Why are Precision pickups overlapped?

[jamesf]

While installing my new "original" or "62 reissue" Fender pickups, which do not have flush mounted magnets like the website blurb said, I was about to adjust the height and started thinking, always a bad sign.

If the pickups have an overlap, that means the inner two strings are sampled twice, and I shouldn't have to raise the pickups to match the neck radius.

Surprisingly, I could find nothing about this on the internet. So am I right or do I still need to tilt the pickups?

thanks,
jim

 

[Turock]

Not sure what you're talking about, I don't see the two inner strings "sampled twice".

 

[preside]

I think you may have just gotten confused by the lack of exposed poles. Look at a P-set with exposed poles and you'll see the E and A strings handled by 2 pairs of poles and the D and G handled by another pair.

 

[jamesf]

DOOOHHH! I never bothered to look at the magnets, just the plastic.

Nevermind...

jim

 

[BlueTalon]

Try them level. If the A & D strings need a little more oomph to have equal volume with the E & G strings, then raise the insides of the pickup a bit. If not, then leave it.

 

[megafiddle]

Actually, the "plastic" is important; that's where the coil winding is. The poles supply the field, but it's the coil that senses the string signal.

I would guess there is some slight "crosstalk", e.g., from A string to D/G pickup half, but I've never seen it matter. Variations in the alnico pole charge probably has more effect on the string volume. Just adjust as needed.

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