Classic Fender strat - MM pups

[rusty]

Hey guys

I have got a Fender Classic 50's Strat (mexican) - http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0131002304

A few years back, a guitar shop fitted a mothers milk bridge pickup, now Im ready to switch the neck and middle for mothers milks (as they are so muddy!).  However I have no clue what type of bridge pickup it is as I didnt fit it.  Just a few quick questions

1 - Will the bridge pickup have any information on it stating what type of magnet and polarity it is? So i can find out what I need
2 - If not should I go for vintage stagger or Flat profile?
3 - Stock or rwrp?

I play a lot of gritty funk, think rhcp/jamiroquai with a bit more dirt, so I want a really thick sound, that has huge sounds and great sustain when adding more gain

Any advice would be great

[Tim]

I would surmise that it was the correct bridge model the shop fitted for you which would be south polarity and stock wound. I would match the middle and neck coils to the bridge ie if the bridge is vintage stagger so too mid and neck.
RWRP offers plenty of versatility  while stock mid option gives a little more output in 2 and 4 but no hum cancelling.

[ES330]

a classic strat would probably have more of a radius in the neck,
so staggered all the way !!!!

Though hum cancelling is nice, and many players and manufactuers,
will say with conviction that there is no loss of tone...
Many players, including myself, do notice something missing
when using RWRP in positions 2 & 4.

This is actually a question for Tim to explain what some players
don't like about RWRP.  He was very helpful to me about
RWRP vs standard.

[Prawnik]

I thought the stagger in the magnets of a Strat pickup was as much a matter of the anticipated string gauge as well as fretboard radius?

[AndyR]

I thought the stagger in the magnets of a Strat pickup was as much a matter of the anticipated string gauge as well as fretboard radius?

I think so as well - the stagger (there are two styles - an earlier one and a later in the 50s one - there's a thread/post about it from Tim somewhere on here - I think he can do either if required) the stagger was originally to compensate for the radius and the wound 3rd.

However, I feel that it's more a matter of taste and what you're used to nowadays.

I understand that if you've never used a strat stagger, the balance between strings might seem odd at first. But seeing as I've used one of the vintage staggers since the early 80s, and it's become an integral part of how I expect the guitar to respond, I'd personally have to be on a very flat radius fretboard (very unlikely in itself :lol:) before I started buying flat pole pickups.