Stagger for American Deluxe Strat Compound Radius

[wooster55]

Hi

I have an HSS 2010 American Deluxe Strat. I'm converting it to SSS pickups yet to be decided but possibly Slowhand or Irish Tour. I am really confused by the Staggered thing. Currenlty I have N3 Fenders on the neck and middle position and these are staggered so I was going to stick with the stagger on the new ones but I was told that I shouldn't because my neck is a compound radius starting at 9.5 and getting flatter as it goes up.

I also was told that I'd need to set the pups so far back to negate any stagger that I'd lose the benefits of new pups.

I use D'Addario 9-42s which have an unwound G if that matters.

I'd be really grateful if someone could help me with this.

Thanks

[Telerocker]

A guitar with a vintage radius like 7.25  benefits from staggered polepieces. Your strat needs flat polepieces. I have flat polepieces Irish Tours in my custom strat with has a 12 inch radius. They sound great.