Fender bass pickup ID

[aaronbrill]

I've got a '71-72 era Telecaster bass in for a tune-up and I've got a question about one of the pickups that's in it. It has a neck humbucker like I'd expect on this year of Tele bass, but it has a single coil installed also in the location it would've been on an early P-bass or first generation Tele bass. I haven't pulled anything apart yet but it looks basically like a normal Tele or Strat pickup but with 4 poles and a black string wrap around the coil. Any idea what era this pickup could be from? When did Fender use the black string wrap? Thanks!

[jonson]

The P bass started in 1951 and that 4 pole pickup was the one on the early basses. The string should be white not black. Fender added lamp black pigment to the wax pot to darken it down. Maybe to get away from the fact it was just string. Lamp black pigment can be made with a candle and a sheet of glass and just scrape the soot off as you go to build up a pile.

[aaronbrill]

Thanks for the info! When I pulled the pickup out the other day, I don't believe it's an original Fender pickup. It was unmarked other than a small sticker that said "1B". It's pretty weak and nasal sounding by itself, but it adds a nice amount of clarity when blended with the humbucker.

[Stratz]

It was unmarked other than a small sticker that said "1B".

The small 1B sticker may be a Duncan designation.
Some of the Duncan pickups have small stickers with a letter and number which I've read designates the employee who wound it.

I've had one here in my shop (Strat pickup) for a year or more and now I cant locate it.