Fender Master Pickup Maker Talks About The New CuNiFe Range!

[@rowbags3017]

These new pickups look and sound really interesting! Lee is a wonderful interviewer - he listens, puts his guests at ease, and gives them freedom to express themselves naturally. A lot of TV "celebs" could learn from him! Great playing as always from Pete! 😎

[@Adventuresingearland]

Always great to hear someone so passionate talk about the subject which gets their juices flowing. Lovely conversation - thanks for sharing it team!

[@whssy]

As the owner of a guitar with the reissue Cunife wide ranges, this video discusses exactly all the questions I had about "how and why", both about the old pickups and the new ones. Thanks.

[@robertmosack2532]

Absolutely love the references to Bill Lawrence. He was a fantastic musician, designer and gentleman. Rest in peace.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

Dozens of pickup makers now, but few (any?) have the knowledge of Bill Lawrence - one of the unsung pioneers of pickups design.

[@BasilHayden]

Met Bill Lawrence when working a NAMM show. I wish I recorded everything he said. He was constantly talking pickups, amps and guitar.

[@joshuariveraflora]

This is one of the best ways to showcase pickups I've seen. Super helpful!

[@MuscleCarLover]

I think I finally found a Strat bridge pickup that I actually like, and not having to make space like fitting a humbucker or Tele bridge pickup is a nice bonus

[@jalithic]

I thought the Exact same thing about the bridge pickup tone too, 👍🏻

[@MuscleCarLover]

@@jalithic Now if only they sold it individually. I'd totally rock alnico neck and middle and then a CuNiFe bridge

[@officialWWM]

@@MuscleCarLoveryes! I just want the bridge pickup for my Tele!

[@JorbLovesGear]

In love with these technical details, pickup design is such a cool balance of science and preference. Cheers to Tim Shaw, what an impact.

[@wesleymorris1]

Tim is a genius, every pickup he has designed have been my favorite style of pickups, I love that mid scooped bright fender sound, shawbuckers for humbuckers transfer that perfect fender tone in humbucker, which I actually prefer singlecoils, but really like his humbuckers. I build my own pickups because almost every thing I bought after market was to mid driven, for country twang. I take my inspiration from Tims pickups.

[@SimAlex20000]

i just got a set of CuNiFe wide-rangers for my masics squire jazzmaster & i am dying to hear how they all sound, all the samples i've heard are incredibly cool

[@deckard_2049]

@@SimAlex20000 And? How do they sound?

[@douglasaxtell]

This is a great interview! It leaves me very impressed with Mr Shaw and so happy that I ordered the Tele set for a guitar I’m building from scratch from some of my ash stash.

[@stickylizardbabyangel]

I am a Les Paul/Telecaster/Jaguar guy, but that Stratocaster at 10:23 is something else. Best Strat tone I've heard in years, yet, sufficiently different for me to like it for what it is.

[@officialWWM]

Agreed!

[@FransvandenBergeMuziekschuur]

My favorite pickups.Thank you Pete for the amazing notes. Especially on the Jazzmasters.

[@glenproctor1999]

Recently added one of Mr Shaw's 'Shawbuckers' to my strat in the bridge position and it sounds incredible. The man knows magnets.

[@denmar355]

Lee is such a good interviewer.

[@pharmerdavid1432]

He seems genuinely interested, and asks intelligent questions, the reasons he is so good at interviewing people about their contributions to the gear industry.

[@lichfern7915]

I Agree !! 100 %!! EXCELENTE!!

[@sirgaryo]

Couldn’t agree more ! 👌

[@JosePineda-jn8jk]

Should have asked the real hard hitting questions like who did you vote for and do you donate to charities, if so which ones? You know, the real nitty gritty.

[@KabirGuitarist]

Another really good interview. It’s great to hear the insight on the design decisions and the pickups sounds fantastic

[@SimAlex20000]

this is a completely fascinating interview, by the way. terrific job, lee.

[@mannyorozco842]

Finally some love for cunife. The Wide range pickups in my tele deluxe are awesome.

[@shanebrbich5698]

This is like hearing secrets from the master alchemist! So many variations in a simple piece of gear! Genius 👍🇦🇺

[@MAP448]

My 2019 American Professional Telecaster is the best sounding Telecaster that I've ever played. Thank you so much Mr. Shaw for all your time & patience & effort in all of your work. You have definitely nailed that classic Telecaster sound.

[@officialWWM]

What pickups are you using?

[@timstaffell]

Added CuniFe wide-range humbuckers to a '72 reissue thinline Tele a couple of years ago. Wasn't disappointed. Costly, but worth it...

[@smmyers5956]

Wow,, thanks Lee and Pete. I knew the fantastic tone range and clarity of the Wide Range pickups already but this is the first time I've heard a preview of the Strat pickups. WOW those are the best Strat pickups to my ears. And OMG the bridge pickup. I've never heard one so good.

