NAMM 2014: Fender reveals new pickup range

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.