---
product_id: 3251025
title: "Fender Pure Vintage '52 Telecaster Pickups, Nickel"
brand: "fender"
price: "$516.26"
currency: USD
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 10
category: "Fender"
url: https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3251025-fender-pure-vintage-52-telecaster-pickups-nickel
store_origin: EC
region: Ecuador
---

# Alnico 3 magnets for authentic vintage twang Period-correct cloth output wire for true retro vibe Flush-mount pole pieces for balanced string response Fender Pure Vintage '52 Telecaster Pickups, Nickel

**Brand:** fender
**Price:** $516.26
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🎶 Unlock timeless Telecaster tone — because vintage never goes out of style!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Fender Pure Vintage '52 Telecaster Pickups, Nickel by fender
- **How much does it cost?** $516.26 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ec](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3251025-fender-pure-vintage-52-telecaster-pickups-nickel)

## Best For

- fender enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted fender brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Key Features

- • **Plug & Play Ready:** Includes all installation hardware for a seamless upgrade to your Telecaster’s sonic arsenal.
- • **Classic '52 Tele Twang:** Experience the iconic 1950s Telecaster sparkle and warmth that defined a generation of sound.
- • **Versatile Tone Palette:** From glassy jazz to punchy rockabilly, these pickups deliver sparkle and spank across genres.
- • **Balanced String Response:** Flush-mount pole pieces ensure every string sings with even clarity and articulation.
- • **Authentic Vintage Craftsmanship:** Built with enamel-coated magnet wire and fiber bobbins for that true-to-era tonal purity.

## Overview

Fender Pure Vintage '52 Telecaster Pickups feature Alnico 3 magnets and period-correct cloth output wire, delivering authentic 1950s Tele twang with balanced string response via flush-mount pole pieces. Designed for vintage tone purists, this set includes all necessary hardware for easy installation, making it the definitive upgrade for players seeking classic Tele sparkle and versatility across multiple music styles.

## Description

As Heard on: Fender American Vintage Telecaster guitars. Original Vintage Fender Tele pickups provide extremely accurate 1950s Tele twang, with the classic warmth and edge that players have prized in the Telecaster for more than 60 years.