[@ThatMattGoodMusic]

Actually quite amazing - it's the first time I've ever been bowled over by a middle pickup on a Strat! Pete running it with the Dane sounded so good

[@smmyers5956]

@@ThatMattGoodMusic So true. I've gone back and listened a couple times now. In the past the middle pickup is only good in position 2 and 4. Now tho,,, with those pickups it is capable of standing alone and producing a great sound.

[@Jason-cm6uh]

I just go these for my Jazzmaster so this is exactly what I needed. Thanks guys!

[@riverstone5994]

Most exciting thing to happen classic style pickups in a long time

[@scottbecker3485]

What an amazing pickup journey you two took us on! Love to learn about this, especially straight from a fellow Kalamazooan (yes, I was born in raised there, too). :-)) Makes me proud to be from there, even though I was only in my early teens back when the pickup revolution sprouted its tender roots, and I was only plucking away at my cheapo Harmony Sovereign acoustic back in the day. Fast forward to now, I happen to be getting ready to buy my first Jazzmaster, and am shopping for the right pickups for it. Bingo!

[@officialWWM]

I’ve always thought Kalamazoo would be a great name for a band 😂

[@IamtheFerryMan]

I have a 2019 American Elite Strat Shawbucker HSS and that pickup is wonderful. It just has this fuzzy quality that makes me happy.

[@synepster]

Anything that Pete plays will sound good

[@denverm4x]

it really is cheating

[@dubster82]

Great interview. I've a couple of Gibson's with Tim Shaw PAF's.

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

They do sound really good. I’m interested in the Strat pickups, for a Partscaster project I’m going to be working on in the near future.

[@mortonwilson795]

Fascinating . . . sort of a Masterclass, really. Hope to get a chance to try these - esp the Jazzmaster combo. Currently circling the American Pro II and the newer Ultra Rosewood board Strats - both nice, the S1(?) switch which gives you the Bridge & Neck together is a really nice touch!

[@4ofwands]

Pick ups are the bomb! Tim is responsible for the so many improvements in pickup technology. Installing SD Seth Lovers in my next partscaster. Considering TV Jones or Fralins for next build but now interested in these especially strat ones. Good video 😊

[@joshuabenton3785]

If you don't have TV Jones, get them asap. Just wonderful pickups in every way.

[@4ofwands]

I’m leaning towards them! Thanks 😄

[@davedavem]

Fender CEO: bring out a product that pleases guitarists. Guitarists: I hate that Fender have tried to please me.

[@sagittated]

"Why don't they ever do anything new?" "Why are they trying something new when old stuff already works?" They're always going to make some people angry, even when they just offer the wrong colors of pickup covers or whatever. It's nuts.

[@davedavem]

​@@sagittated 💯

[@talltale9760]

@@sagittated it’s really annoying lol. Probably the best thing about the cheaper ranges of guitars is their willingness to explore new things. I just wish the high end market would follow suit.

[@sagittated]

@@talltale9760 I also happen to support them trying new things all the time, but regardless of what they do, 30% of the people will scream bloody murder.

[@f3uibeghardt522]

@@sagittated Yeah, but by many accounts, Fender's new instruments have piss poor quality control issues. Like inexcusably bad and unacceptable problems.

[@kirkwhitmire7034]

Oh yes! I’ve been waiting for some reviews outside of the Fender channel.

[@stevenohata8494]

I’m curious if the option of an uncovered Strat pickup was explored vs using a thinner metal cover to accommodate the additional winds. Maybe the CuNiFe metal surround cover just has to grow on me?

[@avonethcellovogue]

I love this new video angle format. Keep it up

[@alecalfaras5936]

Amazing! More videos just like this one please. More pickups/speaker/strings info 🙏

[@officialWWM]

I’m not a Strat guy, I much prefer a Tele but that blue Strat with those pickups in it looks and sounds beautiful! Unlike most people, I love the Pao Ferro fretboard.

[@PrezFTW]

I can’t wait for a larger sample size of guitarists (other than retailers) to start buying these and trying them so we can get a more clear picture about real world impact. Like will the strats and teles lose their signature tones. I’m super optimistic and would buy some right now just to try but they’re so blasted expensive.

[@officialWWM]

Yep, they are expensive but a pickup just died on my Tele, so it sounds like the perfect excuse to go buy some 😂 I’ll report back :)

[@WTF-Cubing]

For once, FOMO actypaid off for me. Less than 2 months after release, the Strat set are sold out at Fender. Can’t wait to have them installed on my Squier. Most fascinating and beautiful Strat pickups I’ve ever heard/seen.

[@jameslewis2635]

I can see people buying these pickups to retrofit their strats just for aesthetic reasons. That metal surround gives it looks in the style of a 1950's Chrysler. I can see it doing very well if Fender offer it with a variety of 'top' colour options.

