pickup poles at differing heights - is this normal? (also, pickup rust)

[polvo]

I just picked up a second hand strat and the pickup poles are not aligned, they seem to be in pairs at three different heights (E-A strings medium height, D-G strings high, B-E strings low). At first I thought there was something wrong with the pickups, but the heights seem consistent across all three pickups so I guess this is intentional? They sound good either way, but it made me curious.

 

Has anyone come across this before? And if it's not meant to be like this, is there any way to adjust the height of pickup pole pieces?

 

(Bonus question - Is there any safe way to remove the rust?)

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dad3353]

Yes, this is normal for many guitars. The pick-ups have been designed to follow the curve of the fretboard, so as to have the same height between magnet and string. Is it important, or critical..? Not at all; it's just the way that particular manufacturer thought would sound (or sell..!) better.
The traces of rust are normal, too, as the pole pieces are made of ferrite (so iron...) material. A brisk rubbing with a Scotch-brite pad, or a brass wire brush will remove it, and applying a little varnish (clear nail varnish..?) over them will help keep them rust-free. It's purely a cosmetic thing, though; personally I just accept it and leave 'em alone. 

[Crusoe]

11 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Yes, this is normal for many guitars. The pick-ups have been designed to follow the curve of the fretboard, so as to have the same height between magnet and string. Is it important, or critical..? Not at all; it's just the way that particular manufacturer thought would sound (or sell..!) better.
The traces of rust are normal, too, as the pole pieces are made of ferrite (so iron...) material. A brisk rubbing with a Scotch-brite pad, or a brass wire brush will remove it, and applying a little varnish (clear nail varnish..?) over them will help keep them rust-free. It's purely a cosmetic thing, though; personally I just accept it and leave 'em alone. 

Could you use WD-40 on a cotton bud to remove the rust, or would it cause problems? I was thinking that doing that would mean you wouldn't have any dust coming off on the guitar.

[Dad3353]

2 hours ago, Crusoe said:

Could you use WD-40 on a cotton bud to remove the rust, or would it cause problems? I was thinking that doing that would mean you wouldn't have any dust coming off on the guitar.

 

Yes, that would work although WD40 (depending on what it really contains...) seems a bit excessive. A slightly-damp lint-free cloth (old tee-shirt..? Kitchen roll..?) will pick up any tiny traces of powder that might result from scrubbing the pole pieces, and would be a standard 'wipe-down' procedure in any case, at least once in a while. Being a lazy so-and-so, and not suffering from over-fussiness, explains why I don't bother with such niceties, myself, but your procedure won't damage the guitar beyond repair, so why not..? Hope this helps.

 

Douglas

[ezbass]

I'd leave them alone. It is not uncommon to have rusty or discoloured pole pieces. Unless it's shedding rust onto the pick guard and into the pickup housing, it's just aesthetics. Adds a bit of mojo to the look for me.

 

I'd be more into rubbing those frets over with some 1000 - 2000 grit paper and a micro mesh cloth.

[polvo]

3 hours ago, ezbass said:

 

I'd be more into rubbing those frets over with some 1000 - 2000 grit paper and a micro mesh cloth.

 

Yeah, that was the first thing I did after taking those photos!