Classic Player series. Does Fender lie?

[Lev]

The AY looks a bit different on mine compared to the previous picture you posted of the initialed PUPs. I doubt very much Abigal herself has been initialing all of these PUPs. From reading the threads on the Fender Forum I don't think anyone ever got a custom shop sticker or a fully signed 'Abigail' on their CP60's PUPs.

[Tone2TheBone]

But they sound awesome right? :

[Lev]

But they sound awesome right? :

well if they make me sound OK, I can only imagine what a real musician could do with these PUPs

[sunvalleylaw]

Aw come on Lev. You are real. And you sound great. Where is that link to Tone's post about being apologetic about our playing. ude:

[elavd]

I have some news about the pickups:

I contacted Thomann (the German music store where I bought it) and they asked me to send them some close photos of the pickups (showing both the top and the bottom of the pickups) in order to send them to Fender Europe for some extra info.

Fender told them that these are indeed 69 pickups, and that they don't put any the custom shop sticker on them and A.Y. doesn't sign on them anymore.

They told me also that this tactic occurs on the SRV model too, which has the Texas Specials pickups on it but without any mark on them, in contrast to the ones that you can buy separately.

Also the guy from Thomman told me that he checked not only 4 other CP60s that he had there, but the Custom 69s that he had for sale and he noticed that:
1) all the (new) CP60s didn't have anything written on the bottom of their pickups
2) the CS69s that had for sale had also light grey colored bobbin, identical to the one on the CP60s pickups.
3) He also checked the poles of the "original" and the CP60s' ones and found them identical.

Also he mention that as far as he knows, Abbigail doesn't sign anymore pickups for Fender...



Fender's specs about CS69 mention that the all 3 pickups have a DC resistance of 5.8k.
So I decided to see if my pickups have the same resistance too...

I took off the pickguard and unsoldered the pickups in order to measure the resistance with a Digital Multimeter.

I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that my pickups had very close resistance values to the nominal ones!

BRIDGE PICKUP:



MIDDLE PICKUP:



NECK PICKUP:





After all this information I think this:

Probably Fender has a great sales demand for the CP60s models and so the production of these specific pickups was transfered to Mexico too. They are made according to the Custom Shop specs, but they are not Custom Shop made...

[Justaguyin_nc]

Having way to much time on my hands and a computer close.. I asked a few dealers selling the custom 69's packaged on e-bay if theirs are signed.. I have gotten 3 response's.. all having the initials A.Y.and dated.. so I assume.. it was not much of an experiment.. as these could be OLD STOCK.. but they are still available to purchase like that.. no one mentions they have Abbey on them at all any more...

Good to see they fall into the 69 range... and probably are "as good" as Abbey wound pups.. but still feel for ya due to the Vintage price factor later down the road....

And lev.. dude... ya know you make that 69 sing...

[Lev]

Great info Elavd!! Thanks for all the investigation - I hope the lack of a signature doesn't stop you from enjoying this guitar - it's still a great sounding axe!

Oh and Justa, Steve & Tone -

[elavd]

I hope the lack of a signature doesn't stop you from enjoying this guitar - it's still a great sounding axe!

It's agreat guitar for sure, but I want to make clear this issue anyway...

I'll try to post some audio (or video) clips soon