# Decipher writing on the back of Strat pups?



## Guest (May 17, 2016)

I never thought about this until I swapped the original pups back into my FSR Strat.
Not expecting anyone to tell me what these numbers mean, but, I'd like to know the
difference between 'blank' (no writing) and 'numbered' MIA pups.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Decifer writing in thread title...decipher...much easier than the white blobs on the back of those pickups.

I don't know all the ins and outs, but I do know that sometimes, particularly in CS instruments, if it was a particularly sought after winder such as Abby, then they are often marked as such. From what I've seen though, there seems to be very little consistency or rhyme/reason to the markings.


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## Guest (May 17, 2016)

JBFairthorne said:


> Decifer writing in thread title...decipher..


Doh! It's early.
Tnx for the headsup.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

I'm only sarcastic with people here that I'm relatively sure will recognize it for what it is and nothing more...a tongue in cheek joke.


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## copperhead (May 24, 2006)

Judging by the color of the wires I'd say Tex-Mex pickups but that black & blue wire on the neck pickup is something I've never seen .


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## Roryfan (Apr 19, 2010)

No idea what the white writing is, but FWIW the number moulded into the bobbin is Fender's internal part number for the bobbin itself so they are legit Fender pups. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Guest (May 21, 2016)

Sent an inquiry to Fender. Here's the response.

*Matt Safranek* (Fender)

May 20, 12:18

Hello Larry,

I am not too sure, from what I can see it just looks like scribbled part numbers. 
However, looking at the spec sheet break down these would have been "American Strat" pickups. 
They were just proprietary pickups mostly used in our American Standard models.

Matt Safranek
Consumer Relations Representative/Direct Sales
Fender Musical Instruments Corp. 
17600 N. Perimeter Dr., Ste-100 Scottsdale, AZ, 85255


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## Guitar101 (Jan 19, 2011)

Fender® Forums • View topic - Fender 016730

Check out this link. Looks like the same part number as yours. As for scribbled writing, my guess is 1st: SC208 (LE) . . . 2nd: SK1075 . . . 3rd: SC207 (old)


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## Guest (May 21, 2016)

Tnx for the link.
It led me on another google search and I came upon this;

_Sorry for reviving an old post but I wanted to help the OP and answer this question. Those are genuine 2008-2011 American Standard Pickups. 
The pickup with the blue and black wires is the neck pickup, the pickup with the red and black wires is the middle pickup and is RWRP for hum 
canceling in positions 2 and 4, and finally the pickup with the yellow and black wires which has the machine screws is the bridge pickup. 
The white lettering came on all stock pickups and for the American Standard Pickups should read 56205 on the neck, 56206 on the middle, and 
56207 on the bridge pickup. The engraved number in the plastic bobbin which reads 016739 doesn't mean anything as Fender used those bobbins 
on various other pickups. The black wires are the ground while the blue, red and yellow wires are the hot leads. Prior to 2008 it was supposedly 
the same pickup but the bridge was mounted upside down so there must have been a small variation in the design but retained the staggered 
unbeveled Alnico poles and machine screws. Also prior to 2008 the colored wires were also blue, red, and yellow but the black wires were instead 
white with the colored wires as ground and the white wires as the hot leads. The machine screws on the bridge pickup are to add to the ferric mass 
however many claim they have no audible benefit but I would think Fender engineers wouldn't put them there for no reason. These pickups have 
been similar since 1997 when they were introduced with the Delta Tone Circuit. As far as I'm concerned these 2008-2011 American Standard Pickups 
are the best Fender has put in the American Standard in many years and are my personal all time favorite pickups. Right on the edge between vintage 
and modern which makes it a very versatile pickup. They have that classic Strat sound yet have enough output and midrange to make a lot of music. 
I love them. I have a 2015 American Special Stratocaster but absolutely hated the Texas Specials that came with it so I sold my loaded pickguard on 
ebay and purchased a 2011 American Standard Loaded Pickguard on ebay instead and haven't looked back. Hope this information helps..._


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## dradlin (Feb 27, 2010)

JBFairthorne said:


> Decifer writing in thread title...decipher...much easier than the white blobs on the back of those pickups.
> 
> I don't know all the ins and outs, but I do know that sometimes, particularly in CS instruments, if it was a particularly sought after winder such as Abby, then they are often marked as such. From what I've seen though, there seems to be very little consistency or rhyme/reason to the markings.


The CS hand wound pickups use fiberboard flatwork for the bobbin construction. Anything with a plastic moulded bobbin is a machine wound production pickup.


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

Not quite the same as my experience with the Duncan I had installed in my LP in the 80's, but sorta the same. I couldn't remember a couple of years ago what I had, I thought it was a JB because that's what the guy at L&M said it was. So I searched google for JB's and they didn't look like the one I had at all. Took out the PUP and it has a little white sticker with DCJ on it. Finally ended up at a Duncan thread and was pointed to a page where they gave all the info on all the serials on PU's. The JB's were not that serial. A few lines down they had the Customs. In the end DCJ is Duncan Custom J...the letters on the end means that is the person who wound the PU. They had a list of initials on the bottom of the page with the 5 or 6 initials. Mine was Juanita Juarez. I think it is a very early version (maybe the 1st), of the new line of SH5 that came out after the SH4 JB's which most Duncan fans know about.

I was hoping your pickups had a similar cool story, which they sorta do in a round about way. Glad you found the info you wanted.


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