Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Pickups => Topic started by: Elliot on September 08, 2005, 08:17:08 AM

Title: Fender Strat Magnets!
Post by: Elliot on September 08, 2005, 08:17:08 AM

Just trying to work out Fender pup construction over time

1954 = Ungraded Alnico - found to be A3 in modern terms

When did Fender change to A5?  Late 1950s?  Early 1960s?  Later?

What changed in Pup construction between pre and post CBS?

Title: Fender Strat Magnets!
Post by: Tim on September 08, 2005, 01:09:40 PM

Ungraded Alnico is correct, the nearest modern equivelant is ALnico 3 as plain Alnico is a different product these days.Our Apaches and Country Boy pickups feature original Alnico made specially for us.
Alnico V crept in sporadically from the late '50s onwards and Fender moved from using Heavy Formvar enamelled wire, through plain enamel in the '60s to polysol in the late '60s/ early 70s.
Magnet polarity also changed, seemingly randomly.It started off north up for @ the first 3 years then moved to south up and then changed back and forth although south up does seem to predominate.
Hook up wire was the 7/30 waxed cloth hookup and then moved over to plastic coated hookup in the '70s.

Title: Fender Strat Magnets!
Post by: big steve on September 08, 2005, 04:41:53 PM

why did fender switch to polysol? cheapness?

Title: Fender Strat Magnets!
Post by: Elliot on September 08, 2005, 04:43:18 PM

Thanks for that  :)

Is it fair to say that (roughly speaking):

Apache = Mid 50s Strats
Sultans = Late 50s Strats
Mother's Milk = pre-CBS 1960s strats to early CBS strats

Title: Fender Strat Magnets!
Post by: Tim on September 09, 2005, 07:55:14 PM

Quote from: big steve

why did fender switch to polysol? cheapness?

That would be one factor today but I expect it was considered a step up back then, also you can work much faster with polysol as you can solder straight to it.