Magnet Stagger to Match Fingerboard Radius

[Lyrebird Steve]

Hi All,

was reading up on Magnet Stagger heights and trying to build a chart to be able to make custom staggered Strat PUps to match the radius of the fingerboard.


By my calculations the vintage stagger of E = 0.671 (17.04 mm) and D = 0.710 (18.03 mm) would match a radius of 13 to 13.25 inches.

I've seen vintage Fingerboard radius quoted at 7.25 inches and modern as 9.5 inches with some makers going as big as 16 inches

The math as taken from here doesn't seem to work out

Anyone done these calculations before and can spot the error (if there is one) ?

Thanks
Steve

[big_teee]

Hi All,

was reading up on Magnet Stagger heights and trying to build a chart to be able to make custom staggered Strat PUps to match the radius of the fingerboard.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21557[/ATTACH]

By my calculations the vintage stagger of E = 0.671 (17.04 mm) and D = 0.710 (18.03 mm) would match a radius of 13 to 13.25 inches.

I've seen vintage Fingerboard radius quoted at 7.25 inches and modern as 9.5 inches with some makers going as big as 16 inches

The math as taken from here doesn't seem to work out

Anyone done these calculations before and can spot the error (if there is one) ?

Thanks
Steve

The smaller the circle radius the more the stagger.
A 13 inch radius would be farely flat.
Here is a chart on the Resources Page.
http://music-electronics-forum.com/a...magstagger.pdf
T

[Lyrebird Steve]

Performed some basic testing ... I created 3 arcs on a sheet of paper : 13 inch radius, 9.5 inch radius and 7.25 inch radius

I then placed a bobbin flat on the paper, and lit from overhead. I then observed the shadow cast by the magnets against the arc line.

The following images show correlation of magnet stagger to the arcs.


It appears that vintage stagger in fact corresponds to a slightly larger than 13 inch

[big_teee]

Also you have to factor in the wound and non wound strings.
The old staggered pickups were used with 4 wound 2 unwound.
With an unwound G string, it can be lower, or shorter magnet than in earlier fender guitar days.
I do a mild stagger, with 13 inch radius, it's unecessary, but players like the look of the beveled staggered pickups.
T

[RedHouse]

...I do a mild stagger, with 13 inch radius, it's unecessary, but players like the look of the beveled staggered pickups.
T

Same here more-or-less, I do a 12 so they work on modern Fender as well as SG's and the like. The only time I use the 7 is when a guy has that neck and wants that extreme a stagger. Personally I feel the 7 makes the D & G too loud when using modern string sets.

Leo and Bill showed us long ago that the stagger isn't really "needed" (ie; Tele bridge, Mustang, Jag, 500L, etc) but we know by experience it does make for a different sound. Better/Worse? depends on the player.

The following images show correlation of magnet stagger to the arcs.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]21563[/ATTACH]

Clever use of light and shadow there.