Review: Great sounding vintage Tele pickups - I got these for a Tele partscaster project I just completed. I considered probably about ten different sets of pickups for this guitar. One of the sets that intrigued me most was the Pure Vintage '58 set, but disappointingly Fender no longer offers them. I came very close to ordering a Bill Lawrence Keystone set, and I considered a Ron Ellis set, as well. Bill Lawrence passed away years ago (his wife continues making the pickups to spec, apparently), and the wait time for a Ron Ellis set is notoriously long. I even considered the special Brad Paisley La Brea set offered by Seymour Duncan, but the premium price turned me off. In the end, I gravitated more toward a Fender set, as I wanted a classic Telecaster sound. I also considered Fender Tex-Mex Tele pickups. I have sets of Tex-Mex pickups in a couple of my Strats. While I like the pickups, I felt getting that set for this Tele would give me a sound I was already familiar with. I wanted something different, maybe older school. That's where these pickups came in. I read some favorable comments about them on TDPRI. Unfortunately there are only a few good demos of these pickups available on YT, and interestingly it was a very short, 30-second Fender demo that sold me on these. The sound was clean, but they handled gain very well. The price was also pretty much unbeatable. I halfway expected the output of these pickups to be less than 6k, but was surprised to find both pickups tested on my multimeter at more than 7k--the bridge at 7.07 and the neck at 7.28. That's more than adequate for what I wanted. The pickups have waxed vintage cloth wire, and I had no trouble getting them connected and mounted. With the amp set clean, the pickups are chimey with that distinctive Tele sparkle in all positions. With moderate gain, the pickups provide enough spank from the bridge, a nice mix in the middle position, and a somewhat Strat-like sound at the neck. So far they are very noise-free on my Blackstar Fly 3 (I have not tried the guitar on my tube amps yet), and I have not yet encountered the dreaded 60 cycle hum. I am very pleased with how usable they are in all positions and with a variety of tones and volumes. I highly recommend these if you're looking for classic Tele sounds. To wrap this up, I want to reach out to Fender with a request. The branding of these pickups needs to be more consistent and less scatterbrained. I have seen these pickups referred to variously as 'Original Vintage,' 'Pure Vintage Reissue,' '52 Reissue,' and other phrases. Even on this listing here on desertcart, the box says 'Original Vintage' but the description says 'Pure Vintage Reissue.' The box my pickups arrived in is marked 'Original Telecaster Pickup Set.' And on the side of the box, the sticker with the UPC symbol is marked 'AM VINT 52 TELE' aka 'American Vintage 52 Telecaster.' Even now, I'm not certain how to refer to these pickups if someone were to ask me what pickups I have in my Tele. I'm tempted to go with the name on the sticker and call them American Vintage '52s. In any case, I would consider these the standard American-made Telecaster pickups, and I think they deserve to be called one name.
Review: This is what a Tele sounds like! - First, I want to clarify what was, to me, a little confusing prior to placing my order. The description of the product in the listing, at least as of 2020-Aug, doesn't make it clear exactly which set of Fender pickups this is. Part of the confusion is also that Fender has changed the names for this and its related products. The pickups I received are Fender model number 0992119000. What I received are labelled "Original Telecaster Pickups" and "American Vintage 52 Tele" (see photos). Fender's website lists this product (same model number) as "Original Vintage Tele Pickups." This is different from what Fender calls their "Pure Vintage '64 Telecaster Pickups," which have a different model number. The Pure Vintage '64 pickups are a little hotter than the '52 pickups that I'm reviewing here. So, simply put, I love these pickups! They are low output pickups, which is exactly what I wanted. Generally they sound exactly like you'd expect tele pickups to sound, singly and in combination. So no surprises there. Within the broad range of "what a tele sounds like," these pickups (neck, bridge, and both in combination) are very bright, not mid-heavy, not overly bassy. I would describe the sound as "glassy" with a very sparkly top end. With chords, each note is very articulate with the whole sound having a lovely shimmery top end. In contrast, hotter (more "modern") pickups, like presumably the Pure Vintage '64 pickups, would have a bit less high end sparkle and more mid-range growl. I play several different styles -- traditional jazz/bebop, jazz chord/melody, rockabilly, early country, bluegrass, and occasionally some classic rock or punk. These pickups work wonderfully for all of those styles. The neck pickup is not at all muddy, but again very sparkly and glassy. For jazz, simply turn the tone down a bit to warm up the sound, but the notes still retain plenty of articulation -- good attack on picked notes, nice piano-like ringing with fingerstyle. With the tone full up, the neck pickup twangs wonderfully! The neck and bridge pickups together capture a great rockabilly or early country / roots music sound. Plenty of spank...a sound only a tele can make. The bridge is very bright and twang-y. Apply a compressor and chicken pick country tunes for days! To be fair, folks that don't like the sound of tele bridge pickups might call this icepick-y; my preference is to err on the side of having more top end than I might need and just use the tone knobs (on the guitar or on the amp) to sculpt the tone I want. Roll the tone off slightly and it'll do a fair imitation of a humbucker. The pickups aren't hot enough to aggressively push an amplifier front end much beyond moderate breakup, but that's what boost/drive/distortion pedals are for. And again, if a more aggressive pickup is what you're looking for, something with a hotter (more "modern") design is probably a better option. When I play my telecaster with these pickups, the sorts of sounds I'm reminded of are -- lots of Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MGs), Hollies Long Cool Woman, early funk by the Meters, plenty of surf and early 60s country, James Bond theme song, the guitar riff in They Might Be Giants Don't Let's Start, In terms of hardware bits...the bridge pickup has a steel baseplate with copper plating; the magnets are alnico 3 (according to the packaging and Fender's website); both pickups have two wires coming out of them both of which had cloth (as opposed to plastic) insulation. Inside the packaging was a wiring diagram, a set of screws (2 for the neck pickup and 3 for the bridge pickup) and five short pieces of surgical tubing to act as "springs" inside the mountings. I personally would prefer actual metal springs than rubber surgical tubing, but that's a trivial complaint.

