Quick update: I spoke to the rep at the store where I bought them (Solo Music Gear) to see about a return or exchange and his reply, after checking another set and confirming with one of his techs, is that "it's by Fender's design". That's right: ALL Tex-Mex Tele Bridge Pickups now come standard with a very short (about 2") black wire lead.
Apparently, someone in Fender decided in their "infinite wisdom" that everybody should have just enough black lead to be able to either just get it under the bridge plate or, connect it to the pup cavity shield and then with another wire to the back of the volume pot. Or if the user is feeling adventurous enough, put their mind to work and splice some extra wire to reach the pot itself.
(sarcasm alert) Well, aren't we blessed that the bright executive minds at Fender were kind enough to keep our "widdle bwains" busy pondering all the possibilities that such a creative challenge presented??? Meh, too much credit given to them... Truth is, shorter wire lengths make for smaller costs. WIth the added bonus (for fender, of course) that if something happens to the pickup later in life, having spliced extra wire will void the warranty so you're SOL. And THAT is the Bottomline!!
Disclaimer: the preceding rant(s) have been mostly fuelled by a sewage backup caused by a blocked drain pipe and a stuck section of a plumber's drain snake trying to unclog it, all compounded by the city of Toronto's assessment that "the problem is in your segment of the drain, so it is your responsibility to fix (and pay for) it. Nyah, nyah". The rest of my motivation is just because I'm training for my curmudgeon years ahead...
So, anyway... I went ahead and spliced, soldered and shrink-tubed the heck out of the Fender travesti wire and turned into something useful.
Aaaaand... I'm spent!!. Pictures coming soon.
Wow.
In addition to guitar players who are just trying to install some pickups, I feel sorry for the poor engineers at Fender who probably objected to this move but got overruled by the bureaucracy.
