The Birth of the Wide Range Humbucker
In the early 1970s, Fender found itself in the thick of the humbucker revolution. Gibson had already captured much of the market with its classic PAF design, favoured for its fat, warm tone and noise-canceling capabilities. Fender, traditionally a single-coil company, needed a way to compete.
Enter Seth Lover, the inventor of the Gibson PAF humbucker, who had recently joined Fender. Tasked with creating a new humbucking pickup that retained Fender’s bright, clear character, Lover designed the Wide Range Humbucker in 1971.
Unique Design Features
The Wide Range wasn’t just another humbucker—it was a new beast entirely:
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CuNiFe Magnets: Instead of Alnico or ceramic, Lover used CuNiFe (Copper-Nickel-Iron) rods for individual pole pieces. These magnetic rods functioned like Fender’s single-coil designs but allowed for hum-canceling.
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Larger Coil Windings: The pickup was physically wider than a standard humbucker, allowing for more turns of wire and a broader magnetic field. This contributed to its signature bright yet full tone.
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Impedance: The original units had a DC resistance of around 10.6k ohms, hotter than a typical Fender single coil but still retaining articulate highs.
The result was a humbucker with the clarity and spank of a single-coil, but with more output and noise rejection—perfect for players who wanted more drive without losing definition.
Famous Guitars That Used Wide Range Humbuckers
Fender introduced the Wide Range humbucker in several models between 1971 and the late ’70s, many of which are now cult classics:
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Fender Telecaster Deluxe (1972–1981):
Perhaps the most famous Wide Range-equipped guitar. It featured two Wide Range humbuckers and a Strat-style headstock.
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Fender Telecaster Custom (1972–1981):
Combined a Wide Range humbucker in the neck with a traditional single-coil bridge pickup.
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Fender Starcaster (1976–1980):
A semi-hollowbody guitar that used two Wide Range humbuckers to bridge jazz, rock, and indie sensibilities.
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Fender Telecaster Thinline (v2) (1972–1980):
A semi-hollow Tele with dual Wide Range pickups and a more resonant tone.
Famous Players
Many notable guitarists embraced the Wide Range humbucker for its clarity, punch, and retro-cool appeal:
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Keith Richards (The Rolling Stones):
Regularly played a Telecaster Custom with a Wide Range in the neck. You can hear it on tracks like “Start Me Up.”
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Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead):
A longtime user of a ‘70s Telecaster Custom, Greenwood’s jagged riffs and experimental textures owe much to the pickup’s clear articulation.
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Graham Coxon (Blur):
Known for his use of a Telecaster Custom in the early ’90s Britpop era.
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Alex Kapranos (Franz Ferdinand):
Used a Telecaster Deluxe to achieve the sharp, funky riffs that defined the band’s early hits.
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Ted Leo (Ted Leo and the Pharmacists):
A punk-influenced rocker who praised the Wide Range humbucker for its punchy output and versatility.
Reissues and Modern Takes
Fender reissued the Wide Range humbucker in the early 2000s—but not without controversy. The reissues, while visually similar, used ceramic bar magnets beneath the bobbins instead of CuNiFe rods and lacked the original’s sparkle and clarity.
It wasn’t until 2020 that Fender reintroduced a true-to-vintage CuNiFe Wide Range Humbucker through its American Vintage II and Custom Shop lines, delighting tone purists.
Boutique pickup makers like Lollar, Curtis Novak, and Creamery also offer high-quality recreations of the original Wide Range spec.
Conclusion
The Fender Wide Range Humbucker occupies a unique place in guitar history—a bold, experimental design that bridged the gap between Fender’s twang and Gibson’s warmth. With its resurgence in modern reissues and boutique recreations, it’s more relevant than ever.
Whether you’re chasing vintage clarity or just want your riffs to cut through the mix with character, the Wide Range humbucker is a sound worth rediscovering.
