The Fender Custom Shop Handwound Ancho Poblano Stratocaster Pickup set is quickly becoming a favorite for players who prefer some heat from their single-coil pickups. The Ancho Poblano Pickups are rooted deeply in the Vintage World but with modern know-how and a few tweaks that make these pickups play nice in just about every scenario. With Alnico 3 Magnets and Formvar Wires in the neck and middle and Alnico 5 Magnets and enamel wires on the bridge pickup, we get the perfect blend of modern and vintage in one pickup set! The Handwound Ancho Poblano pickups took a 50s based Fender recipe and added some seriously smokey heat to the mix!
The Hand-wound Ancho Poblano pickups take the heat from the Texas Special up a notch but mix it with Alnico 3 magnets in the Neck and Middle positions. Compared to the Alnico 5 magnets in the Texas Specials, the Anchos offers up a more classic, vintage sound in terms of the magnets but the output still maintains that extra oomph or push. Thanks to this combo of magnet and output, we have a pickup that is smoother than some alnico 5, enamel-coated pickups, making this a great choice for those wanting the best of both worlds (modern meets vintage) and is willing to explore their volume control to explore the ocean of tones these wonderfully dynamic single coils display.
Speaking of Alnico 5 magnets and Enamel Coated Wires, the bridge pickup has some real sizzle, perfect for driving a tube amp to brown-town! Many players want their bridge pickup to RAWK and we get it, luckily so does the Fender Custom Shop! This bridge pickup is a blast to play with a cranked-up tube amp as it breaks up in a wonderfully musical way, much like many Fender pickups that share the same platform (Texas Special, 64, 66, 69, El Diablo, etc).
One thing we love about hand-wound pickups is their dynamic response. When you turn down the volume a bit, you get a sweet, warm tone with fewer teeth that sits in the mix very well. The neck pickup becomes fat and creamy with a low end that retains definition even when played through a distortion pedal. The 2nd and 4th pickup positions have excellent quack to them. The vowel-like expression on the pick attack is truly inspiring, proving excellent for anyone looking to speak through their guitar!
Let’s take a look at some specs…
- Fender Custom Shop
- Availability: Limited Edition or New Order Only
- Hand-wound Ancho Poblano Stratocaster Pickups
- Neck 6.25k w/Formvar Wire and Alnico 3 Magnets
- Middle 6.47k w/ Formvar Wire and Alnico 3 Magnets
- Bridge 6.27k w/Enamel Wire and Alnico 5 Magnets
- Vintage Low G Magnet Stagger on Neck and Middle
- Flush Magnet Mount on Bridge
- Manufacturer Part Number 0992264000
- UPC 88597821648
Since these pickups are typically only available when ordering a new guitar from the Fender Custom Shop, we make sure to do just that for our store stock at all times! The Ancho Poblano Stratocaster is perfect for anyone looking for a very large neck on a Strat. Think Nocaster meets Stratocaster! We have even ordered a batch of our much loved 63 Strat Journeyman Relic’s with Ancho’s and many owners remark how that guitar has become their #1.
Here are some guitars that came from the Factory with Ancho Poblano Pickups...
Fender Custom Shop Ancho Poblano Stratocaster Relic in Vintage White
Fender Custom Shop Ancho Poblano Stratocaster Relic in 2 Tone Sunburst
Fender Custom Shop 59 Special Stratocaster Relic in Two-Tone Sunburst
Fender Custom Shop 59 Special Stratocaster Relic in Vintage White
Fender Custom Shop 1963 Stratocaster Journeyman Relic
And now take a listen here with the official Fender Custom Shop demo video of the Ancho Poblano Pickups!
Written by Mathew Jenkins
Do you expect to have more Ancho Poblano Strats in 2021? Can one order JC Pickups?