Staggered or flat pole pieces... which one?

[Webfoot]

For single coil usage, which is better... the staggered or flat height poles?

Would this be affected by string size or radius? Assume 9's or 10's and 9.5 or 12" radius. Thanks

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: Staggered or flat pole pieces... which one?

For single coil usage, which is better... the staggered or flat height poles?

Would this be affected by string size or radius? Assume 9's or 10's and 9.5 or 12" radius. Thanks

One isn't better than the other actually...Flat poles are for modern fingerboard radius of 9.5 and higher..Staggered were designed for the 7.25 radius and to balance out string to pole output,based on a wound 3rd string..

 

[Robert Delahunt]

Re: Staggered or flat pole pieces... which one?

For single coil usage, which is better... the staggered or flat height poles? Would this be affected by string size or radius? Assume 9's or 10's and 9.5 or 12" radius. Thanks

My Lite Ash Strat is a 9.5" straight radius fretboard, and it has staggered pickups. I think with 12" and up you use flat, but I don't know. Here's some stuff I found:

338. Why are the older Strat pickups staggered and the newer ones flat?
Fender was trying to obtain a better string balance between poles. Having the pole pieces at different lengths would increase or lower the amount of magnetic field to the string. The core of the wound strings had less attraction and the pole pieces were slightly longer. The E & B strings had a larger outside diameter than the wound strings and the pole pieces were shorter. The magnets are in the pickups to magnetize the strings. As the strings move back and forth when plucked, an alternating current is generated and sent through the controls for volume and tone adjustment. Having less components in a model keeps production costs down and reduces the cost of each pole piece. It also allows for less inventory of several components.

The flat magnet pattern provides the balanced field necessary for an even response using today’s
strings (unwound “G”) and flatter neck radii.

Flatter neck radii I guess means that in the neighborhood of 12" and up, use flat. Also, when I was talking about pickups for my soft maple bodied Ibanez, flat was discussed as a way to make the pickup not as bright as its staggered cousin.

I tried looking at the Fender Showmaster SSS flame (three Five-Two pickups) but it seems that those pickups are also staggered, with a neck radii of like 15.75" or something very flat. Me, I prefer flat magnet pickups just so it's easier for me to adjust their height.