Hello, I’ve seen a post on this topic as someone was asking the same question, but seems like it got off topic and most were recommending 65 pickups, which is cool but I’m going for a strictly 50s spec strat. I have Fender Pure Vintage 59 pickups in my 50s strat, and I really love them. However, always being curious and GAS getting the best of me, I’ve been looking into putting the Custom Shop 54 pickups in, to try something new and get closer to the earliest strat sound. Apparently, there’s two versions of the Fender 54s out (Pure Vintage 54 discontinued and hard to find, but are AlNiCo 3 and I guess closer to spec. And then the still available Custom Shop 54 made with AlNiCo 5).

My question is, has anyone owned both Fender 59 pickups and Fender 54
pickups, and noticed much of a difference? Are the PV 54 much different sounding than the Custom Shop 54? Wondering if the lower output pickups would sound cool and closer to the first strats than my 59s, or is it not much of a difference to pay the money and hassle for new pickups?

Thanks! I do love the PV 59s, great mellow sound, nothing wrong with them, again I’m bored and curious and 54 strats seem to have a cool factor, being the first year. I do not intend to do the vintage spec wiring, been there done that with a super dark Fender capacitor and did not like it, sucked all the highs from the guitar and sounded dead to me.

Last edited: Mar 17, 2021 15:24:38

BrentD wrote:

I know you didn't want other pickups, but I think the Pure Vintage '56 ones are A3 and may be more widely available than the '54s.

Thanks! I will look into those as well. Is the AlNiCo 3 magnet the real tone-changer compared to the AlNiCo 5? Wondering how accurate to 54 the custom shops are since they say 5, and then if that’s any different than what I have in now.

Last edited: Mar 17, 2021 15:31:00

BrentD wrote:

Honestly I don't know! I played a pretty magic '54 RI but didn't buy it and ended up with a '56 I love. All I care is that they sound good, and they do!

I'm not even sure on the historical accuracy of the A3s. Fender used whatever was available in the early days and I think A5s were in some of them but maybe not all. My further understanding is that Fender used A3 in the PVs to give a sense of an aged pickup with a certain voice, not necessarily because it was accurate.

Thanks, this helps.

BrentD wrote:

I edited away some of that because I really don't know about the vintage stuff. Still, while the '54s are hard to find I'd bet the '56s are close and they made a lot more of them.

I’ll definitely compare the two and consider the 56 pickups, I didn’t even think of those. I wish there was an easy way to “click” in pickups, and have a collection of them like pedals for different sounds.

I have to ask: has anyone ever really noticed a tonal difference between pickups with different AlNico magnets? I'd say 90% of a guitar's sound is determined by the pickups, and wire and number of windings plus pickup geometry all factor in. But how does the specific magnet alloy factor in?

That being said, I think the lower output pickups give me a more vintage vibe than the high output ones, especially for the bridge. Maybe that is the variable to really pay attention to.

derekirving wrote:

I've noticed sound difference between Alnico 2 and Alnico 5 pickups (in a P90) for sure. A2 tends to be softer on the lower strings and A5 tends to be punchier. Some could say A2 is warmer or some could say A2 is mushier. With telecasters I've used A3 and A5. The A3 will also have softer low notes/response and maybe less output, they may not cut as much as an A5. You should try both, will depend on guitar, what tone you're after, the amp, any pedals, etc

What would be an example of an A2 pickup? Like which year or model were these in, maybe a telecaster?

If the custom shop 54s are A5, and the PV 54 are A3 but impossible to find, I may end up experimenting with the PV 56 AlNiCo 3 (though it’s an expensive experiment). I’m wondering if by having a PV 59 is “close” as I’m still in the 50s and another A5 would sound similar, but might be worth trying an A3. I like that earlier strat sound, which might be the A3 then.

Sounds (no pun) like I should be looking into a Fender 50s style AlNiCo 3 pickup set, regardless of it it says “1954” or “1956” or whatever, as it seems the years on these pickups might not be an “exact” reissue of what they had back in that year, is that correct?

Last edited: Mar 18, 2021 15:58:05

desert_surfer wrote:

derekirving wrote:

If the custom shop 54s are A5, and the PV 54 are A3 but impossible to find, I may end up experimenting with the PV 56 AlNiCo 3 (though it’s an expensive experiment). I’m wondering if by having a PV 59 is “close” as I’m still in the 50s and another A5 would sound similar, but might be worth trying an A3. I like that earlier strat sound, which might be the A3 then.

Sounds (no pun) like I should be looking into a Fender 50s style AlNiCo 3 pickup set, regardless of it it says “1954” or “1956” or whatever, as it seems the years on these pickups might not be an “exact” reissue of what they had back in that year, is that correct?

I think people do hear a difference between the '56s and '59s and they have their preferences, but I don't think it's a better or worse kind of thing. Do you know anyone who has a guitar with similar pickups?

Neptune Trojans

I'm not sure if this will be helpful, but I'll try....

I have four Strats, one of which is a 2001 Custom Shop 1956. I bought it new and there have been zero mods.

The others are a AVRI '59, AVRI '62 (with Rio Grande pickups), and a MIM Road Worn '60's, These came with Tex-Mex pickups.

Each sounds very different than the other but they all sound exceptional in their own way. Without going into the details of each, the Custom Shop '56 has the most "vintage" sound (I would call it the most "polite") and the '59 is the next closest. The other two Strats are way more aggressive, especially the '62 AVRI with Rio Grandes.

I don't know for certain which pickup set Fender used in the 2001 Custom Shop '56 Strats but my recollection is that they were called "Vintage '50's" or something similar.

The current CS '56's are using "Hand wound '56" pickups and before then it was "Fat '50's".

My thinking is that if you want a true vintage sound, that a vintage-spec set from a quality aftermarket supplier like Lollar, Seymour Duncan or Lindy Fralin might be your best bet.

Jack Booth
(aka WoodyJ)

The Mariners (1964-68, 1996-2005)
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The Surge! (2004, 2011-2012)
Various non-surf bands that actually made money (1978-1990)

Last edited: Mar 20, 2021 10:36:19