[@officialWWM]

That’s a good idea! I’d like some black ones :)

[@Mark_Ocain]

These sound quite crisp and lively...nice pickups

[@Musicsports]

Yes they definitely are a crisp sound 500k Pots too.

[@sometimesdimneverthin]

I get the impression that these are in the same ballpark as G&L MFD pickups. MFDs have big magnets and less wire CuNiFe have low magnetism and extra wire. The end result could be similar although the MFDs are likely to handle RFI and EMI slightly better due to less aerial wire. A comparison video would be interesting.

[@STF_YVR]

They are very different

[@JosePineda-jn8jk]

I wasn’t looking at the screen the whole time so when Lee drops off talking and the playing started I was asking myself how the hell he learned so many new things so quickly. Then I realized it was Pete again 😂

[@chessrootslove9916]

Excellent interview & demonstration of these pups & with their creator. This should be the standard - great edits for the variety of sounds available and of course the explanations from Mr. Shaw himself is the whipped cream on top! Rock On! 🎸😎🎸

[@BobLHedd]

That jazzmaster is a beast! Very interesting.

[@beaumas]

I'm just going to say it but those humbucker pickups are super reminiscent of a really good PAF!! And boy I'm into it!

[@georgerobartes2008]

In the UK we call the same material KuNiFer , a copper nickle iron compound used in everything but very familiar with automotive engineers as the material used to make rust free solid brake lines but has a multitude of uses in the marine industry too. 45% Nickle 2% Iron its use in manufacturing coins of the Realm has impressed us for decades as to their magnetic properties , the magnetic properties in this case , being acquired during use as legal tender . For the past 50 years Ive known it as Kunifer , now I suspect the users of snake oil will mispronounce it Cunifé , ala Francais .

[@joshuabenton3785]

I am going to get the Telecaster set! Can't wait!

[@KoaCharvel]

LOVE the look of those strat pickups!!!

[@handle433]

13:54 Pete had to sneak it in😂😂😂

[@DMSProduktions]

GR8 interview Lee!

[@j.r.g3548]

Tim Shaw is LEGENDARY!! From the Gibson Shaw PAFs to Shawbuckers at Fender. I don't think anyone has made as much of an impact on electric guitar pickups for big name companies in the last 50 years as Tim.

[@toms5951]

Nice interview and exciting to see something new. It'll be nice to see the pickups come standard in their line to try out before possibly buying, hard to hear anything really special in a KZbin video. One thing I'm kind of surprised not talked about is the possibility of needing a different standard installation height if their build and design had to be changed so much.

[@gcvrsa]

The great thing about the Wide Range Humbucker is that unlike the common Gibson humbuckers-which quickly deviated greatly from Seth Lover's original PAF design-they sound just as open and clear as the original PAFs, maybe even a little more so. There's no stuffiness with them. Most of the Gibson-style humbuckers that people think are representative of the Gibson sound are overwound compared to the original PAFs and sound much different to the original PAFs.

[@smmyers5956]

I'd like to hear Lee's and Pete's commentary on these playing these pickups especially the Strat set they are so new there are almost no videos or comments on the humbuckers and this is the first I've seen of the Strat pickups. Lee was focused on the interview and as a player I'd like his take on them.

[@damianstrochnetter9735]

Jaysus Lee! You even talked over Tim Shaw!!!

[@robertprice5039]

I love my Tim Shaw designed Fulltron Pickups in my Gretsch Broadkasters.

[@robertprice5039]

Petty sure Tim also designed the pickups in my Fender Pro II Telecaster Deluxe.

[@scottsamiya2639]

To me, vintage style PAFs are the best… Schaller Golden 50s, SD Vintage Blues… even the stock PRS 58/15s sound really good!

[@manonbassguitar]

Best part of the video is Pete’s playing. The average person in an audience can’t tell any damn difference in pickups in a guitar. Honestly, I don’t hear any huge difference either. A good eq pedal can make any pickups sound different & better too

[@Voxguitarsrock]

Agreed.

[@edhornby4885]

Missed the opportunity to ask for Tim's 'potted history ' :D

[@joachimlindback]

Good stuff. Loved hearing the man himself and of his experiences. Did he also design the Gibson Dirty Finger humbucker?

[@MilanTehVillain]

These all look & sound stellar!

[@jean-philippemorin1176]

I must say the Wide range jm set sounds really nice. Nice job on the tele set too. :) I need to try a deluxe tele someday. Johan segeborn just did a comparison between les paul and tele deluxe and it was quite interesting.

[@guitarandotherthings6090]

I like his pickups besides the Noiseless ones. There is no twang in the Tele ultra, because the noiseless is basically a vertically stacked humbucker. I do enjoy his APii and Performer pickups however.

