Modern versions of the Fender Wide Range Humbucker (WRHB)

JD50

Are the Mexican pick up different to hose in the Japan Thinlines and Deluxes?
I had a Japanese 72 Thinline and a Tele Custom and found the humbuckers far from dark, in fact I thought them a little shrill.

I have read those with the Mexican guitars have luck brightening up the pickups by changing pot values rather than shelling out on new pickups.

TheBigDipper

JD50 said:

Are the Mexican pick up different to hose in the Japan Thinlines and Deluxes?
I had a Japanese 72 Thinline and a Tele Custom and found the humbuckers far from dark, in fact I thought them a little shrill.

I have read those with the Mexican guitars have luck brightening up the pickups by changing pot values rather than shelling out on new pickups.

Can't answer that, but I can say that the HBs that Fender are fitting inside WR cases on the guitars they're putting out today do not sound like a '70s WR pickup. They sound just like generic Gibson clones as fitted to less expensive instruments. The WR-voiced pickups I bought from the Creamery are close enough to the thing they're trying to copy that I'm very happy. Yes, they probably need the pots to replicate the circuitry, too - which is why I did it all at once. The WR pickups are hotter than standard HBs, too, which also affects the sound. 

TheBigDipper

Keefy said:

TheBigDipper said:

I bought a MIM Tele FSR Deluxe a couple of years ago, as an antidote to the prices and lack of authenticity being asked for proper Tele Deluxes from the 70s. I replaced the wiring harness with a Mojotone harness replicating a 70s Tele Deluxe set of pots and bought WR pickups from The Creamery. Sounds glorious and authentic (and the original pickups deffo did not).  Looks like this...  

I'm picking up one of these on Saturday! Once I have it in my mitts I'll be ordering a Creamery WR set.

@Keefy I hope yours is as nice to play as mine.

One thing to beware is that the rather large scratchplate can generate a lot of static noise which you can hear over the amp. Tapping the plastic or rubbing your hand on it as you're playing (which I now realise I do sometimes!) delivers a very offputting noise behind the notes. There's lot's of stuff on the internet about how to cure this - including people advocating Fabreze. I just bought some conducting foil tape, completely lined the space and sent it to earth. Job done. Quiet as a mouse.

Keefy

Cheers for that @TheBigDipper

Picked up mine today but iPhone seems incapable of adding image link. Anyway it looks just like @TheBigDipper’s and has a gratifying acoustic SPRANG when played unplugged.

https://imgur.com/gallery/LObUE

Keefy

Creamery pickups ordered! (Online shop has been closed for 3 weeks.)