At the dawn of the seventies, as popular music trended towards the fatter tones of humbucking pickups into overdriven amps, Fender hired legendary humbucking pickup designer Seth Lover to create a distinctly Fender-flavored take on a higher output dual-coil pickup. The resulting Wide Range pickup used large bobbins and threaded CuNiFe rod magnets to achieve its unique and brilliant sound. The Telecaster® Custom was discontinued in 1979 and real CuNiFe-magnet pickups disappeared with them.
The American Original ‘70s Telecaster Custom features the first authentic CuNiFe magnet powered Wide Range neck pickup in over 40 years, complimented by a calibrated Tim-Shaw-designed ‘70s Telecaster single-coil bridge pickup. Controls include individual volume and tone for each pickup and an upper-bout 3-way toggle switch. Other touches include original-era body radii, vintage-style hardware - including F logo tuners and bullet truss rod adjust and a lacquer finish that lets the wood breathe naturally with resonant tone. A vintage-style hardshell case is included.