A servo write head for magnetic tape is provided. The invention includes first and second non-magnetic substrates and first and second magnetic layers deposited between the non-magnetic substrates. A middle non-magnetic substrate is then deposited between the first and second magnetic layers and forms the magnetic gap. In one embodiment, non-magnetic protective layers are placed between the middle substrate and magnetic layers and form part of the gap. A contoured top layer of magnetic material is deposited across the other layers and substrates and has at least one recording gap, and wherein the top layer forms a magnetic pattern for writing a servo pattern to the tape.