Seymour Duncan aimed to create a replica of vintage pickups.

Seymour Duncan, who was originally a guitarist, favored a 1956 Telecaster.

He was friends with Roy Buchanan, and apparently, on Roy's advice, he strung a tenor banjo A string on the first string of his instrument.

Around 1965, I had the opportunity to lend that Telecaster to someone, but perhaps because the person I lent it to was used to thicker strings, when it was returned to me, the first string was stuck in the rear pickup.

When he ripped the strings off the rear pickup and still no sound came out, Duncan was at a loss and the next day, during a biology class at high school, he used a microscope to check the damage (he apparently got in trouble with the teacher for it).

When he got home, he disassembled the pickup to check for internal damage and consulted his uncle, who worked for a chemical company, who told him that the wire used was plain enamel AWG42. Duncan then obtained the wire, but he didn't have the equipment to wind the pickup. So he attached a wooden block to a record turntable, set the bobbin on it, and began winding the wire.

Apparently, they initially spun it at 33 1/3 revolutions per minute, but eventually increased it to 78 revolutions per minute. However, this time the fixing mechanism couldn't withstand the force, the bobbin flew off, hit the wall, and broke.

Later, while researching vintage pickups and working as a repairman, Duncan came across an advertisement in a magazine in the 1970s for a Fender repairman.

Then, around 1973, he began working at the Fender Service Center in England, where he was in charge of electronics, wiring, and guitar customization/repair.

That's when Duncan met Jeff Beck, and together they created that famous guitar.

It's a so-called "TeleGib," with a cavity carved into the front for a humbucker, the cracked rosewood fretboard replaced with maple, and Gibson frets installed.

(Excerpt from the website)

After working with various artists such as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton, Duncan returned to California and began making aftermarket parts for vintage Telecasters.

(Excerpt from the website)

Around 1976, I took on the job of rewinding pickups for David Schecter.

At the same time, while working as a repairman at "Jensen Music," I finally started working full-time as a pickup winder.

While his previous repair experience at Jensen was a factor in his decision to start rewinding pickups, the main reason was that he couldn't find any pickups he liked among those available at the time.

In the same year, he founded Seymour Duncan, where he began manufacturing, repairing, and improving pickups.

(Excerpt from the website)

Duncan believed that the tone produced by vintage guitars is greatly influenced by factors such as the wood, finish, and hardware.

Therefore, the pickups he creates are "replica pickups" that closely resemble vintage ones not only in appearance but also in sound, by using the same materials and appearance as vintage pickups.

If it weren't for Seymour Duncan, who focused on the perspective of creating vintage replicas, there might be far fewer vintage-style pickups and parts on the market today.