CC Pickups - ES150 Pickup

First issued in 1936. This is the model with a straight blade.

The guitars that have become synonymous with Charlie Christian are the Gibson ES150 and ES250. The ES150 was produced in 1936 and was Gibson's first association with the standard electric guitar. Charlie Christian adopted the ES150 in 1937 as his guitar of choice.

The development of the pickup enabled the guitarist to become a fully fledged member of the group no longer limited to the rhythm section or having the band quiet down during solos. Charlie had something to say and at last his voice could be heard. In 1939 the ES250 was produced. Charlie received his ES250 in April 1940 Christian played these guitars until his death in March 1942.

Underlying this early technology was the pickup first developed by Gibson for use on a Hawaiian guitar. Next came the ES150, later a model with a notch in the blade under the 2nd (B) string was produced, finally the ES250 was made with 6 poles, one for each string. It is these pickups that create the sound that is associated with these guitars - and of Charlie Christian.

The full process for building these pickups has required CC Pickups to source pre-war materials from all over the world and recycling them for use within the pickup. This was the only way that they could capture the original sound and ensure we would not disappoint the loyal fans of these pickups.

Original pickups were obtained and stripped to the bone, every individual component has been copied identically to the originals.

The bobbins have been scatter wound by hand in the traditional way with the correct gauge wire with the exact output reading as the originals, and of course these are fitted with the rare steel magnets which also are magnetised to the exact reading of the originals.
The steel blades are made from the same mild steel, which has been copper plated, nickel plated and then chrome plated the same as the originals.
CC Pickups had original magnets measured for flux density and field characteristics and then had the steel magnetised to the same flux density and field shape as the originals would have been over 70 years ago.
These pickups probably sound truer to the Charlie Christian records that you hear than any old existing original pickups still around today, this is due to the fact that the cobalt steel magnets only retain their magnetism for around 200 years, as they are now approx 70 years old they have lost about a third of their power so not giving the original crisp punch that they would have had when first manufactured back in the 30's.

Three different versions have been built to the original spec, the 1936 ES150 model with the straight blade, the later model with the notch under the B string and the ES250 model with the six separate pole pieces.

As you can see CC Pickups have gone to great lengths to ensure they are giving you a top quality product that is as close to the original pickup as possible. They don't just look authentic they sound completely authentic and we are very proud to introduce this limited run.

Welcome to the reintroduction of the Charlie Christian pickup.

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Delivery

Any order placed before 2.30pm on a working day will generally be sent the same day. If the order is placed after 2.30pm on a weekday or anytime during the weekend or a public holiday, we will send the order the next working day.

UK Orders:

• Royal Mail First Class – £1.95 per order (free for orders £30.00 or higher). Delivery is usually next working day, but can sometimes take up to 5 days. No signature required.
• APC Courier – £6.50 per order (free for orders £90.00 or higher). Usually next-working day service with a 2-hour delivery window notified by email or text. Only available for UK mainland addresses. Signature required. Deliveries can be made up until 6.00pm. For urgent deliveries, please use Royal Mail Special Delivery.
• Royal Mail Special Delivery – £9.95 per order. Guaranteed delivery next working day before 1.00pm. Signature required. Delivery updates sent via email or text.

International Orders:

EU Orders:

We are pleased to offer a simplified shipping scheme (IOSS) for our EU customers:

• Orders up to €150.00 – All prices include VAT and any applicable fees. The price you see at checkout is final, with no extra charges.
• Orders over €150.00 – Prices do not include VAT or import fees. Additional fees must be paid to your local postal service upon arrival.

Please note: the all-fee-inclusive scheme applies only to business-to-consumer (B2C) transactions, not B2B.

Shipping Options within Europe:

• European Registered Post – £12.95 per order via Royal Mail Tracked service. Parcels are handed over to local postal services. Signature generally not required. Delivery: 3–7 working days.
• European Registered Courier – £30.00 per order. Courier selected for delivery. Signature required. Delivery: 2–5 working days.

USA Orders:

• USA Tracked Postal Delivery – Duties & Taxes Included – Sent via Royal Mail and handed over to USPS. Price includes all import duties and taxes, making checkout final. Hassle-free delivery with no customs paperwork or unexpected charges.
• Express Courier – Import Duties & Taxes Not Included – Faster delivery (3–7 working days). Import duties and taxes must be paid by the customer upon delivery.

International Orders (Rest of World):

• International Registered Post – £15.00 per order via Royal Mail Tracked service. Parcels handed over to local postal service. Signature generally not required. Delivery: 4–10 working days.
• International Registered Courier – £40.00 per order. Courier selected for delivery. Signature required. Delivery: 3–7 working days.

Please note: duties and import taxes may apply for international orders outside the EU and USA, depending on local regulations. Fees are usually collected upon delivery.

General Delivery Information:

If you have not received your order within the estimated delivery times, please contact us to request a tracking number. Checking with us sooner rather than later is recommended, as parcels returned due to failed delivery attempts can delay your order further.

GPSR – EU Responsible Person

Company name: Easy Access System Europe Oü
Address: Mustamäe tee 50, Tallinn, Tallinn, 10621, EE
Email: gpsr.requests@easproject.com
Phone: 358405003575

Returns

At Armstrong Music, we proudly offer a 30-day, no quibble returns policy. If a product does not meet your expectations, return it within 30 days for a refund (minus original postage) or exchange. Returned goods must be in original condition, including packaging and accessories.

If the return is due to missing or faulty parts, we will provide a full refund or replacement within 30 days. Refunds due to our fault include delivery charges.

Installation of Guitar Parts:

We do not accept responsibility for damage caused by fitting parts purchased from us. Inspect and test fit parts before installation. Attempts to modify or force parts may void returns or refunds.

Standard Template Pickguards:

Perform a "dry run" to ensure correct fit before removing protective film or installing components. Once removed, pickguards cannot be returned or refunded.

Custom-Made Pickguards:

Custom pickguards are non-returnable and non-refundable. This includes any requested modifications or pickguards made from customer-provided outlines.

Please use a registered postal or courier service for returns. Send returns to:

Armstrong Music
Woodreeve Farm
Capel Road
Ruckinge
Ashford
Kent
TN26 2EJ

This returns policy does not affect your legal rights.

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