Duncan and alnico III pickups

the guy who invented fire

the guy who invented fire

Fuzzy. Guitars
I have to wonder and I guess I've wondered long enough that now I'll ask...

In reading up on vintage blackguard (1950-1954) Telecasters it looks like all of them used alnico III magnets for the bridge pickups, and alnico 5 for the neck pickups.

Knowing that Seymour is not only a fan of vintage Fenders but also a big fan of Telecasters in general I have to ask...Why doesn't Seymour offer a vintage correct blackguard era pickup set??

The Vintage 54 neck is a great pickup as is the Antiquity neck and both of them even have the correct for the 50's chrome-plated brass cover however Seymour doesn't offer a correct 50's Bridge pickup.

Does the CS even have a correct 50's bridge pickup that can be made??

I mean I know there are no less than 3 variations in the Tele bridge pickup between 1950 and 1954 windes and baseplates aside but offering even just one would make sense to me...

I dunno, just curious I guess...
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

This is why I went with who I went with for Captain Crunch- I wanted those A3 poles- the A5s do not sound anywhere near the same (though they sound good!)
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

I've heard more than a dozen times that seymour in confidant he can achieve the sonic results he wants with A2 or A5.
I'm willing to guess that A2 and A5 are the best mags available in terms of product price, availability, and consistency. Seymour's a pickup winder but of course he's gotta be a businessman too.
Remember that outside of here, TGP, and the telecaster forum... Not many people can hear or feel the A3 difference.

And yeah about doing dead-on reproduction... just because the CS doesn't advertise that they can do one doesn't mean they can't. I bet they could get something dang close. The price might be up there because it's not something they do all the time.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

BG Pups Rockwind Alinico 3s. Very warm vintage sound without sacrificing bite. I have a set in one of my Teles. Kicka$$

halfway down this page
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

The Fender NoCaster set uses A3. I'm rather fond of it.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

FuseG4 said:
I've heard more than a dozen times that seymour in confidant he can achieve the sonic results he wants with A2 or A5.
I'm willing to guess that A2 and A5 are the best mags available in terms of product price, availability, and consistency. Seymour's a pickup winder but of course he's gotta be a businessman too.
Remember that outside of here, TGP, and the telecaster forum... Not many people can hear or feel the A3 difference.

And yeah about doing dead-on reproduction... just because the CS doesn't advertise that they can do one doesn't mean they can't. I bet they could get something dang close. The price might be up there because it's not something they do all the time.
Click to expand...

I'll say this...there is something different about A3 that I've NEVER heard in another kind of pickup (FWIW, I am ONLY talking about Fender style pickups here...bar magnet stuff does NOT count here) and I can't see a way in hell of making alnico II or 5 sound and react like III.

I'll also add this, SD offers a "Broadcaster" pickup and it's pretty far removed from a Blackguard Tele, Esquire or Broadcaster both in terms of materal and tone...

Maybe the CS can and maybe they do, that I don't know.

I was just mentioning it to see what folks thought and maybe get some insight form someone at SD...
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

FWIW, I know there are other winders out there and I know that quite a few of them use Alnico III, I have 3 Tele's and nly one of them has SD pickups...I would have liked to stick with SD all around but they were unable to build what I wanted so I had to stray.

This is not a bag on SD thread or a promote other winders thread, like I said I'm just looking for insight...

The 1950-1954 Telecaster, Esquire, Broadcaster, Nocaster sound is a sound a lot of guys seem to like and look for and I have yet to try a Duncan that really nails it...and I am of the personal opinion that one of the reasons for that is the lack of alnico III bridge pickups.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

If it's actually Seymour's opinion that he can get closer to the sound of his particular favorite 1950-54 Tele lead pickup by using alnico 2, then I have to agree with him, because the Duncan alnico 2 Tele replica pickups I've owned and played sound more like 1950-54 Tele pickups than the alnico 3 pickups I've owned and played.

I don't think the alnico 3 Fender lead pickup, the kind in the Nocaster, sounds like any of the lead pickups in the 1950-54 Telecasters I've played. They're to clean and steely bright and there's not enough warmth.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

the guy who invented fire said:
At least a dozen...not pulling out a measuring stick, just asking because I have yet to hear an alnico II or 5 pickup that has the tone of any of the vintage or new alnico III pickups i've tried or owned...
Click to expand...

