Dunno about you guys but when I bend a low E I bend it towards the center of the fingerboard and I reckon the strings can sit outside that pole (the low E) rather than inside. Really need some techno type here to map out the gauss strength around a typical pole piece set (I said set - these things interact and reinforce) - my observations is that I can't tell the difference much unless we are falling offa the edge of the earth. Rusty.