Ballestone 1954 Stratocaster® Pickups

Ballestone Custom 1954 Pickups

Faithful reproduction of handwound pickups wound by hand with excellent vintage NOS materials.

With a totally vintage tone and punch.

Ballestone Custom 1954 Pickups

Faithful reproduction of handwound pickups wound by hand with excellent vintage NOS materials.

With a totally vintage tone and punch.

 

 

Coil Wire:

Wire Type: Formvar Copper

Thickness: AWG 42

Winding: Done by hand or with manual machines, with slight variations (scatter wound).

 

 

🧲 Magnets:

Type: Alnico III (Alloy of Aluminum, Nickel and Cobalt).

Shape: Cylindrical, without bevel (flat pole, not beveled).

Cut: Flat-pole, typical of 1954.

Magnetized: Individually charged using traditional magnetization.

RWRP optional if the customer wants, although the originals did not have noise cancellation.

 

🛡️ Construction and Materials:

Bobbin: Black fiber (black bottom) at the base and black fiber top (flatwork top).

Insulation: Sealed with nitrocellulose lacquer.

Wiring: Black and white braided cloth wire.

Potting: They were not wax potted (no wax potting), which made them more microphonic. You can order them potted or unpotted.

 

🔧 Technical Specifications:

DC resistance: Between 5.7kΩ and 6.2kΩ (normal variations due to manual winding).

Inductance: Approximately 2.3 Henries.

Polarity: North Up.

 

Characteristic Sound:

Overall Tone: Bright, with smooth mids and rounded lows.

Neck Position: Sweet, warm sound, perfect for blues and ballads.

Middle position: Balance between brightness and body, with a slightly nasal tone.

Bridge position: Sharp, clear and defined, ideal for rhythms and solos.

Intermediate positions (manual on 3-speed selector):

That famous hollow, crackling "quack" typical of the Strat sound.

Ballestone Vintage Pickups.

 

Ballestone pickups, created by Antonio Ballester in his workshop in Murcia, are renowned for their authenticity and precision in recreating vintage sound. Each pickup is carefully crafted using high-quality materials, including NOS (New Old Stock) components, ensuring fidelity to the manufacturing standards of the golden age of the electric guitar. Antonio Ballester employs historic winding machines, the same ones used by iconic manufacturers such as Fender, allowing for manual winding that respects every detail of the original design.

 

 

 

Ballestone has established itself as a respected brand by musicians and professionals who value vintage tone and timbre. These pickups not only faithfully recreate the sound and aesthetics of the original models, but also offer the expected performance that today's musicians demand. Antonio Ballester's dedication and commitment to quality have resulted in highly valued products in the market, making them an ideal choice for those seeking the authenticity and character of pickups from yesteryear.

 

 

 

Ballestone Pickups offers a wide range of pickups in its catalog for electric guitars and basses, noted for its attention to detail and commitment to sonic authenticity. Below are the different variations available for each pickup type:

 

 

 

Humbucker:

 

- PAF Replicas: Faithful reproductions of Gibson's original humbuckers from the late 50's and early 60's, known as PAF (Patent Applied For). These pickups are built with the same materials and techniques as the originals, including bases and covers made in the USA, butyrate coils and wound with the same winders used in the past.

 

 

 

P90:

 

- P90 Ballestone: Sets that offer sounds ranging from vintage to modern tones. These pickups are made with high-quality materials and feature improvements in design and construction that make them more resistant to the passage of time and exposure to humidity and other environmental factors.

 

- P90 Classic: Pickups built as they were in the 1950s and 1960s, faithfully replicating the characteristics of the originals. The choice between the P90 Ballestone and the P90 Classic depends on the player's preference for sound and authenticity.

 

 

 

Stratocaster:

 

- Vintage ST: Replicas of Stratocaster pickups from between 1954 and 1969, built exactly like the originals, using the same materials and manufacturing techniques.

 

 

 

Telecaster:

 

Vintage TL: Replicas of Telecaster, Esquire and Broadcaster pickups from between 1950 and 1967, built exactly like the originals, using the same materials and manufacturing techniques.

 

- Wide Range: Wide Range pickup sets that aim to be an improvement over the originals from the 70s, retaining the sound characteristics appreciated in the originals, but with their weak points corrected. Available in Wide Range, Jazzmaster and standard humbucker sizes.

 

 

 

In addition to these options, Ballestone offers a Custom Shop service, where they design custom pads according to the specifications and particular needs of each client.

 

Ballestone pickups are the ideal replacement to combine with your Bad Dog guitar, giving the instrument a totally vintage character and tone.

 

We would like to remind our customers of the possibility of centralizing their purchases from different suppliers through the web to assemble their guitar. Ballestone pickups will be available in the different guitar and electronic configurators on our website, as well as individual sets available for sale.

 

Ballestone pads are made to order. In most cases, the approximate delivery time is 1-2 months.

 

For more information about their products and services, you can visit their official website.

Manufacturer's website for more detailed information: https://www.ballestone.com/portada