I have not heard two vintage Tele pickups that sound the same as each other either.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Gypsyblue said:
I have not heard two vintage Tele pickups that sound the same as each other either.
Click to expand...

Yes, I know...

This is the type of semantics I am hoping to avoid.

No 2 anything sound just alike but there are always characteristics of somethings that are almost defining...

My point is this...all Telecaster pickups that are fairly vintage in their construction will have a basic tone.

However what I am saying is that the thing that makes alnico III "special" is something I do not hear in alnico II or 5.

I am also saying that IMO an alnico III bridge pickup is one of the defining characteristics that make those guitars sound different from any other era of Telecaster.

Maybe you agree, maybe you don't thats fine.

The point of the thread was to discuss and again, maybe get some first hand form SD as to why they do not offer any alnico III pickups.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Seymour doesn't seem to spend any time time visiting this forum and if he does he never posts. So an answer from Seymour is probably not forthcoming.

It's my opinion that every single Telecaster pickup made in the 1950's is probably unique and probably has a unique tone. Some are wound hotter than others and maybe some use different magnets than others. Very slight differences in the number of turns of wire used to wind the bobbin can result in very different tone from one pickup to another for those with ears to hear.

If I were an expert pickup maker and was going to duplicate a 1950-54 Tele lead pickup, naturally I'd base it on my favorite vintage Tele pickup out of all of those that I had encountered. If I were successful, my new pickup would sound a lot like that one pickup but probably not like any other one.

Maybe Seymour chose alnico 2 because it allows him to wind pickups that sound a lot like his favorite 1950-54 Tele lead pickups, regardless of what was used in that old pickup he chose as his model.
 
Last edited:
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Seymour is here a lot more than you think and when he does have time or feels like it's important he does post here.

Also besides Seymour Evan and Frank post here a good bit and I'm sure if one of them doesn't have the answer they could and would get it.

With your last post we're getting back into semantics...

Let me say this...all Blackguard Telecasters, Esquires and Broadcasters/Nocasters have a special and unique voice however they were (almost) all swamp ash bodies with maple necks...If I was going to built a replica of a Blackguard Telecaster I'd use swamp ash and maple.

If I used Basswood and mahogany I woldn't expect to get that classic Black Guard Telecaster tone...maybe it would be close but it would more than likely be closer wiht swamp ash and maple...

I'm simply asking why Seymour choose to use materals that were not used in vintage pickups to try and get a vintage tone...

If Fenders 51 Nocaster reissue used a basswood body and a purpleheart neck I'd be asking them the same thing...
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

Well Seymour told me he doesn't read the forum.

This is a clip from Lindy Fralin comparing two Teles. One has his stock set and the other has pickups that are 2% and 5% overwound. The two guitars are not identical unfortunately. One is Swamp Ash.



The sound is quite different. Only difference in the pickups is that in the sceond guitar they are 2% and 5% overwound.

If Lindy had said they had different magnets I'd believe him. But the difference really is that the pickups in one are overwound just a little.

I think that kind variation could have happened with every pickup Fender made in the 50's.
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

I understand what you are pointing out but what I'm saying has nothing to do with that...

As for the man, if you dig you'll find a few posts from him...no, not a lot but here does post here but anyway, like I said I'm not looking for Seymour to answer, but maybe Evan or Frank will see this and have some insight...
 
Re: Duncan and alnico III pickups

The Vintage Vibe Squiers sound very good. The very first Teles were A3 with pine bodies... same as the Squiers. Perhaps the best guitar for under $300 you can buy.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

S
Bonamassa 50 Broadcaster Confusion
Replies
19
Views
281
sherryhead
S
Mincer
  • Featured
Seymour Duncan Announces ‘59 Model Limited Edition 50th Anniversary Custom Shop Set!
2
Replies
22
Views
815
Rex_Rocker
Rex_Rocker
C
Alnico strat pickups ´80´s help to identify
Replies
8
Views
658
Mincer
Mincer
Mincer
  • Featured
Seymour Duncan Announces The 50th Anniversary Limited Edition JB / Jazz Humbucker Set!
Replies
19
Views
1K
Rex_Rocker
Rex_Rocker
Thurisaz
Duncan/ESP Custom 14 and Alnico 2 Pro in an LTD EC-2025 -- How to improve further?
2
Replies
20
Views
616
beaubrummels
beaubrummels
Back
Top