In 2017, after a long search for the perfect guitar, Brad Paisley acquired an original 1968 Telecaster. The guitar played beautifully but had unfortunately been refinished in black acrylic paint. So, Brad brought the guitar to veteran luthier and paisley paper expert, Bill Crook, to have the black paint stripped away to have a classic ’68 paisley pattern applied instead. After removing some of the thick black paint, Bill stumbled on a surprise that would shock them both: Fender’s original pink paisley finish from 1968! Brad dubbed the guitar La Brea, because the black paint hiding the perfectly intact, all-original pink paisley paper reminded him of the tar pits in Southern California. At this point, Brad loved almost everything about La Brea, but there was still something that wasn’t quite right – the pickups. Naturally, Brad called his buddy Seymour W. Duncan, and together they created the perfect, vintage accurate matched pickups – the Brad Paisley Signature La Brea Telecaster Set.
The bridge model features alnico IV rod magnets, vintage-correct cloth push-back wire, vintage output of 7.44k, and classic grey forbon flatwork, giving you the wonderful open quality that you expect from a vintage pickup, but with the focused midrange that only an alnico IV magnet can provide. The neck pickup uses alnico II rod magnets alongside an output of 7.55k, and the same period-correct wire and flatwork to provide a smooth, thick neck tone. Together, these pickups deliver the snap and twang that Brad is known for, with a round top end and full but tight lows. Seymour wound what Brad calls “the perfect set” for his beloved ’68 La Brea Telecaster, and now you can get it too. The Brad Paisley Signature La Brea Telecaster Set, hand built in Santa Barbara, CA.
