Fender Pickup Height Calculator & Specs Guide
Free Fender pickup height chart & calculator. Get the ideal pickup-to-string gap for Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar and Precision Bass in mm or 64ths, plus a raise/lower recommendation from your current measurement.
🎸 Pickup Height Calculator
Get the ideal pickup-to-string gap for your guitar, then a recommendation off your current measurement.
📏 How to Measure Pickup Height
- Fret the string at the last (highest) fret
- Measure from the top of the pickup pole piece to the bottom of the string
- Record the bass side (low E) and treble side (high E) gaps
- Adjust the pickup-height screws in 1/4 turns, then re-check
Accessibility: A tuner or ruler works; a dedicated gap gauge is easier. Adjust one pickup at a time.
Set your Fender's pickups to the ideal gap — the tool below gives you the verified bass/treble target for your Strat, Tele, Jazzmaster, Jaguar or Precision Bass, then turns your current measurement into a concrete raise/lower adjustment.
Quick answer: Fender single-coil pickups typically sit around 2.0mm (5/64") bass / 1.6mm (4/64") treble at the bridge, with the neck pickup slightly higher. Wide pickups (Jazzmaster/Jaguar) and the P-Bass split-coil sit lower. Use the calculator below for your exact model and position.
Fender Pickup Height Chart (Factory Verified)
These are the verified factory-starting specs for the most common Fenders. The calculator above serves your exact model/position.
| Model | Pickup | Bass side | Treble side |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stratocaster | bridge | 2.0mm (5/64") | 1.6mm (4/64") |
| Stratocaster | middle | 2.4mm (6/64") | 2.0mm (5/64") |
| Stratocaster | neck | 2.8mm (7/64") | 2.4mm (6/64") |
| Telecaster | bridge | 2.4mm (6/64") | 2.0mm (5/64") |
| Telecaster | neck | 2.4mm (6/64") | 2.0mm (5/64") |
| Jazzmaster | bridge | 3.2mm (8/64") | 2.4mm (6/64") |
| Jazzmaster | neck | 3.2mm (8/64") | 2.4mm (6/64") |
| Jaguar | bridge | 2.0mm (5/64") | 1.6mm (4/64") |
| Precision Bass | split | 3.2mm (8/64") | 2.4mm (6/64") |
How to Set Fender Pickup Height
- Press the last fret down on the string so it rests on the fret
- Measure from the top of the pole piece to the bottom of the string with a string ruler
- Use the calculator to confirm the ideal bass/treble target for your model + position
- Turn the pickup height screws in tiny steps (roughly 0.5mm at a time) and re-measure
- Re-tune first — pickup height is always measured at playing tension
Strat tip: Fender Strat pickups are graduated — the bridge sits closest, the neck furthest. The middle pickup is usually slightly lower than the neck.
Jazzmaster/Jaguar tip: These have wider, flatter pickups that sit lower than Strat/Tele pickups — don't try to bring them as close to the strings as a Strat's.
P-Bass tip: The split-coil has a bass side (E-A strings) and treble side (D-G strings). Set each side by its own measurement.
Related Fender Setup Resources
- Fender Setup Specs Lookup — full factory specs (action, relief, pickup height) for your Fender model
- Stratocaster Pickup Height Adjustment — step-by-step for Strats
- Telecaster Pickup Height Adjustment — Tele bridge and neck pickups
- Jazzmaster Pickup Height Adjustment — JM-specific wide pickups
- Jaguar Pickup Height Adjustment — Jaguar-specific
- P-Bass Pickup Height Adjustment — bass-specific
- Guitar Setup Calculator — action + relief + pickup height in one snapshot
