I was changing the setup of my NS on the weekend, trying to get an even volume out of all the strings. The thin A is notably quieter than the others, so I was raising the outside end of the bridge melody pickup when suddenly it popped right up and wouldn't go back down! The screw was having no effect.

This is not good, I thought. I only got it a couple of weeks ago (secondhand) and being in Australia, its gonna cost plenty if I have to send it to SE.

I removed the strings, took out the pickup and peered inside. There were two holes for each screw and the problem one was too close to a bit of routing and the screw had broken right out. Luckily the other hole was still useable, and after much delicate prodding and poking, trying to get the screws into their screw holes, I was back in business.

My thin A string is still a bit quiet though. How high off the frets/fingerboard/pickups are the strings supposed to be?

Also the neck melody pickup has a strange bit of wear on it. It really looks more like a bit of knife work than string wear, since a string couldn't wear that down without being totally choked, and the wear is too wide (I don't have it with me so can't show you).

Wow sounds like someone butchered that pickup. (The one that has a channel cut in it) In regard to distance, it's always good to have your pickups as close to the strings as possible and if you have the NS set up for tapping that can be VERY close. If you're playing it like a guitar or bass you made need a little extra room to allow the string to vibrate. I'm glad you were able to get the pickup to go back ... I don't think i'd fool with that anymore!

When I had a NS the pickup gain was very strong. The thiner strings sounded, well thin and did lack a little in volume compaired to the thick bass strings. BUT then again i was playing through an Ampeg bass amp initially them a bass pod through a sound system so the bass end of the instrument was accented by the amplification. I would say in general the "A" string really shouldn't be that soft compaired to the E. Perhaps it's time for a new set of NS Stick strings? I'd stick with original NS Stick strings from Stick Enterprises if i were you. And if you order i'd suggest orgering a few sets so you're OK for months to come.

Anyway good luck with your set up. The NS is a great instrument ... I'm sorry I sold mine.

The E and A are both new strings (D'addario .011 and .014) but I ordered a SE set on the weekend. I'm taking lessons with Greg soon so I'll show him the setup.

The wear on the pickup is a scrape rather than a groove. I'll post a photo when I get home.

Hi Alec,

The scraping on the pickup is not unusual, it is done intentionally so that the pickup can be raised high enough to give maximum volume to the highest-pitched strings. I had a new NS for a while (couldn't find my voice on it, so I let it go), my neck pickup had the same patch of plastic scraped off the pickups.


Take care,

Paul

You're right Paul, the string fits right into the scrape. Is it something that SE do in the shop?
I thought if it was unintentional, the player must have had a very unorthodox technique and terrible ear.

I think the pickups are standard EMG "Front Tele".
Something not impossible to find in AU, if you wanted to replace any of them in the future.

Lee

Hi Alec,

Yes, Emmett does this to balance the output of the strings. It enables him to get the transducer closer to the higher strings, which vibrate more quietly than the thicker ones. Sometimes he also uses shims to dampen string volumes as well, on the EMGs and on the PASV-4:



The Stickup has height adjustable pole pieces for this.

It's an important thing to be able to do on a tapping instrument, otherwise the strings will not have balanced output.

Thanks Greg