I did not need a spacer for the bridge pickup. I also adjusted the pole pieces on the pickups to get an even volume across the strings.
But some 0000 steel wool and problem solved. It may have been some sort of adhesive residue or clear coat overspray. I polished the frets, because they had a 'gritty' film on them that made bending seem rough. I had to lower the action, adjust the trussrod, set the intonation, and also do some filing of the nut slots to get the action right at the first fret. I love mine, but I had to spend some time setting it up.
