Pickup Guru's - Can you identify this?

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IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
edited October 2018 in Guitar tFB Trader
Heres the bridge pickup out of my ex. Mick Ralphs '86 Fender Esquire, can anyone identify what it might be for me? It'll be a replacement and it sounds fantastic...but any idea what make? Reads 5.9k.






http://www.ivisonguitars.com
(formerly miserneil)
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  • AlegreeAlegree Frets: 665
    tFB Trader
    Scruffy string, plastic coated trimmed wire, very low wind, lack of branding, no baseplate, quite a lot of laquer discolouration around the eyelets.

    If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that's someone's attempt at building a pickup. Probably not their first, though.
    Alegree pickups & guitar supplies - www.alegree.co.uk
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    edited October 2018
    Alegree said:
    Scruffy string, plastic coated trimmed wire, very low wind, lack of branding, no baseplate, quite a lot of laquer discolouration around the eyelets.

    If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say that's someone's attempt at building a pickup. Probably not their first, though.

    Both those would be right for late 60's, as would the bobbins, tape, stagger etc...

    I would say late 60's to early 70's  with a missing baseplate, or made to look that way... not sure about the stamp.

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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    edited October 2018
    https://reverb.com/item/15150449-vintage-fender-telecaster-bridge-pickup-grey-bottom-late-60-s-66-67-68-69

    This one has similar plastic wire... Wasn't exactly a consistent time for Fender
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  • GassageGassage Frets: 30826
    I agree with @WezV - I reckon it's 60's orig. If so the wire should be 43 SWG.

    *An Official Foo-Approved guitarist since Sept 2023.

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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14036
    tFB Trader
    I've just picked up a Fender Tele bitsa - late 60's body/early 70's neck - re-build project to get into - Has a pretty similar pick-up on it, almost to the T - seller of the project , who started it, said he purchased it as a late 60's pick-up - I'll be fitting something else as a) neck pick-up is of unknown origin and b) both sound crap, so will certainly be looking in the bit box for something else - But as per above my money is on a late 60's early 70's era
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  • AlegreeAlegree Frets: 665
    tFB Trader
    I think you lot may be right. 
    I'm surprised. I'd expect better presentation from Fender.
    Alegree pickups & guitar supplies - www.alegree.co.uk
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  • WezVWezV Frets: 16547
    Alegree said:
    I think you lot may be right. 
    I'm surprised. I'd expect better presentation from Fender.
    They are also prone to failure due to a lack of potting. This one doesn't have rust stains on the tape, but very common for them to break down inside.
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  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 14323
    The pickup height adjustment screws heads look Japanese.

    WezV said:
    not sure about the stamp.
    The stamp is correct for CBS-era Fender. Both bobbins of the original pickup in my 1978/79 P Bass had grey fibreboard plates and the black inked on digits.

    Alegree said:
    Scruffy string, plastic coated trimmed wire, very low wind, lack of branding, no baseplate, quite a lot of lacquer discolouration around the eyelets.
    I am surprised that there are no turns of the copper wire through the soldering eyelets and around the edge of the fibreboard plate. 

    Taken together, this detail, the poorly rewrapped string and the non-original output conductors suggest that the pickup underwent a repair at some point. Possibly, a coil break followed by the removal of a few turns.
    Be seeing you.
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    Thanks for the info chaps, most helpful! 
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    I’ve got a ‘67 Tele pickup here which looks very similar including the uneven string winding, although it has a pencilled date rather than a stamp, and cloth wire. If I remember correctly ‘67 is the changeover to plastic wire and the inked stamp, so I would guess this is a late ‘67 or slightly later Fender pickup with the baseplate missing.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    Cheers @ICBM, great info. I hadn’t realised Fender had gone to plastic wiring that early, nice to know it’s a genuine vintage pickup though!
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71960
    edited October 2018
    It might be ‘68, but it’s definitely around then.

    Or the wiring could be replaced.

    It’s obviously had some ‘history’, because the baseplate is missing and as Funkfingers said, the screws are Japanese and would not fit the threads in it.

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    Yeah, there’ll definitely be ‘history’, Mike is known for swapping and changing parts out of guitars so I bet this was a pickup he found or bought at some point and stuck it in. It sounds great!
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14036
    tFB Trader
    do you think its a 'good pick-up gone bad' - You obviously 'can't get enough' of such projects Neil
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  • Philly_QPhilly_Q Frets: 22516
    I don't know anything about the pickup, but it looks like there's a lot of Mick Ralphs' DNA all over and around it.  You might be able to clone him, like a woolly mammoth.
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  • IvisonGuitarsIvisonGuitars Frets: 6838
    tFB Trader
    do you think its a 'good pick-up gone bad' - You obviously 'can't get enough' of such projects Neil
    Very good Mark! :D
    http://www.ivisonguitars.com
    (formerly miserneil)
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