Using a neck pickup in the middle position (strat) ?...

PonchoGreg

Okay, this is to check I'm not being totally thick... Is there any downside to using the same (neck) pickup for both the neck and middle position on a strat?

They would be from the same manufacturer so I'm thinking that as they are both wound the same (clockwise) and with the same polarity, it should work out fine (albeit without the rwrp hum cancelling benefit, which I don't particularly care about)?

Right??

Philly_Q

That's what guitar manufacturers themselves have done for many years.

I don't claim to be an expert on Fender pickup specs but I suspect in the early years they just picked up three pickups from a parts bin and wired them in wherever - there were no "bridge", "middle" or "neck" models.

Even when aftermarket pickups from the likes of DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan appeared, they didn't have three different pickups in a set - there was usually a "neck/middle" model (perhaps with an RW/RP option), and a slightly hotter "bridge" model.

You'll be fine.

Jono111

The poles may be slightly further apart for the neck, 50mm for middle and 52 for the neck, if you have a cover it may not fit.

PonchoGreg

Cheers, make sense! And yes I did read somewhere that fender just used the same three pickups originally. I was more worried about the out of phase thing

ICBM

PonchoGreg said:

I was more worried about the out of phase thing

Strat pickups have never been out of phase, despite the incorrect popular name given to the two-pickup sounds - at least not intentionally, since there is no common standard between manufacturers. If you use two pickups from the same maker you shouldn’t have any problems.

PonchoGreg

ICBM said:

PonchoGreg said:

I was more worried about the out of phase thing

Strat pickups have never been out of phase, despite the incorrect popular name given to the two-pickup sounds - at least not intentionally, since there is no common standard between manufacturers. If you use two pickups from the same maker you shouldn’t have any problems.

Thank you!

enjo

The Fender Classic 60's pickups I had were all the same, sounded fine.

PonchoGreg

By way of an update... As expected, neck pickup in the middle is absolutely fine. BUT.... do not expect manufacturers (in this case Tonerider) to have a consistent approach to what magnet direction they use for any given pickup position across their range or over time... .

Sure enough the bridge pickup I am keeping in the guitar (another, older, Tonerider) is reverse polarity to the new neck pickup I installed in the middle (but wound in the same direction, as expected). Holy out-of-phase thinness in position 2, Batman! No bother though, will either order a new Tonerider bridge pickup to complete the set (as it will have the correct polarity) or flip the hot/ground on the exisiting bridge pickup.

Cautionnary tale, though.

Oh and by the by, the Tonerider Pure Vintage neck pickup sounds awesome. Classic strat heaven.

CasperCaster

I just read your other thread;

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/186346/now-that-is-customer-service#latest


It sounds like you have a more than satisfactory outcome!


I hope it all sounds great once you get your new pickups wired up! 

PonchoGreg

CasperCaster said:

I just read your other thread;

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/186346/now-that-is-customer-service#latest


It sounds like you have a more than satisfactory outcome!


I hope it all sounds great once you get your new pickups wired up! 

It already does . Very happy with the tonerider pure vintage, bit mellower than the classic blues. I very very rarely use position 2 anyway, but will be good to have everything working as it should and without having to extend any wires to reverse the phase...

Funkfingers

PonchoGreg said:

a consistent approach to what magnet direction they use for any given pickup position across their range or over time... .

In their defence, Tonerider may just be faithfully reproducing a change that Fender themselves made on Stratocaster pickups. 

Reversing the magnetic polarity of some Alnico formulas is easily achievable. 

PonchoGreg

Funkfingers said:

PonchoGreg said:

a consistent approach to what magnet direction they use for any given pickup position across their range or over time... .

In their defence, Tonerider may just be faithfully reproducing a change that Fender themselves made on Stratocaster pickups. 

Reversing the magnetic polarity of some Alnico formulas is easily achievable. 

Explanation straight from Tonerider (as mentioned in my other thread):

"You are correct that we have changed the polarity since 2012 to make HSS HSH and other unusual installs much easier and without phase issues.  Our apologies for the confusion.