Strat questions

MikeM

MikeM

New member
Hey guys.. Going to do the noob thing today!

I'm considering buying some new strat pups, but would like to hear people's opinions about magnet staggering and RWRP.

The staggering thing is not that much of an issue for me, but I hear people complain about it often, if there are some balance gains to be had, what usually works best? What kind of tweaks can one get besides changing string balance?

Also RWRP, I've read some guys say it adds to the quack and others say it detracts. Does anyone have FIRST HAND experience on this subject? I really don't care if I get noise in pos 2 and 4, but like me some nice quack/chirp!


Thanks folks
Mike
 
Re: Strat questions

Flat should have better string to string balance but just doesn't look right to me.

RWRP - The abscence of hum is nice but I hear a thinning out. Your ears might hear things differently. Not sure its RWRP itself or loading of the controls or something else. I like non-RWRP with a single tone control (meaning master tone or using a superswitch). I've got Suhrs with the combos disabled which sound righteous, but my wiring attempts with disabling tone is kind of hit or miss..

Just my opinion.
 
Re: Strat questions

Hi,

I like the antique-style stagger with a wound G. With a plain G the string is always much louder than the rest. I'd like to find a Strat pickup that is truly made for a plain G. IME, a plain G is always the loudest string on any guitar, yet with the antique stagger, the G also has the highest pole piece, accentuating the problem. On my Gibsons, the G pole piece screw is always the lowest, usually screwed down all the way, below the cover, flush with the bobbin. Thus, for a plain G, I prefer no stagger, and tilting the pickup so it is higher on the bass side.

Does anyone make a p/u with a stagger that lowers the G, B, and high E in relation to the low E, A, and D? That would be ideal for playing with a plain G IMO. Or they ought to just make the individual magnets height adjustable somehow.
 
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Re: Strat questions

@Itsa, Wilde's new microcoil has adjustable pole pieces in a single coil format. From what I understand Kinmans also come with different staggerings.

@LReese, any first hand opinion holds some value, I really appreciate your input :)
 
Re: Strat questions

ItsaBass said:
Hi,

I like the antique-style stagger with a wound G. With a plain G the string is always much louder than the rest. I'd like to find a Strat pickup that is truly made for a plain G. IME, a plain G is always the loudest string on any guitar, yet with the antique stagger, the G also has the highest pole piece, accentuating the problem. On my Gibsons, the G pole piece screw is always the lowest, usually screwed down all the way, below the cover, flush with the bobbin. Thus, for a plain G, I prefer no stagger, and tilting the pickup so it is higher on the bass side.

Does anyone make a p/u with a stagger that lowers the G, B, and high E in relation to the low E, A, and D? That would be ideal for playing with a plain G IMO. Or they ought to just make the individual magnets height adjustable somehow.
Click to expand...

Check out Rumpel pickups.

They make a pup with a low G stagger, I have a set.

http://www.rumpelstiltskinpickups.com/

HTH
 
Re: Strat questions

i swapped out the ceramic bar magnets on some MIM neck/middle pickups for alnico 5 rod magnets, and they sound 10 times better now. i might not even replace them with anything else.
 
Re: Strat questions

@Raistlin, thanks, quite interesting.

@Rumblebox, congratulations but that's completely irrelevant to this thread.
 
Re: Strat questions

i prefer non rwrp, but somehow my current strat set up has ended with rwrp middle (mainly cos i bought a set of 3) It does give hum cancellation but definitley sounds thinner and treblier. Given the choice i like all same wind and polarity - i think its a truer representation of what it sounds like to add some middle to the bridge or middle to the neck etc. Adding non rwrp midlle to the bridge fattens things up a little, whereas rwrp kind of adds a knotchy transparent sound. They are both good, just different.

As far as stagger goes, its less of an issue if you have your pickups further from the strings. Also - the fingerboard radius you have will make a difference. I have used various staggered and non staggered pups in the strat ive had for 20 years and its no big deal. Its a modern strat with the (i think) 10 inch radius. You can actually adjust stagger height by gently but firmly pressing down on the pole pieces so they just depress right thru the bobbin a little. Its reversible too.
 
Re: Strat questions

gibson175 said:
You can actually adjust stagger height by gently but firmly pressing down on the pole pieces so they just depress right thru the bobbin a little. Its reversible too.
Click to expand...

only do this on modern style pups that dont have the windings touching the magnets. do that on a '60 strat pup or ssl1 and youll probably have a dead pup with broken windings.
 
Re: Strat questions

MikeM said:
Hey guys.. Going to do the noob thing today!

I'm considering buying some new strat pups, but would like to hear people's opinions about magnet staggering and RWRP.

The staggering thing is not that much of an issue for me, but I hear people complain about it often, if there are some balance gains to be had, what usually works best? What kind of tweaks can one get besides changing string balance?
Click to expand...

You can't tweak. Moving the magnets will break the wire.

Also RWRP, I've read some guys say it adds to the quack and others say it detracts. Does anyone have FIRST HAND experience on this subject? I really don't care if I get noise in pos 2 and 4, but like me some nice quack/chirp!
Click to expand...

I posted clips some time ago. People's opinions were diverted between "no diff" and "difference that doesn't matter" :D
 
Re: Strat questions

Perhaps you misunderstood what I meant by tweak :)

Any idea what you called the thread?
 
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