Introducing the new Brad Paisley Secret Agent Esquire Neck Pickup!

So how do ya mount the damned thing? It has no mounting ears that I can see. Foam underneath, with the pickup pressed against the bottom of the guard? That would, sadly, limit its use to only its intended purpose: hidden under a guard. And what are the basic specs?
Can you get it without the unsightly Duncan logo? Really interested, because it might just fit the bill in the bridge position of a guitar I'm building.

I've been reading as much as I can find about it and it uses a medium output ceramic bar magnet.

As for mounting, I pictured it being held to the underside of the pickguard with double stick foam tape to keep it close to the strings and also from rattling against the pickguard. But that's an assumption. I've not read that anywhere. Good question.

It looks to me like the coil is wider than a standard Tele neck pickup's coil. And my guess is that it would take up the whole rout under the pickguard and leave no room for mounting screws. Again, that's an assumption. I've not read that anywhere.

As for ordering one without the "unsightly" Duncan logo: good luck with THAT!

It looks raised and like part of the pickup.
 
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I've been reading as much as I can find about it and it uses a medium output ceramic bar magnet.

As for mounting, I pictured it being held to the underside of the pickguard with double stick foam tape to keep it close to the strings and also from rattling against the pickguard. But that's an assumption. I've not read that anywhere. Good question.

It looks to me like the coil is wider than a standard Tele neck pickup's coil. And my guess is that it would take up the whole rout under the pickguard and leave no room for mounting screws. Again, that's an assumption. I've not read that anywhere.

As for ordering one without the "unsightly" Duncan logo: good luck with THAT!

It looks raised and like part of the pickup.

I wouldn't say "part of the pickup," because it implies it's impossible not to have it. It's obviously molded into the bobbin, which was a choice on Duncan's part...but that has no role in making the pickup "what it is," design-wise. All you need to do is make it with a logo-less bobbin. They have logo-less versions of bobbins of this general style. If it uses the old, pre-existing bobbin size, then it's possible (and they already have the parts). If it's a new size, at Tele neck width, then I doubt they have, or will ever order, logo-less bobbins for it. So the solution will be to shave it down, blend, and re-polish the bobbin top.

To me, it looks like the bobbin is Tele neck sized. But it can't be said definitively from photos.

I think it's pretty funny that they placed their logo on a pickup that's whole purpose is to be invisible. Perhaps it is indeed a pre-existing bobbin, on that point alone. I'd like to think they thought that through, anyhow.
 
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Spoke with Justin in the Duncan Custom Shop just now.

He said as far as he knows the coil is the same size as a normal Tele neck pickup.

He said it sits on foam under the pickup that acts sort of like a spring that presses it against the underside of the pickguard.

He said that so far as he knows rattling against the underside of the pickguard is not an issue.

He said he's never heard one, but that word in the shop is that in terms of volume it's not quite as loud as a conventional Tele rhythm pickup, because even though it's a high output pickup, it sits so far from the strings that it's not quite as loud.

Delivery time is 3 - 4 weeks.
 
I dont love tele neck pups in general, a firebird pup in the neck kicks ass though.

Yeah. I discovered the SM-1 in a Tele when I did a customers Brent Mason. I immediately went out and got a Tele, an SM-1, and the Brent Mason control plate and pickguard. But this pup might be perfect for that. Hidden in the middle position. I think I might attach it using that glue that they use to attach credit cards to letters. It would prevent it from rattling and peel off easily.

Heck yeah! The idea of hidden pickups in itself is pretty cool. Getting the middle pickup out of the way on a Strat would be an amazing use for a purpose-built pickup like the Secret Agent.

Maybe this trend will catch on and perhaps we'll see some other options come about using this concept.

I know I've been on a Meteora kick lately, but this was one of the prototypes from several years ago. No visible pickups...doesn't get cleaner than that!


That thing is sweet! Nice.
 
