Strat pickup pole spacing

[T89Rex]

Hi forum!

I'm getting close to pulling the trigger on a new Strat build and I want to make sure I'm not about to make a stupid mistake. I know that there are different Strat bridge string spacings and I know what I want in that respect but it seems like that spacing should affect the desirable pole spacing particularly on the bridge pickup. I've never really seen anyone talking about this though.

Are all Strat pickups 'compatible' with both string spacings? Specifically, I'm planning to use Bill Lawrence Microcoils and the Callaham American Standard hardtail bridge, with 52 mm spacing.

Thanks!

 

[Rick]

Never heard of a problem with Bill Lawrence pups

 

[stratamania]

Most strat pickups are made to the dimension they are and polepiece alignment therefore becomes a compromise to a degree depending on bridge width, pickup position, whether you use a plain or wound g  etc. This is the case on most strats or variants thereof.

The only ways around this that I am aware of are:

Use a blade style pickup
Use an EMG
Order a set of Kinman's where you can specify things such as narrow or vintage bridge width, modern or vintage neck radius, pickup position.

Here is a set of Kinmans for reference.

Pickups Screening3 by stratamania, on Flickr

And showing how they align. The polepiece width of each pickup varies from one to the other to take into account the taper of the strings.

StrungUp (1) by stratamania, on Flickr

 

[T89Rex]

Thanks for the responses.

If a little bit of compromise is more or less the standard I'm fine with that. Kinman's stuff is interesting but I'm just not familiar enough with Strats yet to drop close to 400 USD on pickups. I've always been more into Teles and offsets... which is why I simply must build a Strat.

 

[stratamania]

Of course, there are lots of pickup choices out there for them.