Pickups in the Fender Elite(Robben Ford)

[teestone]

I have a friends Fender Elite and really dig it. I'm trying to figure out what kind of pickups are in it but there is very little information floating around about these guitars. They appear to be a humbucking pickup of some sort but they don't have the normal looking bobbins or covers. Its a solid molded black housing of some sort. I think they might be Schallers, but I don't know which one's. The sound of these pickups both in humbucking mode and single coil mode is pretty sweet to my ears. I need to find out the details of these pickups as I'm searching for similar pickups for another guitar. How powerful are they? Also, when using the coil tap switch, how are the pickups then wired? I'm thinking the middle position might be yeilding the two split coils in series or something along those lines, but I really have no idea. Anyone who knows anything about these guitars please chime in. Thanks!!

 

[johan]

Hi T-stone

From what I rememeber they are Schaller pickups. You can read more about the Fender Esprit/Flame series here

http://www.masterseriesguitars.com/

 

[Cranknfrank]

I'm fairly certain that the original pickups in that guitar were a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a '59 in the neck. Of course, the pickups may have been changed after all of this time.

 

[johan]

I'm pretty sure they came stock with Schaller pickups. The mounting rings were glued to the body. Not regular HB rings.

 

[Cranknfrank]

http://www.fendereurope.com/product_reviews/EspritReviewgb-0505.asp


Maybe the guitar as it debuted had Schaller pickups but I assure you that Robben did not play Schaller pickups in his sig model.

 

[theelectic]

FWIW a 1997 Fender Frontline catalog I still have simply calls the pickups "Seymour Duncan humbuckers".

 

[johan]

I think teestone is talking about the first issue from Japan here. Made in early 80's. They had Schaller pickups. RF never used them. He used Duncan pickups in his. Later Fender Japan re-released is as the Robben Ford model. They came with Duncan pickups I think. Or at least copies of the Duncans Robben used.
Later a Custom Shop model was released and it had the real thing.

 

[A440]

from what I recall, there were 3 versions of this model. I'll see if I can dig out the old catalog somewhere

Robben did use 59 neck and JB bridge in his

 

[teestone]

Johan is right....

I'm pretty sure it is the Japan version from the mid eighties.

 

[jpagey]

Originally posted by Cranknfrank
I'm fairly certain that the original pickups in that guitar were a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge and a '59 in the neck. Of course, the pickups may have been changed after all of this time.

That's what my Esprit had.