I have a new American Deluxe strat with the N3 pickups and my pole pieces are not beveled at all, none of them. However I've seen videos and pics depicting some pickups with the beveled pole pieces and some without. If you look up the N3 pickups on Fender's own product listing and click on the thumbnail of the set of 3, you can see that the bridge and middle pickups have beveled pole pieces and the neck pickup doesn't(in the same set!). It seems to me that would be consistent. Which brings up the question(s): what do the bevels contribute to the pickup? Is it a noticeable difference in tone? Is it simply aesthetics?

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2010 American Deluxe Strat Sunset Metallic - Lindy Fralin Blues Specials in the neck and middle, Dimarzio AT-1 humbucker in the bridge.
PRS Custom 22 with solid rosewood neck
Mesa/Boogie Electra Dyne 1x12 combo
DRRI

Couldn't tell you, first I've heard of it. My humbucker is beveled, the single coils aren't.

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'10 American Deluxe HSS Sunset Metallic
'10 JA-90 Thinline Telecaster
'15 Music Man JP-15 Blueberry Burst
'07 Les Paul Standard Faded LCPG #82
'14 Carvin ST300
'12 Carvin CS424S
'66 Guild Starfire IV w/Bigsby
'14 Warmouth Partscaster Daphne Blue

If I recall correctly, early Alnico magnet slugs were beveled because the edges had a tendency to chip with the slugs were cut. It has no significant effect on the tone that I am aware of.

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Bill

Aesthetics from what I have read...here's Jason Lollar talking about how he makes pups and just barely mentions beveling the pole pieces.

http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/mercha ... -interview

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-T

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