PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

For guitars of the straight waisted variety (or reverse offset).
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timtam
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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by timtam » Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:34 pm

GITEC recently published the last in their multi-part engineering/listening comparison of original WRHB, Lollar and Creamery 'clones', and both Fender and Squier conventional HB 'reissues'. They used a special pickup-swapping custom-built tele with a single 500k volume pot (important control, since the originals usually had 1meg pots, the reissues usually have 250k, and the clones often have 500k) - see pic below. While only a small-scale study and not a fully blinded listening test , there were fewer sonic differences than expected. Sound files are included.
https://www.gitec-forum-eng.de/2020/07/ ... -examples/

Unfortunately it was completed before the release of the new Fender CuNiFe WRHBs. The original WRHB neck and bridge were nominally 'identical', albeit with winding tolerance of 9.8kOhm to 11.4k (according to Duchossoir). The new neck and bridge are deliberately wound differently .. DCR: "Bridge 11.2k - 11.8k, Neck 10.1K - 10.7K" Inductance: "Bridge 5.3H, Neck 4.2H".
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts...e ... 97001.html

For the earlier GITEC articles .. scroll down to 'Investigating the Fender “Wide Range” CuNiFe Humbucking Pickup, and some clones' and also 'Resonance and Q-Factor – the most important influence on the sound of a pickup … but no trivial matter!') ...
https://www.gitec-forum-eng.de/repository/
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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by BoringPostcards » Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:56 pm

^I don't know whether to be impressed or afraid!
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by CaptainCrunch » Wed Jul 29, 2020 2:09 pm

If that was in the FS section here in the morning no way it wouldn't be gone before lunch.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by ThatGuyOverThere » Thu Jul 30, 2020 3:49 am

If it's any help, Muzik-Produktiv in Germany has them significantly cheaper at €189 each. Ordered a pair, if all goes well they should arrive late next week. That price is significantly cheaper than the Lollar Regals, which are going for €239 each at Thomann.

https://www.musik-produktiv.com/be/fend ... -neck.html
https://www.musik-produktiv.com/be/fend ... ridge.html

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by ThatGuyOverThere » Thu Jul 30, 2020 4:10 am

timtam wrote:
Tue Jul 28, 2020 7:34 pm
GITEC recently published the last in their multi-part engineering/listening comparison of original WRHB, Lollar and Creamery 'clones', and both Fender and Squier conventional HB 'reissues'. They used a special pickup-swapping custom-built tele with a single 500k volume pot (important control, since the originals usually had 1meg pots, the reissues usually have 250k, and the clones often have 500k) - see pic below. While only a small-scale study and not a fully blinded listening test , there were fewer sonic differences than expected. Sound files are included.
https://www.gitec-forum-eng.de/2020/07/ ... -examples/

Unfortunately it was completed before the release of the new Fender CuNiFe WRHBs. The original WRHB neck and bridge were nominally 'identical', albeit with winding tolerance of 9.8kOhm to 11.4k (according to Duchossoir). The new neck and bridge are deliberately wound differently .. DCR: "Bridge 11.2k - 11.8k, Neck 10.1K - 10.7K" Inductance: "Bridge 5.3H, Neck 4.2H".
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/parts...e ... 97001.html

For the earlier GITEC articles .. scroll down to 'Investigating the Fender “Wide Range” CuNiFe Humbucking Pickup, and some clones' and also 'Resonance and Q-Factor – the most important influence on the sound of a pickup … but no trivial matter!') ...
https://www.gitec-forum-eng.de/repository/
Image
That was a VERY interesting (and humbling) read. Thanks for sharing this.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by Gavanti » Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:24 am

That's fascinating—quite a project! It was interesting to read that they thought the Lollars and original pickups sounded very close. I had a Zaftig awhile back with Regals and picked up some vintage WRHB's to compare. My impression was that the Regals had a slightly more clarity, punch, and bite, while the originals were a little sweeter sounding. The Lollars could be a little harsh at the bridge, I thought, so my favorite pairing at the time was a Lollar in the neck and a vintage in the bridge. However, I use my guitar controls more regularly and effectively now than I did then, so it wouldn't surprise me if I preferred the Lollar bridge now. I would be interested to play the Cunife reissues at some point.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by Maggieo » Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:31 am

Gavanti wrote:
Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:24 am
That's fascinating—quite a project! It was interesting to read that they thought the Lollars and original pickups sounded very close. I had a Zaftig awhile back with Regals and picked up some vintage WRHB's to compare. My impression was that the Regals had a slightly more clarity, punch, and bite, while the originals were a little sweeter sounding. The Lollars could be a little harsh at the bridge, I thought, so my favorite pairing at the time was a Lollar in the neck and a vintage in the bridge. However, I use my guitar controls more regularly and effectively now than I did then, so it wouldn't surprise me if I preferred the Lollar bridge now. I would be interested to play the Cunife reissues at some point.
I'll be! The bridge pickup on my old Zaftig was horrid sounding to me, too. It even messed with the both PUPs on position. It was like having a one-pickup guitar.
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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by simonhpieman » Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:16 am

