Difference between flat & staggered?

[whitebison66]

Specifically, the SD Quarter Pound Strat pickups. What difference does staggering make? I have looked, but can't find an answer/explanation.

 

[JaySwear]

i think its just supposed to even out the tone a bit. as in, the G's pole piece might be further away to cut down on some ridiculous trebly headache-inducing tons, while the low E's pole piece might be a bit closer to the string to make up for the lower tuning. at least thats what i always thought.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

+1 it's to even out the pickup string to string.

The default stagger is usually intended for an unwound G.  If changing to a wound G, the G string's volume and intonation goes out of whack.

 

[TroubledTreble]

Originally this was done to even out string response. String technology was a little different when those pickups were first made. Used to be that the G's were wound and they were a little louder than the other strings.

Modern strings are made to perform more evenly. Humbuckers never were staggered though you could adjust the poles.(Not that anyone does)

Today some builders, Lollar for one, tend to make single coils with a flat radius. The argument being that it is no longer necessary to stagger the poles and humbuckers work just fine flat so why not singles too.

 

[Rouse]

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

I just bought a set of flat poled pickups from them, they sound wonderful and no string balance issues

 

[GoDrex]

I thought the staggered poles were because of the old 7.5 radius of old Fender necks. With a flatter radius, they're not really needed.

 

[Superlizard]

Originally this was done to even out string response. String technology was a little different when those pickups were first made. Used to be that the G's were wound and they were a little louder than the other strings.

Modern strings are made to perform more evenly. Humbuckers never were staggered though you could adjust the poles.(Not that anyone does)

Today some builders, Lollar for one, tend to make single coils with a flat radius. The argument being that it is no longer necessary to stagger the poles and humbuckers work just fine flat so why not singles too.

^ this.

The wound G strings; back in the day.

 

[MUYFUE]

I think you mean "Back'n De Day"  :tard:

Doo Wop, Doo Wah, Doo Wop, Doo Wah, Doo Wop, Doo Wah, Shooby Doobie  :toothy10:                                                                                                                                                        :tard:

 

[jay4321]

A lot of people have no issues using vintage staggered pickups in guitars with boards as flat as 12" radius. I'm not one of them, I definitely had some string balance issues even on 9.5" radius necks. We did everything to it, lowered the pickups, angled them, etc. etc. etc. There was a very noticeable dropoff from the loud G to the subdued B and E strings. I would love to see a set of something like CS '69s non-staggered, but most companies insist on sticking to a stagger scheme designed for neck radii and string setups that relatively few are using.

In Warmoth's compound radius necks, forget it. I'd just go with non-staggered pickups.