Yeah, I had never seen that. If it was possible to either come up with new sounds, or replicate traditional-pickup sounds with hidden pickups, it could really change what a guitar looks like. While I am a huge pickup fan, the look of them isn't my favorite part of the guitar.
 
A std. strat without a middle pickups looks weird to me.
but on guitars with some nice flame maple tops and other beautiful woods i can see it catching on
 
I've always liked a purpose-built guitar without visible pickups. I see pickguards as an opportunity to add visual layers (like on the Meteora) rather than a way to cover ugly electronics cavities and mount pickups. Can you imagine a couple hidden singles and a hidden humbucker on a guitar like this:

f8f1d469315d30af48264eb1c13c4ecf9397fe06.jpg

How cool would THAT be? Screw tradition :headbang:
 
I've always liked a purpose-built guitar without visible pickups. I see pickguards as an opportunity to add visual layers (like on the Meteora) rather than a way to cover ugly electronics cavities and mount pickups. Can you imagine a couple hidden singles and a hidden humbucker on a guitar like this:



How cool would THAT be? Screw tradition :headbang:

Yeah, that's where I am going. A semi hollow might look great without visible pickups.
 
Might go good with something like this, but the back is too beautiful to cut up. You really need a guitar that's made for it.

Johnson_SST_sm.jpg
 
Might go good with something like this, but the back is too beautiful to cut up. You really need a guitar that's made for it.


Yeah...slice the body in half, and put the pickups in, then glue back together. You might be right...that sounds like quite a project. Cool acoustic, though.
 
I'd love for this idea to be expanded. You could make a Strat with a middle pickup under the pickguard (and away from my pick & fingers)..or have all 3 pickups under a pickguard for a cleaner look.

I was thinking of a 'Nashville' Tele setup, with the middle pickup under the guard. 5-way switch, but instead of the middle pickup on its own, have the traditional Tele middle position. :D
 
I was thinking of a 'Nashville' Tele setup, with the middle pickup under the guard. 5-way switch, but instead of the middle pickup on its own, have the traditional Tele middle position. :D

Yeah, that is a great idea. I hope SD expands this idea to provide a few new options for guitar design. The big trick is to make it sound and respond properly. So far, this pickup has the right sound.
 
Cool acoustic, though.

Thanks. This is Johnson's take on Epiphones SST. It's not bad now, but it needed a total setup and redo by my luthier friend, (Buddy Scott), before it was playable. (Including replacing the UST.)

I was thinking of a 'Nashville' Tele setup, with the middle pickup under the guard. 5-way switch, but instead of the middle pickup on its own, have the traditional Tele middle position. :D

This is almost exactly what I want to do now with my Brent Mason Tele. I already have the single/mini-hum pickguard, so I'll need to find a straight mini-hum pickguard. Then hide the BPSA underneath. I'd use a 3-way for the N/B because the BM Tele control plate has a separate push-pull volume for the center pup. I think that could be the bee's knee's.
 
Thanks. This is Johnson's take on Epiphones SST. It's not bad now, but it needed a total setup and redo by my luthier friend, (Buddy Scott), before it was playable. (Including replacing the UST.)



This is almost exactly what I want to do now with my Brent Mason Tele. I already have the single/mini-hum pickguard, so I'll need to find a straight mini-hum pickguard. Then hide the BPSA underneath. I'd use a 3-way for the N/B because the BM Tele control plate has a separate push-pull volume for the center pup. I think that could be the bee's knee's.

The problem will be getting enough volume and a good tone out of the hidden pickup. Used in the neck position, the Brad Paisley hidden pickup will sit 3/8 - 1/2" away from the strings. Used in the middle position it'll be even further from the strings. You'll need a very high output pickup. Even so, getting a great tone from such a pickup in the middle position and now 1/2" or more away from the strings seems like it will be a challenge.
 
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Hey Lew; I'm not following you here. On my (Fender) Tele, the strings run parallel to the pickguard. Why would this pup be any different under the middle position than the neck position? Maybe I'm misunderstanding you. (That neck pup looks bad because I haven't removed the plastic yet.)

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