It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 7:48 am

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2015 3:32 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:08 pm
Posts: 14
Hey guys. I was just browsing Musicians Friend and the page for the Classic Vibe 50's tele states that the butterscotch blonde tele and vintage blonde tele have different pickups. It says that the vintage blonde tele has alnico 3 pickups and the butterscotch blonde tele has alnico 5 pickups. Is that true? And what does this mean tone wise? Do they sound different? Thanks.


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 2:06 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Tue Jul 17, 2007 1:53 am
Posts: 4240
FMIC sort of considers those to be two different models: Squierguitars CV Tele

For the sound differences, you just gotta go play, hear & judge for yourself, or believe the FMIC:
VB: "Distinctive Telecaster tone rings from the custom alnico III single-coil pickups, giving clear note separation even when distorted, strong midrange dynamic response and plenty of solo high-end bite."
BSB: "Setting this guitar apart from its Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s Vintage Blonde brother is a custom set of alnico 5 single-coil pickups that provide warmth and clarity and enough punch for country, blues, rock and jazz."


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2015 5:37 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:08 pm
Posts: 14
jmattis wrote:
FMIC sort of considers those to be two different models: Squierguitars CV Tele

For the sound differences, you just gotta go play, hear & judge for yourself, or believe the FMIC:
VB: "Distinctive Telecaster tone rings from the custom alnico III single-coil pickups, giving clear note separation even when distorted, strong midrange dynamic response and plenty of solo high-end bite."
BSB: "Setting this guitar apart from its Classic Vibe Telecaster ’50s Vintage Blonde brother is a custom set of alnico 5 single-coil pickups that provide warmth and clarity and enough punch for country, blues, rock and jazz."
Thanks for the information. My buddy is looking into a vintage blonde one, so I tried the Butterscotch blonde tele as they had no vintage blonde ones :? Oh well, you would think they would make the change of pickups more obvious than that.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Sun Mar 22, 2015 8:43 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Sat Aug 23, 2008 2:01 pm
Posts: 1598
In a rather small nutshell, different pickups are going to have different tonal characteristics. As such, in theory if you were to put those alnico III pickups in any given guitar, then swap them for the alnico V's in the same guitar, you should hear a bit of a difference in tone. Now, you'll note the emphasis on the words "in theory" there....

The simple truth of the matter is that like with virtually all things relating to guitar...brand, model, wood, strings, amps, pedals, etc., a great deal of this is verrrrrrrry subjective. For a well seasoned pro for example, it's often about the playing style (i.e. technique) and even the type of music being played...in other words, a person who plays mostly country may want a pickup that's clear, bright and articulate as apposed to a weekend metal monger who doesn't give a ratt's butt about Alnico III vs. V because they want a "Dime Bucker" in either case. On the other hand, for a person who's basically a novice, any subtle nuances between the III and V may be completely lost...-A LOT- of newer players can't really tell the difference between a single coil and a humbucker, let alone the distinction between various types of single coils.

When it comes to pickups, there are A LOT of factors that govern how an individual pickup actually sounds. Magnet material, number of coil windings, etc., all come into a play. Change the capacitor soldered to the tone pot and a given pickup is gonna sound different. Likewise, a given pickup is likely to sound quite different between two otherwise similar guitars. For example I have a set of Fender Vintage Noiseless Strat pickups...I had originally purchased them for my '96 Fender Standard (MIM) and while they were a significant improvement over the stock single coils, they just didn't sound quite right (to me) in that particular guitar. I ended up putting those in an '87 MIJ Squier and they sound totally fab in that guitar...and the '96 MIM ended up with a set of Seymour Duncans :-) Same pickups in 2 different Strats...VERY different sound.

...and btw...when it comes to your sound, none of that factors in your amp, any pedals you use or even the room you're playing in! In fact, when it comes to guitars, no two really sound or play exactly identical...even from the same model/production line. Because of the rather organic nature of guitars (i.e. wood bodies and necks), very technically speaking, no two sound alike...'tis the nature of the beast. In the "big picture" whether the pickups are alnico III or V...not really THAT big a deal.


So to answer the OP's questions directly here, as to it being "true" that these instruments have different pickups...yea...if they're advertised that way, it's probably true. "Do they sound different?" - technically speaking and in theory, yes...but how much of a difference you're going to notice is gonna depend on your ears, your experience and your expectations. My suggestion would be to ignore Musician's Friend and/or other online ad's and go to as many music stores as you can within your area and play as many as you can get your hands on...let YOUR ears, hands and heart be the judge.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 1:02 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:40 pm
Posts: 291
Location: Eugene Or
I own a 2010 white blond model. It has a very wide spectrum toned pickups. Nice highs minds and lows that flow into one another. The butterscotch one I tried has a more percussive midrange tone to me. Both are good. The white blond has more of a early 60s James Burton Tone


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2015 4:39 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Mon Jun 30, 2014 4:08 pm
Posts: 14
Thanks for all the replies guys, it really helped him out. A bit of an update for you, he is now the happy owner of a Vintage Blonde Classic Vibe Telecaster. He loves the guitar! I must say, I'm a big fan of it too, I might drop some coin on one sometime. It sounds great, Looks great etc. though I'm more into satin finished necks than the lacquer, which feels a bit thick to me.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2015 12:04 am
Offline
Roadie
Roadie
User avatar

Joined: Fri Jun 29, 2007 6:40 pm
Posts: 291
Location: Eugene Or
My first Tele was a Squier I bought new back in the 80s. The Squiers had a very thickskin finish. That's what I grew up with and even though I have Fenders and Squiers with both Satin and Thickskin I prefer the thick shiny finish. That's why I love the Classic Vibe. The really emulated the 80s era guitars very well


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Do the pickups in the CV 50's tele vary with the color?
Posted: Tue Nov 10, 2015 3:27 am
Offline
Amateur
Amateur

Joined: Sun Jul 13, 2008 5:37 pm
Posts: 171
Unless the website is wrong, it looks like both models now come with A5s... which is a shame... the A3s in the white blonde were a big selling point for me.....


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: