This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. P90's are normally ~8H -- nearly double the inductance of an average PAF. Kent Armstrong has long been the best jazz pickup designer in the industry. I had an old discontinued KA Tele neck pick that sounded great in one guitar, but just so so in another, so I put it back in that one it sounded good in, and sold the guitar. Pretty much what the thread title says, anyone know if Kent Armstrong pickups are decent? Also, the bridge model had slightly increased output to better balance with the neck position pickup. This pickup is only 3/8 thick but sacrifices nothing in terms of the full rich sound that players have come to expect from him. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. i think ill go for them. thanks for your help. I was shocked! dude i love that guitar! But the pickups arent the only reason Danelectro guitars sound the way they do. I did not. What's the opinion from those There was a Kent Armstrong humbucker of some sort in the bridge position of my US Masters when I got it. I thought it sounded terrible. Really thin I contacted Kent Armstrong himself about the pickup thinking maybe I'd just have him make me new one and here was his The new owner loves the sound of the KA too. Please check your items carefully and confirm they are correct for color, position, etc. Vermont-wound pickups from Mr. Armstrong and his son are still within easy reach. There are millions of jazz basses out there, much fewer SB basses. The Kent Armstrong's were about 8K Ohms (as they should be). That's the only first hand experience I have with Kent Armstrong pickups. What would you guys recommend fro the bridge of a Les Paul if I want deep bass, solid mids, and sweet(smooth) highs. In fact, modern guitarists such as Phoebe Bridgers still swing Danelectros over their shoulders quite often. A good friend of mine (Roy) had a guitar built for him, to his own personal design and specification, by his good friend the one and only Sid Poole (who made the most finely built electric guitars on the planet before his recent death - even Paul Reed Smith himself is agreed on this, and even here we all accept the quality of PRS constructions and finishes). I've got a set in an el-cheapo Flying V I have. I had some double blade Strat pickups in my parts Strat for a while. Between the warmth and adjustability, you just can't beat this pickup. select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. He has standard formulas,as well as winding to your spec.The cost for these is below the bareknuckles and comparable to the Dunkmores.I use Kent's pickups in just about all my guitars with great results.Of course I make sure of the specs of the model to best match it to the particular guitar and it's intended purpose.I also adjust the overall height and individual polepieces (if used). Maybe a medium output but with nice growl. I've fitted their humbuckers and P94s to several guitars in recent years. It's funny that this thread just came up, because I discussed this topic with my tech just today. custom pickups into a 1994 Gibson Les Paul Standard. It would be hard to describe in words just how bad they were. I was happy with it. This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies. Privacy Policy | Well by looking at the list of players that he's made pickups for, he should be **** good. Various humbucker models including PAF style and higher output ceramic humbuckers, standard Tele & Strat pickups, lipstick tubes, high gain metal pickups, Jazz, P90's, Firebird, LP Deluxe you name it. You must log in or register to reply here. When searching for the right single-coils for his guitars, Daniel knew they would have to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture. It felt wrong and so I told him that I wasn't interested." Matthew Bellamy of Muse used the "Motherbucker" In his first few custom guitars. Just youtube "Stockholm Sydrome Glastonbury" You'll get the idea, Most people consider Kent's jazz Pickups to be the best in the world and who are we to argue? It really brightened the sound but the guitar needed that. You must log in or register to reply here. Don't know for sure. Bridge position a hotter KA like : http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Rocker_Alnico_Humbucker_Chrome_Cover_HRC-1A. but the hot p90s are staying in. After I wax potted them they weren't too bad. One common upgrade is the pickup covers. I dropped by my local guitar shop today and the tech had just installed KENT ARMSTRONG (?) I love the look of 3 humbuckers, but the extra one does little sonically. Theyre unique pickups, different from a Tele neck pickup, different from a Stratocaster single-coil pickup. before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. I played classic / rock / blues at the time and got several compliments on my sound after gigs. Unfortunately for many years these sorely needed pickups - made by Dan Armstrong & Son never materalized.". One look at them, and its easy to see why they quickly took the name lipstick pickups. I think it could do the whole fusion thing, but I have not really ran it like that. i think ill try and persuade my dad to rewire it for me. Note: This instrument has been modified from it's original condition. has body but the upper frequency contour is really interesting. i dont know anything about those models mentioned, but just a word of props for Kent Armstrong, he is a super nice guy and makes a quality product. The PAF and bridge humbucker in my Jackson Soloist are excellent pickups. Has an output of 8.14 k. Copyright 2023 Seymour Duncan. EMGs or something else but they were so good I've kept them. I have a Bendetto floater on my Guild Benedetto AA and I love it. The magic is in your fingers. Up solos the neck pickup. Great depth of tone, and not real screamers. ive heard both good and bad bout kent armstrong, but the overwhelming majority says good. Roy and Sid worked together on the project on a no-compromises basis - the finest mahogany body, a quilt top that Paul Reed Smith himself suggested they use for the project and so on. I don't need to read posts like this, Greg! All times are GMT-7. Along with Dire Straits Mark Knopfler, Page also found his Dano perfect for electrified blues slide. We get asked a ton of questions about lipstick single-coil pickups. They can be a little bit of figuring to roll off and clean up but once you find the sweet spot your good to go and you can't expect pristine creamy cleans from pickups of this output. I wandered over to the Kent Armstrong website earlier. The reason I asked here is I know I'll get good info I can trust, you go through a lot of chaff before you find something really useful trawling. well ive got a korean made epi which im guessing is about 93 95ish so would and upgrade to kent armstrongs be a good idea? do kent armstrong do alnico 2s? He was jamming on it while I was in the store which is what caught my attention. Is there any better bang for the buck in a new guitar than this. The neck pickup produces a surprisingly authentic jazz tone with . Very warm sound. Pasted as rich text. WebKent Armstrong has long been the best jazz pickup designer in the industry. L5 CES started in '53, had p90s, soon got staple pickups, then Carvin or Kiesel Alan Holdsworth HH2 They are built/distributed by WD Music, which is a great company that is very helpful to smaller custom pickup builders with a wide range of pickup parts available for purchase. are actually Asian-produced "Rainbow" pickups by Kent Armstrong. also with respect, I could not agree less. Today, lipstick pickups and their tone are still synonymous with the Danelectro sound. Don't despare so quickly. I got the cheap ones (I was only 18 at the time) and was very pleased. Talk with your fellow tone freaks on the web's liveliest (and friendliest!) humbuck size p90s.. and the vintage 12 pole humbuck. Then you can dial the middle one to zero. Dan and Kent planned to reproduce the pickups that Dan and Bill Lawrence made for the famed see-through acrylic "Dan Armstrong" guitar, sold by Ampeg. If you go here' date='. Specifically the tele bridge and the neck mini humbucker pickups. Anyone have any experience with them? I had a KA Hot 60s Tele Neck pup in a proje The Gear Page is the leading online community and marketplace for guitars, amps, pedals, effects and associated gear. Sunny Coalville. His current product line is produced to his specs overseas for the "mass" market and as such seems to carry a big "bang for the buck" combined with low cost. In fact, you were doing that on the vid and it was good. I had a licensed Armstrong Floater installed in my Korean Gretsch Synchromatic(laminate) and I have to say it turned an unusable acoustic jazz guitar into an excellent electric jazz guitar for trad jazz/swing style rhythm playing and leads. They allow me to play the most aggressive styles of music out there like no other, they really complete my tone. So if you are in the market for these old-school models, we recommend finding a broken-down Dano from the 50s or 60s and pulling the pickups out yourself. JavaScript is disabled. Their relatively hollow, plywood-composite construction also plays a significant role. Pickups like our Lipstick Tube Strat pickup drop comfortably into most Fender-style pickup routes. For reference, lets take a look at our (retired) Danelectro Lipstick Tube pickup. Though arguably, modern improvements have made lipstick pickup design better, some players live and die by the originals. They have a nice full tone not thin and bright like most pickups in this output range. I have a set of his humbuckers in my neckthrough semihollow. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. People still mistakenly use 0.022uF/22nF/22000pF or 47nF caps on anything, but even a 22nF is really too dark on mid level inductance pickups for fundamental note definition up the entire neck. #Bedroom Level# Tube Amp, Is it possible. Assuming they do, it is curious how so many I'm actually thinking of up grading. The tone is bright and detailed with a single coil type twang that also provides great crunch on For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I tried the humbucker sized P90s. good low end with plenty of midrange cut-through and hi sparkle No wonder I didnt like it. They make many, many pickups. Alan Mearns - incredible Bach arrangements / playing. 