An essential part of the Whiteguard era recipe, the Fender® Custom Shop '55-'56 Telecaster® pickups are an exact 1:1 recreation of the pickups used in these instruments. These pickups have all the grunt and snarl of the originals, thanks to hand-slanted Alnico 5 magnets arranged in a staggered pattern in the bridge pickup. The neck pickup uses Alnico 3 magnets for smooth mids and tight lows.
Most Whiteguards switched from Alnico 3 to Alnico 5, which has a higher output, and are equipped with staggered magnets in the bridge pickup. This offset provides better string-to-string articulation and balanced output. These updates, along with steel bridge saddles, have resulted in a brighter tone and faster attack. From chicken pickin' to raw rock, discover the authentic sound of the vintage Tele® that gave birth to countless hits.