Premier Guitar features affiliate links to help support our content. We may earn a commission on any affiliated purchases.

Seymour Duncan and Brad Paisley Collaborate on La Brea Pickups

Seymour Duncan and Brad Paisley Collaborate on La Brea Pickups

One of country's top pickers gets his own vintage-spec'd single-coils with alnico II and IV magnets.

Santa Barbara, CA (January 28, 2020) -- During the spring of 2019, Brad Paisley traveled to a remote beach located just north of Santa Barbara, CA to meet up with Seymour W. Duncan at the Seymour Duncan Tiny House to talk about his beloved 1968 pink paisley-paper "La Brea" Telecaster and the making of his brand new Signature La Brea Telecaster pickup set.

La Brea is a vintage spec, Telecaster set designed in collaboration with Brad Paisley, featuring smooth alnico II rod magnets in the neck and focused alnico IV rod magnets in the bridge ā€“ perfect for achieving Bradā€™s signature bite, snap, and twang!

In 2017, after a long search for the perfect guitar, Brad Paisley acquired an original 1968 Telecaster. The guitar played beautifully but had unfortunately been refinished in a black acrylic paint. So, Brad brought the guitar to veteran luthier and paisley paper expert, Bill Crook, to have the black paint stripped away to have a classic ā€™68 paisley pattern applied instead. After removing some of the thick black paint, Bill stumbled on a surprised that would shock them both: Fenderā€™s original pink paisley finish from 1968! Brad dubbed the guitar La Brea, because the black paint hiding the perfectly intact, all-original pink paisley paper reminded him of the tar pits in Southern California. At this point, Brad loved almost everything about La Brea, but there was still something that wasnā€™t quite right ā€“ the pickups. Naturally, Brad called his buddy Seymour W. Duncan, and together they created the perfect, vintage accurate matched pickups ā€“ the Brad Paisley Signature La Brea Telecaster Set.

The bridge model features alnico IV rod magnets, vintage-correct cloth push-back wire, vintage output of 7.44k, and classic grey forbon flatwork, giving you the wonderful open quality that you expect from a vintage pickup, but with the focused midrange that only an alnico IV magnet can provide. The neck pickup uses alnico II rod magnets alongside an output of 7.55k, and the same period-correct wire and flatwork to provide a smooth, thick neck tone. Together, these pickups deliver the snap and twang that Brad is known for, with a round top end and full but tight lows. Seymour wound what Brad calls ā€œthe perfect setā€ for his beloved ā€™68 La Brea Telecaster, and now you can get it too. The Brad Paisley Signature La Brea Telecaster Set, hand built in Santa Barbara, CA.

Pricing information:
$169

Watch the company's video demo:

For more information:
Seymour Duncan


Whitman Audio introduces the Decoherence Drive and Wave Collapse Fuzz, two innovative guitar pedals designed to push the boundaries of sound exploration. With unique features like cascading gain stages and vintage silicon transistor fuzz, these pedals offer musicians a new path to sonic creativity.

Read MoreShow less

With authentic stage-class Katana amp sounds, wireless music streaming, and advanced spatial technology, the KATANA:GO is designed to offer a premium sound experience without the need for amps or pedals.

Read MoreShow less
- YouTube

In our third installment with Santa Cruz Guitar Company founder Richard Hoover, the master luthier shows PG's John Bohlinger how his team of builders assemble and construct guitars like a chef preparing food pairings. Hoover explains that the finer details like binding, headstock size and shape, internal bracing, and adhesives are critical players in shaping an instrument's sound. Finally, Richard explains how SCGC uses every inch of wood for making acoustic guitars or outside ventures like surfboards and art.

We know Horsegirl as a band of musicians, but their friendships will always come before the music. From left to right: Nora Cheng, drummer Gigi Reece, and Penelope Lowenstein.

Photo by Ruby Faye

The Chicago-via-New York trio of best friends reinterpret the best bits of college-rock and ā€™90s indie on their new record, Phonetics On and On.

Horsegirl guitarists Nora Cheng and Penelope Lowenstein are back in their hometown of Chicago during winter break from New York University, where they share an apartment with drummer Gigi Reece. Theyā€™re both in the middle of writing papers. Cheng is working on one about Buckminster Fuller for a city planning class, and Lowenstein is untangling Austrian writer Ingeborg Bachmannā€™s short story, ā€œThree Paths to the Lake.ā€

Read MoreShow less