Fender Widerange Humbucker Sound Replication

[sirspens]

From my understanding, the defining characteristic of the Fender Widerange Humbucker, besides the fact that the coils are a bit bigger and therefore wider spaced, and the characteristic that isn't being replicated in any of the modern production versions is that they are built more like Fender single coil pickups. They use rod magnets (forgetting that Fender used a now basically unsourceable magnet), instead of the standard humbucker design of using a bar magnet with steel rods.

The use of rod magnets by Fender is the defining design element that gives them their bright and jangly sound, from Jazzmasters to Telecasters. The bright and crisp sound of the original Fender Widerange Humbuckers relied on this, as well.

There is only one manufacturer that even claims to make something similar to the original construction, and they cost like $400+ for a set. 

Here's my idea... could you wire two (probably hot?) strat style single coil pickups to create a sound similar to the Widerange Humbucker? 

[Tim37]

Part of the deal with the magnets is that they are threaded and adjustable and it's a very expensive process to make a threaded magnet.  

[sirspens]

1 hour ago, Tim37 said:

Part of the deal with the magnets is that they are threaded and adjustable and it's a very expensive process to make a threaded magnet.  

 

Yes. You would lose that aspect. But that is exactly what makes them pretty much impossible to replicate. So if you can get really close in tone without using a virtually unsourceable material... that seems to me to be close enough.

[Tim37]

I don't think stacked single coils are gonna get you there.  I have run across a few companies claiming to have the sound of the originals but I haven't dropped the cash to see

[sirspens]

I can't believe I just finally ran across this (after researching this for weeks), but it turns out Seymour Duncan already does this in their Stag Mag pickup...

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/stag-mag

It definitely does not sound like a Widerange. But it is a very interesting sound. 

[curtisa]

What about taking a pickup with an inherent wide range voicing, say Lace Alumitones, and then tailoring the tone with external components (resistors, capacitors, inductors)?

The wiki page on the Fender Widerange pickup doesn't make it sound like there's anything magical going on inside other than the particular magnets used in the polepieces. Assuming the data is correct, 6800 turns per coil, 10K DC resistance, resonant frequency 7.135KHz is nothing spectacular. Many modern production pickups can be found with near identical specs. So if there's something special going on it's likely to be largely due to the magnet choice.

Should be noted that the wiki page also mentions that the original pickups were installed with 1Meg volume and tone pots, which will load down the pickups less than the more conventional 250K - 500K pots used nowadays. This will translate to a brighter sound and is possibly a further key to the pickups' perceived characteristic.

[sirspens]

36 minutes ago, curtisa said:

 

What about taking a pickup with an inherent wide range voicing

 

 

I'll admit that my primary curiosity with the WR is the rod magnet design aspect of it. That it isn't just another PAF.