Anyone know how to identify a Duncan Broadcaster PUP?

slimjw · July 11th, 2003, 11:52 PM

I just popped open a guitar I bought that's supposed to have a Duncan Broadcaster in the bridge and a Duncan Vintage in the neck, but there's no brass bassplate on the bridge pup, the wires don't have cloth leads and the coils are wrapped with a ribbon material instead of the usual style wrappings (what they are, I don't know, but it looks like black string, if you know what I'm saying). Didn't look too hard at the neck pup but the leads weren't cloth either.

Does anyone know if Duncan is now making these pups without cloth wiring, without the bassplate and with a ribbon wrapping? The non-cloth leads thing make them seem fishy to me. Not to mention the lack of a brass bassplate. They did have model number stickers on them that seem consistent with the numbers on Duncan's site, but I'm trying to find a definitive answer.

Anyone care to weigh in on this? Would someone be able to just peel off the model number stickers from some other pups and slap them on another pair?

Look forward to hearing from folks -Jason

Kevin · July 12th, 2003, 09:36 AM

Broadcasters have the copper-coated baseplate engraved with the Duncan logo, as well as the sticker (they've changed the way they do the stickers, BTW) with the model number.

Leads are cloth -- yellow and black -- and the coil is wrapped in black string.

Your bridge pup ain't one...

Joel66 · July 12th, 2003, 09:50 AM

I have a Duncan Vintage neck pup sitting right here and it has black and white cloth leads. It also has the model number sticker on the bottom.

Joel

slimjw · July 13th, 2003, 02:28 PM

Thanks for the responses, folks. Would someone be able to swap out the wires with plastic covered ones? And if so, any reason someone would? I guess I'm going to have to call Duncan on Monday, but I think I might've got the shaft on these. I need to make absolutely sure before I contact the seller and ask for my money back. Even the bassplate being missing seems enough to complain. I wasn't sold the guitar and told, "it's a broadcaster, but I took off the brass bassplate". Definitely not cool. - Jason

Kevin · July 13th, 2003, 06:00 PM

Yes; you can swap the wires, but I don't see the reason for it. Most people would swap plastic for cloth and swear it's an old pickup! If the wires were cut short, maybe... But, still, most people would just splice. Changing leads is a pretty delicate procedure...

I can also think of no reason to remove a baseplate -- or the wrapping string.

All signs point to someone not being entirely honest with you....

JohnK24 · July 14th, 2003, 10:32 AM

Black ribbon wrapping, plastic coating wires...that's what I've seen in stock MIM pups...especially missing the baseplate on the supposed "Broadcaster".

Check for serial numbers on the bottoms of the pups, then go to the Fender Mr. Gearhead site...

Also, on the bridge pup, does the top of the pup feel/look like plastic (smooth and has a shiney face)...or flat, dull, slightly grainy...these are the fiber bobbins used on Duncan pups.

hth,

JK

slimjw · July 14th, 2003, 03:35 PM

Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I called Seymour Duncan today and the tech I spoke with pretty much echoed the comments others have made in regards to this post. I paid a lot of money for this guitar and am really not interested in paying another couple hundred to put new pups in to make the thing even close to the way it's supposed to be. I'm going to take some pictures of the pups and send them to the tech at Seymour to get a definitive answer and if they tell me the pups are not SD's I'll at least have a leg to stand on to dispute the validity of the purchase. The guitar was advertised as having a broadcaster in the bridge and a '54 in the neck. Now I'm wondering about both. This sucks. - Jason

Kevin · July 14th, 2003, 04:18 PM

You needn't spend $200 replacing pickups... You can get a SD B'caster from John at Black Rose for around $50, or a Fender 52RI for even less at Musicians Friend.

Also, check the Garage Sale. A lot of people around here have extra pups that they would sell to you.

MRK · July 18th, 2003, 01:49 PM

I went into a store and asked for a SD Broadcaster bridge pickup, the guy gave me a "Vintage for Broadcaster" bridge pickup. Is the "STL-1b Vintage Broadcaster" the same as "Vintage for Broadcaster"? Is that the old packaging or another pickup?

I didn't buy it because I thought "Vintage for Broadcaster" wasn't the right one.

Thanks.

Kevin · July 18th, 2003, 02:08 PM

Same thing. Duncan has changed their packaging, as well as the identifying stickers on the bottom of the pickups in the last year, or so.

The new stickers are much better (e.g., an old strat pup with a 1 on it could have been one of several things: SSL-1, APS-1, etc). The new stickers are longer, but it's easier to be more definite.

But, yeah, that's what the outside of the box says now. If in doubt, open up the package and look at the bottom of the pup. It should either have "1Bx" (where "x" is the winder's initial) if it's an older model, or the new number, which I think also has the model name underneath it - at least it does on the new APS models....

