What’s behind the spicy sound of Custom Shop Hand-Wound Stratocaster® Ancho Poblano pickups? It’s simple: The secret’s in the sauce.

Available as fiery new option for Custom Shop builds, Ancho Poblano Stratocaster pickups are a special sonic recipe, with each pickup individually calibrated from neck to bridge. Each pickup is also uniquely overwound by hand for a wide range of high-output tones. That makes them ideal for the player in search of the perfect amount of heat—from vintage with a kick to Texas-style bold to full-throttle blistering—and plenty of flexibility.

No matter how serious the spice, every buttery note and nuance of Ancho Poblano pickups shines at any volume. It’s all thanks to a super-secret formula in which the pickups are “simmered,” offering plenty of texture, resonance and complexity—even when the tone is at its most punishing.

By moving the selector switch, players can unlock throaty Ancho Poblano tone while taking their output from warm (in the neck position) to scorching hot (in the bridge position).

Unlike the neck and middle pickups, which feature custom staggered alnico 3 pole pieces, the bridge pickup also sports flush-mount alnico 5 pole pieces for plenty of quack in the second position.

Want to hear more? Check out this video to hear the Ancho Poblano pickups in action.