Maggieo wrote:
Thu Jul 30, 2020 9:31 am
Gavanti wrote:
Thu Jul 30, 2020 5:24 am
That's fascinating—quite a project! It was interesting to read that they thought the Lollars and original pickups sounded very close. I had a Zaftig awhile back with Regals and picked up some vintage WRHB's to compare. My impression was that the Regals had a slightly more clarity, punch, and bite, while the originals were a little sweeter sounding. The Lollars could be a little harsh at the bridge, I thought, so my favorite pairing at the time was a Lollar in the neck and a vintage in the bridge. However, I use my guitar controls more regularly and effectively now than I did then, so it wouldn't surprise me if I preferred the Lollar bridge now. I would be interested to play the Cunife reissues at some point.
I'll be! The bridge pickup on my old Zaftig was horrid sounding to me, too. It even messed with the both PUPs on position. It was like having a one-pickup guitar.
Interesting that you say that: my MIJ Tele Thinline can be difficult to distinguish between neck and middle positions sometimes... Big fan of the bridge pickup on that one. No idea how Wide Range thr MIJ pickups are, I assume similar to the Mexican ones.

Not that I care, I've had a Mexican Thinline as well as the MIJ one and they both sound terrific.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by sookwinder » Thu Jul 30, 2020 10:24 am

I was disappointed that the German comparison didn't include the Telenator WRHBs with Cu.
While I have not heard that many vintage WRHBs, the original Telenator WRHBs were damn close to that sound.
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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by BoringPostcards » Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:08 am

Has anybody had the chance to try the new Am Original Tele Custom with cunife WRHB yet?
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by ThatGuyOverThere » Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:41 pm

BoringPostcards wrote:
Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:08 am
Has anybody had the chance to try the new Am Original Tele Custom with cunife WRHB yet?
I tried one about a month ago, it’s a phenomenal guitar. Bridge pickup might be a touch too bright for me, but that’s why the tone control exists... neck and middle positions are rich and characterful.

So I installed a pair of CuNiFe WRHBs in my AVRI 72 Tele Thinline. What an incredible difference they made! My first impressions: they’re not warm pickups, but certainly not sterile. They have a Stratty kind of attack to them. Plus they sound like they permanently have a boost pedal after them, they drive really easily. Super dynamic. Harmonics leap off these things.

The original AVRI pickups are great in their own right, but they’re not authentic. They’re real humbucker impostors. I now hear the “doubled single coil” effect people often attribute to these.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by BoringPostcards » Sun Nov 01, 2020 5:58 am

ThatGuyOverThere wrote:
Wed Oct 28, 2020 10:41 pm
BoringPostcards wrote:
Wed Aug 26, 2020 5:08 am
Has anybody had the chance to try the new Am Original Tele Custom with cunife WRHB yet?
I tried one about a month ago, it’s a phenomenal guitar. Bridge pickup might be a touch too bright for me, but that’s why the tone control exists... neck and middle positions are rich and characterful.

So I installed a pair of CuNiFe WRHBs in my AVRI 72 Tele Thinline. What an incredible difference they made! My first impressions: they’re not warm pickups, but certainly not sterile. They have a Stratty kind of attack to them. Plus they sound like they permanently have a boost pedal after them, they drive really easily. Super dynamic. Harmonics leap off these things.

The original AVRI pickups are great in their own right, but they’re not authentic. They’re real humbucker impostors. I now hear the “doubled single coil” effect people often attribute to these.
Good to hear. I really want to pick one up, before they end up discontinued and on Reverb for 150% more than current sale price.
Det er mig der holder traeerne sammen.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by ThatGuyOverThere » Sun Nov 01, 2020 7:08 am

I forgot to update further after playing with the pickup heights. What an incredible difference these have made! My first impressions: they’re not warm pickups, but certainly not sterile. They have a Stratty kind of attack to them. Plus they sound like they permanently have a boost pedal after them, they drive really easily. Super dynamic. Harmonics leap off these things.

The original AVRI pickups were great in their own right, but they’re not authentic. They’re really just conventional humbuckers. I now totally hear the “doubled single coil” effect people often attribute to these.

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by garyptaszek » Sun Nov 01, 2020 8:53 am

I feel like 90% of the time it’s the look people want... myself included :whistle:

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Re: PSA: Fender WRHBs with CuNiFe are back

Post by Ceylon » Sun Nov 01, 2020 9:32 am

BoringPostcards wrote:
Sun Nov 01, 2020 5:58 am
Good to hear. I really want to pick one up, before they end up discontinued and on Reverb for 150% more than current sale price.
This is a concern of mine. I don't have a project to put a pair of these into right now, and I should hold off on making any more gear purchases for a while...


...but there's a pretty real risk these won't stay in production very long, right? Who knows where Fender is getting their CuNiFe but if no one used it for more than 40 years because it was tough to get a hold of, who knows how long the supply will last this time around.

So I guess I should buy a pair. Right?
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