Fender Player pole pieces

[Richie612]

Hello guys and girls just a quick question.
Popped into a local guitar shop today hoping to pick up a Fender Player MIM.
I noticed that the pole pieces particularly for the high E string on the neck pickup weren't anywhere near central to the string.
Has anyone else noticed this on the player series?
There were classic vibe squire guitars which were perfectly aligned but not the player series.
After a discussion with the shop owner which was very helpful we came to the conclusion that the pickups were all bridge pickups and the only difference was the windings.
That's why the bridge pickup was perfectly central and the neck wasn't.
As the bridge pickup is on an angle it's spacing between the pole pieces is slightly wider than a straight pickup found in the middle and neck position.
I decided against buying the guitar due to this and thought I'd ask on here for your advice first.
It's strange that the classic vibe squire guitars were perfect and the Fender Player wasn't.
Rich

 

[stevierayfan91]

Hi, @Richie612

I thought the staggered pole pieces are very normal on Strat pickups

 

[El Gobernador]

I noticed that the pole pieces particularly for the high E string on the neck pickup weren't anywhere near central to the string.

They don't have to be.

After a discussion with the shop owner which was very helpful we came to the conclusion that the pickups were all bridge pickups and the only difference was the windings.

All of the bobbins are the same size. Always have been, always will be. They aren't sized for bridge, middle, and neck.

The bridge will line up the best, the neck will be the most off. Does matter? No. Every Strat ever made is like this.

 

[Kingmarc1982]

Did you play it and did you like how it sounded. To me at least. Functionality and tonality are what matters. Not so much the symmetry

 

[arct]

Minutiae kills.

rct

 

[Bob the builder]

Ya don't listen with your eyes
Already have a player series hss + tele
Waiting for the sss to come in

 

[ThreeChordWonder]

Fender player string spacing is 2-1/16 at the bridge, 1.650 at the neck.

AFAIK all Strat pickups are made based on the string spacing at the MIDDLE pickup, so the poles aren't quite far enough apart at the bridge pickup, and slightly too far apart at the neck pickup.

It doesn't really matter tone wise, but aesthetically you can always swap out for a trembucker in the bridge.

As for pole piece height, current Player Strats have staggered pole heights from the factory.

 

[thomquietwolf]

Isn't it mostly based on the aura of the field
For the most part???

My Hwy One had staggered poles
Took my plastic torpedo level
Pushed the poles down(gently)
Level with the covers...
Played well....
Twas all esthetics to me....

 

[crankmeister]

Was it a used guitar? Seems odd for that to happen with a new one.

I have a slightly different situation with a modded Tele. It does make a slight difference in volume and sustain on the high E string.

 

[Ace38]

 

[guitarman1984]

Guys the magnetic field surrounds the magnet pole allover, otherwise during a bending you should go quiet when a string is passing in between two poles, right?!?! It's perfectly normal in a Strat.

 

[LawFlow]

Most all modern Fenders (MIM or MIA) look like this. Look at Fender's website. It's the way it is and doesn't matter.

 

[Richie612]

Thanks for the replies guys, just to add it was on a SSS model and the bends on the high E string were fretting out.
Shame really as I was after a new Player Series.

 

[Richie612]

They don't have to be.



All of the bobbins are the same size. Always have been, always will be. They aren't sized for bridge, middle, and neck.

The bridge will line up the best, the neck will be the most off. Does matter? No. Every Strat ever made is like this.

Yes they're the same size but wound differently. Just very disappointed that the pole piece beneath the high e on the neck pickup was too far beneath the string and causes it to fret out on bends

 

[Richie612]

Hi, @Richie612

I thought the staggered pole pieces are very normal on Strat pickups

Yes staggered they were which is correct but my point is the pole pieces were not aligned properly with the high e string and another brand new player the a string.

 

[El Gobernador]

Yes they're the same size but wound differently. Just very disappointed that the pole piece beneath the high e on the neck pickup was too far beneath the string and causes it to fret out on bends

The old pickups were all wound the same. They were all the same wind and polarity.

The polepiece cannot affect a bend. Doesn't happen.

The polepiece does not have to have the string passing through the center of the polepiece for it to work properly.

The guitar wasn't set up. That's why it fretted out.

You had a perfectly good guitar in need of a setup. Like all new production guitars.

And ..the guy at the shop is clueless if he came to the conclusion below:

After a discussion with the shop owner which was very helpful we came to the conclusion that the pickups were all bridge pickups and the only difference was the windings.
That's why the bridge pickup was perfectly central and the neck wasn't.

So far off it's kinda funny.

It's strange that the classic vibe squire guitars were perfect and the Fender Player wasn't.

Note neck pickup.

 

[myfriendjoe]

AmPro II

 

[Richie612]

The old pickups were all wound the same. They were all the same wind and polarity.

The polepiece cannot affect a bend. Doesn't happen.

The polepiece does not have to have the string passing through the center of the polepiece for it to work properly.

The guitar wasn't set up. That's why it fretted out.

You had a perfectly good guitar in need of a setup. Like all new production guitars.

And ..the guy at the shop is clueless if he came to the conclusion below:



So far off it's kinda funny.


Note neck pickup.

Yes looked exactly like that

 

[Cerb]

Yes looked exactly like that

That (or a version of it) is the way it's supposed to look.

 

[Hillebert]

I have a 1990 Am Std. and a 2021 Player and they both don't align an all Pole Pieces and look like pictured above. It is by design...
There is nothing wrong with it.