OTB Fat Broads

OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE NOVEMBER 1, 2026 -- RESERVE YOUR SET NOW!

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The short-lived precursor to the modern Telecaster guitar was Leo Fender's "Broadcaster" (1950-51). And Tele purists - especially experts/historians who double as great guitarists - will tell you the biggest change in early T-style guitars versus modern ones was not the name ... but the pickups.

Where modern Telecasters sounds like, well, Telecasters, Leo voiced the Broadcaster's pickups to emulate in one platform all the common steel-string instruments of post-war American music. 

The Broadcaster's neck ("rhythm") pickup was round and organic, warm and articulate, akin to the tones of electrified archtop hollow-bodies of the era. The Broadcaster bridge or "lead" pickup combined the tones of competitor Gibson's P-90 pickups and amplified pedal and lap steel guitars. Overwound and girthy to cut mixes, without any ice or brittleness. The two pickups combined would do everything jazz and bebop to country and Western, from American blues to British Invasion rock. And VERY effectively.

Only about 250 Broadcasters were made before Fender de-named (only "Fender," no model name on the head, aka "Nocasters"); and then re-named the platform "Telecaster" due to Gretsch's trademark connected to their "Broadkaster" drum line. Original Fender Broadcasters today are six-figure collectables on the vintage guitar market, and a loose set of original Broadcaster pickups (which would be as rare as a unicorn) would easily fetch five figures on their own.

Until now, thanks to Carondelet. Designed in conjunction with Carondelet artist Owen "OTB" Barry, OTB "Fat Broads" (a sarcastic nod to the "Broadcaster/Broadkaster" C&D and Nashville's modern Broadway Strip) capture the vibes and versatility of original Broadcaster/Nocaster/very early blackguard Teles, without breaking the bank.

Uncommon circa-1950 features employed in Fat Broads include custom spec plain enamel coil wire, rod magnets and metallurgy that are truer to what was used 75-plus years ago compared to today. Carondelet improvements like tape-insulated magnets and coils and paraffin flash-potting greatly improve the duet's durability and lifespan, without affecting the tone or feel.

Standard/historic configuration is both pickups south polarity up, and both pickups' coils wound on their bobbins in the same direction. The neck pickup RWRP option (reverse wound, reverse polarity) enables hum-free operation when both pickups are used together.

Owen Barry is a Nashville-based session and touring player, whose resume includes The Chicks, Jackson Browne, Celine Dion, Jennifer Lopez, Gwen Stefani and Tal Wilkenfeld, among many others. 

Bridge: A3, 9.7k, 5.7h
Neck: A5, 8.0k, 3.66h

DELIVERY TIMES: Carondelet pickups are wound and assembled by hand, one at a time. Due to speed limitations in the hand-crafted process and overall demand, lead times for Carondelet pickups typically range from four to six weeks.