We Restored a Forgotten Fender Pickup Winder… and Discovered Something HUGE

We Restored a Forgotten Fender Pickup Winder… and Discovered Something HUGE | Ep. 052
Upgrade your guitar with ThroBak Pickups 👉 https://www.throbak.com/

Welcome to Episode 052 of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast — a very special episode marking one full year of weekly podcasts from ThroBak! 🎉 To celebrate, Jon Gundry and Matthew Quail unveil the fully restored Fullerton 457 pickup winder, the historic vintage Fender-era winding machine purchased from the Jim Irsay Collection auction. Is it Fender's first pickup winding machine? In this episode’s feature presentation, Jon presents an in-depth 19-minute “ThroBak Home Movie” documenting the restoration process and explaining why he believes the Fullerton 457 Winder may be one of the earliest Fender pickup winding machines ever discovered. Even more surprising, this historic machine appears to possess unique mechanical characteristics that directly influence the sound and feel of the pickups wound on it. For vintage Fender enthusiasts, pickup historians, and tone fanatics chasing true early Fender sound, this is an episode you do not want to miss. 🎸⚡

Episode Breakdown
🎉 Celebrating One Year of the ThroBak Guitar Lounge Podcast
Jon and Matthew kick off Episode 052 celebrating a full year of weekly ThroBak Guitar Lounge episodes and reflect on the incredible response from the guitar community.

🎞️ ThroBak Home Movie – The Fullerton 457 Pickup Winder Restoration
A detailed 19-minute feature presentation documenting the restoration of the historic Fullerton 457 Fender pickup winder. Jon Gundry explains the machine’s unusual construction details, early Fender-era design characteristics, and the evidence suggesting this may be one of the earliest surviving Fender pickup winding machines. Along the way, Jon reveals several unexpected features that may actually affect pickup tone and winding behavior.

🎸 Pickups of the Week – NEW ThroBak T-’52 MXV Telecaster Pickups
Episode 052 also marks the debut of a brand-new ThroBak prototype pickup model: the T-’52 MXV Telecaster Set — wound on the Fullerton 457 itself. Based on an original 1952 Telecaster pickup set that came through the ThroBak shop for repair, these pickups aim to capture the raw snap, dynamic response, and harmonic character of the earliest blackguard-era Telecaster tones.

⚡ Hear the T-’52 MXV Telecaster Pickups in Action
Jon and Matthew plug the new T-’52 MXV set into a Fender Telecaster and put them through their paces, exploring the touch sensitivity, clarity, attack, and vintage character produced by pickups wound on the restored Fullerton 457 machine.

🔥 The Guitargument – Good, Great & Exceptional Aftermarket Pickups
Are premium aftermarket pickups really worth the cost? Jon and Matthew debate what separates “good” pickups from truly exceptional vintage-accurate reproductions. This segment offers a deeper look into the philosophy behind ThroBak pickups — where absolute vintage accuracy in tone, winding techniques, materials, construction, and cosmetics comes first, and the cost of achieving that level of authenticity follows naturally from the process.

😎 The Cool Down
Jon and Matthew unwind after a massive episode with more guitar talk and reflections.

🎸 Rorschach Riffs with Matthew – Electric Guitar Edition
Matthew returns with another electric guitar round of riffs to identify.

📀 Matthew’s Musical Musings – Matthew closes the episode with a discussion on the legendary Michael Bloomfield.

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