If you replaced strings with the same gauge and material, pickup height rarely needs to change. If you went heavier, lighter or switched from nickel to stainless or pure nickel, it's worth checking.
How to check and adjust:
- Tune to pitch with the new strings settled.
- Play each string open and fretted at the top fret, listening for any string that jumps out or drops away.
- Switch between pickups and compare their volume.
- Use the screws on each side of the pickup to raise or lower it a small amount.
- Adjust the bass side and treble side separately to balance low and high strings.
Signs a pickup is too close:
- Notes on the low strings warble or sound out of tune higher up the neck
- Sustain is short or the tone sounds choked
- Strings hit the pickup when you play hard
A pure nickel set like PN1046 in Power Groove Pure Nickel usually reads slightly softer than S1046 in Power Wound Nickel, so a small raise can even it out.