## Features

- Vintage tele pickups deliver vintage tele twang with alnico 3 magnets and enamel-coated magnet wire.
- Flush-mount pole pieces for even string response
- Period-correct cloth output wire and fiber bobbin
- Tin-plated copper base plate
- Installation hardware included

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| ASIN | B000WIPGG8 |
| Back Material | Nickel |
| Best Sellers Rank | #60,780 in Musical Instruments ( See Top 100 in Musical Instruments ) #717 in Electric Guitar Pickups & Pickup Covers |
| Body Material | Nickel |
| Color Name | Black (bridge), Nickel (neck) |
| Customer Reviews | 4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars (248) |
| Date First Available | November 15, 2008 |
| Fretboard Material | Maple Wood |
| Guitar Bridge System | Fixed |
| Guitar Pickup Configuration | S-S |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Item Weight | 6.4 ounces |
| Item model number | 0992119000 |
| Neck Material Type | Nickel |
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Product Dimensions | 11.42 x 7.48 x 3.54 inches |
| Size | Set |
| String Material | Nickel |
| Top Material | Ash Wood |

## Product Details

- **Back Material Type:** Nickel
- **Body Material:** Nickel
- **Brand:** Fender
- **Color:** Black (bridge), Nickel (neck)
- **Fretboard Material Type:** Maple Wood
- **Guitar Pickup Configuration:** S-S
- **Hand Orientation:** Right
- **Neck Material Type:** Nickel
- **String Material Type:** Nickel
- **Top Material Type:** Ash Wood

## Images

![Fender Pure Vintage '52 Telecaster Pickups, Nickel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61D2zrJNjvL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Great sounding vintage Tele pickups
*by C***N on August 4, 2020*

I got these for a Tele partscaster project I just completed. I considered probably about ten different sets of pickups for this guitar. One of the sets that intrigued me most was the Pure Vintage '58 set, but disappointingly Fender no longer offers them. I came very close to ordering a Bill Lawrence Keystone set, and I considered a Ron Ellis set, as well. Bill Lawrence passed away years ago (his wife continues making the pickups to spec, apparently), and the wait time for a Ron Ellis set is notoriously long. I even considered the special Brad Paisley La Brea set offered by Seymour Duncan, but the premium price turned me off. In the end, I gravitated more toward a Fender set, as I wanted a classic Telecaster sound. I also considered Fender Tex-Mex Tele pickups. I have sets of Tex-Mex pickups in a couple of my Strats. While I like the pickups, I felt getting that set for this Tele would give me a sound I was already familiar with. I wanted something different, maybe older school. That's where these pickups came in. I read some favorable comments about them on TDPRI. Unfortunately there are only a few good demos of these pickups available on YT, and interestingly it was a very short, 30-second Fender demo that sold me on these. The sound was clean, but they handled gain very well. The price was also pretty much unbeatable. I halfway expected the output of these pickups to be less than 6k, but was surprised to find both pickups tested on my multimeter at more than 7k--the bridge at 7.07 and the neck at 7.28. That's more than adequate for what I wanted. The pickups have waxed vintage cloth wire, and I had no trouble getting them connected and mounted. With the amp set clean, the pickups are chimey with that distinctive Tele sparkle in all positions. With moderate gain, the pickups provide enough spank from the bridge, a nice mix in the middle position, and a somewhat Strat-like sound at the neck. So far they are very noise-free on my Blackstar Fly 3 (I have not tried the guitar on my tube amps yet), and I have not yet encountered the dreaded 60 cycle hum. I am very pleased with how usable they are in all positions and with a variety of tones and volumes. I highly recommend these if you're looking for classic Tele sounds. To wrap this up, I want to reach out to Fender with a request. The branding of these pickups needs to be more consistent and less scatterbrained. I have seen these pickups referred to variously as 'Original Vintage,' 'Pure Vintage Reissue,' '52 Reissue,' and other phrases. Even on this listing here on Amazon, the box says 'Original Vintage' but the description says 'Pure Vintage Reissue.' The box my pickups arrived in is marked 'Original Telecaster Pickup Set.' And on the side of the box, the sticker with the UPC symbol is marked 'AM VINT 52 TELE' aka 'American Vintage 52 Telecaster.' Even now, I'm not certain how to refer to these pickups if someone were to ask me what pickups I have in my Tele. I'm tempted to go with the name on the sticker and call them American Vintage '52s. In any case, I would consider these the standard American-made Telecaster pickups, and I think they deserve to be called one name.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is what a Tele sounds like!
*by B***N on September 2, 2020*

