Oil City Pickups: Focus on FortyNiner

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in Made in the UK tFB Trader

From time to time I like to pick out one of my pickups, perhaps one you might not have noticed, and tell you a bit about it, and what inspired me to produce it.
In 1948/49 Leo Fender was developing the 'Esquire' guitar ... that would then become the two pickup Broadcaster, then after legal wrangles with Gretsch (who made Broadkaster drum kits) become the Telecaster we all know and love. Leo always had an eye on saving money, and the pickup he chose to fit to those very early prototypes, and indeed the first production models, was one he already made ... for the Fender lap steel. A quick and dirty baseplate modification, and it became the new Esquire/broadcaster pickup.
These early pickups differed quite a lot from later ones: for a start they were equipped with alnico 3 magnets, and they were wound with 43 gauge wire. Later Tele bridge pickups swapped to 42 gauge wire and alnico 5 (though the neck pickups were still 43 gauge).
The effect on tone is quite marked: The early pickups have relatively weak magnets so have a very low string pull that helps sustain. Added to more sustain, is the natural compression and midrange 'push' of the 43 gauge wire. So these pickups were slightly less twangy and thin compared with later models, and had a definite mid range growl.
My own Oil City FortyNiner follows that recipe quite closely, with flush pole alnico 3 magnets, an unplated base-plate 43awg wire and the distinctive black string wrapping, and has that very distinctive early Tele sound.  
Professional pickup winder, horse-testpilot and recovering Chocolate Hobnob addict.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups  ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message  

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