Pole pieces don't line up with strings all the way, do you

[scr@tchy]

Do you?

 

[stevieboy]

Only if I listened and it seemed to create a problem. Which I'd be surprised if it did.

Now, if the string was between the pole pieces, I might think twice!

 

[russ]

Not care

 

[Brian N]

It's like that on all my guitars. I never even noticed it until a couple weeks ago. If it matters to you though, they make "rail" pickups that have long pole pieces going lengthwise.

 

[metropolis74]

It depends on the guitar. For example on vintage spec Strats the low and high E strings are outside of the polepieces of the bridge pickup, but line up more evenly over the polepieces of the neck pickup.

While on modern style (narrower bridge) Strats the strings line up perfectly over the bridge pickup, but both e strings are inside of the neck pickup poles.

There's nothing I can do about it and the sound isn't affected so I chose 'not care'.

 

[gmann]

Most don't.

 

[TheoDog]

I corrected the problem on one guitar just this month. Tough to tell if it actually made a difference since I upgraded to a nicer pickup as well.

 

[Tony Bones]

The amount that i care is zero when everything lines up but increases as the misalignment increases.

 

[Barnzy]

I care, but I'm not obsessive about it. As long as the string passes over the screwhead there should be no problem. (..we are talking humbuckers I assume?). Anyway, the correction is to just give a slight bend to the mounting legs on the baseplate. Tweak it between string changes and it will eventually be perfect.

 

[bobbyatomic]

It depends on how you feel about the guitar. My main guitar is a 94 Ibanez RG that's pretty beat up, I changed the tremolo to a floyd rose and its smaller than the original trem that came on the guitar, so there's a large gap along the top and rear of the trem route. I swapped out the 5 position switch for a toggle so there's an empty blade switch route on the pick guard. If the pickup poles didn't align it wouldn't bother me at all, I own that guitar purely to play. On the other hand I have a Warmoth Strat I put together, one piece Korina body with a quilt maple top finished in light amber, birds eye maple neck, I hardly ever play it but it's just so pretty, if the poles didn't line up on that one it really would bother me, so, horses for courses.

 

[ant_riv]

If you care, David Allen spaces the pole pieces on his strat pups so they all align.

Great pickups, great customer service, and a great guy who will work with you to get the sound you are looking for.

 

[swiveltung]

I've used Gibson pickups on different spaced Fender guitars quite a bit. never found it to be an issue.

 

[diego]

Adjust the pickups and pole pieces so that the strings sound balanced. If that can't happen, it's a problem.

 

[SPROING!]

If this really bothers you, find a new passion. Most guitars are misaligned to some extent in this area.

 

[Tidewater Custom Shop]

I haven't seen scientific reports, but I'll bet it doesn't make much difference to humans... Maybe more so with non-adjustable pole pieces, I reckon.

I've used G-spaced humbuckers with F-style guitars for years without discernible notice.

 

[scr@tchy]

I care but I've heard it both ways recently on the same guitar and for me the difference is so small it would take a real laid back day for me to feel like changing it

 

[gmann]

Think of all the great music down thru the yrs and how much better it would've been had the strings lined up over the polepieces. Yep, I can only imagine.

 

[TDJMB]

It depends and, for me, has the greatest effect on the top and bottom strings. If you pick a note the toward the outside (downstroke on top string, upstroke on bottom string), it might be quieter because the string is pushed away from the polepiece.

 

[northstar6000]

From a scientific point of view I don't think this makes any difference. Pickups produce a magnetic field around them, that extends around the magnet.

So as long as the string is passing through this field, it really doesn't matter if the string is right above the pole or off to one side or the other.

I imagine there is a certain point where the magnetic field effectively ends, but a millimeter or two isn't going to make a difference.

 

[T Dizz]

Ef no. But if I have a blade pickup that doesn't line up, I'm totes offended