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  1. Guitars

NAMM 2014: Fender reveals new pickup range

News
By Matt Parker ( Total Guitar, Guitarist ) published 24 January 2014

Humbuckers and single-coils galore

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Custom Shop Blackguard Tele pickups

Custom Shop Blackguard Tele pickups

NAMM 2014: Fender has unveiled no less than six new pickup sets available for individual purchase this year, including the likes of the Custom Shop Blackguard Tele set, Deluxe Drive Strat and Tele sets and Twin-Head Modern humbuckers.

Browse through the gallery to read up on each new model and head to the Fender site for more information.

Custom Shop Blackguard Tele pickups

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop Blackguard Tele® pickups are made with flush-mounted alnico 5 magnets in the bridge and alnico 3 magnets in the neck using enamel-coated magnet wire, and are made to reproduce the pickup set that was introduced in the early ‘50s version of the Broadcaster.

The Blackguard bridge pickup provides a hotter output and more mid-range growl than other vintage-style Fender pickups, and has a copper-plated base plate for vintage accuracy.

Page 1 of 5
Page 1 of 5
Custom Shop Twisted Tele pickups

Custom Shop Twisted Tele pickups

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Custom Shop Twisted Tele pickups deliver hot high-output Telecaster® tone with a dash of sparkling Stratocaster® character.

Made with alnico 5 magnets, each pickup is tailored to its position (neck and bridge) to achieve its individual sonic character. The neck pickup has a nickel/silver cover for especially clear Telecaster tone, with Formvar magnet wire and a taller bobbin to accommodate more windings.

The bridge pickup has enamel-coated magnet wire and a slightly shorter bobbin with a higher number of windings to create darker, more full-bodied midrange.

Page 2 of 5
Page 2 of 5
Twin-Head Vintage Humbucker pickups

Twin-Head Vintage Humbucker pickups

PRESS RELEASE: Fender’s Twin-Head Vintage Humbucking Neck and Bridge pickups deliver moderate output and warm tone with greater headroom and harmonics.

The neck pickup is made with alnico 2 magnets for sweetly musical tone, while the bridge pickup is made with alnico 5 magnets perfect for an aggressive HSS Stratocaster. They are both wound with specially coated Formvar wire, and feature a thick aluminum base plate for decreased magnetic-field interference. Their all-new three-pin solderless connections make for remarkably easy pickup replacement.

Page 3 of 5
Page 3 of 5
Fender Deluxe Drive Stratocaster/Telecaster pickups

Fender Deluxe Drive Stratocaster/Telecaster pickups

PRESS RELEASE: The Fender Deluxe Drive Stratocaster® and Telecaster® pickups are supercharged with the highest output of all of Fender’s single-coil pickups, with over-wound design and alnico 3 magnets that make them ideal for high-gain amp settings.

When used with clean settings, the Deluxe Drive Telecaster pickups still deliver classic Telecaster snap, and the Stratocaster pickups sparkle brilliantly. In addition, the middle Stratocaster pickup is reverse-wound/reverse-polarity for hum canceling in positions two and four.

Page 4 of 5
Page 4 of 5
Twin-Head Modern Humbucker pickups

Twin-Head Modern Humbucker pickups

PRESS RELEASE: Fender’s Twin-Head Modern Humbucking Neck and Bridge pickups deliver high output and warm tone with greater headroom and harmonics.

The neck pickup is made with ceramic magnets and is wound with specially coated Formvar wire. The bridge pickup is made with alnico 5 magnets, is perfect for an aggressive sound, and is wound with special enamel-coated wire.

Both pickups feature a thick aluminum base plate for decreased magnetic-field interference and all-new three-pin solderless connections make for remarkably easy pickup replacement. Mounting hardware is included with all pickup sets.

Page 5 of 5
Page 5 of 5
Matt Parker
Matt Parker

Matt is a freelance journalist who has spent the last decade interviewing musicians for the likes of Total Guitar, Guitarist, Guitar World, MusicRadar, NME.com, DJ Mag and Electronic Sound. In 2020, he launched CreativeMoney.co.uk, which aims to share the ideas that make creative lifestyles more sustainable. He plays guitar, but should not be allowed near your delay pedals.

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Fender Player II Advanced FSR
“With locking tuners and hard-tail bridges, these are built to play hard”: Fender stealth-launches limited edition Player II Advanced – an HH Telecaster and HSS Strat with ebony fingerboards and loaded with Seymour Duncan pickups
Fender Player II Modified Series
“It’s about delivering the most in-demand mods straight from the factory”: Fender hot-rods itself as the Player II Modified Series rolls out the upgrades – and it got IDLES to demo them
Fender American Vintage II Series 2025 new models: a still from Fender's promo video pictures the '51 Tele in Prototype White, the '57 Strat in Black, P-Bass in Olympic White, the exquisite all-new '65 Stratocaster in Candy Apple Red (one of three finish options) and the '66 Jazzmaster in Sherwood Green Metallic.
“A perfect example of a Strat in a transition year”: Fender expands American Vintage II series with fresh finishes, a ’51 Tele with a prototype paint job and a super classy reproduction of a 1965 Stratocaster
Harley Benton ST-Modern HH: the budget gear giant's latest design is a stripped-down, beginner-friendly S-style available in Seafoam Green, Black and Daphne Blue, and as a left-handed model in Seafoam Green
“Strips away all the excess to reveal a pure rock machine”: Harley Benton rolls out the ST-Modern HH – a beginner-friendly dual-humbucker S-style with Tom DeLonge vibes and a sub-$200 price tag
Fender Player II Limited Edition 3-Color Sunburst Sparkle series: the Precision Bass, Stratocaster, Telecaster and Jazz Bass get a limited edition makeover for 2025.
“A stage-ready guitar with contemporary updates to power your performance ”: Fender unveils limited edition Player II Series refresh, with the Strat, Tele, Precision and Jazz Basses refinished in dazzling Sparkle 3-Color Sunburst
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“The ‘gray bottoms’ have a little more high output – they have a punchier sound to them”: Joe Bonamassa and Seymour Duncan put pre-CBS tones on the menu with “Greenburst” Stratocaster pickup set
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