Hi Andy,
Please read my replies again....I've stated that on the original 34346 the magnets on the the bottom bobbin are flush and not "pushed trough".
They just put a high E magnet on the place of the G pole....It could be a mistake by some one...
Apparently there are quiet a few of this pu's so I can imagine it was done because they had to.
Imagine they ordered a couple of thousands magnets in different lengths and the supplier didn't counted them correctly or weighted wrong.
So they decided to use high E poles instead....
Fender did the bevelling by hand,magnet by magnet so a lot of work, the bevelling was done to push the magnet with less resistance trough the bobbins.
Later with stronger machines and time the bevel was scripted, so again cutting the cost...
Please Andy stop thinking the 34346 was a special one off for Fender....it wasn't, it was just one of the custom orders they get irregular...
The custom orders where just build between the others(except the painting) they just chose a highly figured neck and put a pre-ordered (off factory) gilded tremolo block.
Nobody did think twice or gave a t*ss when they grabbed the scratch-plate/pick-guard from a batch with the now fabled stagger....
Let alone thinking about the string gauge...there wasn't any other then the standard full nickel 13-56...
Andy did you see pictures in my previous reply??? the 58 almost flat magnets....?
My original 65 Marvin has single slot pick guard screws...Paul Day told me...common practise when they run out cross-heads at the local hardware store!
Vox amps with different coloured light jewels dito...
So again the 34346 isn't a magic stick made for Hank because he was like Harry Potter
I've played Apache dry on the 34346 from the first to the last note (with I think 9's) without trem arm....goosebumps all over...but it's no magic stick!
When I arrived home I grabbed my 58 same feel on the guitar neck in handling except the (then) 14-62 now 13-56 ...but no goosebumps
Cheers Rob