OffsetGuitars.com

Well yes and no. As far as I can remember reading about them when Telenator was doing his thing, threaded CuNiFe rods are a bit unobtainium. CuNiFe itself is extremely hard to get a hold of (or maybe even extinct at this point), and other common magnet types are a pain to machine.

I remember the real deal CuNiFe Telenators being something like $400 new, and even now FeCrCo or AlNiCo based ones are at least $150 each.

Obviously much easier for a company like Fender to get new pipelines up and running, but it certainly isn't a negligible amount of effort on their part; I wouldn't even try to argue that it would be worth it for them. Sourcing new parts and retooling some machinery isn't really a joke when at best it's maybe 10% of your customers saying "hmm, these new humbuckers are a bit brighter and clearer" and another 10% grumbling that the old ones were still better.

The simplest WRHB thing for Fender to do would be what over a dozen pickup companies are already doing, build a replica with modern magnet pole pieces, tele-bridge-pickup-size bobbins, and the reflector plate. When someone opens up one of the Vintera WRHBs we'll find out if that's what they have in fact done, or if instead they're still just fiddling with the conventional-style HBs as they did with the Renaldo JM (and getting nowhere).

These are now showing up on Amazon in what looks like a disappointingly downspecced version - missing the two tone on the headstock, no Walnut option, no active pickups, and it looks like no binding inside the f-holes and on the body.

White
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T7H87KD/re ... hDb61XQ6FP

EDIT - actually the white one only appears to have black binding on the body

CAR
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T47WR9Z/re ... hDb2JEFQA4


3 way sunburst
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07T91J6J7/re ... hDb2AVQV77

Those are the affinities, the cheapest of the three series. They never had two-tone headstock, binding, or natural finish. You're thinking of the Classic Vibes, which are a different series at a higher price point.

The car affinity has black binding as well. I really want a car and dump some stupid hot invaders in it and make my punk machine. I think I'm set with wrhb for now

Some more thoughts here as these flow through my head: Given none of them are accurate anyway (probable fake WRHBs, AOM etc.) I’m steered more toward the Affinity which at least has some honest PAF-style pickups. I also never really liked the look of F-holes so Contemporary still has appeal, coupled with the colors. The CV neck looks gorgeous, but it’s sort of the most ‘close-but-not-quite’ guitar vs. having comfort being its own thing. So even though I’d rather have a vintage than a Squier (no surprise,) that causes me to be ok with the Squier models least like the vintage.

Would like to pick one up at some point.

^^ I get what you mean. I like the "not aiming for vintage" angle.

Like how looking at that sunburst affinity makes me want to throw black hardware (bridge/tailpiece/tubers) on it. I think that'd look sharp.

I wonder why Fender doesn't build them like the originals but use magnetized and threaded AlNiCo 5 slugs instead of the un-obtanium CuNiFe. If my memory serves me correct that's how the boutique guys have been doing it, right? Haven't ever owned a reissue Fender with WRHB's but I've worked on them and heard them as an audience member and they sound dreadful.

MuscleDad420 wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 08, 2019 9:00 pm

I wonder why Fender doesn't build them like the originals but use magnetized and threaded AlNiCo 5 slugs instead of the un-obtanium CuNiFe. If my memory serves me correct that's how the boutique guys have been doing it, right? Haven't ever owned a reissue Fender with WRHB's but I've worked on them and heard them as an audience member and they sound dreadful.

I imagine the logic at Fender is that it's not worth the time or expense to do the R&D and create retooling, I doubt it's on their priority lists unfortunately.

Not to mention the fact that PAF style humbuckers are the market norm and what the majority of general guitar buyers are looking for when they see big, square pickups.

True offset and vintage Fender enthusiasts who understand what WRHBs actually were are a vast minority, and we're the ones who are generally happy replacing the pickups with something more accurate.

It costs more to use threaded magnets than make bar magnet PAFs and they probably wouldn't sell any more of these. They'd just make OSG types happy. That's not much incentive to change.

The bar magnet WRHBs on the Modern Player Starcasters (and possibly all Fender's/Squier's reissue WRHBs) were made by G&B in Korea. eg
https://reverb.com/item/23437379-2014-f ... ge-pickups
Time will tell if the new Shaw-designed WRHBs in the Vintera teles - that claim a closer relationship to the originals - still have bar magnets like the reissues or have gone back to magnetic pole pieces (like many other WRHB builders). But it would be a big surprise if these Squier Starcasters don't have bar magnet WRHBs.

Part of me likes the idea of them not being real WRHBs. Makes it much easier to justify swapping them out for Creamery ones.

loafingoaf wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 05, 2019 1:02 pm

...no binding inside the f-holes...

Original Starcasters don't have binding inside the f-holes. Just sayin'...

I really like the affinity except for the placement of the volume knob. I get that there weren't many other options, but that is almost a deal breaker. I really like the active design, and the demo I heard made the pickups sound pretty impressive. I'm not big on active pickups, but they seem to really work without sounding sterile. I can't wait for them to hit the stores so I can give them a spin.

Pretty excited for these to start showing up in shops. I really liked the look and playability of the MPs, but I didn't love the pickups and couldn't justify the price knowing I would want to spend another $400 on Lollars at the time.