UK pickup maker, Radio Shop has introduced a Chris Buck single coil pickup set, the first in its new ID: Series of single coil designs.
While replacement pickups are hardly new, the Radio Shop set is interesting for two reasons. First it is associated with a fast-rising name in the UK guitar world (Classic Rock said: ‘Not since Bluesbreaker-period Clapton has a white guitarist squeezed so much soul from his fretboard’) the second is that the pickups suit players looking for an essentially clean sound from a Stratocaster. Buck’s style has been described as a ‘pic-thumb-finger rotation technique’ and calls for an excellent clean sound.
Radio Shop’s Paul Best explains: ‘Rather than featuring single coil pickups that have been entirely wax potted, our ID: Series single coil pickups have an unpotted inner core. This increases sensitivity, dynamics and tone whilst seriously enhancing the classic, hollow bell-like chime across all 5 positions, especially in Chris’s favoured 2 and 4.’
All ID: Series pickups are wound in-house featuring period correct 42 AWG heavy Formvar copper wire and hand-bevelled, staggered Alnico 5 magnets. The neck and middle units have a 6.0k resistance, whilst at 6.5, the bridge model – set in the company’s own designed metal base plate.
Radio Shop pickups are already being sold by several leading UK retailers. Prices are ID: Series Chris Buck Single Coil Pickups. RRP. Set of 3: £188. Singles: Neck / Middle £60. Bridge: £65.