Tele bridge PU identification

Hi,

Nice forum this one... I've been searching for a way to ID Fender pickups and found this place. I hope someone will be able to help me..

I bought MiM Fender 1972 Custom RI second hand and I'm really satisfied with the sound and comfort etc except for the bridge PU. Sounded nice warm and twangy on clean channel but had terrible feedback once I tried to add any gain. :sad: I played MiM 52 RI and its pickup played like charm even on high gain. I decided to get similar Fender Pickup in better quality and without the defect the stock one had. I'm searching for vintage tele tone PU which can handle some more gain. Custom Shop sells only sets of 2 (Texas special, Nocaster and '52 are available)...

I bought new pickup used in US made Telecasters (that's what I've been told at least). Now I'm about to replace old one for the US one and I expect decent tele tone without feedback issue. I looked into similar ID threads with few pics and I have to say I'm really not sure if mine is Made in Mexico or Made in USA.

http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/01.jpg

top view (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/02.jpg)
bottom (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/03.jpg)

Pickup is definitely Fender (048610 on the bottom), flat poles, vintage style white string, no copper clad steel base, 2x Phillips screw, wires are blue and yellow. I hope it to be MiA '50s Classics Pickup. Am I right?

Another weird thing I found out (and that's the purpose of this thread) is there was no stock 1999 MiM '72 reissue bridge pickup as I thought but previous owner replaced it for this one:

http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/06.jpg

top view (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/04.jpg)
front view (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/05.jpg)
bottom (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/07.jpg)
wires (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/08.jpg)

Looks pretty worn, black clothing, no numbers, just letter "A" written with a pencil on the copper clad steel base, wires white and grey. On the white one is written "...22 AWG (...) TYPE CL2 750 C (MADE IN USA)". Any information about this pickup would be really appreciated.

Thanks, Robert

I bought MiM Fender 1972 Custom RI...

I bought new pickup used in US made Telecasters (that's what I've been told at least). Now I'm about to replace old one for the US one and I expect decent tele tone without feedback issue. I looked into similar ID threads with few pics and I have to say I'm really not sure if mine is Made in Mexico or Made in USA.

http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/01.jpg

top view (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/02.jpg)
bottom (http://www.stonerock.sk/temp/pickups/03.jpg)

Pickup is definitely Fender (048610 on the bottom), flat poles, vintage style white string, no copper clad steel base, 2x Phillips screw, wires are blue and yellow. I hope it to be MiA '50s Classics Pickup. Am I right?

I'm a little confused which of the two pickups shown is the one in your Tele now, and which one is the replacement.

But that first one pictured looks like the 005-5216-000 that comes stock in the MIM Classic Series '50s Tele, '50s Esquire and that came in the MIA Hwy 1 Tele prior to 2006.

Not sure where the pickup itself is made. That would be interesting information but wouldn't change my opinion about the pickup.

The MIM Classic Series '72 Custom comes stock with a bridge pickup identical to that one except it has staggered polepieces, the 005-3676-000 part. It's also used in the '69 Thinline and '60s Tele, those Teles are also in the MIM Classic Series.

The base plastic bobbin used for those bridge pickups was used in some MIM Standards but 2006 changed to a different model pickup. That base is also used for at least some American Series Tele bridge pickups. You'll see that 048610 molded into several different part number Fender bridge pickups.

The 005-5216-000 and 005-3676-000 bridge pickups I've seen were usually wound to around 6.4k, I've seen one firsthand that was a few hundred ohms more, and read a description of one in a for sale ad that was a couple hundred less. They are A5, and they sound like a good bright A5; which some folks love and some folks hate. I've added Stewmac baseplates to them and get some more upper mids and harmonics, without the baseplate they sound more open and airy. I love mine with the baseplate, I have a flatpole and a staggerpole baseplated in two different Teles, I think I like the staggerpole just a bit better.

I don't play with high gain so I can't say how they would stand up to that stock. I intentionally refrained from using wax potting when adding my baseplates so mine baseplated would probably not be good for high gain.

The wrap on that second one isn't cloth string like the first, it looks to me more like nylon material and in a single flat strip ("tape"). I've seen that on the American Series and MIM Standard pups with the 048610 plastic bottoms, but those don't have baseplates like this one you pictured.

If this second one pictured is the one that was in your Tele when you got the Tele, and someone added that baseplate, then it's possible they left off the wax potting like I did, or they didn't get a good flat fit between, and you're getting microphonics and therefore feedback under high gain.

