Help identify this pickup please!

[chipbutty24]

Hi Everone,

I am building a partscaster so I've been trolling eBay for a while trying to snatch up good deals. I saw this '52 RI pickup with no reserve and no bids so I put in a max bid of $31 just to see if I could get it. Well I got it..for $16. Good deal I thought, however, due to my haste I didn't realize the pickup is from a Mexican guitar (or so the ad states). Did Fender even make a MIM '52RI? I can't seem to find any info. Regardless, 16 bucks is a good price even if it is Mex, just not exactly what I was after.

So here is the listing, please let me know if you have any info. Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

[sjtalon]

Can't say I ever heard of a MIM 52 RI ?? It is a good price though and with a base plated added it might just sound O.K. for you.

[sjtalon]

I snooped around, could this be the one ( blue wire would be kind of odd?). Does yours have white cloth string around the coil ?? If that's the case I don't know why they listed Mexico as the "Country Made".
Can you take a resistance reading.


http://cgi.ebay.com/USA-Fender-Telec...d=p3286.c0.m14

http://cgi.ebay.com/USA-Fender-Tele-...d=p3286.c0.m14

I think these (Hot Alnico III) are used on the Highway 1 Tele:


Alnico III for Vintage Fender Tone
The new Highway 1 Telecaster now features 2 Hot Tele Single-coil Pickups with Alnico-3 Magnets in the neck and bridge position. Alnico IIIs were the magnets used in original Fender pickups from the early '50s (Alnico stands for the basic composition of the magnet: aluminum, nickel, and cobalt). If you are looking for an authentic vintage Fender tone, a pickup with Alnico IIIs will certainly do the job - and the modern ones found in the Highway 1 Teles are better than ever. They give you a round sound combined with classic tele sparkle - and speaking of sparkle, they also shine when it comes to high-gain sounds.


--------------------

A 52 re-issue would be an Original Vintage pickup with yellow and black cloth lead wire and it would have a copper base plate.

[chipbutty24]

Thanks for the info. From the picture on eBay you can't see the cloth wrap around the coil but I suspect you are correct. Prob the hot Alnico III. I haven't got it yet but will take readings. If this guy misrepresented the thing, I'm gonna chew him a new one. I specifically didn't want an overly hot pickup regardless of price.

[sjtalon]

No problem.

Well it is a shame that some of these dopes just list things sometimes not having a CLUE what they actually have. You know, if you are not ONE HUNDRED percent certain of what your selling, then either find out or say in the listing you don't know !!

Anyway for what you have into it you should be able to at least break even on it re-selling it or even make a few bucks to buy a set of strings with.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[Tonetele]

I think sjtalon is right on the money right down to the colors of the wires and the cloth. I removed my old Highway 1 bridgep/up and was shocked to find it had no metal plate at all! The new one's have and are Alnico III- some have even suggested they're made by my favourite AIII Co. in China ( see my name for a clue). But they sure sound better than the originals that Fender first used in H1 models. TONEtele.

[chipbutty24]

Just sent the guy an email using the info you provided and asked for a refund. I explained why I think the pickup was listed incorrectly. We will see what he says.

Technically I guess I shouldn't have bid when I saw that the listing said Mexico, I just didn't see it until afterward. Buyer beware and all that. At the very least I should be able to get my money back by reselling.

[sacizob]

I replaced the bridge pick up of my 2008 Hwy One Tele. I have the original in my hand and it looks exactly like the one on E-Bay.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by chipbutty24

Hi Everone,

I am building a partscaster so I've been trolling eBay for a while trying to snatch up good deals. I saw this '52 RI pickup with no reserve and no bids so I put in a max bid of $31 just to see if I could get it. Well I got it..for $16. Good deal I thought, however, due to my haste I didn't realize the pickup is from a Mexican guitar (or so the ad states). Did Fender even make a MIM '52RI? I can't seem to find any info. Regardless, 16 bucks is a good price even if it is Mex, just not exactly what I was after.

So here is the listing, please let me know if you have any info. Thanks.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?...=STRK:MEWNX:IT

Besides a '50s classic telecaster, which has some aspects roughly similar to an American vintage '52, I can't say I have heard about a Mexican vintage '52 specifically.

There are a lot of anomalies in how guitars are made, and while working to get a thesis project for graduate school, I found out that Fender did things in a pinch to save money as did virtually all companies. This is generally the main idea here.

Take American Standard series for instance. The electronics are USA and some higher end Mexican models utilize American made Fender pups so I doubt that there was '52 specific model year reissue pup made in Mexico, per se. At the time, 1990s era, it would have been too expensive for Mexico's higher end Fenders to make their own high end pups. The obvious thing was to ship them from the USA. Today may be a different case.

The only thing Mexico's new and modern plant made back then, which was economically feasable, was for the American Standard series but only body blanks on many of that series' guitars.

I would talk to reps who went to NAMM and do trips overseas, and there was talk about offshore plants that could make high end pickups that would one day rival EMG, Duncan, and DiMarzio. It's one thing to be able to make body or neck blanks and such an operation could be put up anywhere in the world.

