LR Baggs pole adjustment

[Wooly]

With this newly acquired M1 passive pickup, does anyone have any advice on proper pole height adjustment?

[ManyMartinMan]

To the point that you get the string balance you prefer.

[noledog]

Having both the M1 and they M80, here are some helpful tips I posted in a similar thread:

1.) first slide pickup starting at closest to fret board & slowly move back towards bridge until 5th fret harmonics come in, then snug the brackets only till the mag doesn't move.
It's not necessary to over tighten...some folks add padding to mounts to tame the percussive/body resonance capability of this pickup, but I don't because of the reggae/percussive style I employ, so I enjoy and use it to my advantage.

2.) adjusting pole pieces makes a huge difference...I removed my B pole completely and keep the E at about half. I plucked the E and adjusted height till it came into a balanced volume with the B. Since the B is the hottest of the six strings, I worked from it's volume up in adjusting the rest of the strings. Now work your way to G > D > A > E/6th string. The A string frequency generally resonates a little hotter than the low E so you may find backing it down a bit lower then your low E.

Remember the poles are picking up the core and since the the E wrap is thicker then the A, you may want to bump it up to balance. Close your eyes and with allen wrench ready listen to volume then tweak. Thin core brand/type strings ie low tension strings are harder to balance in volume and warmth.

I adjusted my low E to where if I fret it at 12th it clears the pole by 1/16th. This way I get max volume without mag string pull or any buzzing or clicking when strumming hard.

Hope this helps & best wishes!

eric

[Pnewsom]

Thanks Noledog, that’s a really good approach to adjusting the pole pieces. I have an M1 that had gone unused for a while, but have been enjoying it very much lately through a Bose L1 Compact. Perfect match!

[Wooly]

Thanks Noledog. I will give that a try.

[noledog]

Sure thing fellas, hope to hear your positive results!

[Wooly]

Originally Posted by noledog

The A string frequency generally resonates a little hotter than the low E so you may find backing it down a bit lower then your low E.

So I've been playing around with this and what I'm finding is opposite. My E pole is lower than the A to be balanced Does this seem right?

Then I remembered that I have a hand held sound level meter. Thought I would try that with each string. I don't know if that's a proper way to do it but it seemed to help in bring all the strings to balance. (I think)

[noledog]

Originally Posted by Wooly

So I've been playing around with this and what I'm finding is opposite. My E pole is lower than the A to be balanced Does this seem right?

Then I remembered that I have a hand held sound level meter. Thought I would try that with each string. I don't know if that's a proper way to do it but it seemed to help in bring all the strings to balance. (I think)

That's ok, each guitar is a bit different as well as the string type/brand/gauge etc... My guidelines are starting points so you don't go crazy trying to get an acceptable balance. Sounds like your getting there, let your ears guide you, play awhile, come back to it, and re-tweak if needed.

[Wooly]

Originally Posted by noledog

play awhile, come back to it, and re-tweak if needed.

Yes. Good point. Leave it alone. It may sound different tomorrow.

Just another question. I have read that if the poles are lower into the pickup, you will hear the pickup amplifying more body resonance which is what it is designed to do. Would that not be an advantage then because you are getting more of the natural sound from the guitar and pickup rather than an "electric" sound?

[noledog]

Originally Posted by Wooly

Yes. Good point. Leave it alone. It may sound different tomorrow.

Just another question. I have read that if the poles are lower into the pickup, you will hear the pickup amplifying more body resonance which is what it is designed to do. Would that not be an advantage then because you are getting more of the natural sound from the guitar and pickup rather than an "electric" sound?

You will get a bit more body res, but lose some warmth and the balance will be way off. It will not reduce the electric sound but rather increase it and the B will be dominant big time. There is plenty of body res with poles adjusted proper height for balance. Some folks feel there is too much body res that they pad the mounts to reduce the body res. I don't because I use it to my advantage in the reggae/percussive way I play...here's a live sample plugged straight into my Loudbox Performer; warm, balanced and with a touch of percussiveness: