Seymour Duncan winds Brad Paisley a secret weapon for his Esquire
Is Brad Paisley's signature Seymour Duncan Secret Agent single-coil the ultimate mod for a single-pickup Esquire?
Country guitar phenomenon Brad Paisley has teamed up once again with Seymour Duncan for a signature electric guitar pickup that is designed to be heard but not seen.
The Brad Paisley Signature Custom Shop “Secret Agent” Esquire Neck Pickup is exactly that. Hidden from view as it is mounted directly under the pickguard, it is a custom wound single-coil for Paisley's much-loved Fender Esquire, giving it what Paisley describes as his "favourite Tele neck pickup."
The pickup has a medium-output ceramic bar magnet. The positioning under the pickguard acts as a de facto tone chaperone, the greater distance between string and pickup taming some of the highs and making for a tone that is quintessentially Tele in character, but with a warmth and fuller bloom to the notes.
For Esquire owners with a single-pickup setup, the Secret Agent looks like a pretty cool, unobtrusive mod that will brighten up that third pseudo-neck pickup position, which offers less volume and is can be a little dark for some players' liking – Paisley included.
Of course, it is a matter of taste. Either way, it's a neat contrast with the unfiltered treble of that bridge position, it sure sounds good in Brad Paisley's hands, and you wouldn't even notice it's there.
The The Brad Paisley Signature Custom Shop “Secret Agent” Esquire Neck Pickup is part of the Custom Shop series and retails for $130.
See Seymour Duncan for more details.
Get the MusicRadar Newsletter
Want all the hottest music and gear news, reviews, deals, features and more, direct to your inbox? Sign up here.
“The massive guitar sound that sparked an entire generation has been completely and faithfully captured in stunning detail”: Nirvana tone guru Aaron Rash releases The Nevermind Sessions IR bundle, and promises a sound “identical” to Kurt Cobain’s
“Thank you so much Mr. Reid, hope you get the same inspiration from that Triplecaster”: Jack White and Vernon Reid swap signature guitars after chance meeting at the airport
Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.
“The massive guitar sound that sparked an entire generation has been completely and faithfully captured in stunning detail”: Nirvana tone guru Aaron Rash releases The Nevermind Sessions IR bundle, and promises a sound “identical” to Kurt Cobain’s
“Thank you so much Mr. Reid, hope you get the same inspiration from that Triplecaster”: Jack White and Vernon Reid swap signature guitars after chance meeting at the airport