“A perfect blend of Tele twang and Strat sparkle”: Jason Isbell’s signature pickup set could provide the most versatile vintage Tele tones in Fender’s lineup
Voiced by Tim Shaw, the Americana virtuoso's new set of signature single coils provide a suite of Fender sounds suitable for his rootsy and modern rock requirements
(Image credit: Fender)
Fender has teamed up with Jason Isbell to launch a standalone set of signature electric guitar pickups.
The Telecaster-compatible single-coils have been designed by renowned tone guru Tim Shaw, and were designed in a bid to deliver “a perfect blend of Tele twang and Strat sparkle”.
In other words, they are shaping up to be perhaps the most versatile Fender-branded Telecaster pickups currently available.
Specifically, the bridge pickup was inspired by the single-coil found in Isbell’s prized 1965 Candy Apple Red model, which does the heavy Tele lifting: it provides the “twang, sparkle and fire Jason is known for”, and delivers the more traditional fat, full Tele tones.
The neck, meanwhile, is a ‘Twisted Tele’, which – as the name implies – is a slightly tweaked take on a traditional Tele piece.
It has slightly taller bobbins that allow for more winds, which in turn is said to deliver a touch of Stratocaster character to go with those bridge sounds.
Exploring The Jason Isbell Signature Telecaster Pickups | Fender Artist Signature Series | Fender - YouTube
As Shaw himself explains, “I’ve long been a fan of Jason’s playing, so it was an honor to work with him on these custom pickups. We started with the bridge pickup, which is based on one from one of Jason’s favorite guitars, a gorgeous ’65 Candy Apple Red Tele.
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“The resulting duplicate offers classic fat, full Tele tones. For the neck, we went with a Twisted Tele – my personal favorite Tele neck pickup – which offers Stratocaster-esque sounds; the best of both worlds!”
Isbell’s signature model is one of Fender’s most popular and well-regarded Telecasters, with its sleek sunburst finish, classy body binding and smart subtle relic’ing.
It stands to reason, then, that Isbell’s pickups will be just as warmly received, not just by fans of the Grammy-winning Americana virtuoso, but by all Tele players who are looking for a set of pickups that could elevate their tone further.
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(Image credit: Fender)
(Image credit: Fender)
(Image credit: Fender)
Other notable features that set Isbell’s signature set apart from the competition include Formvar-coated magnet wire to improve brightness on the neck pickup, a plain enamel wire on the bridge for punch and twang, and alnico five magnets.
There’s also some Light Road Worn aging to fit the Isbell vibe, with the set coming with installation hardware.
The Jason Isbell Telecaster pickup set is available now for $149.99.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
