SHOULD WE CONSIDER it ironic when the mighty Fender finds inspiration in C-list catalog guitars of the 1960s? Whatever the answer, Fender’s creative reimagining of its classic designs has been firing on all cylinders in recent years, and the new Gold Foil Collection further exemplifies that sense of adventure. Although these Jazzmaster and Telecaster models are named for the pickups mounted into them, it’s obvious at first glance that Fender has used the electronics as a springboard to create new renditions of these classic shapes, and the immediate visual appeal of each is impossible to deny.
Those fun, funky pickups used on myriad Harmony and Silvertone guitars of the late ’50s and ’60s have been enjoying major popularity for quite some time now. And while this isn’t the first time Fender has put some form of gold-foil pickup on a guitar, it is indeed the first time the company has used the Gold Foil moniker to name an entire series. Personally, I’ve been a fan of original gold-foil pickups for eons. I have a particular GP], among others, and have long crowed about what underappreciated little sonic splendors these were…until they became very much appreciated, and you could hardly buy them anymore.
