Pickup - Identification

bgmartinsbridge

Struggling to research what this guitar pup is. 

Anyone come across one of these before? 

No markings... 

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah147/bradmarshall100/Mobile Uploads/20170522_110503_zpssvb2dnfm.jpg

http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah147/bradmarshall100/Mobile Uploads/20170522_110322_zpsgtjx1rhz.jpg

impmann

Maxon made a humbucker with the "Wide Range" type screw arrangement back in the 1970s. I was given one to stick in a cheap SG copy when I was about 16 - IIRC, it didn't sound that different to most 1970s cheapo Jap humbuckers.

I've seen one in a Telecaster Custom copy.

BTW, there is a giveaway that its Japanese... and its the dot stamped into each polepiece screw denoting that these are not Philips or Pozi drive but JIS.  Similar but different observe...

OilCityPickups

The bobbins and bent steel pole shoes, together with the odd cross head pole screws tell me 70s/ posibly early 80s Japanese. Sadly no more specific than that. Were I to take a pure guess, I'd say from a lower end Tele Custom copy ... but I may be totally wrong there.

bgmartinsbridge

Thanks guys. The JIS bit is really interesting. 
This came out of a 70s Tele, so makes sense. 

bgmartinsbridge

For the record, sounded really good - but then I'm getting on a bit lol

OilCityPickups

Some of those early Japanese units sounded rather nice ... the shame was loads of folks ripped them out and replaced them with DiMarzios ... sure, more output, but less character. The bent steel keeper bars are of a design similar to ones found in Gold Foil pickups, and their low mass compared to normal keeper bars may well have a sonic effect. The bobbin height seems quite tall too, so I'd expect a good treble response.