P-style pickup height adjustment

[Songdog]

My bass has a P-style pickup. I'd like to adjust the height to better balance the E/A strings with the D/G strings.

I tried loosening the screws for the D/G pickup to raise it, but they just went loose without much change in height. I'm not sure how much it's safe to tighten the screws for the E/A pickup.

These are mounted like any old P-bass pickups, right? Cushioned by a little foam underneath? I wonder if after 24 years that foam has lost some of its elasticity.

I thought I'd ask the experts before I start taking things apart to see.

[edwardofhuncote]

No, no foam, should be spring-loaded. You may just need to stretch the springs out a bit if they have been compressed for a long time.

*Check and make sure nobody stuffed any foam under there... tightening onto it could crack your pickup shells. Sadness.

[Songdog]

I guess I should have known Alembic would have springs. Conical ones, in fact - not something you're likely to find at the hardware store. And there's foam; maybe to keep the wires from rattling? I pressed down on each pickup, it seems pretty soft so I don't think there's any risk of cracking anything. But thanks for the caution, I'll be sure to press down gently on the pickups when I'm lowering them.

The D/G pickup just needed a gentle reminder that it's adjustable, it probably hasn't been moved in a long time. Raise that one, lower the E/A side a little and the balance sounds much better to me.