Recording head to minimize undershoots in readback pulses

A recording head having first and second poles with first and second pole tips (P1,P2) separated by a gap (16), a cross-section of one of the pole tips (P1,P2) including two regions, one larger than the other, one of the regions being adjacent to the gap. A cross-section of a second pole tip (P2,P1) may include two regions, one larger than the other, one of the regions being adjacent to the gap. This pole tip design, where the width of the poles along their outer edges (W0 ,W0 ) are considerably larger or considerably smaller compared to their width at the gap (Wg), leads to minimal undershoots in the readback pulses of thin film heads.