One of a kind masterbuild using the Body from a 2010 USA Fender Custom Shop Heavy Relic Rory Gallagher Guitar.The Neck is from a 2012 USA Fender Custom Shop 62 Heavy Relic Stratocaster and the pickups are the Migas TouchSRV #1 handwound shielded pickups. The video below is a demo of the pickups, everything on this build is top ofthe line. This is as close as you can get to a full blown Fender Custom Shop SRV Strat. They only made 100 of the actual ones several years ago that now sell for tens of thousands if you even find one. The neck is spectacular, smooth as glass as you would expect, and the Rory body is just awesome looking. The only thing I could not bring myself to do was to route out the Rory body to add the left handed tremolo. Includes the Rory Gallagher Custom Shop Case and case candy as shown. Here are the specs on the pickups.
Stevie Ray Vaughan’s pickups were examined in that hotel room autopsy by Fender awhile back, they commented that the “neck pickup was hottest, the other two relatively weak, and all bobbins were copper foil shielded.” This is consistent with what pickups in ’59 where most of them had the neck the hottest pickup. Copper foil wrapping and grounding acts as a “shorted turn” which basically clips off the treble a bunch. These pickups are heavy formvar and can be on the squeaky clean/bright side so this helps mellow them down some. Even though the vintage Fender pickups are more mellow sounding than new pickups, some of the better preserved ones can still be pretty bright. So a basically unfinished guitar and shielded pickups really soften the pickups in a good combination.
I did the research when reproducing these pickups using period correct USA made components. From the vulcanized fiber flat work, Alnico V Magnets that are aged and hand beveled with the same stagger as used by Fender for the Stratocaster in 1959. With the Heavy Formvar .42 wire I hand wind every pickup meticulously using a scatter wind and under winding them to stay true to Stevie’s weaker output having the neck the hottest. Copper foil wrapping and grounding which acts as a shorter turn which clips off the treble. Everything about these pickups is as correct as can be made and replicate the pickups in The famous Number One Strat. Stevie would keep these pickups low, close to the pickguard and had a high action using heavier strings. With a low gain amp and cranking it up in combination with these pickups is how Stevie pulled the amazing tones from his guitar. These are the real deal and I did not use other methods to try and replicate his sound like many others do but using same components to come as close as possible to match the pickups he used.
We lacquer seal all of our bobbins for durability then fully wax pot them to avoid microphonic noises and squeals. All of our pickups are hand wound and scatterwound. We have spent a great amount of time testing wires, magnets, and bobbins from various sources to product the best quality pickup that we can. Each of our hand-wound sets are signed and dated. 100% made in the USA..
- Heavy Formvar 42 wire
- Neck, Middle and Bridge North Up
- Middle is not reverse wound
- Period correct staggered pole pieces with aged finish
- Alnico 5 magnets
- Average read outs: Neck 5.9, Middle 5.5, Bridge 5.5 but each may vary slightly
- Period correct 11 inch long cloth push back wire
- Black fiber bobbins
- Fully wax potted