Brad Paisley seeks to settle the Telecaster vs Esquire debate with new Seymour Duncan Secret Agent pickup

For those long-suffering Fender lovers who are torn between the snarl of a one-pickup Esquire and the tonal versatility of a two-pickup Telecaster, Brad Paisley may have the answer to your problems.

The country guitar master has joined with Seymour Duncan on a “stealthy” new signature pickup, the Secret Agent, a neck-position pickup that is recessed and hidden under the pickguard of a Fender Esquire to provide the tonal options of a traditional Telecaster.

At the same time, because it is recessed, there’s still less magnetic pull on the guitar’s strings, maintaining the bridge pickup sustain and classic look of an Esquire.

The Secret Agent features a medium-output ceramic bar magnet, and according to Seymour Duncan offers a “full, warm, almost jazzy neck-pickup tone, complementing the Esquire bridge pickup’s bark and snarl.”

Paisley also recently collaborated with Seymour Duncan on the vintage-spec Brad Paisley Signature La Brea Telecaster Set. 

The Brad Paisley Signature Custom Shop “Secret Agent” Esquire Neck Pickup is handmade in the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop and available for $130.

To grab one, head over to Seymour Duncan.