tilting the pups with the distance to the E pole farther away from the string. This is how most pickups are adjusted.

Rocky

[Slinky-Blinky]

I can set the pup height/angle no problem, that's one reason I love the fender jazz. I just finished the set-up and it sounds and plays much better than last night. (thank goodness) Although now I'm having intonation issues w/ the E string! I think that may be due to the way the Ernie Ball Regular Slinky E string is wound at the ball-end. Either way, I think I just learned a couple of things about bass pick-ups!

[b5pilot]

Thanks Jeremy, Yeah, I've seen the "allen screw" type poles, but I've never encountered jazz p-ups with the poles raised for the A and D strings, and flush to the p-up cover for the E and G. Apparently its supposed to match the neck radius, but it seems to make the E sound kind of like a volume swell when I use distortion (of which I am quite fond) Is this a common MIM Jazz issue? Or will I have to replace the pick-ups altogether?

 

I have the MIM deluxe jazz with the Fender noiseless pups and the pole pieces are different heights and they do follow the fingerboard radius. maybe you could switch to those if you're not happy with the standard pups.

[Big Daddy from Motown]

If the pickups are to close to the e string they will cause intonation problems. Very common on Jazz basses.

[jeremy c]

I have custom wound Lindy Fralin pickups in my Mike Lull bass. They have the middle pole pieces higher than the outside ones.

 

They would probably cost you about half of what your bass is worth.

[Slinky-Blinky]

Thanks for all the insight gentlemen, I got this baby sounding sweeeeet now!(to my ears at least) Seriously the advice I get from these forums is invaluable. And in case you were wondering, I basically set this bass up the way I did my last one. I should have given more consideration to the fact that it's a different bass! Live and learn right?