First, I want to clarify what was, to me, a little confusing prior to placing my order. The description of the product in the listing, at least as of 2020-Aug, doesn't make it clear exactly which set of Fender pickups this is. Part of the confusion is also that Fender has changed the names for this and its related products. The pickups I received are Fender model number 0992119000. What I received are labelled "Original Telecaster Pickups" and "American Vintage 52 Tele" (see photos). Fender's website lists this product (same model number) as "Original Vintage Tele Pickups." This is different from what Fender calls their "Pure Vintage '64 Telecaster Pickups," which have a different model number. The Pure Vintage '64 pickups are a little hotter than the '52 pickups that I'm reviewing here. So, simply put, I love these pickups! They are low output pickups, which is exactly what I wanted. Generally they sound exactly like you'd expect tele pickups to sound, singly and in combination. So no surprises there. Within the broad range of "what a tele sounds like," these pickups (neck, bridge, and both in combination) are very bright, not mid-heavy, not overly bassy. I would describe the sound as "glassy" with a very sparkly top end. With chords, each note is very articulate with the whole sound having a lovely shimmery top end. In contrast, hotter (more "modern") pickups, like presumably the Pure Vintage '64 pickups, would have a bit less high end sparkle and more mid-range growl. I play several different styles -- traditional jazz/bebop, jazz chord/melody, rockabilly, early country, bluegrass, and occasionally some classic rock or punk. These pickups work wonderfully for all of those styles. The neck pickup is not at all muddy, but again very sparkly and glassy. For jazz, simply turn the tone down a bit to warm up the sound, but the notes still retain plenty of articulation -- good attack on picked notes, nice piano-like ringing with fingerstyle. With the tone full up, the neck pickup twangs wonderfully! The neck and bridge pickups together capture a great rockabilly or early country / roots music sound. Plenty of spank...a sound only a tele can make. The bridge is very bright and twang-y. Apply a compressor and chicken pick country tunes for days! To be fair, folks that don't like the sound of tele bridge pickups might call this icepick-y; my preference is to err on the side of having more top end than I might need and just use the tone knobs (on the guitar or on the amp) to sculpt the tone I want. Roll the tone off slightly and it'll do a fair imitation of a humbucker. The pickups aren't hot enough to aggressively push an amplifier front end much beyond moderate breakup, but that's what boost/drive/distortion pedals are for. And again, if a more aggressive pickup is what you're looking for, something with a hotter (more "modern") design is probably a better option. When I play my telecaster with these pickups, the sorts of sounds I'm reminded of are -- lots of Steve Cropper (Booker T & the MGs), Hollies Long Cool Woman, early funk by the Meters, plenty of surf and early 60s country, James Bond theme song, the guitar riff in They Might Be Giants Don't Let's Start, In terms of hardware bits...the bridge pickup has a steel baseplate with copper plating; the magnets are alnico 3 (according to the packaging and Fender's website); both pickups have two wires coming out of them both of which had cloth (as opposed to plastic) insulation. Inside the packaging was a wiring diagram, a set of screws (2 for the neck pickup and 3 for the bridge pickup) and five short pieces of surgical tubing to act as "springs" inside the mountings. I personally would prefer actual metal springs than rubber surgical tubing, but that's a trivial complaint.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Hotrod Smith likes em
*by A***R on January 30, 2017*

Put these (pure vintage reissue tele set) in my affinity tele along with a Graph Tech 42 mm nut. Being a cautious sort, I checked resistance in the pickups before I installed them. The neck was dead and it looked like a three year old on lsd soldered in the hookup wires. contacted amazon and they sent out a replacement before I even sent it back. Great service. Can't say the same about Fender q.c. Anyway they sound very authentic and vintage like. The alnico 3 polepeices I think, give them a less harsh tone, nice for jazz and mellow country picking which is my neighborhood. The wider 42mm nut (origional was on the shy side of 41 mm) helped my fat fingers out a lot. I topped off my rig with cts pots and orange drop cap with a treble bleed mod I picked up on at Stew mac. Oh, also I drilled 3 small holes in the back of the bridge plate and put in some nice brass compensted barrel segments aka the "billybob treatment". This is my "go to" guitar.

## Frequently Bought Together

- Fender Pure Vintage Reissue Telecaster Pickups
- Fender Standard Locking Tuners-Chrome Acoustic Guitar Tuning Key (990818100)
- Fender Telecaster Chrome Bridge Assembly with 3 Brass Saddles for American Vintage and Mexican Vintage Telecaster

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3251025-fender-pure-vintage-52-telecaster-pickups-nickel](https://www.desertcart.ec/products/3251025-fender-pure-vintage-52-telecaster-pickups-nickel)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Ecuador*
*Store origin: EC*
*Last updated: 2026-02-10*