Question to Fender Strat specialists - "HW BP." pickups - what are those?

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
A question to our Fender Strat specialists: I got a 2016 Custom Shop Strat and it came with handwound Texas Special pickups.
All 3 pickups have a handwritten marking "HW BP.".
"HW" most probably means "handwound".
But what does "BP." stands for?
I know the Abby or team built AY marked pickups, as well as the new Josephina signed pickups, but have never seen "BP." pickups in a Fender Custom Shop strat. Does anybody know what this stands for or who the custom shop winder is with the initials "BP." ?

EDIT: See post # 10 below for the answer!

HW%20BP.jpg~original


Ralf
 
Last edited:

adorshki

Reverential Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2009
Messages
34,176
Reaction score
6,789
Location
Sillycon Valley CA
I know the Abby or team built AY marked pickups as well as the new Josephina signed pickups but have never seen "BP." pickups in a Fender Custom Shop strat. Does anybody know what this stands for or who the custom shop winder is with the initials "BP." ?
Is this maybe why Pascal/ BluesyPicky's been so quiet about his new job lately?
(Sorry, couldn't resist)
 

txbumper57

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2014
Messages
7,577
Reaction score
58
Location
Texas
Could they be wound to "Brad Paisley" specs? I know he plays mainly Tele's but someone could have ordered their strat with his style of pickups. I don't think it would have anything to do with polarity do you? Have you contacted Fender yet? They should be able to tell you for sure.

TX
 
Last edited:

gilded

Senior Member
Joined
May 2, 2007
Messages
3,479
Reaction score
197
Location
texas
Hey Man, I did some searches for you, but no luck. I think contacting the custom shop with a pic would be your best bet.

Try this address. It shows both USA and International numbers, as well as a link to customer support:

http://shop.fender.com/en-US/contact-us


best of luck, gilded
 

S100

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2014
Messages
1,148
Reaction score
72
Location
Louisiana
Guild Total
4
I was thinking maybe the initials of whomever wound them? Just a guess based on nothing, though.
 

mavuser

Enlightened Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2010
Messages
8,128
Reaction score
2,636
Location
New York
I'll take a guess: "BP." stands for black phenolic. As in the bobbin material.

-Dave-

man u are a sharp dude. makes perfect sense if u put it all together, right? "Hand Wound Black Phenolic"

and to think i just thought they gave him 3 "bridge pickups" :eagerness::eagerness::eagerness:
seriously though. what u wrote makes a lot more sense haa
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
man u are a sharp dude.

Hah! We shall see… :frog: But I know some of the "vintage reissue" folks are massively pedantic about details like this. Re. PAFs: "The cream bobbins sound different than the black ones, man! I can hear it!" Ooookaaay…

-Dave-
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Thanks for all your answers and sorry for my late reply, I had no time yet to contact the Custom Shop about it, will do later on and report back. I am super busy with work currently...
They are definitely bridge, middle and neck as they are color coded with ethe dots you see in the picture. Let's see what I can find out.
Ralf
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
It took me a while to find out about "BP.", but now I found the answer directly from Fender:

BP = Bricenda Pineda

The current Fender Custom shop Hand Wound pickup winders are:

Josefina = Josefina Campos (who replaced Abigail Ybarra as Master Pickup Winder)
BP = Bricenda Pineda,
LD = Loretta Diaz
JM = Jenny Morales.

Hope that helps just in case another member has the same question.

Ralf
 
Last edited:

chazmo

Super Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Messages
25,443
Reaction score
7,105
Location
Central Massachusetts
Hey, Ralf. Cool. :) I had a feeling it was the winder's initials, although Quantum's answer was damn good.

Anyway, I hope Ms. Pineda did her best work on your pickups! :)
 

SFIV1967

Venerated Member
Joined
Nov 20, 2010
Messages
18,442
Reaction score
8,956
Location
Bavaria / Germany
Guild Total
8
Anyway, I hope Ms. Pineda did her best work on your pickups! :)
I don't think I would be able to hear a difference between the same kind of pickups wound by different persons...But I am sure someone would.
Ralf
 

Quantum Strummer

Senior Member
Joined
May 26, 2015
Messages
2,382
Reaction score
118
Location
Michigan
Cool! I shoulda chimed in earlier again on this one 'cuz I bought a green Strat pickguard earlier this year loaded with a set of Abby Ybarra pickups (from 2011) dated and initialed in the same manner as Ralf's.

-Dave-
 
Top