Description

The 1960s Blueprint: Hand-Wound Pre-CBS Stratocaster Pickups

Since 2011, my mission has been singular: to replicate the “ghost in the machine” found only in the most coveted vintage Fender instruments. For the discerning player—the “cork sniffer” who demands absolute historical accuracy—these pickups represent the pinnacle of bench-built craft.

The Architecture of Vintage Tone

To achieve a true Pre-CBS sound, you cannot take shortcuts. Accuracy isn’t just a goal; it’s the only metric that matters. Every set is meticulously crafted to mirror the original examples from my private vintage collection.

• Bespoke Magnetics: We use vintage-correct 0.187″ Alnico V magnets, hand-bevelled in-house to ensure the authentic magnetic field and “stagger” that defined the 1960s era.

• Fullerton-Spec Wire: Each coil is scatter-wound by hand using 42 AWG Heavy Formvar wire. This isn’t off-the-shelf copper; it is carefully cloned and colour-matched to the original Fullerton spools for that specific mid-range “bloom.”

• Period-Correct Flatwork: Unlike mass-produced boutique pickups, our flatwork is traditionally punched, not laser-cut. This preserves the correct fibre density. The bobbins feature hand-rounded edges and are finished in a nitrocellulose lacquer bath, just as they were in the golden era.

“These aren’t just pickups; they are a time-capsule. The touch-sensitivity and ‘quack’ in positions 2 and 4 are indistinguishable from a genuine ’62.”

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Technical Specifications & Output

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Calibrated Output:

• Neck: 5.8kΩ (Clear, woody, and bell-like)

• Middle: 6.0kΩ (Perfectly balanced for “quack”)

• Bridge: 6.4kΩ (Biting but never thin)

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The “No-Compromise” Build Process

Every set is wax-potted using a traditional blend of Black Bee and paraffin wax. This specific mixture is crucial; it’s a slower, more deliberate process that tames microphonic feedback while allowing the pickup to remain “microphonic” enough to retain its soul and pick-attack sensitivity.

Built without compromise in the UK, and with total respect for the heritage of the electric guitar. Each set is supplied complete with period-correct covers and mounting screws.

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Why Choose Hand-Wound Over Mass-Produced?

Standard factory pickups are wound with machine-like precision, which creates high “distributed capacitance.” By scatter-winding (the artisan method), we vary the tension and placement of the wire. This results in a more open frequency response, deeper lows, and that crystalline high-end “chime” that defines the Pre-CBS sound.

 

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More about Pre-CBS Strat pickups here https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/the-ultimate-guide-to-pre-cbs-strat-pickups/