Hi, folks

I mean, the single coils have 6 little spots or magnets, that are set inequal, some are raised and anothers are flat...

Its obvious that is something due to the tone, but i cant get why it is made that way...

Greetings

With any string set, certain strings are known to 'pick up' better than others. The staggered configuration of the magnets is an attempt to even this phenomenon out.

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You dig?

Hi there,

You can always push the pole pieces backwards/forwards in the p/up if you want. I always push them flattish as I don't like the jagged edges that Fender seem to think is good engineering!

I have no doubt that Martian is right, but I'm not convinced about the audible benefits of staggered poles myself, although I must admit I have no technical reason for saying so - just my ears!

Cheers - Peter.

Peter,

You CANNOT ALWAYS push the polepieces around in Strat/Tele type pickups. Only certain models safely allow this. If you try this with any of the vintage made types, you will louse up the coil for sure.

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You dig?

No you can't "always".

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

Said in an easy to understand way without getting too deep into physics:

Different spacing between strings and poles = different volume. Further away = lower volume. Closer to the string = higher volume.

To get a more even distribution of volume from one string to the other, the poles are set with different heights so that the different volumes of the different strings are equalized.

With all poles at the same hight, some strings might be louder than the others, giving you a poorly balanced tone when playing chords. You might have too many highs or mids in the overall sound of the chord you're playing.

Thatfore the height of the pole pieces is "staggered" = different heights. This is supposed to make every string sound equally "loud" = perfectly balanced tone when playing chords.

You won't hear a difference when playing single notes on single strings (guitar solo).

Note: if you set the entire pickup too close to the strings, the magnetic pull of the pickup might interfere with the strings vibration = slowing it down! TOO CLOSE = LESS SUSTAIN, which means the tone will die fast instead of ringing out ("singing") for a longer time.

In general you can say: staggered polepieces to balance the string tones, changing height of the entire pickup changes overall volume. It needs a patient player and quite some time to find the setup you like most.

PLEASE: do not push in the pole pieces!

1. if you don't hear a difference, maybe due to lack of experience(?) .... others will!
2. if you do it with the wrong pickup model, the pickup will be busted!

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Kindest regards from Germany, Dee
My recordings --> http://www.soundclick.com/bands/page_mu ... dID=564337
STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!

Some good posts here, particularly Smokin' Frets.

Just to add that the "stagger" of the polepieces on vintage Strats (and reissues from various places) was set to match the popular string sets of the day. So if you think back to the early 1950s when the Strat was designed that was probably a .012 guage set that likely also had a wound G string.

Staggered height polepieces went away circa 1974 on the Strat (there was only one model back then); they didn't come back until they came out with the first reissues in 1982. Then Fender used staggered polepieces on some CS pickups (like Texas Specials) but they didn't make a comeback on a more "basic" Strat until the American Series came out in mid-2000. In fact I remember Fender touting in the ads for the American Series that they were using a new stagger on the polepieces set more for modern .009 and .010 guage string sets (with plain G strings of course).

Very interesting topic that I wondered about, but always forget to ask the people in the know, as I never liked staggered poles for the simple reason of them getting in the way from time with my pick and or fingers, but live with it on about 15-beautiful Fender Strats.

Another "top winder" with a very solid industry reputation talked me into trying his non staggered single coils and spoke of better balance from them, so I bought, tech installed and we both agreed they had very good balance, so hmmm... I realize what we each hear is subjective, but here's a very raw clip I did of two "somewhat similar" or in the same ballpark pickups IMO with staggered and without:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ei6QjjO_R0

Mods: Please free to delete, but I'm not endorsing or affiliated, just discussing/learning.

Cheers!!

While we're on the topic of staggered pole pieces, what is the preferred method for setting the pickup height for pickups configured this way? Should one raise the treble side closer to the string, as is done with pickups with level poles, or should the pickup be set with the both sides the same distance from the strings? I have a set of 57/62's and I'm tending to like the way the guitar sounds with the pickups set with the height the same on both sides. However, this seems contrary to the conventional wisdom I've read on this forum where the treble side is usually suggested to be higher.

To all those slagging me off, they're my pickups and I'll do what I like with them!!!

Call me a bolshie Brit if you like but it works for me on newer Strat p/ups and might work for others as well. Not necessary on my 90's ones, as others have said. But if you don't want to do it, then don't - simple as that.

Cheers - Peter.

Bolshie Brit.

I was born in cambridge, people always presume im posh when i say that, dont know why, except for the university its really not all posh is it!! Anyway, wheres my bone china tea cup gone.... JEEVES!

Carefull with those pickups Peter

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`I prefer not to listen to music that I can't rip off or improve on` - Ian Dury

I can't wait for the first post from someone who takes your "advice" that "might work" and pushes on the pole pieces of their pickup and finds the pickup is ruined.

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Bill

Or hurt their thumb when the pole doesn't budge. Or, are you supposed to use a hammer and punch?

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---> "The amp should be SWITCHED OFF AND UNPLUGGED before you do this!" <---

Por favor, disculpe mi español, no se llega a la práctica con mucha frecuencia.

Vise grips ought to do it.

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Bill

I will admit that once upon a time I pushed the pole pieces on a pickup. It was a DiMarzio FS-1 with a flat stagger that I wanted to look like the other (middle & bridge) staggered pickups on my Strat. Luckily, I did not break the oh-so-delicate coil wire (and that FS-1 is still working).

If your pickup has the plastic bobbin, theoretically, you could adjust the stagger of the magnets without breaking the coil (just don't break the coil manhandling the pickup). I suppose you remove them and insert them upside down to "flip" the magnetic polarity.

But as many others have said in this topic, if your pickup has the fiber bobbin construction, trying to adjust the pole pieces could ruin your pickup by breaking the coil wire deep inside of it. Good Luck!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.