Who's using '51 Nocaster Pickups?

[ajgus]

Here is why I ask. Are they worth the price tag? Specifically, is it worth puting a $150 pair of pups in, lets say, a $300 Tele like a CV or something? How do you like yours & what guitar (if other than an actual Nocaster) are you using them in? Thanks!

[Telehackster]

I like the Nocaster pickups. They came with my 60th Anniversary Tele, and I dig the sound.

If you like the $300 Tele and you like these pickups, I'd say it's worth dropping them in. But if you sell the guitar, I'd say take them out and use them elsewhere (unless someone offered you a good price).

[getbent]

if you hunt, you can find those pickups for 100-110. I always keep my eyes open for them and really like them. I have them in two teles and two that I'm building.

[superbadj]

I've heard a lot of good things about them. I'm tempted to try a set in my MIJ '62 Tele (made in 1985). I generally like the pups that are already in there, but then again, I've only really played these and the pups in my '72 Custom reissue. So I wonder if I'm missing out and not even realizing it!

[FatTeleTom]

I love the the way my set of Nocaster pickups (courtesy of Rice Custom Guitars in the giveaway a couple of years ago) sound in my Glendale Tele. I've also been knocked out by every Nocaster guitar I've tried. How much of that is down to pickups versus the rest of the guitar, I can't say, but I don't think there's any question that the sound of Nocaster pickups really appeals to me.

As for putting them in an inexpensive guitar, in my very limited experience, pickups can make a huge difference. If you like the playability of the guitar in question, there's a good chance a pickup upgrade will get you a good portion of the way towards a great guitar tone.

As an example, I recently dropped a Seymour Duncan Jazz humbucker in the neck position of my Ibanez Arcore AS3 (a $299 335-style guitar). Huge improvement. The old pickup sound fine, but the SD Jazz sounds much, much better to me.

[Maddog53]

I personally have had them in only one guitar... a nocaster relic, and loved them..couldn't get along with the 7.25" radius, but loved their sound. Like getbent said ...you don't have to drop 150 to get 'em. Watch ebay daily for BIN's.

[vanguard]

best pickups around. i've been through a lot of the top dollar boutique stuff, and always come back to nocasters.

[Durtdog]

It's the heart of your Tele's sound. If you like your guitar and you like Nocaster pickups, I'd say it's well worth it to put them in.

[mistermullens]

I've got a set. Well, the bridge pup is in my Esquire, and I like it a lot. The neck pup is not my favorite, but its not bad. The neck pup will be for sale soon. I play mostly blues and some classic rock, and they're perfect for that. I got mine for $110. Can't remember where, but it was some place on the internet. It was not a major online retailer. I wouldn't hesitate one bit to install them in any Tele.

[Joe M]

Originally Posted by Maddog53

I personally have had them in only one guitar... a nocaster relic,

Yup, that's what's in my Nocaster Relic and I like 'em a lot.....

[Mike Simpson]

I have them in my pinecaster and they sound great... I think I paid $110 on ebay.

I did a quick search on ebay and found a set for $120 + $9 shipping

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fender-Custom-Sh...1%7C240%3A1318

[yegbert]

I have a set I pieced together from garage sale deals with a couple of TDPRI members. The neck is the most clear and trebly Tele neck pickup I've played. I bought it first and didn't like it paired with any of my other bridge pickups, but I like it with the Nocaster bridge pickup I just bought recently. Not sure how much of my coming to like the neck is because it works better with that particular bridge pickup, or just that I got acclimated to it.

I think they are worth the $125 per set I see them going for from some ebay dealers regularly. If you can find them for the $100-110 some others have lucked into, even better.

There's one ebay dealer who sells the neck and bridge individually, but I think he's breaking up a set. I think this for two reasons: 1) my local Fender dealer said they could only order them for me in a set; and 2) when that ebay dealer puts them out there individually, I see both neck and bridge listings at about the same time. The bridge pickup tends to sell first and with buy it now, then the neck takes longer to sell and he won't put another set up until after the neck has sold.

So if you buy a set, don't like them and want to flip them, you're likely to find a buyer for the bridge more quickly than for the neck.

Mine are the current spec, both pickups in the low 7k range, not the earlier ones with a higher DC resistance (~10k?) bridge.

[Astro1176]

Hope this isn't a stupid question, but...

From what I read, historically speaking, Fender didn't particularly change the way they made pickups into the nocaster period, althought there was huge variance from one pickup to another. Hence I would imagine that original broadcaster and nocaster pickups were the same but varied a lot from one particular example to another.

So anyway - Fender make a Broadcaster and Nocaster pickups. I guess the Broadcaster is based on one specific broadcaster pickup, and the nocaster on a particular nocaster pickup? Are they very similar in construction and detail to each other?

My Baja has Broadcaster in the bridge position - if anyone has tried the nocaster PU and broadcaster - how do they differ and are they pretty similar?

Thanks

[ajgus]

Good question Astro...I thought they were the same.

[ajgus]

Originally Posted by yegbert

...The neck is the most clear and trebly Tele neck pickup I've played...

I would think that is on account of the Nickel/Silver cover. Supposedly the Custom Shop devised it as a way to brighten what they felt was an inherent "darkness" that Tele neck pups posses. I have a pair of Vintage Noiseless pups in my Tele (no comments please ). It, like the Nocasters, has a Nickel/Silver cover. I believe this is to off-set & compensate for the inherent darkness of stacked coils. Ha, look at me playing Mark Davis over here . What the hell do I know...

Keep 'em coming, boys! I'd love to hear more thoughts...

[vanguard]

Originally Posted by ajgus

I would think that is on account of the Nickel/Silver cover. Supposedly the Custom Shop devised it as a way to brighten what they felt was an inherent "darkness" that Tele neck pups posses. I have a pair of Vintage Noiseless pups in my Tele (no comments please ). It, like the Nocasters, has a Nickel/Silver cover. I believe this is to off-set & compensate for the inherent darkness of stacked coils. Ha, look at me playing Mark Davis over here . What the hell do I know...

Keep 'em coming, boys! I'd love to hear more thoughts...

wait, nocaster necks come with nickel/silver covers? are you sure of this?

[mistermullens]

Originally Posted by Astro1176

My Baja has Broadcaster in the bridge position - if anyone has tried the nocaster PU and broadcaster - how do they differ and are they pretty similar?

Thanks

I recently played a jam with my Esquire with the exception of one song where I played a Baja. They sounded very, very similar. The jam was recorded and I might be able to dig up the song where I played the Baja and post tracks with each guitar. I'll get back to you guys.

[Astro1176]

thanks for that mistermullens, clips would be a bonus, but knowing they are pretty similar is great.

[taterhead]

I have 'em in a tele I put together. I like the neck alot because it sounds more stratty to me, roll the tone back a little and it sounds fat and sweet. When you roll the tone off for the bridge it doesn't make the neck TOO dark. They work together well for me. I like 'em.

[ajgus]

Originally Posted by vanguard

wait, nocaster necks come with nickel/silver covers? are you sure of this?

Well, this is from the Fender website regarding the Fender Custom Shop '51 Nocaster Pickups...

"...The neck pickup is the perfect companion to the 'Nocaster' bridge pickup with its nickel-silver cover..."

And for reference...this is the verbiage on the Fender Vintage Noiseless Telecaster Pickups...

"...Neck pickup has nickel silver cover for added clarity..."

Granted, the Fender site isn't exactly as reliable as the Encyclopedia Britanica when it comes to accurately recording their specs, but yeah...I'm pretty sure.