[@JettoDz]

When I first started learning guitar, I always thought that the Jazzmasters and Jags were simply the best-looking guitars out there, even when I could recognize the beauty of a LesPaul. Then I listened to them and fell in love with Jazz/Jags, but to this day, I've never got myself to own either. Funny enough, I got myself a couple of LPs, one letting me down but currently LOVING the other one. "That's it. Just an LP and a Superstrat are what I need. I don't need the P90 sounds, nor the complex control of Jazz/Jags, and I can get a good sound for anything with these two" I started thinking. Then the ones in this video came out and now I need another guitar.

[@samiam5557]

I like the strat pups, but the tele ones were abysmal way too thin sounding. Jazzmaster sounded great. Great interview though.

[@DouglasRosser]

Okay, I think we all understand this is as much marketing as informative. "We made this new thing, please consider buying it." But it's great marketing when you allow the people who build these things to be the rock stars.

[@stevelaferney3579]

Thanks for the hard work, Tim.

[@erniesmusicand...what-not8796]

What model strat is being played here? Is that daphne or sonic blue?

[@Berzerker213]

Lee’s been tossing back a few cold ones 🍻

[@olivierjezequel]

Nice ! I really want to a shootout between those and the Rabea Triptych new ones !! and maybe agaist the ultra noisless while we are there ;) Please :)

[@f3uibeghardt522]

Yep, sounds like a guitar alright.

[@bigjimponder9183]

Change your hearing aid, bro!

[@cato4930]

@@bigjimponder9183 🤓🤓🤓

[@hkguitar1984]

To everyone involved, Thank You

[@siggiarabi]

so how about an A/B test against the usual alnico and ceramic pickups?

[@LordFuzzman]

I interviewed Tim Shaw when they first re-issued the wide range humbucker a couple of years ago and did a comparison video. First on the web 👌

[@AllanRinnegan]

Can someone explain the difference between the two jazzmaster sets?

[@gwawd]

Great interview, thanks!

[@jeffbeck6501]

I like that light blue Strat

[@leonardosilva-xu2lu]

when will these be available for bass. we need a reissue of the 70s telecaster bass

[@martinclayton7260]

I really like the look of that green Jazzmaster with the wide range pickups. Are there going to be any Jaguar pickups?

[@ThePonDePon]

FINALLY SOMEONE POSTED A VIDEO

[@jjwiggo3594]

Great demo and interview. I am in the middle of a Telecaster build and would be very interested in Pete’s view of the Tele set has I have Monty’s DP51’s in my previous build. Thanks

[@davedavem]

I love low output pickups

[@74amills]

It makes really good brake pipes for cars.

[@ledhendrix5054]

There was a Biology Teacher at my school called Mr T Shaw , he was from Ireland his full name was Toby Shaw , It's Just A Joke

[@Darrin1F]

Is Danish Pete playing don’t take the girl on that Strat? @danish?

[@taz4965]

Tim Shaw - What a legend!

[@carlosgarcia9225]

What is the Amp ??? For This demo please!!’??

[@anthonycashero7605]

Tim Shaw is doing it again. Nice.

[@jmacc9876]

Wow, just checked the price on these. I know that Au is the periodic shorthand for gold but are we sure there isn't gold in the mix?

[@stoneysdead689]

I haven't watched the video, but I assume it means Copper- Nickel- and Iron. Which would have to refer to the magnet in it, so it's a new magnetic alloy- I think.

[@davidkieltyka9]

Fender first used CuNiFe magnets in the 1970s. Seth Lover’s original Wide Range HBs had ‘em. The main reason was CuNiFe could be machined to be used as adjustable polepiece magnets.

[@metalhead_1996]

would be good if there would also be some sort of comparison between the normal pickups

[@anthonygonzalez8684]

These pickups sound awesome.

[@Travis-guy-247]

I'm really behind on Andertons, having not watched in a few years when I used to watch their stuff all the time. I know Rob has gone, but are Rabea and Matt still there? I can't see them in any recent thumbnails

[@derekhell666]

Remind me of G&L pickups the way they have a sort of 'hi-fi' quality to them.

[@matthouston8411]

Are they selling guitars or KZbin ad space???

[@liamjenkins244]

Those Wide Range Humbuckers would look right at home in a Starcaster (please Fender?)

[@marcusharrigan6879]

Good interview. Always wondered why Fender so quickly went from V-Mod 1's to V-Mod 2's in their American Pro line. What was the change in the pickups?

[@RByrne]

Id like a set of pickups that make my LP sound like bagpipes

[@BillWolfe]

I have been trying to learn more about pickups lately and this was very helpful!

[@TheMarcaf25r]

That Tele sounds a lot like the guitarsound of The Kinks 'till the end of the day.

[@zoomzoom3950]

CuNiFe was a Pharoah of the Old Kingdom of Egypt. He built the first squashed pyramid before the first step pyramid. IIRC /S 😁