Abby Pickups

The Legacy of Abigail Ybarra

For more than half a century, “Abby” hand-wound the pickups that defined the sound of Fender’s golden eras. Her signature appeared on Strat, Tele, and Bass pickups that ended up on the records everyone else still tries to sound like. When players talk about the Fender sound, they’re usually talking about the sound Abigail wound with her own hands.

Today, her pickups are no longer being made. That alone is enough to make them rare. But the real reason they’re so sought-after is simple, nothing made by modern Fender comes close.

Why Abby Pickups Matter

Abigail came from the era where every coil was guided by feel. Small tension changes, tiny variations in scatter, subtle differences in magnet pull… these were normal, not flaws. They’re the reason her pickups feel alive under the fingers.

That’s why players hunt for them.
That’s why prices continue to rise.
And that’s why her work sits a tier above anything currently leaving the Fender factory.

No Longer Produced. More Desired Than Ever.

Since Abby retired, demand has exploded.
Signed sets get bought instantly.
Unsigned but verified sets disappear almost as fast.
Collectors compete with players.
Players compete with investors.

Guitar Forums are full of stories, people who let their Abby sets go and now can’t afford to get them back. Studio players who won’t track with anything else. Owners who hold theirs like vintage instruments.

There is a reason for this.
The sound is real.
The feel is real.
The history is real.

And when something real stops being made, it becomes legendary. Here are some forum links about Abby Pickups:

https://strat-talk.com/threads/abby-ybarra-strat-pups-worth-it.119802/?utm_source=

https://strat-talk.com/threads/abigail-ybarra-pick-ups.490146/?utm_source=

https://www.thetonerooms.com/threads/abigail-ybarra-hand-wound-and-signed-pickups.4991/?utm_source=

A Tribute to the Work That Shaped Generations

This site is dedicated to preserving the legacy of Abigail Ybarra — her methods, her tone, her history, and the unique models she created during her decades at Fender.

Nothing here is bought, sold, or endorsed.
This is simply a record of the work, the influence, and the unmatched demand for Abby Pickups.

When people say “they don’t make them like they used to,” this is the proof.