Should strings sit directly on pole pieces?

[kaicho8888]

I've got my kid's MIM Strat (HSS). I noticed that the strings are not located directly on top of the each of their respective poles.

When doing bends, it gets annoyingly obvious especially for the neck PU. For example, the high E string is at the edge of the pole piece and not at the center. When doing heavy bends, the string will move towards the B string pole and causes the volume to decrease and then the volume increase again as it gets close to the next pole.

Should the strings be directly on the poles to avoid this change of volume....or should I change pickups? I was thinking of just angling the pickup...meaning I'll have to enlarge the hole of pickguard so I can angle the PU.

Any practical solution for this problem?

[Mesotech]

They should be as close to center over the pole pieces as possible, but that's not always possible.

There are a few ways to correct the problem. One of those ways is to reposition the pickups, though that's possibly the most difficult solution.

The most popular solution is to loosen the neck screws and shift the neck up or down to align the strings, then retighten the neck. If you look closely, you may notice that the strings already are not running parallel down the neck, and making this adjustment would correct both problems.

A third unpopular method (but more popular than moving the pickups) would be to adjust the bridge saddles slightly. This type of fix isn't always obtainable, depending on the type of saddles.

Yet another solution would be to replace the nut of the guitar to reposition the slots to make the strings fall where they need to.

I'd try the less obtrusive neck shift first. Just loosen the screws just enough so that if you bump the headstock with the palm of your hand it will shift either up or down slightly, depending on the way you need it to move. A little change (thousandths of an inch) in angle makes a huge difference.

[kaicho8888]

Meso, thanks for the valuable tips.

I already shifted the neck and that moved it a little. The strings are equidistant on the fretboard.

I thought I would try to move the whole pickguard; this would require filling the holes and redrilling with very minor trimming on the neck side of the pickguard.

The center to center spacing of the string at the bridge is 2-1/16"; but it is 1-7/8" by the neck PU. So the neck PU is wider than string spacing. Since the problem is with the high E string, I'll try to place the pole directly under it. The lower strings seem less problematic and can be off the poles.

Do you know if PU's have different spacing for the neck, mid, and bridge?

[phantomman]

The only Fender pickups with different pole-piece spacing that I'm aware of are those of the MIA vintage-reissue Jazz Basses and the Custom Shop JB accessory pickups. The MIM Jazz Basses have identically-spaced pole pieces and thus the same problem as your son's MIM Strat.

[kaicho8888]

Thanks Pman

[phantomman]

I think the fundamental problem lies with the "asian-spaced" 2-1/16" bridge. The reduced string spacing may be easier for some folks to play but the resulting downside (and I have seen this phenomenon countless times) is decreased signal output from the neck pickup. I think it's noteworthy that FMIC chose not to mess with the Telecaster's bridge dimensions.

Best of luck with a "fix"......it's a tough nut to crack.

[Don]

Those pickups appear to be set way too high.

The middle and neck single coil pickups should never be closer than 1/8" (3mm) from the strings (they'll usually sound best even farther away than that) and the bridge humbucker never less than half that-1/16" (1.5mm).

Lower them quite a bit and the guitar will sound sweeter and you'll notice less volume drop when bending strings.

[Porto Leone]

i had the same problem with my Godin Freeway Classic. i upgraded the stock pickups to a set of Lace (which they don't use pole pieces) and the problem is solved.
if Don's suggestion won't work and you don't want to spend any money on the guitar, i'm afraid you have to sell/trade it... i'd prefer that instead of taking the risk to damage it's components (neck, neck pocket, pickguard, body routing etc.)

[kaicho8888]

Don,
This is an older picture before I monkeyed around with it...I've got the neck pickup almost to the level of the pickguard. Thanks for the eagle eye!

Porto Leone, yeah I was considring a Lace pickup...probably cost more than this guitar.

The Strat plays nicely except for the neck PU and the middle PU is tolerable. The HB bridge is loud and hot.

[Zhangliqun]

String-pole alignment isn't nearly as much of an issue on bridge pu's because there are no bass freq's to pick up there, so it doesn't need the wider magnetic field to see it. Lack of alignment on the neck pu can be a problem because there ARE obviously bass freq's to be picked up on that part of the string, and on many strats the neck pu spacing is too wide, causing weak sounding E-strings. Kinman spaces is neck pu's a bit tighter just for that reason.

[Porto Leone]

Lace pups are not expensive. since Zhang checked in the thread, i remember that he used to make strat pickups with bigger pole pieces... maybe that would help to have much less volume changes when bending... Blade-type pickups do it well, but these are expensive and more close to humbuckers than single coils.

[Erock_Germany]

I think the fundamental problem lies with the "asian-spaced" 2-1/16" bridge. The reduced string spacing may be easier for some folks to play but the resulting downside (and I have seen this phenomenon countless times) is decreased signal output from the neck pickup. I think it's noteworthy that FMIC chose not to mess with the Telecaster's bridge dimensions.

Best of luck with a "fix"......it's a tough nut to crack.

BINGO! Buy that man a cigar!

[pseudocat]

Blade-type pickups do it well, but these are expensive and more close to humbuckers than single coils.

I imagine you might be thinking of DiMarzio Fast Tracks or Duncan Rails? Some blade-type single coils are true single coils, though. Check out Pete Biltoft's offerings:

http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/wi...e_poleWin.html

These are true singles.

[Porto Leone]

I imagine you might be thinking of DiMarzio Fast Tracks or Duncan Rails? Some blade-type single coils are true single coils, though. Check out Pete Biltoft's offerings:

http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/wi...e_poleWin.html

These are true singles.

true... Vintage Vibe Guitars, Bill Lawrence and afew others make single coils with blades. i've never tried one of those, so i can't comment on how much stratty they sound.

[Zhangliqun]

Lace pups are not expensive. since Zhang checked in the thread, i remember that he used to make strat pickups with bigger pole pieces...

Still do, .205" diameter vs. vintage range of .187" to .195". You don't really notice they're larger unless you set the pickup next to another pu with vintage diameter rods.