Members Vantango84 Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 So, maybe you saw my last thread about this issue... I got some pickups from GFS, the 64 staggers... I I love the sound, but my god, I can barely hear the B and E strings. I've read that a lot of people have this issue with staggered pickups... sooooo, is it possible to sand-down, cut-down, or otherwise de-stagger strat pickups? Has anyone done this? It seems, logically, like it would be possible, but it also seems like it just might not work out at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members -Assy- Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 seems logical, go for it, try it on a crappy ceramic pickup first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jack harper Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 are you putting the pickups in level? i always have the treble side higher than the bass. to the pickup itself is slanting up like a ramp towards the B and e strings. I'd try adjusting the hight of both sides of the pickup, that should help you out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members flummox Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 I don't know how GFS pickups are constructed, but what you describe is impossible with the Fender ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vantango84 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 yea, I've got them slanted pretty good, but that only helped so much. The E and B could definitely still be louder for my taste. I don't know, maybe it's the pickups... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 just tap them down. I bet the PUP will break though. If they were Fender PUPs you could probably get away with it but then again if they were Fender you'd probably not have the problem in the first place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 just tap them down. I bet the PUP will break though. If they were Fender PUPs you could probably get away with it but then again if they were Fender you'd probably not have the problem in the first place. I have this issue with stock MIA strat pups. I'll probably end up swapping them out eventually though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 I have this issue with stock MIA strat pups. I'll probably end up swapping them out eventually though. Yeah I was half joking about the Fender PUPs, this has been a common problem since what the mid-50s when they started staggering? One of the PUP makers talks about how many people just tapped the G pole down but this often would cause the magnet to seperate from the coil so they don't recommend it. I actually prefer a slight raised D and G ala Lindy Fralin. (On a Tele anyway) but I think the combo of 7.25" and slight stagger works best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vantango84 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 I've got nothing against the raised G, I just wish the E and B were raised, too. That probably doesn't make any sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 I actually prefer a slight raised D and G ala Lindy Fralin. (On a Tele anyway) but I think the combo of 7.25" and slight stagger works best. I like that on a strat too. The issue with the stock pups, is the G on the neck pup is up a little too high, so it causes problems before the E and B can be dialed in right. The middle and bridge are fine. I've found a good compromise angling the neck pup, but I don't like the stock pups enough to really stress over it or try to mid them. Eventually they will come out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 I've got nothing against the raised G, I just wish the E and B were raised, too. That probably doesn't make any sense. It does. I just think the G is raised too high. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vantango84 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 Yea, because as you said, when you angle the entire pickup, you angle the G closer, too, and the E and B are closer to being balanced, but then the G is just loud as {censored}. Maybe I can find someone that wants to trade pups sometime. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Angry Tele Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 also amazing PUP winder Don Mare says he has a tool that can demag a single pole, not sure how this works but Ill take his word for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DaleH Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 Not like a new set of GFS pups are going to send you to the poor house. Try another non-stagger set and sell those ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vantango84 Posted March 22, 2009 Author Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 Not like a new set of GFS pups are going to send you to the poor house. Try another non-stagger set and sell those ones. For an under-employed college student who has to buy $100 worth of books this week, it kinda will. I can wait a month or so to get some different pickups. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Norcal_GIT_r Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 When I make staggered pickups I charge each magnet different to balance each string. This pretty much eliminates this problem. Sanding the poles isnt a good idea. Niether is tapping down the pole, unless you know for sure the pickup is made with a plastic bobbin where the poles are in slot and do not actually have wire wound around them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 When I make staggered pickups I charge each magnet different to balance each string. This pretty much eliminates this problem. I have feeling you put more care into your design than most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hecticone Posted March 22, 2009 Members Share Posted March 22, 2009 Thats pretty common with the higher end PU's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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