Custom Shop Twisted Tele retail set - Bridge?

I "baja"ed my FSR with the TT/Broadcaster Fender Custom Shop set. Be aware that there are phony copies of these out in the marketplace.

 

Fender produced two versions of the Twisted Tele neck pickup, the one in the Mex Baja and the other in the American Standard 2012 which is the same as the retail set.

The Baja pickups are Fender part 0072267000 Pickup, Twisted Tele, Neck and 0072268000 Pickup, Vintage Tele, Bridge.

 

How is the twisted tele different from the '51 NoCasters set? Just curious, because my '96 Am. St. Tele supposedly had a CS Broadcaster in the bridge and a CS TT in the Neck from the factory. I ended up replacing them with '51 NoCasters because that set simply sucked compared with the '51 NoCaster set. Ironically even being as bad as they were it was still the best guitar in the shop when I got it, even when compared to the new Teles that were in there when I looked repeatedly over the course of a month.

 

I can't answer your question, but someone here must know.

 

I had a Twisted set in my Wildwood thin skin.

From what i understand I dont think the bridge was the broadcaster type

The bridge was to hot for me. Closer to a p90 type sound in my opinion

I measured it when i took it out. 10.74K

If your looking for more of a classic tele sound a feel the hot twisted tele is not what your looking for.

 

All subjective, but in my experience:

The Twisted Tele neck is, for the most part, very similar to a Strat pickup under a Tele cover. Taller bobbin and magnets. The bridge pickup is, to my ears, similar to a hotter mid-50s voiced tele pickup.

The Broadcaster set is more early-50s voiced. More mid presence, less spiky treble attack in the bridge. They're often a bit higher output in the bridge (depending on when they were made)as well. The neck is mellower and less scooped than the TT neck. It's worth noting that for a while the Broadcaster set that came in CS guitars and the set available for retail were somewhat different too.

The TT neck/Broadcaster bridge set is one of the most commonly specd Tele sets in CS guitars, though personally I'm not so fond of the neck pickup as I prefer the character of a Tele neck pickup. The market would suggest I'm in the minority there.

 

Where would I procure one of these actual Fender Broadcaster sets? I have the NoCasters, but I wouldn't mind having this set either in reserve or in one of the several planned DIY builds that will be happening here in the new year.

 

To the best of my knowledge, the specific set/s known as Broadcaster from the CS haven't ever been available for retail sale. Various runs of Nocaster pickups have been sold, and they're pretty similar. You can track them down without too much hassle. In the last 5 years or so very early blackguard pickups seem to have been pretty popular with custom winders so you could contact Don Mare/Mick Brierley/Monty/whomever you like and see if they do a set.

If for whatever reason you have to have the Fender units, then keeping an eye on Ebay or Reverb would be your best bet. Occasionally people will replace them in their CS guitars, however in my experience this is uncommon and they always go for a pretty penny.