July 11th, 2003, 11:52 PM	#1 (permalink)
slimjw TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 26	Anyone know how to identify a Duncan Broadcaster PUP? I just popped open a guitar I bought that's supposed to have a Duncan Broadcaster in the bridge and a Duncan Vintage in the neck, but there's no brass bassplate on the bridge pup, the wires don't have cloth leads and the coils are wrapped with a ribbon material instead of the usual style wrappings (what they are, I don't know, but it looks like black string, if you know what I'm saying). Didn't look too hard at the neck pup but the leads weren't cloth either. Does anyone know if Duncan is now making these pups without cloth wiring, without the bassplate and with a ribbon wrapping? The non-cloth leads thing make them seem fishy to me. Not to mention the lack of a brass bassplate. They did have model number stickers on them that seem consistent with the numbers on Duncan's site, but I'm trying to find a definitive answer. Anyone care to weigh in on this? Would someone be able to just peel off the model number stickers from some other pups and slap them on another pair? Look forward to hearing from folks -Jason

July 12th, 2003, 09:36 AM	#2 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	Sorry... Broadcasters have the copper-coated baseplate engraved with the Duncan logo, as well as the sticker (they've changed the way they do the stickers, BTW) with the model number. Leads are cloth -- yellow and black -- and the coil is wrapped in black string. Your bridge pup ain't one...

July 12th, 2003, 09:50 AM	#3 (permalink)
Joel66 Tele-Holic Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cypress Inn, Tennessee Age: 41 Posts: 654	For what it's worth.... I have a Duncan Vintage neck pup sitting right here and it has black and white cloth leads. It also has the model number sticker on the bottom. Joel __________________ It takes a whole lot of liquor to like her but when I'm liquored up I like her just fine

July 13th, 2003, 02:28 PM	#4 (permalink)
slimjw TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 26	This is not looking good... Thanks for the responses, folks. Would someone be able to swap out the wires with plastic covered ones? And if so, any reason someone would? I guess I'm going to have to call Duncan on Monday, but I think I might've got the shaft on these. I need to make absolutely sure before I contact the seller and ask for my money back. Even the bassplate being missing seems enough to complain. I wasn't sold the guitar and told, "it's a broadcaster, but I took off the brass bassplate". Definitely not cool. - Jason

July 14th, 2003, 10:32 AM	#6 (permalink)
JohnK24 Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Saxonburg,PA Posts: 1,390	Hmmm...sounds like a "stock" Fender pup Black ribbon wrapping, plastic coating wires...that's what I've seen in stock MIM pups...especially missing the baseplate on the supposed "Broadcaster". Check for serial numbers on the bottoms of the pups, then go to the Fender Mr. Gearhead site... Also, on the bridge pup, does the top of the pup feel/look like plastic (smooth and has a shiney face)...or flat, dull, slightly grainy...these are the fiber bobbins used on Duncan pups. hth, JK __________________ Got Twang ?!

July 13th, 2003, 06:00 PM	#5 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	Yes; you can swap the wires, but I don't see the reason for it. Most people would swap plastic for cloth and swear it's an old pickup! If the wires were cut short, maybe... But, still, most people would just splice. Changing leads is a pretty delicate procedure... I can also think of no reason to remove a baseplate -- or the wrapping string. All signs point to someone not being entirely honest with you....

July 14th, 2003, 03:35 PM	#7 (permalink)
slimjw TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 26	Grim Pickin's Thanks to everyone for the feedback. I called Seymour Duncan today and the tech I spoke with pretty much echoed the comments others have made in regards to this post. I paid a lot of money for this guitar and am really not interested in paying another couple hundred to put new pups in to make the thing even close to the way it's supposed to be. I'm going to take some pictures of the pups and send them to the tech at Seymour to get a definitive answer and if they tell me the pups are not SD's I'll at least have a leg to stand on to dispute the validity of the purchase. The guitar was advertised as having a broadcaster in the bridge and a '54 in the neck. Now I'm wondering about both. This sucks. - Jason

July 14th, 2003, 04:18 PM	#8 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	You needn't spend $200 replacing pickups... You can get a SD B'caster from John at Black Rose for around $50, or a Fender 52RI for even less at Musicians Friend. Also, check the Garage Sale. A lot of people around here have extra pups that they would sell to you.

July 18th, 2003, 01:49 PM	#9 (permalink)
MRK TDPRI Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: New York City Posts: 60	Question concerning the packaging of the Broadcaster. I went into a store and asked for a SD Broadcaster bridge pickup, the guy gave me a "Vintage for Broadcaster" bridge pickup. Is the "STL-1b Vintage Broadcaster" the same as "Vintage for Broadcaster"? Is that the old packaging or another pickup? I didn't buy it because I thought "Vintage for Broadcaster" wasn't the right one. Thanks.

July 18th, 2003, 02:08 PM	#10 (permalink)
Kevin Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Terre Haute, IN Posts: 2,967	Same thing. Duncan has changed their packaging, as well as the identifying stickers on the bottom of the pickups in the last year, or so. The new stickers are much better (e.g., an old strat pup with a 1 on it could have been one of several things: SSL-1, APS-1, etc). The new stickers are longer, but it's easier to be more definite. But, yeah, that's what the outside of the box says now. If in doubt, open up the package and look at the bottom of the pup. It should either have "1Bx" (where "x" is the winder's initial) if it's an older model, or the new number, which I think also has the model name underneath it - at least it does on the new APS models....