Loving my new (well, never-before-owned) '09 JG 360.

A couple of observations and questions about the High-gains. I've searched past posts and found some stuff, but not tons (perhaps user error).

First, I can't get over how amazingly quiet they are for single coils (or even HBs). My primary amp is an old Sears Silvertone 1482. I had been playing a Tele (until it got stolen 6 mos. ago) with Lollar "Vintage" T-series. And our rehearsal neighborhood is notorious for old, noisy wiring. They sounded great, but dealing with the 60-cycle hum, amplified by the house wiring, was a pain. Post theft, I have been playing my LP primarily (sometimes my Strat with EMGs) and missed the passive single coil tone, but not the hum. When I moved to the Rick a week or two ago, one hesitation I had was returning to that annoying hum .... however, much to my surprise, it is almost entirely absent. How in the world do they DO that?

Second, what is the conventional wisdom re: pickup height (and pickup height difference) on a 360? The owner's manual doesn't really say. I noted that after correcting neck bow and setting action (not too terribly low, either) that my bridge pickup pole pieces were almost touching the strings, and probably would have made contact if strummed. That was surprising since the action at the bridge pup is higher than at the nut. Is this factory setting? I lowered it simply to get it out of the way of the strings, but then wondered what my target height should be and if I should change the neck pup height, too. FWIW, there doesn't seem to be much volume difference between the two as now set. I note on my buddy's boutique LP Goldtop-type guitar with P-90s, that his bridge pickup is much, much closer to the strings than his neck, and there doesn't seem to be much volume difference between the two there, either.

Got new GHS Nickel Rockers on it, btw, .010 - .046. They're "rollerwound" which I think is akin to compressed round-wound like the Rick strings.

Really? No suggestions on individual pickup height, and/or difference in the neck and bridge pups?

Hope I'm not being ignored b/c I'm missing some old thread on this. I really did try and do my due diligence for searching on it before posting.

Hi there. Usually with the hi-gains the neck pickup is much louder than the bridge, which is what the little 5th knob controls- it "trims" the neck pickup volume. If you have the pickups volume balanced, you are right on the money.
As far as I know there is no suggested height per se , just what sounds balanced to you. Generally you have to screw down the neck up farther than the bridge pickup.

Just noticed a typo in my previous post- Last sentence should read "screw down the neck pickup farther than the bridge pickup". Sorry for the "oops"

Didn't even notice - thanks for your response. Makes sense.

I'm still happily learning my way around the 5th tone knob, which -- according to the owner's manual -- appears to have 4 possible uses/functions. And 3 of those do not involve Rick-O-Sound, 1) set position, 2) pickup volume equalizer, and 3) tone control over entire tone spectrum.

Agreed! =)





I have my bridge pup as close to the strings as possible (w/ pole pieces adjusted accordingly) and the neck pup down from the strings pretty far so that the volume matches that of the bridge pup. Conventional? Don't know but works for me.

However, I've been considering a toaster in the neck position only, hoping for more clarity and a little more brightness, figuring I can get it closer to the strings while matching the bridge pups volume.

Back in the old days we all were religiously sure that "close were better"... We even pulled of the nickel and sometimes gold plated pick up covers to get the pole pieces even closer.

But it's actually not the right way to do things.

After the introduction of Alnico V magnets the magnetic pull became strong enough itself to litterally pull the strings out of tune - causing a disease called Stratitis named after a certain guitar.

And - if you read early instructions for Gibsons P-90 pick up adjustments you'll see that they recommend an actually quite long distance between the strings and the pole pieces.

And so it is - I believe - with all pick ups with strong magnets.

They should not be left so close to the strings that the strings cannot vibrate freely over the magnetic pole pieces.