Hello all,
hey I am new to the whole Fender trip, have played classical, as well as a couple very nice late 60s ES335s.
I just purchased a MIM Strat and while I love the feel ove it, I did notice a bit late, that the high E string is way off of the peg from the pickup especially at the neck pickup. The B string is also a bit off, but the rest arent so bad. The Bridge pickup everything lines up, middle pick up not so bad but the neck pick up...... way off all the way across the strings. Aside from replacing these myself, is there anything that can be done?

Thanks!

You can get saddles that are slightly wider, Callahams are a little wider than what you find on MIM's. Your's is a strange situation; usually its the bridge pickup that has misaligned polepieces, not the neck. I would usually say not to worry about it, especially at the neck because the strings vibrate so much up there anyway, but those are pretty far away. On one of my strats, the Low E isnt lined up on the bridge pickup, but you wouldnt know fromt he amplified sound, but its not as far away as I see yours are at the neck..
Id doenst look like its a problem with the neck, because they seem straight. Id say its the saddles.

It is strange. Can you post a picture of the same shot but back off so the bridge is also included in the picture? I for one would like to see it.

Typical result due to "standard" string spacing (2-1/16" bridge) on most modern Strats, regardless of country-of-origin.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I'm sure you're correct Arjay. I just don't recall seeing one that far off center.

Indeed, Hop. That example does seem to be an extreme case.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

Any idea what to do about it? I cant get a pic of the bridge until tomorrow, oddly it seems as though the bridge is wider than the fretboard. Meaning basically as it sits right now, in order to get the strings to line up with the pick up posts, the High E would be basically not able fretted at the higher frets. I couldnt see any way the bridge could be squeezed together at all or any more to create room there.

Would hate to have to send the guitar away. Had that happen once already with an Epi....

Very little, I'm afraid.

It's one of those idiosyncracies inherent in the narrow string-spaced Strats. Whomever approved it for production apparently never gave any consideration to how such an alteration to the original design would affect where the strings would end up relative to the pole pieces of the pickups.

Arjay

_________________
"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

I have a spare MiM bridge with custom springs if you need it.

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1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

I have the same issue in my MIM Standard. From me is for the narrow 2-1/16 string spacing in the "modern" bridges (but the bridge pickup is Ok.). I put a Wilkinson "5 + 1" bridge ( 2 -1/8 string spacing and 2-1/16 mounting spacing). Is a bit better but not perfect.

May take you up on that!
It feels good in my hand, so will take it to a local tech and see what he thinks can be done. Maybe I just live with it. Its not completely dead of sound. But then again.... since Im new to the Strats, what do I know?!

How does it sound? If it sounds fine and feels good to you then don't worry about it. Just enjoy!

I have 2 Strats a home , one American standard 1995 the string on pole pieces are close to yours , but not so worse and my American Deluxe 1999 is perfect ; all pole pieces of all pu are just on top and not to far to the middle of each pole pieces.

I don't know what to think about that. But my American Standard have not the originals pu

Yeah...

My MIM is like that too and I decided not to worry about it.

AFAIK, all Fender pickups have the same pole spacing but there are guitars with different string spacings that come with matching pickups but they're mostly Asian-built like my Brawley.

If you go look at a Strat with a Vintage Style Trem, you won't find any of that nonsense going on. My EJ SIG's strings split those posts right down the middle, just like they're supposed to.

This is one more of the many small compromises that you have to accept, when you buy a relatively inexpensive Strat. The cure is to fit the correct (Vintage spaced.) trem and I just happen to have a spare but right now it just isn't worth the time and trouble to install it.

If you want to make the swap and solve this issue, you can usually buy a complete Fender Vintage Trem on Ebay for about $45.00 but if you don't know what you're doing, have it installed by a professional.