Non-adjustable poles & wound 3rd string

[Ron C]

I prefer a wound 3rd string for feel, intonation, and tuning stability, but the volume/sustain drop off compared to the unwound 1st and 2nd strings is starting to bug me.

It hadn't been an issue when I was using full size HBs with adjustable pole pieces. But this year I began to use DiMarzio Area 61s in the neck and middle and a Lawrence L298 in my strat type partscaster (12" radius neck). The drop off is more pronounced with the Area 61s, since they have raised 4,5,6 and flat 1,2,3 poles, while the L298 has flat poles.

I'm interested in suggestions and comments from other wound 3rd users - is it an issue for you? have some pickups been better or worse for this?

Thanks,
Ron

[teleyouk]

Originally Posted by Ron C

It hadn't been an issue when I was using full size HBs with adjustable pole pieces. But this year I began to use DiMarzio Area 61s in the neck and middle and a Lawrence L298 in my strat type partscaster (12" radius neck). The drop off is more pronounced with the Area 61s, since they have raised 4,5,6 and flat 1,2,3 poles, while the L298 has flat poles.

I believe that the DiMarzio Area 61 have a "modern" staggering like the most recent single coils of the brand.
THe "G" magnet is lower than the "D" one; this is done to obtain a perfect balance between the wound and unwound strings. however this staggering works only with a modern string set i.e. with a plain G.
(The traditionnal stagger profile has the G and the D magnets at the same height, this was for the wound G string sets, most commonly used in these early years).
Furthermore, the stagger profile is appropriate with low radiuses (9.5 and lower ones), and absolutely not with 12'.
Not surprising at all that your sound is unbalanced...
SO, the only alternative, in your case, is to replace those Area 61, by single coils with a flat profile (all the magnets at the same height).

[andrenighthound]

i specifically use 3rd wound strings when tunomatic bridges were hard to intonate and on one guitar with firebird pups to bring the volume down a bit to balance out the string vol.

[Zhangliqun]

You can have pickups custom made with the stagger you need. As others have said, the original vintage stagger was designed in the days when a plain G was unheard of. You definitely need a higher Alnico rod for that wound G.

[teleyouk]

Also, the problem of balance can be accentuated by the kind of strings you use; with pure nickel strings, a difference between wound and unwound strings can be heard more (that's why I don't like them), even with the right pickups.