Fender CuNiFe Widerange = ?

[Benjy_26]

Hello all. I was wondering which Duncan (or other manufacturer's) PAF-sized humbucker sounds the most like the Seth Lover designed CuNiFe Widerange Fender unit. I'm aware that these pickups were often wired up to 1meg tone pots. I'm planning on using 1meg volume and tone pots, but I'm lost as to where to start when it comes to pickups. Should I be looking at something like a Jazz or a Full Shred neck pickup?

 

[JamesPaul]

There was some discussion on these back in April. The Jazz and Full Shred were mentioned in that. Here is that topic:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/for...-to-the-original-fender-wide-range-humbuckers

 

[Benjy_26]

There was some discussion on these back in April. The Jazz and Full Shred were mentioned in that. Here is that topic:

https://forum.seymourduncan.com/for...-to-the-original-fender-wide-range-humbuckers

Thanks!

 

[Mincer]

I also know that the Custom Shop have designed pickups in a humbucker form factor that can get that sound.

 

[beaubrummels]

I thought Lollar or someone made an actual CuNiFe replacement. But the real thing is notably bigger than a humbucker.

 

[Benjy_26]

I *could* go with Custom Shops, Lollars, or even the new Fender RI's that are supposed to be built like the originals, but I don't want to double the money I put into this project by getting one pickup unless I have to.

I may just get something that's clean and bright, if not exactly a FWRH. Maybe a StagMag wired up in parallel?

FWIW, whatever goes in the neck will be paired with a STL-2T in the bridge.

 

[freefrog]

Since the specs of a CuNiFe dictate the coupling between its coils and their way to capture harmonics,it's not totally possible to reproduce its tone with a standard sized HB. At least not more than a P90 sized HB can mimic a P.A.F. sized HB, for example.

That said, I agree, a Jazz / SH2 neck should sound "close enough", as would do any Pat. Stick. / early T-Top specs HB (I mean: something with a low DCR, a low inductance and a high Q factor).

But I wouldn't necessarily use 1M pots for that... it migth defeat the purpose by making the resonant peak of a normal HB too narrow and peaky - knowing that a Wide Range is somehow "bassier" by design because it's "bigger".

I share below a simulation showing the difference of comb filtering between PU's, neck position, in a 25.5' scale guitar. Grey lines = Wide Range, red lines = std HB; It illustrates how harmonics change with these two kinds of PU's. FWIW.



And here is the response of 3 neck HB's played in chords, including a CuNiFe & a Gibson Patent Sticker, in order to show what differenciate both from a 496R: flat low mids (and therefore, transparency):

 

[Benjy_26]

Since the specs of a CuNiFe dictate the coupling between its coils and their way to capture harmonics,it's not totally possible to reproduce its tone with a standard sized HB. At least not more than a P90 sized HB can mimic a P.A.F. sized HB, for example.

That said, I agree, a Jazz / SH2 neck should sound "close enough", as would do any Pat. Stick. / early T-Top specs HB (I mean: something with a low DCR, a low inductance and a high Q factor).

But I wouldn't necessarily use 1M pots for that... it migth defeat the purpose by making the resonant peak of a normal HB too narrow and peaky - knowing that a Wide Range is somehow "bassier" by design because it's "bigger".

I share below a simulation showing the difference of comb filtering between PU's, neck position, in a 25.5' scale guitar. Grey lines = Wide Range, red lines = std HB; It illustrates how harmonics change with these two kinds of PU's. FWIW.



And here is the response of 3 neck HB's played in chords, including a CuNiFe & a Gibson Patent Sticker, in order to show what differenciate both from a 496R: flat low mids (and therefore, transparency):

Thanks! A lot of info for me to digest!

 

[beaubrummels]

I *could* go with Custom Shops, Lollars, or even the new Fender RI's that are supposed to be built like the originals, but I don't want to double the money I put into this project by getting one pickup unless I have to.

I may just get something that's clean and bright, if not exactly a FWRH. Maybe a StagMag wired up in parallel?

FWIW, whatever goes in the neck with me paired with a STL-2T in the bridge.

IME StagMag sounds like a Distortion. In parallel, it just sounds like a quieter Distortion. Split it sounds like a Fendery single (similar to how the Custom line does.)

 

[Mincer]

Another very clean set is the Jazz set.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

CuNiFe magnets are very similar to Alnico 2.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Gold star]

Hello all. I was wondering which Duncan (or other manufacturer's) PAF-sized humbucker sounds the most like the Seth Lover designed CuNiFe Widerange Fender unit. I'm aware that these pickups were often wired up to 1meg tone pots. I'm planning on using 1meg volume and tone pots, but I'm lost as to where to start when it comes to pickups. Should I be looking at something like a Jazz or a Full Shred neck pickup?

I'll answer that in 2 ways. A standard size humbucker cannot be 'wide range' as it is not as wide, but also, in tests, a wide range HB does not sound remarkably different to a standard HB . 'Mini' wide range p/ups are just like normal HB's -just a different spec.

 

[freefrog]

Rod magnets tend to give a higher Q factor to magnetic pickups but the screw pole mags of a CuNiFe Wide Range have a weak magnetic field. As shown in my answer 7, these features give a tighter bass / low mids response to a real WR than with most Gibson style humbuckers (except underwound ones like a Duncan Jazz or a vintage Gibson Patent Sticker).

Where a WR differs the most from normal humbuckers is split mode: it sounds more like a normal single coil because... it is the equivalent of a normal single coil (with less strings pull and a weak output level but a really nice sonic texture, IME).