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Post subject: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Sep 28, 2018 5:50 am
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I know this subject was discussed back in 2011, but I don't think it was quite resolved.

So it has always bothered me that Fender doesn't use offset/slanted humbuckers when they put a humbucker in the bridge position. It's Fender's signature design feature on their two flagship instruments to have a slanted bridge pickup. Why, oh why wasn't that a natural and obvious continuation of design concept when humbuckers were introduced as a stock item?!?!?!? Whether we're talking about a Strat or a Tele, it makes no sense that they use a rectangular straight humbucker.

I can understand why guitarists who originally wanted to amp up their bridge position power would hack in a JB, or a Pearly Gates. But, when Fender saw this trend, why not do it up right? It's not like Fender doesn't build their own pickups. Certainly, when they made the John Jorgenson Teles, they made offset/slanted humbuckers.

And what adds insult to injury, is that even Gibson's hideous aberration, the Nighthawk, has an offset/slanted humbucker in the bridge. That ugly, truncated, freakish chimera of an excuse for a Les Paul (looks like someone dropped a Les Paul on its end and it squished into that stupid shape) with it's mini-humbucker in the neck; single-coil in the middle; slanted humbucker in the bridge, mounted in a nasty, cheap-looking, sharp-cornered, brass bezel, beat Fender to the punch.

Seymour Duncan makes a JB SH-4 that would fit the bill nicely in a Strat, and Rio Grande makes the Twangbucker Tallboy, complete with custom cut bridge plate that would feel at home in any Tele.

So why, on God's Little Blue Pearl, doesn't Fender, OF ALL THE GUITAR BUILDERS ON EARTH, make a slanted humbucker for the bridge position? Why isn't a skewed bridge humbucker S.O.P. for all Fenders that have a bridge humbucker, when it is absolutely their signature design feature on their two flagship guitars?

Any Fender folks out there who can give me the inside scoop?


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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 7:09 pm
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Look at how well (or unwell) guitars with "oddball" pickups of the past sold.
The Gibson V2 was quite unique... and if you didn't like it, well, tough... you had to live with it, or hack the body and destroy any potential future value.
Personally, I would not buy a guitar that I couldn't swap in a pickup purchased OTC, and I'm sure many feel the same. Yes, Fender makes some great pickups today... not so in the past, the 70s CBS pickups were horrible, and people not familiar with what they are doing now may not trust them.
Even my wife immediately assumed that I'd be changing out the Texas Specials when I bought my AmSpec.

And FWIW, I really like the Blueshawk :D

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2018 9:29 pm
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Here is your solution.
Single coil sized humbuckers that fit in your slanted pickguard.
Have your cake and eat it too.

Seymour Duncan Strat Humbuckers

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 2:06 am
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DingDongDaddiO wrote:
So why, on God's Little Blue Pearl, doesn't Fender, OF ALL THE GUITAR BUILDERS ON EARTH, make a slanted humbucker for the bridge position?


Because it wouldn't sell in any great quantity.
This is the very first time I've ever seen a post with someone asking for such a thing.

As already mentioned, single coil sized 'buckers are available elsewhere.

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 8:57 am
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James Tyler makes slanted humbuckers.

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 9:02 am
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BMW-KTM wrote:
Here is your solution.
Single coil sized humbuckers that fit in your slanted pickguard.
Have your cake and eat it too.

Seymour Duncan Strat Humbuckers



There's also the Warmoth route FYI.

http://www.warmoth.com/Pickguard/StratPickguard.aspx


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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 6:44 pm
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Hey Chromeface, thanks for the reply.

Quote:
Here is your solution.


I'm not actually looking for a "solution" except to understand why Fender didn't make their own skewed bridge humbucker. They have enough industry pull that they could get Seymour Duncan to make the Pearly Gates that they chose for the Lonestar Strat, in an offset/slanted version. Duncan made the JB-SH4 just for a replacement for the hideous and obscure Gibson Nighthawk, why wouldn't they do that for the most popular guitar on the planet?

I have both the offset/slanted Seymour Duncan JB-SH4 and a set of Rio Grande Vintage Twangbucker Tallboys.

The JB is the best-selling pickup on Earth; the SH4 is the "Slanted Humbucker" version.

The Rio Grande set is basically a vintage set of Tele pickups paired into humbuckers.


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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 6:58 pm
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Hi Stratmangler,

Good to meet you.

Quote:
Because it wouldn't sell in any great quantity.


It would if Fender made it with a proven pickup. As I mentioned to Chromeface, they used a Duncan Pearly Gates in the Lonestar Strat, and Duncan created the JB-SH4 specifically as a replacement for the Gibson Nighthawk, why wouldn't Duncan make a slanted Pearly Gates for Fender if they asked?

With Fender's massive presence in the electric guitar industry, I could see them negotiating a deal with Duncan and maybe DiMarzio and others to offer a slanted version of their best sellers, or even make their own mounting plate and, as a custom shop option, put any 'bucker you want on it.

Quote:
single coil sized 'buckers are available elsewhere


Over/under "single-coil humbuckers" just don't sound the same as a "proper" side-by-side humbucker.


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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2018 7:35 pm
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DingDongDaddiO wrote:
Over/under "single-coil humbuckers" just don't sound the same as a "proper" side-by-side humbucker.

Single coil sized side-by-side humbuckers are available... including a version of the JB.
As for "don't sound the same"... ever hear of Iron Maiden? Murray has always played Strats, with 3 side-by-side humbuckers.
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric- ... er&start=1

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2018 11:46 pm
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Dave plays Strats fitted with single coil-sized "rail" humbucking pickups. The middle rail humbucker was subsequently swapped for a Seymour Jeff Beck Jr. to balance things out.

Famous pickup manufacturers building such designs include Seymour Duncan, DiMarzio, Joe Barden and Bill Lawrence, to name a few.

Full-sized rail humbuckers are also available.


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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:11 am
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DingDongDaddiO wrote:
I'm not actually looking for a "solution" except to understand why Fender didn't ...

There may well be no answer to that.
Nothing you're likely to find here, anyway.
FMIC makes lots of decisions we stare at in confused amazement.
Best not lose any sleep over it and just choose one of the suggested options for yourself.

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 11:28 am
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chromeface wrote:
Dave plays Strats fitted with single coil-sized "rail" humbucking pickups. The middle rail humbucker was subsequently swapped for a Seymour Jeff Beck Jr. to balance things out.

That's what I meant by "side by side" humbuckers, since OP mentioned stacked not sounding right.

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:39 pm
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Rail humbuckers also exist as full-sized. Often referred as "dual"- or "quad rails".


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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 1:59 pm
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chromeface wrote:
Rail humbuckers also exist as full-sized. Often referred as "dual"- or "quad rails".

Yup.
One of the first 'buckers that really caught my eye in the 70s was a DiMarzio that Mity-Mite used as a photo demo for their "star" body. Cream bobbins, with a very heavy looking bar magnet. The bar magnet took up about 1/3rd of the face of each bobbin.
They were like the current X2N, but the magnets were thicker.

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Post subject: Re: Slanted Bridge Humbuckers
Posted: Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:00 pm
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There are also split blades from Lindy Fralin.

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