Fender Gold Foil
New Releases
There are few pickups in guitar history that have polarized players as Gold Foil pickups. Is the design vintage or simply outdated? A fad or unique design from a bygone era? Coveted for unique tone or dismissed for their budget-guitar origins? Even their invention is a point of debate, with discussion about whether the DeArmond company invented the famed pickups, or if Japanese company Teisco struck gold first. No matter the specifics, Gold Foil pickups have their origins in the 1950s, and both manufacturers became well-known for their foil pickups featured on early guitars such Silvertone, Harmony, and Kay.
The pickup’s inclusion in these budget guitars has led to a kind of misunderstood mystique revolving around the pickup, developing a kind of cult following set on educating the guitar world on its unique characteristics: their rich high end harmonic makeup, the responsiveness to tone and volume controls, the balance between strings, their sensitivity to touch, and their surprisingly wide dynamic range. Indeed, the Gold Foil pickups, despite their detractors, offer a sound and experience that no other pickup can.
This makes the Gold Foil pickup’s inclusion in Fender’s newest line all the more intriguing. Inspired by the garage rockers of the 1960s, the new line features Telecaster, Jazzmaster, and Jazz Bass models in a variety of colors to let the Gold Foil mini-humbuckers shine. The classic Fender design mixed with the attitude of Gold Foil pickups is a combination not to be missed.
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