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Post subject: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 1:30 pm
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I just purchased a new '54 60th anniversary pickup to replace a '69 neck pup.
I have a custom wired Strat with a C.S. Fat 50's middle RWRP pup.
Because the '69 pups do NOT come with a RWRP middle pup, I use a Fat '50s to get hum-canceling in positions 2 & 4. It worked well, but I just wanted to find a new sound!

After wiring in the '54 as a neck pup, it works great by itself, but NOT when the 5-way switch adds the middle pup. The middle pup works great by itself as well, but when added together, their volume cuts in half...very weak.

After reading the forums, it sounded like they were out of phase. I reversed the ground & lead wires on the neck '54 60th pup, and sure enough...Everything is strong again! This '54 seems to be wired out of phase. I now have to put the black wire on the lead switch, and the white wire on the ground.

I could almost live with this, but now the middle & neck pups together are no longer hum canceling!

SO: Is this one pup a bad '54...messed up when wired at the factory? ...or are ALL of these '54 60th anniversary limited pups wired like this? OR is there something else going on that I'm missing? Were they wired this way because they are Alnico 3 instead of A5 magnets? ...what am I missing?

If they are ALL wired differently...shouldn't Fender add that to their description on their Website. Also, what other pups are wired like this?

I know I can use '69s with the Fat 50 middle.
Can I use the new '65s or '56s or are they wired differently too? How about normal '54s (not limited 60th anniversary)...how about 57/62s? ...or again, is this just one fluke pup?

Thank you for any help!
I've been reading the brilliance here for years...I'm glad to finally post!


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:11 pm
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The pickups aren't wired differently, per se, but their polarities are.

Fender isn't consistent about its magnetic polarity in its RW/RP sets. Some are NSN while others are SNS, which makes it tricky to mix and match sets, as you have discovered.

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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 8:16 am
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Big O, thanks for responding. It helped me have a clue where to look & I read some of your other post concerning polarity...VERY helpful indeed!

Does anyone know if the new Pure Vintage '65 pups are South pole tops?
I checked all the ones I own and can tell you:

The Fat 50s, Tx Spc, '69, & 57/62 all have South pole tops. The exceptions are the RWRP middles which do NOT come in '69 and only come in 57/62 on special occasions (2006 anniversary & '50s Classic Player MIM)

The new '54 60th Anniversaries have North pole tops (I'm holding one.) And, from what I've read, so do the normal CS '54 pups. I do NOT know if the new Pure Vintage '59 or '65 have North or South poles?

If Fender kept in line with HISTORY, they switched to South tops in '59/60 so the new pure vintage '65 may be South top??? It's a toss up for the '59 & by that theory why are the fat 50s South top? LOL!!!

I'd hate to have to purchase one, just to see. Can anyone tell me if the '65 Pure Vintage has South or North tops?


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 8:51 am
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My information is limited and not handy at the moment.

I do recall that all of my '60s and '70s pickups are South up. Fender was consistent back then, well, after the change from North up in the about 1959.

As you said, the Original 57/62 were South up, the Texas Specials were SNS.
The pickups in my 2005 American Series were NSN.

I hope someone has the info you requested. If a local shop stocks them, I guess you could always bring a compass there and see if they'd let you check them out.

I imagine a guy would get some curious looks if he was seen waving a compass in front of guitars hanging in a guitar shop.

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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 9:09 am
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:D That's what I'm going to do! LOL! If I can't find my answer today, I'll go to the store with my compass! HA!
Thanks again!


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Wed Jun 04, 2014 10:14 am
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Consider this option: for the price of a couple of powerful earth magnets from Stew-Mac, you could change the polarity of that '54 60th Anniversary pickup to South up.

I've never done it, but I believe the good folks at Stew-Mac.

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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:13 am
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The problem is the polarity.
Like most modern Fender Pus the Fat 50s magnets are South up. (So the RWRP middle is North up.)
For sake of authenticity is guess, the 54 PUs are all three North up, like they were in the 50s. (The AVRI 56&59s are the same.)
Thats why you would need to reverse the polarity to get hum cancelling in the in between position.
Or you could use the Fat 50s neck (South up) as your middle PU or also either of the 69s (also South up).

It is pretty easy to reverse the polarity on these PUs, all you need is two strong neodym magnets...i recently did this with the new AVRI 56 and 59 middle PUs so the are humcancelling in position 2&4.
How do you like the sound of the 54s?


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 7:00 am
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schapeshifter,
To be honest my taste of the '54 60th anniv was tainted due to the low output from being out of phase. When I reversed the wire, I then found it was not noise cancelling, & found the polarity was off. I then started this quest for knowledge. I have learned a ton!

After getting it to work...the sound was nice...vintage...warm, but not enough to make me like it better than my '69 I had in its place. & I really didn't give it a fair listen due to the problems. I also felt that it was a little weaker than my '69...could have just been me or the A3 or...?? I'm going to pick up a '65 today & try it.

I basically want just a little hotter than my '69, but still with a nice vintage neck sound. According to the higher inductance & DC resistance & the similar construction...I think the '65 Pure Vintage will fit the bill.

If not...I'll go back to the '69. I know that you can't gauge everything on #s...that's why I'm trying them out!


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:31 am
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I have the 56Avri PUs that are very similar to the 54s.
Yes, they are definitly warmer than the 69s and are low output.

I also have the 65Avris, I think you would like them, they are similar to the 69s (Plain Enamel wire and ALNICO V magnets) but they are a bit less mid scooped.


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:54 pm
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I'm looking forward to trying it out. If I don't like it...
I can easily go back to the '69.


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Post subject: Re: '54 60th Anniversary Limited Pickups PHASE problem
Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:21 pm
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Let us know how it all shakes out.

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