Additional pickup for Fender Bronco?

[BJTosh]

Hi! (first post here)

I have been fortunate enough to win a Fender Bronco from the 1960s for a decent price on eBay. I am yet to pick it up from the seller, but decided it would be practical to buy a new pickguard (so to preserve the original) and install an additional pickup in the neck position.

Has anyone done this on Bronco or similar guitars and got anything you can suggest before I commit to the modification?

Thank you.

[GilmourD]

Hi! (first post here)

I have been fortunate enough to win a Fender Bronco from the 1960s for a decent price on eBay. I am yet to pick it up from the seller, but decided it would be practical to buy a new pickguard (so to preserve the original) and install an additional pickup in the neck position.

Has anyone done this on Bronco or similar guitars and got anything you can suggest before I commit to the modification?

Thank you.

It's not as simple as just buying a new pickguard as you would actually have to route out the body to accept the additional pickguard. Definitely not something I would do to a Bronco from the '60s.

http://www.guitarselect.com/RED-BRON...ONCO-1972.html

[BJTosh]

Hey thanks--yeah I am a bit anxious about the routing. But I don't think it's such a bad idea as I can put the original pickguard back on and it'd look (from the outside at least) identical to the original spec.

[GilmourD]

Hey thanks--yeah I am a bit anxious about the routing. But I don't think it's such a bad idea as I can put the original pickguard back on and it'd look (from the outside at least) identical to the original spec.

Yes, but you'd be irreversibly modifying a '60s instrument even if the pickguard covers it.

[the guy who invented fire]

EDIT...wrong info

[Funkfingers]

On a practical level, the nearest relatives of the Fender Bronco are the Musicmaster and Duo-Sonic. Some standard parts for one model may fit directly onto another.

On every other level, any Fender electric guitar from the 1960s in original condition plummets in value the moment that any part of it is replaced or modified. Renewing rusty bridge saddles or malfunctioning machineheads is one thing. Gouging out new pickup cavities is another. I advise strongly against this.

Instead, I suggest purchasing a new Bronco replica scratchplate and fitting a modern, single-coil-sized humbucker pickup of some description. With clever mode switching, this would give greater sonic variety from a standard looking guitar. More importantly, the alterations would be one hundred per cent reversible. (Bronco buyers are not as retentive as Strat and Tele collectors.)

[the guy who invented fire]

If it were mine I'd route it for a neck Mustang pickup...I know most guys like Strat pickups better but Stang pickups are cool!

[BJTosh]

Instead, I suggest purchasing a new Bronco replica scratchplate and fitting a modern, single-coil-sized humbucker pickup of some description. With clever mode switching, this would give greater sonic variety from a standard looking guitar. More importantly, the alterations would be one hundred per cent reversible. (Bronco buyers are not as retentive as Strat and Tele collectors.)

Thanks! Yeah you're probably right--when I take my Jaguar (single coil) and Starcaster (humbacker) to gigs, I often use Jaguar front PU with tone knob down (to about 25-40%) and Starcaster bridge PU with tone all the way up to get the similar (enough) sound. This leads me to think that putting a single-sized humbacker would actually give me what I want.

Ok, the search begins...