Duncan and alnico III pickups

Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Hey C,

Am wondering about the very same question! JD with a3 rods to be exact... Why don't we have this? Because as I understand JD's lead pickup is a Broadcaster ~7.80K. And in 51 Fender was using a3 rods.

BTW I love my JD but think a3 rods could make it a bit more open. Have Hamels' (both the Blackguard and Broadcaster versions) and Ellis' (Broadcaster). In fact, had a bunch of them tele leads, but these were the ones I kept, apart from my Duncan JD. All of them (apart from the JD) have a3s, and I love them...

B
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

You're in the US, call the Custom Shop and Maricela will have an answer for you.

End of speculation.

You should know better... :lame:

Damn, do you ever get tired of being a pain in the neck?!

This is an open discussion forum and I'm trying to have an open discussion...

No one here is specilating anything, just asking...

I don't want to call MJ to ask her hy Seymour doesn't use alnico III, I'm hoping Frank or Evan will pop in and add to this discussion.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Hey C,

Am wondering about the very same question! JD with a3 rods to be exact... Why don't we have this? Because as I understand JD's lead pickup is a Broadcaster ~7.80K. And in 51 Fender was using a3 rods.

BTW I love my JD but think a3 rods could make it a bit more open. Have Hamels' (both the Blackguard and Broadcaster versions) and Ellis' (Broadcaster). In fact, had a bunch of them tele leads, but these were the ones I kept, apart from my Duncan JD. All of them (apart from the JD) have a3s, and I love them...

B

Glad I'm not alone Doc!

If you read through the Blackguard book they are pretty clear that Fender didn't start using alnico 5 in bridge pickups until after the "Blackguard era"...

This means that all the BG Tele's, Esquires, Broadcasters and Nocaster out there have A3 bridge pickups...

Juts sort of makes me wonder...
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

It's very likely too, that when Seymour began winding and making his own pickups, there were not the tools and devices available to decipher exactly what Alnico he may have been using and probably just got bars and polepieces from old pickups and recharged them or degaussed them to taste. Likely he chose only two kinds of magnets because he feels that you can voice a pickup however you want and reducing the stock to two kinds of magnet saves money for production. You can degauss an alnico V, wind a pickup a particular way and get a very similar sound to an old Tele pup with an AIII. On the other hand, I'll bet the Custom Shop can make you Tele pups with any magnet you want.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

That's good to know. I'd hate for him to see how many asshats there are on here.

No kidding.

+1

That said, C, I'm only familiar with the A3 pups the later model Hwy 1 Teles came with, but...they are my favorite Tele pups. I have never played the vintage Teles you've referred to, so my brush with Tele A3s may not be at all relevant. However, I'm interested in A3 Tele pups since that experience.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Am wondering about the very same question! JD with a3 rods to be exact... Why don't we have this? Because as I understand JD's lead pickup is a Broadcaster ~7.80K. And in 51 Fender was using a3 rods.
I know this thread is a month old (found it searching a3 mags) and I have to maybe wonder too I have played a JD, an alnico pro II, antiquities and my brierly pickups in this tele (ash, maple) the first three are all alnico II the third alnico 5. Massive difference between them the thing is the alnico IIs all felt a little too round for me and not chimey and clean enough and the Brierly while great are a little too hard sounding with the particular guitar and while nice and chimey a bit harsh at times but are my favourite (antiquities close second) but now I am think an a3 pickup (maybe the ants with a3) would sound great
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

I know this thread is a month old (found it searching a3 mags) and I have to maybe wonder too I have played a JD, an alnico pro II, antiquities and my brierly pickups in this tele (ash, maple) the first three are all alnico II the third alnico 5. Massive difference between them the thing is the alnico IIs all felt a little too round for me and not chimey and clean enough and the Brierly while great are a little too hard sounding with the particular guitar and while nice and chimey a bit harsh at times but are my favourite (antiquities close second) but now I am think an a3 pickup (maybe the ants with a3) would sound great

I really like a3 Tele pickups but they are not for everyone...they do tend to have less low end and some folks find them a bit steeley but good ones have a nice sweet tone.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

I really like a3 Tele pickups but they are not for everyone...they do tend to have less low end and some folks find them a bit steeley but good ones have a nice sweet tone.

Oddly enough Christian....I use and like the Fender CS Nocaster bridge pickups in both of my Teles...Not the best bridge pups I Know,but I have left them in both guitars...My finicky ears I guess tell me I Like em...I have both the early 10k version and then the later lower dc version of this pickup..Actually I use and do like some of the Fender CS stuff.Great post from you as usual.
 
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