Q Pickups 1951 Nocaster Bridge Pickup, A3 Magnets, 8.8K, Ships from USA

Selling my Q Pickups 51 Nocaster bridge. I installed it in my Telecaster, played it for a few weeks, then a 1975 Fender bridge pickup came my way and I'd rather use the old one. This Q pickup is too good to sit in a parts drawer.

Specs are 8.8K DCR with A3 rod magnets, wound with plain enamel 43 AWG wire on black vulcanized fiberboard, copper-plated steel baseplate, wax potted in paraffin and beeswax. The interesting part is what that combination actually does. A standard 50s Tele bridge sits around 6.5K to 7.5K, so at 8.8K you've got a meaningful bump in turns. That adds output, pushes midrange forward, and gives it low-end weight a normal Tele bridge doesn't have. On its own a hot wind like that would usually get peaky and harsh on top, but the A3 magnets are what save it. A3 is weaker than the A5 you find in most modern Teles, so there's less magnetic pull on the string, more dynamic response, and a softer treble peak. Instead of icepick on top you get a sweet rolled high end with all the extra midrange and bass sitting underneath it.

What that sounded like in my hands: through my 1966 JTM45 it got surprisingly close to a Les Paul, thick and vocal and mid-forward. Through my 1971 Twin Reverb on a clean setting it still sounded like a Tele, bell-like and glassy without getting honky. Same pickup, two different guitars depending on which amp it was in front of.

Condition is essentially new. Bought it earlier this year, installed it, played it for a few weeks, removed it carefully. No solder splatter, no scratches, no damage, sounds and measures exactly as it should. Mounting screws and tubing are not included.

On price, I paid roughly $143 shipped after tariffs from Croatia (east Italy). New from Q today you'd pay about the same and wait two to four weeks for it to arrive. This ships from Maine in one to two days with no customs and no tariff risk. Any questions, just message me.