staggered vs flat single coils

[totergecko]

hey guys, considering buying some single coils but am debating which kind I should get, staggered or flat. what are the pros and cons of each type? I've heard of people getting staggered pickups and filing down the pole pieces to make it less staggered...is that a bad idea? oh and I am putting these in a fender strat

 

[uOpt]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

Yeah, filing them down is a bad idea since it de-magnetizes the alnico.

 

[jeremy]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

i generally get flat poles, staggered pole pups tend to sound a little brighter but have a touch less high treble.

filing them down is definitely a bad idea

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

Some single coil pickups are constructed using a plastic bobbin form rather than the traditional Fender method involving two vulcanised fibreboard plates.

On the plastic bobbin pickups, the rod magnets pass through discreet holes. It is possible to alter the distance that each magnet protrudes from the bobbin WITHOUT disturbing the copper coil.

e.g. If you examine the underside of a Fender Tex-Mex single coil pickup, you will see that the actual rod magnets are of equal length and that they have been positioned differently with respect to the bobbin top to imitate the traditional staggered height pattern of a vintage Fender pickup.

 

[chasebeavers]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

Go with flats or a modern stagger.

 

[jeremy]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

Some single coil pickups are constructed using a plastic bobbin form rather than the traditional Fender method involving two vulcanised fibreboard plates.

On the plastic bobbin pickups, the rod magnets pass through discreet holes. It is possible to alter the distance that each magnet protrudes from the bobbin WITHOUT disturbing the copper coil.

e.g. If you examine the underside of a Fender Tex-Mex single coil pickup, you will see that the actual rod magnets are of equal length and that they have been positioned differently with respect to the bobbin top to imitate the traditional staggered height pattern of a vintage Fender pickup.

this is totally true, just make sure you have plastic bobbins before pushing on the magnet

 

[Varg]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

Why would anyone file them down? If you want them flat, buy them flat. If you already bought staggered, sell them and buy flat.

 

[marcello252]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

I do prefer staggered pu anyway, I don't know why but I feel them much more dynamic, maybe it's a psychoacoustic issue

 

[totergecko]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

I was just curious about the filing thing guys, it isn't something I was actually going to try. my dad had said something to me about that before but it sounded like a bad idea to me which is why I asked. anyway so basically I can put either of them in a strat, but the staggered ones will sound brighter than the flat??

 

[gripweed]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=flat-vs-staggered-pole-pickups

 

[uOpt]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

anyway so basically I can put either of them in a strat, but the staggered ones will sound brighter than the flat??

No

 

[tourettes]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

Yeah, filing them down is a bad idea since it de-magnetizes the alnico.

I'm about to fill a DM Red Velvet, should I suppose filling the poles gives them different lengths thus altering the overall magnetism of the pup?

 

[Grindspine]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

The question that has not been asked is this; what string guage do you use on the third string?

If your third string is wound, go with a vintage staggered for better string to string balance.

If your third string is plain, a modern stagger gives better string to string balance.

These are both assuming you're not using compression to even out the dynamics of your playing. If you do use compression, a fair amount of gain (which tends to compress the sound) or have no issues with the plain strings sounding louder than the wound strings, then the stagger is not an issue.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

The question that has not been asked is this; what string guage do you use on the third string?

If your third string is wound, go with a vintage staggered for better string to string balance.

If your third string is plain, a modern stagger gives better string to string balance.

These are both assuming you're not using compression to even out the dynamics of your playing. If you do use compression, a fair amount of gain (which tends to compress the sound) or have no issues with the plain strings sounding louder than the wound strings, then the stagger is not an issue.

A few issues here but bottom line is staggered enhances what as opposed to flat? Is it just about whether a string is wound? Seems like there may be more to the difference when it comes to sound/tone. Thanks for any more clarification you can share. Is there clearly a more popular pickup between the two?

 

[jimlp]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

I thought the whole staggered magnet thing was due to the 7.25" radius on vintage instruments and that flat magnet singles were being used because the stagger was not needed for the current flatter radius necks.

 

[Diminished Triad]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

I thought the whole staggered magnet thing was due to the 7.25" radius on vintage instruments and that flat magnet singles were being used because the stagger was not needed for the current flatter radius necks.

I read and heard the same reasoning too (believe off the SD site somewhere).
Like most things, probably some collateral effects that are also interesting to learn about.

 

[jeremy]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

I'm about to fill a DM Red Velvet, should I suppose filling the poles gives them different lengths thus altering the overall magnetism of the pup?

alnico can be degaussed by many factors, heat and physical shock for example, filing the poles is a bad idea unless you have a way to remagnitize them. the shorter the magnet the less charge it can hold and the easier it will lose its magnatism.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

I've had both Stags & Flats(1/4 lbers).Personally,I prefer Stag @ nk,Flt @ br.
If I used a mid p/up,prolly Stag there,too.
Flat fattens up the br pos more,to me & the nk pos has a little more pop...

.02

edit:
Rev/LH Stag nk is "really" cool,as well!!!

 

[darthphineas]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

To get to the OP question about flat vs staggered.... It is my understanding that poles were staggered to help balance out the volume from string to string in the instruments of the day. Something about how certain open string notes being more or less audible and how the stagger would take up the slack one way or the other.

Seems to me that since staggered models are still available it might be worth checking out to see if it's something that might work for you. I haven't used a real single coil in many years, but I had several of the Duncan APS models that were staggered. They were fine. More recently, I use the STK-S4 which are flat, although I don't believe they would be considered single coil in the truest sense of the term. Either way, both sound fine to me, but I'm far from being a single coil expert.


Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad

 

[crusty philtrum]

Re: staggered vs flat single coils

As mentioned, it depends on whether you're using a plain or wound third string.

My experiences, using plain third strings and 9.5 or 10 inch radius fretboards, have been that the staggered pickups may have a very slightly more 'Stratty' sound, but it comes at the expense of volume balance between the strings. I seem to hear those imbalances and i couldn't put up with it, so i use flat-pole versions.

So it's going to depend on what type of third string, what your fretboard radius is, and how you hear things.