Fender wide range humbuckers

[AlexR]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

Nobody does CuNiFe apart from Telenator. The Creamery does have a similar alloy, and has a special wind to make it close.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

Hmmm... interesting about the pickups. The guitar I played didn't really have a P90 sound about it, infact it was remarkably tele-ish and ker-plunky... maybe the reissue I played had a few mods done to it (it wasn't a brand new RI - it was a late 90s MIJ).

In regards to the body I actually plan to use a standard Warmoth thinline body. The WR cavity isn't available as an option on this design. I'm also going to do away with a pickguard and opt for a rear routed control cavity instead, and wood mounted pickups. Like I said above i'm not really a fan of the 70s Fender 'natural' aesthetic, i'm going to change it up more to my tastes... in this case i'm shooting for a Tele Jet (?) of sorts:

Where do P-90's come into play??

As for the sound of the reissue, if you dug it then just roll with reissue pickups...they are common and don't cost a lot.

As for them sounding like a Tele, I guess that all depends on what your ears tell you...I find the reissue WRHB's dark, hot and honky....none of the things I think about when I think about a Tele.

[esandes]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

Nobody does CuNiFe apart from Telenator. The Creamery does have a similar alloy, and has a special wind to make it close.

lollar does the authentic cunife as well.

the fender re-issue wide range are nothing like the originals.

[AlexR]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

^ where is this info. Lollar doesn't have it on their website, and you'd think they trumpet this if true.

[che_guitarra]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

Where do P-90's come into play??

My bad, I meant PAF. A lot of Google reviews seem to think the new Fender WRHBs are closer to a PAF than anything else, but i'm not hearing it on the guitar I played.

I went back to the guitar store today and the pickups are a mystery. There's no Fender branding as I thought I saw, and without pulling the guitar apart I have no way of identifying what this guitar is running.

[esandes]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

^ where is this info. Lollar doesn't have it on their website, and you'd think they trumpet this if true.

sorry, i think i may be mistaken. it seems he doesn't use cunife threaded pole pieces but an alternate material (ferco) that sounds close to it.

http://www.lollarguitars.com/pdfs/LollarRegalTQRMay12.pdf

[AlexR]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

I think The Creamery does something similar too, another alloy which sounds similar. CuNiFe I believe either isn't manufactured anymore, or as close to can't be as to make no difference (I think regulations are to blame). The Telenator has managed to have just 1 batch done. Apparently once these are gone he can't get any more.

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

I'm curious about Seymour's take on the WRHB since he had such a close relationship to Seth Lover.

My main beef with the repros is that they aren't the original width so people need to get a different pickguard if they want to upgrade their MIM or even MIJ WRHB pups in their '72 Customs and Deluxes (which aren't losing popularity any time soon).

I know that Curtis actually wants you to buy one and send it to him and he'll use the cover and baseplate off of the MIM or MIJ WRHB for his design. I'm currently slowly building a '72 Custom partscaster and I really want the traditional width of the WRHB but don't want the Fender PAF style approximation... as small as it is, that's a consumer niche that's not being filled. Probably just not enough demand.

[esandes]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

i agree about the connection with Seth, Seymour and the WRHB.

btw, the lollars are the same size as the originals.

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

Amazing timing!

Here is a little something from the custom shop about their WRHB and it looks really nice BTW.

[Ashurbanipal]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

^^ Hmm, A5 rods. Probably uses a special wind too to get within the tonal spectrum of the oldies.

[Zombiwoof]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

Again, check out the MojoTone WR Humbuckers, they make them in sizes for both modern and vintage versions, and different output options. Threaded rod mags, and probably a lot less money than the boutique versions.

Al

I'm curious about Seymour's take on the WRHB since he had such a close relationship to Seth Lover.

My main beef with the repros is that they aren't the original width so people need to get a different pickguard if they want to upgrade their MIM or even MIJ WRHB pups in their '72 Customs and Deluxes (which aren't losing popularity any time soon).

I know that Curtis actually wants you to buy one and send it to him and he'll use the cover and baseplate off of the MIM or MIJ WRHB for his design. I'm currently slowly building a '72 Custom partscaster and I really want the traditional width of the WRHB but don't want the Fender PAF style approximation... as small as it is, that's a consumer niche that's not being filled. Probably just not enough demand.

[OaklandA]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

My bad, I meant PAF. A lot of Google reviews seem to think the new Fender WRHBs are closer to a PAF than anything else, but i'm not hearing it on the guitar I played.

I went back to the guitar store today and the pickups are a mystery. There's no Fender branding as I thought I saw, and without pulling the guitar apart I have no way of identifying what this guitar is running.

Here's what's under the hood of a Fender reissue WRHB(top) compared to an original one from the 70's(bottom)...the reissue is a standard humbucker wrapped in a wax casing:



This should explain why they don't sound like the originals, aside from the use of Cunife mags. Personally I don't think they sound like a PAF either. I had a set from Vintage Vibe that were excellent sounding in a Thinline I used to have. I'd look in to them as well.

[AlexR]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

I'm curious about Seymour's take on the WRHB since he had such a close relationship to Seth Lover.

My main beef with the repros is that they aren't the original width so people need to get a different pickguard if they want to upgrade their MIM or even MIJ WRHB pups in their '72 Customs and Deluxes (which aren't losing popularity any time soon).

I know that Curtis actually wants you to buy one and send it to him and he'll use the cover and baseplate off of the MIM or MIJ WRHB for his design. I'm currently slowly building a '72 Custom partscaster and I really want the traditional width of the WRHB but don't want the Fender PAF style approximation... as small as it is, that's a consumer niche that's not being filled. Probably just not enough demand.

Well the Creamery and Lollar both do the right size....lets face it the tone will be harder to approximate if the bobbins are the wrong size to start with.

^ and the Fender ones are also a bar magnet...thats why we call them a PAF style.

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Fender wide range humbuckers

I'm curious about Seymour's take on the WRHB since he had such a close relationship to Seth Lover.

My main beef with the repros is that they aren't the original width so people need to get a different pickguard if they want to upgrade their MIM or even MIJ WRHB pups in their '72 Customs and Deluxes (which aren't losing popularity any time soon).

I know that Curtis actually wants you to buy one and send it to him and he'll use the cover and baseplate off of the MIM or MIJ WRHB for his design. I'm currently slowly building a '72 Custom partscaster and I really want the traditional width of the WRHB but don't want the Fender PAF style approximation... as small as it is, that's a consumer niche that's not being filled. Probably just not enough demand.

All of the well respected repros I know of are the same size as the originals. Some of the makers of those pickups do make a PAF size version so you can put a set in your SG or 335 or whatever but again all of the well respected WR clones being made today are the same size as the originals.

As for Novak specifically he will rewind your new WRHB's to be more correct but he has been making custom WRHB's that are the right size for a while now.

http://curtisnovak.com/pickups/wrhb.shtml