Pickup width and pole spacing.

[zeegler]

I have many, many Seymour Duncan pickups. Some of them are extremely early examples, and some are brand new. I have compared them at various times, and I've discovered that the older ones are narrower than the newer ones. Among the pickups I have, there are three different widths. The very early ones are the narrowest, and the newer SH models are a little wider, with the sole TB model I have being the widest. (keep in mind these are all bridge pickups)

has anyone else noticed a difference with the older ones?

I don't like the TB models, even for Floyded guitars. The pickups don't seem to fit in all pickup rings without catching on them.

[straycat]

The early ones are standard spaced.I have all three as well.TB is wider for sure I just use the old ones in floyd guitars The spacing doesn't bother me I go for the tone.Never had a problem with the TBs and pickup rings.

[Zerberus]

I think some time in the early to mid ´90s SD started using /molding "modern vintage" bobbins where the poles are spaced 1mm wider apart. That said, most manufacurers today use this spacing, real PAFs are also spaced slightly narrower than today´s GIbson PUs.

.....
I don't like the TB models, even for Floyded guitars. The pickups don't seem to fit in all pickup rings without catching on them.

That´s why they come with their own rings, though I´ve never had issues myself (only alleviated them for others)

[brent]

tonally it never bothered me, fit wise I've run into the occasional issue, but nothing beyond a minor hassle

EVH used to claim he initially slanted the 'bucker in his strat to make sure the strings passed over the polepieces even if it was on an angle, I always thought that was a bit of an Ed fairy tale and he did it because Fender slanted the bridge single coil

[Newc]

Some years back Gibson changed the angle of their TOMs to be a bit straighter, thus widening the string spacing to match Floyd spacing.

I found that out after putting a Gibson 498T in a Floyded Jackson and the strings passed directly over the poles, yet were also perfectly aligned with my 93 LP Standard.

Since Fender and Gibson set the pole-spacing standards, everyone followed them.

Older pickups would obviously have not been through this design revision, and if you put them in a Les Paul that had the new spacing, the poles would not line up.

[zeegler]

Some years back Gibson changed the angle of their TOMs to be a bit straighter, thus widening the string spacing to match Floyd spacing.

I found that out after putting a Gibson 498T in a Floyded Jackson and the strings passed directly over the poles, yet were also perfectly aligned with my 93 LP Standard.

Since Fender and Gibson set the pole-spacing standards, everyone followed them.

Older pickups would obviously have not been through this design revision, and if you put them in a Les Paul that had the new spacing, the poles would not line up.

Aha, so that explains why older SD pickups have narrower pole spacing then. Makes sense.