pole height vs pickup height

[Meowy]

How are tone and output affected by the extent that you raise adjustable pole pieces?

In other words, with the poles at a constant distance from the strings, does the distance of the coil from the strings (and the top of the poles) impact tone and output?

Also there is a quote in the Brosnac book that says the poles should not be raised more than 1/8". Other than potentially catching on the strings, what is the reason for this?

[Possum]

....

well, the tone will get brighter and weaker in theory at least. On pickups like P90s you want the poles low down as possible so you're getting the coil sensing the strings too, a fatter tone that way. Then there are the weird pickups like dynasonics that are big fat magnets, a very short small coil at the top of the magnets and magnets extending way down below the coil. Somehow it just works, Harry DeArmond was a genius at that stuff.....

[SkinnyWire]

I don't think I've experimented with that per se. I build mainly humbuckers, and I do think that a lot of folks start with the pickups too close to the strings and then move even closer trying to "improve" the tone. Gibson has it right on height, maybe even a bit further away, IMO.

Obviously, there's a point where string pull comes into play which relates to pole height. Assuming the height is "optimally set", whatever that might mean, and as relates to humbuckers, I doubt there would be a significant change in tone just raising/lowering the coils until you started burying the screw heads down into the coils.

Sure as shootin' though, one of the really smart people will chime in with all the math and physics proving my theory wrong.

I ship them flat and low - just the tops of the heads poking out of the holes. I play them radiused to approximate the fret board and bridge radius. I've had customers say they sound better "flush" on covered pickups. We're in a subjective business with few absolutes as relates to what sounds "good". At least you can "tweak" the tone response with the screws.

[David Schwab]

Then there are the weird pickups like dynasonics that are big fat magnets, a very short small coil at the top of the magnets and magnets extending way down below the coil.

The old Ric toasters are kind of like that. The alnico magnets are very long.