Fender mim 2003 single coil pup question

[Slobrain]

I bought a 2003 mim strat and noticed the single coils have the staggered magnets. I'm wondering if I should push them all even or leave them that way. I have strat sc pups that have the even magnets and they sound good, the staggered seem ok but the A and D magnets really stick up and I have to keep the SC pups kind of lowered a bit.

I kind of always wondered if staggered magnets are better than the even ones but I don't really hear any big differences.

I've also wondered why some SC pups sound fatter than others even though the ohm range was about the same? odd that some strats sound real fat while others sound real thin...

The funniest is that I have a Squier Affinity parts guitar with a squier standard neck that sounds fat over my mim strats....odd....

Slo

[David Schwab]

Staggered magnets are stupid IMO. They were useful back when people use heavy strings with wound Gs. Now it's just done because that's the way vintage guitars are, and there's this retro fad that's been going on since the mid 90s. People are afraid to step outside the box.

You might be able to put them down. If they are plastic bobbins that's easy. If they are fiber, you might get away with it, but you have to be careful not to break the coil wire.

[Chuck H]

If they are fiber, you might get away with it, but you have to be careful not to break the coil wire.

+1
learned this for myself as a teenager when I leveled the staggered PUPs in my MIJ strat. It worked on two but did short one.

[Slobrain]

+1
learned this for myself as a teenager when I leveled the staggered PUPs in my MIJ strat. It worked on two but did short one.

I hear ya, good advice, I'll definitally be careful.

I'm still wondering though what make one single coil sound fat (thick) versus another sounding thin? I have tried to use SC's with higher ohm like 9.0K ohm versus 5.5K in say the mid pup position and it takes away some hi's but still does not get me where I want, lacking that thick tone SRV gets. Yeah, I know, heavy gauge strings...

I do have a trick to replace the trem block in strats with a brass block to thicken up tone for a fatter sound, I'm also considering using some GFS stainless steel saddles next to see if that helps fatten tone too.

I was never into the strat tones like the 60's surf sound even though I do dig that sound but I like a fat strat sound like certain players get. David Gilmour has a fantastic strat sound as does Trower but I know its in their fingers more than the guitar... and no one can even touch Jimi's sound... Its funny that we have still never seen a player like Jimi to this day since his death.

We need a new guitar hero like Jimi... someone who will set the world on its ear again.

SLO

[David Schwab]

+1
learned this for myself as a teenager when I leveled the staggered PUPs in my MIJ strat. It worked on two but did short one.

I can see our age difference here... there were no MIJ Strats when I was a teenager!

[Chuck H]

Well, it was the first ones on the market and I was 18. At the time considered one step above a Squire. GC was blowing them out for $249.

[David Schwab]

Well, it was the first ones on the market and I was 18. At the time considered one step above a Squire. GC was blowing them out for $249.

There was no Guitar Center, except in CA, when I was a teen either. And no Squiers, which was introduced in 1982. I was no longer a teen in the late 70s.

I always found that the MIJs were often better than the USA Fenders. In fact, I remember when the MIMs came out and they were often better than the US Fenders. But fender was pretty abysmal at the time.

[Chuck H]

I liked my MIJ ok. I'd probably love it now though. I was a LP guy at the time and I've since morphed into strat guy. It was GC in San jose, CA. that I bought it from. I sold my MIJ as partial trade for an Esprit. Which of course became collectible as soon as Carlton started using one and remain that way today.

I never used the Esprit so I gave it to a charity auction raising money to help homeless children. It sold for $1000. So I'm not sorry I gave it up.

The guitar I really wish I still had is my Yamaha SBG1300TS. Earlier, as a young teenager, I had friends with better instruments. One with a Rick 4001, another with a 58 Gold top and another with a 335 dot.