Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

FAC

FAC

New member
Folks,

After some time with the search engine, I thought I would ask the question directly...how much do you think stagger affects the sound on strat pickups?

I play left handed, so putting a "normal" strat pickup with staggered pole pieces in my guitar (e.g., some Antiquities?) would result in a reverse stagger arrangement...

Thoughts?

If you're wondering why I am asking, see below:

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Brand new 2010 American Standard strat. No, I am not usually a strat guy, nor was I in the market, but this one really sings...great ringing acoustic sound, wonderful neck, great fit and finish, etc. Finding nice left handed guitars is rare, so it somehow followed me home.
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

It can make a difference. How much? Depends on what you're listening for. I think there's more of a difference between flat and staggered. With the modern 9.5" radius on Strats, I'm a firm believer that flat poles are much better suited for them.

If I was to replace pickups in a new American Standard Strat (very sweet, BTW), I would toss in a Custom Stack Plus in the bridge and a Vintage Hot Stack in the neck and middle. The poles aren't stacked and they aren't flush with the top of the bobbin either. They sit above a bit and are closer to a flat radius. Really great on modern flatter radius guitars.
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

you only want the stagger for 7 1/4" fingerboard radien

for anything flatter than that, or left-handers, i'd go flat (non-stagger).
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

Thanks folks. The fretboard radius variable never occurred to me, but that makes sense. It looks like from the pictures that the Antiquities are staggered, so are they not appropriate for a modern radius strat?
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

It does matter, but it's not a deal breaker. The majority of strats out there with a modern 9.5 radius or higher are still using staggered pole pieces. The Antiquities will still work just fine, as will any of the vintage or modern strat pickups SD makes.

You will get a better overall string to string balance on the 9.5 radius fretboards from the flat polepieces, especially at the bridge. However, like I said, it's not a deal breaker for the majority of people. The Antiquities are still some of the best vintage strat pickups out there. They would be a huge improvement in your strat.
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

It does make a difference. The G string rod wouldn't be nearly as high if when they invented the Strat most folks weren't using wound G's. I think the best overall Strat sound comes from flatpole or a VERY slight radius.
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

i will soon have ssl-2/ssl-2/ssl-6 in a 9.5 radius strat. this will be my first flat set in a strat. primary reason is i want more control. i sometimes physically hit those magnets sticking out, and it seems the "B" pole is buried. i tend to lower strat pickups in the neck and middle. i want smoother sounding bending. i figure the control should be easier. more bass, raise the bass side, due the same for more or less treble. i'm hoping for a more even response, but with vintage punch. i'm also looking forward to my pick not hitting a stray magnet pole.

it should still sound really "stratty". i wonder if a "blind taste test" could tell the difference between flat and staggered. i would suspect general audiences would have no clue, and perhaps a small percentage of guitar players could tell the difference. if i had a pure vintage urge and a 7.5 neck, i would probably go staggered, or some sort of "modern" stagger. humbuckers are already "flat". they sound pretty good.
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

Zhangliqun said:
It does make a difference. The G string rod wouldn't be nearly as high if when they invented the Strat most folks weren't using wound G's. I think the best overall Strat sound comes from flatpole or a VERY slight radius.
Click to expand...
+1 Zhang...
I do the SRV trick on my staggered pickups... push the polepieces down through the bobbin so they are flat with the top of the pickup cover. This helps even things out...
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

Before the late 1960's electric guitar strings came in only one gauge, heavy. People like Roy Buchanan, Jimi Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield used Banjo strings to lighten the G through E strings. That's where the unwound G string comes from. The Strat was originally designed with heavy strings in mind and so the staggered poles and string trees were a compensation.
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

BachToRock said:
+1 Zhang...
I do the SRV trick on my staggered pickups... push the polepieces down through the bobbin so they are flat with the top of the pickup cover. This helps even things out...
Click to expand...

Betcha killed a bunch of them that way...
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

What makes me laugh is all the people who swear blind that a vintage stagger sounds better, but the play guitars with .009s and .010s and a plain third string, but the vintage stagger was designed to pull down the response of the plain B relative to the wound G which has less impact, but hardly anyone uses a wound G any longer. Yet they all still think that a vintage stagger sounds better... :D
 
Re: Staggered pole pieces--does it matter?

BRHGM said:
Before the late 1960's electric guitar strings came in only one gauge, heavy. People like Roy Buchanan, Jimi Hendrix and Mike Bloomfield used Banjo strings to lighten the G through E strings. That's where the unwound G string comes from. The Strat was originally designed with heavy strings in mind and so the staggered poles and string trees were a compensation.
Click to expand...
That explains something. I seem to remember as a kid, that sometimes playing certain chords seemed like a test of strength (I was just a kid). Then somewhere along the way, the "fad" became one of using light gauge "super slinky" type strings sets. It was like one day they were suddenly just there.
 
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