[BluesJam]

Recently, for a friend,  I was searching for a left handed Fender vintage style strat pickups and noticed that the stagger was different than my FS-1.  Then I realized that Larry DiMarzio's stagger idea for the FSi was genius and I'm not sure why, including other DiMarzio offerings do not have a similar stagger.  On the FS1, only the D & G poles are raised to the same height, the others poles are the same height.  So its a modified vintage stagger, that allows for left handed and right handed guitar model use.  There's no need to create a left-handed model and it saves time and money for the manufacturer.  I've been playing DiMarzio's for so long, that I did not realize the unique difference between the Fender and DiMarzio magnet stagger designs. 

[HarlowTheFish]

The vintage stagger is from the era when the "standard" string set had a wound G and was a couple of gauges thicker. In that context, it balances out the volume between strings really nicely. When players moved to thinner strings with a plain G, you get that issue of a really loud G with a kinda weak D and B in comparison. A bunch of the Dimarzios (and some of the newer Duncans, IIRC) have the magnets sort of radiused to compensate for that change and to make it easier to adjust (because now there's no need to work around volume balance). Also saves on manufacturing costs because, like you said, no need for lefty and righty versions.

[BluesJam]

Like humbuckers, vintage style singles should be designed like the FS1.  It makes manufacturing processes easier; promotes efficiency; and less burdensome on staffing costs.  Some of the savings can be passed on to the consumer. 

Unless you’re a gearbox, most people wouldn’t notice the difference between the vintage Fender stagger and FS1 universal stagger.   DiMarzio should use the FS1 stagger on more pickup designs.  It would also be interesting if DiMarzio made a full size FS1 with Alnico 5 magnets instead of a bar magnet....Like a Wide Range Pickup.