It could also be your bridge feedeing back and not the pickup. The way to check is to get it to squeal and push on the bridge plate to see if it stops. The first pickup look slike a Highway One pickup to me as well.

Thanks for Your help and sorry for misleading description. The black one is the one I found in my guitar (with f/b problems) and the newer looking white one is what I bought to replace it. I just can't thank enough You for explanation...

Now I know I bought pickup which might be from cheaper model of MiA Tele (Highway one) or MiM. I already tried the new pickup and the sound is quite OK. No feedback problems. Anyway I think I could get something better for my tele. You mentioned staggerepole PU to be better (subjective thought I know) than this one here in this thread and in several other threads. I've been searching this forum before I wrote this down but I haven't found what I wanted to know...

The PU I just installed is not bad at all but I want something different. Not that trebly sound is necessary (I have to turn the tone knob a lot down to make it sound better), I would prefer more mids like the previous defect PU had. I definitely want to stay by Fender, I love the twangy sound of my tele. I have Wide Range PU on the neck pos so no problem to mix the basses and trebles on the "both pickups on" position.

On the search for new, better fitting PU for me, I would like to know how the stagger poles and base plate alters the tone. All the Fender custom shop models do have baseplates and Texas Special has staggerpoles as well. Is it worth to try one? My guitar has poplar body, I want to stay with classic tele sound (but not THAT much trebles), I play blues and rock and want it to handle some gain if needed.

yegbert - thanks a lot for the analysis, I would be lost without your help because the technical stuff and knowledge is not my cup of coffee, I just play that guitar :( The Pickup I had before doesn't look like it has the baseplate added later. The stock pickup in 1972 custom MiM reissue was plastic this one is ceramic and the baseplate seems to be forever on the PU. I can read Made in USA on the white wire and the details like soldered wires on the bottom and holes for screws in the baseplate are very fine and they definitely doesn't look homemade. The letter A on the bottom can be seen on several original Fender PUs.. It does not matter at all as this PU is defect. Thanks a lot for Your help, I really appreciate it.

Wild Rice Chris - I have to say I don't understand what You mean. Do I have to touch my bridgeplate or push it? I think it was the PU because after replacement the problem dissapeared. Anyway, is there any possibility to check out or measure if the PU is microphonic without having it to solder it back into other guitar?

Bonjour, my friends.

I'm new here. I'm also new to the Telecaster community. I just bought my first one, a brand new US-made Highway 1 "upgrade" at Chuck Levin's in Washingon. Maple neck, off-white satin finish. You can see the grain. Feels great, sounds great, I'm really happy.

I also noticed it was the cheapest US tele you can get. So where's the difference? I tried a 52 reissue and a couple of others, twice the price, definitely not noticeably "better".

After a couple of weeks I wonder whether the bridge pickup might be a bit sharp and brittle. Is there such a thing as a sweeter tone from there? I asked at Seymour Duncan and the man offered me a humbucker! lol...

Anyway, great to be here.

Wild Rice Chris - I have to say I don't understand what You mean. Do I have to touch my bridgeplate or push it? I think it was the PU because after replacement the problem dissapeared. Anyway, is there any possibility to check out or measure if the PU is microphonic without having it to solder it back into other guitar?

You're fine if the new pickup doesn't feedback. You can solder the pickup to a cable and plug it into your amp, but it is better to install it.

Bonjour, my friends.

I'm new here. I'm also new to the Telecaster community. I just bought my first one, a brand new US-made Highway 1 "upgrade" at Chuck Levin's in Washingon. Maple neck, off-white satin finish. You can see the grain. Feels great, sounds great, I'm really happy.

I also noticed it was the cheapest US tele you can get. So where's the difference? I tried a 52 reissue and a couple of others, twice the price, definitely not noticeably "better".

After a couple of weeks I wonder whether the bridge pickup might be a bit sharp and brittle. Is there such a thing as a sweeter tone from there? I asked at Seymour Duncan and the man offered me a humbucker! lol...

Anyway, great to be here.

A better way to get the sound you're looking for is to talk to a custom winder who can translate the sound you want from your description into a pickup. Some people good at that are Don Mare http://www.buckcannon.com or Owen Duffy http://www.ocduffpickups.com and of course there are others.

Thanks Chris, I'll follow those up and let you know.
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