While a pup seems like a small and simple part, it isn't, so my guess (at least from the time period I lived and breathed music in grad school), I would say that there wasn't a '52 specific Mexican pup, unless it is something completely new.

Another possibility, which I knew long before I studied the music business in college, was that different countries had access to different model lines. Just type in www.ibanez.com and see the huge list of countries that pops up. By going to different counties, one can find that sometimes the lines available are different. So MAYBE, Mexico made a specific '52 tele for a market for some other country.

Anyway, the best way to get the information you need is to contact Tim Shaw, pickup expert and now principal engineer, at Fender Nashville.

[chipbutty24]

Great information guys. Thanks for the help. I'll let you know what happens.

[chipbutty24]

Here is his reply;

Hi,

You are incorrect. I took it out of the guitar myself. Fender
makes a Made in Mexico 50's Classic Reissue and a 60's Classic
Reissue. The item has already been sent. If you are not happy
with the item send it back.
Regards

- 7guit777

I guess I'll keep it since it is sent, but I will be informing him that a 50's Classic MIM is not the same as a '52RI.

Thanks again for all your help guys.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by chipbutty24

Here is his reply;

Hi,

You are incorrect. I took it out of the guitar myself. Fender
makes a Made in Mexico 50's Classic Reissue and a 60's Classic
Reissue. The item has already been sent. If you are not happy
with the item send it back.
Regards

- 7guit777

I guess I'll keep it since it is sent, but I will be informing him that a 50's Classic MIM is not the same as a '52RI.

Thanks again for all your help guys.

That was my guess. From having played both guitars, I have to say they are both very, very nice instruments with a great tone and considerable twang. If you don't like the '50s Mexican Fender pup, send it to me...no, just kidding. Actually, if you don't like it, you may only marginally like the American Fender '52 tele pup. You may be a Fralin or Barden type guy and want a little more midrange punch and buttery sound. Fralin has a slight mid and bass response boost over most Fender pups, while the Bardens give you afterburner. :)

I have considered Fralin humbuckers for my LTD Viper. They sound like a very great, boutique company the next step beyond the Duncans and DiMarzios on the market. Lindy Fralin seems to be very popular on this website.

[chipbutty24]

I think I'm gonna go Tonerider. Have been hearing very good things about them and they are inexpensive. Since it's mine anyway though I'll probably try out the Alnico III. Might be cool.

[63dot]

Originally Posted by chipbutty24

I think I'm gonna go Tonerider. Have been hearing very good things about them and they are inexpensive. Since it's mine anyway though I'll probably try out the Alnico III. Might be cool.

Outside of full on metal, alnico is great for a bridge pup. Sometimes a hotter wound neck can compensate for the tele's usually weak neck pup response. This is even a problem with humbuckers and I solved my issue with alnico humbucker in superstrat project, bridge position, and ceramic magnet humbucker in neck. I could pretty much switch from bridge to neck without volume dropoff so that was on less thing to worry about live.

I have heard about Tonerider pups but don't know much about how many fans they have or if they are available in local stores. Are they less expensive than DiMarzio and Duncan?

DiMarzio and Duncans are available at a great discount on Musician's Friend on the internet.

[chipbutty24]

Toneriders are about $40 to $50 each and have been compared to Fralins and Lollars. Sounds like a bit of a stretch to me but who knows. Alot of the brand name pickups have inflated prices...just like guitars ;)

They come from Australia and, as far as I know, not in stores. If you go to tonerider.com under "Dealers" they tell you where to get them. There is one guy on eBay that sells them from England and shipping is usually free! Haven't tried him yet. A little leary of ordering overseas.

[sjtalon]

>You are incorrect<

This jerk has the customer service bedside manner of a rattlesnake!

Notice how there is NO mention of the fact that it IS NOT a 52 RI pickup even after HE admits the model guitar it was removed from and NO apology for an incorrect listing. As they say in the Great white North, what a coyote !

Tell him you want 100% refund INCLUDING the postage to return it BEFORE you send it back ( this is not only fair, but RIGHT). IF HE DOESN'T agree to that, tell him you'll do a paypal dispute to resolve the issue.

Sorry to stick my big nose in the deal but I have sold a ton (that's no lie) of things in my life and the main reason I have return customers is because I TOOK CARE OF THEM and THEY where ALWAYS RIGHT.

Best of luck !

[chipbutty24]

No doubt. I haven't really decided what to do here. It's a cheap price even for what it is. I may just give him poor feedback and leave it at that. I think i can sell it for what I paid and just avoid having to deal with this clown any further.

[sjtalon]

True. You did get a good price and should be able to recover.

I would just not even leave ANY feedback because I can tell by the way this jerk is he will just hammer you back so you look bad too.

Good choice on the Toneriders ! I've read a lot of good things about the Tele Vintage Plus pickups.
I put a set of Tonerider Alnico IV Classic HB in a Epiphone Les Paul I had for resale and I'll tell you they sounded GREAT ! I have a Gibson LP Studio as well so had something to A/B with.

http://rhfactorguitars.mybisi.com/ Good pricing, good service

Keep us posted on the Partscaster !

[chipbutty24]

Will do, thanks again for your help.