1995-2022 Harmony Central, Inc. All rights reserved. Compare to Super Block United Kingdom. They were meant to be used straight into a tube amp, although an OD pedal is ok. Between the warmth and adjustability, you just can't beat this pickup. To start viewing messages, Active pickups are battery-boosted for even more power, usually with an on-board 9v battery. I had a KA Hot 60s Tele Neck pup in a project that I did few years ago, sounded awesome. Hughes and Kettner, Victory Amps, Black Star, Two Notes, etc. Super Block United States. IMHO, for a Casino a good set is about 7.5k/8k for the bridge and 6.5k/7k for the neck pickup. All times are GMT-7. There is a chance that you might have gotten a "good" set of P90's as stock equipment on your Epi. Announcing the all new Side mounted Jazz Pickup. This pickup is only 3/8 thick but sacrifices nothing in terms of the full rich sound that players have come to expect from him. The cheaper type are made in the far-east while the more expensive ones are USA made. Some others seemed to like them though. Kent Armstrong humbucker removed from Not a good comparison as the Kent Armstrongs you mention are his factory wound models.To pit them against a Bare knuckle that is a hand wound at 3 times the price.Have you tried any of Kent's hand wound models? I have mentioned in previous posts that my tech had claimed that the stock P90 pups in my '56 Gold Top Les Paul and Zephyr Blues Deluxe (see my sig.) What's the opinion from those around here who's tried some of his work? They are some of the cleanest pickups I have played. Middle position, your stock Epi neck pup, 3. Epoxy casting inside the cover allows for added coil to give a sweet mini-humbucker tone. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. i wanted to have it rewired so it worked like a normal les paul but i could use the middle pickup on a push pull but i got told it would cost quite alot to do it. sorry, didnt mean to digress from the original topic. What I did not know was the extent of the Kent Armstrong catalog. I believe he still does hand winds to order in the states. [/quote] Thanks. http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/PAF_Style_Chrome_Cover_HPAC-1, http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Rocker_Alnico_Humbucker_Chrome_Cover_HRC-1A. The, not so good, PUs may be great to other folks. The PAF is OK but the Distortion kicks but. Mar 9, 2015 #6 I heard the hot rod vintage is better than a JB? WebThe Rocker cleans up nicely and is warm, even in an alder/maple set up. All of these modern updates have done nothing to quell demand for lipstick pickups, new and old. etc.) and start thinking about it and then my bank account will suffer. But then Danelectros are no longer the only place youll find lipsticks. The lipstick pickup construction not only achieved Daniels goal of being easy and cheap to make, but it also delivered a unique tone. Posted March 1, 2021. His pickups are really, really nice. It may not display this or other websites correctly. This pickup is vertualy brand new. This instrument is listed as being in 'very good' condition in accordance with Reverb's definition of the term. I just ordered some Burstbuckers (#2, #3) on the strength of recommendations on this forum. I recommend them. Very well built pickups, that sound good also. Especially the humbuckers and P90 humbucker retrofit and P90s Im very easy to satisfy; just give me a '58 Les Paul, a '52 Fender Tele w/ Bigsby, a '63 Gibson ES-335, a '62 Marshall JTM45, a '59 Fender Bassman, and a dozen or so assorted vintage Fender blackfaces and tweeds to play through and Ill be just fine. Players love how they teeter between tone and chaos. Most of the time I played with the middle one set to zero volume. I got the hot-rodded PAFs and they have held up quite well. All I know is WD sells Kent Armstrong pups at higher end pricing with no sound clips or specs. No more actual lipstick tubes! Looking for the ultimate Jazz/Fusion Allrounder Guitar, The "capacitor trick" on a Superblock US: 3 values compared (with audio), Looking for some Wisdom on Mini Humbuckers. Does anybody really play bebop these days? I Jangly, chiming, clear, and detailed are often used to describe their singular voice. The PAF and bridge humbucker in my Jackson Soloist are excellent pickups. When I first got the guitar my standard procedure was to swap things for Indeed, the Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups on Scheff basses sound strong and clear. I've got them in two guitars of my own. Also what is the difference between active and passive pickups? I replaced it with a Dimarzio Tone Zone and have been happy as can be since. WebFor Sale First Edition 2003 Ibanez JTK1 JetKing w/ Kent Armstrong PAF Humbuckers in Transparent Black Red Sunburst Finish. For the past 25ish years he was THE top pickup rewind guy in the UK and only recently relocated back to the states (his pickup rewind business here continues to operate in his absence). While scores of guitarists got started on these plywood powerhouses, most would move on to something more reliable as their playing progressed. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. All rights reserved. He is a very good friend and a good guy also. I have While some might call it a brittle sound, others love the faster response and better note definition. There was a Kent Armstrong humbucker of some sort in the bridge position of my US Masters when I got it. You can post now and register later. the only ones I didn't like were the stacked humbuck hot output.. way too dark for my taste. I bought one of the pickups made by WD music in Kent's name. Haven't got them yet. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I haven't needed to use him for years but his rewinds were superb. Announcing the all new jazz pickup line! Also, dont forget to dig into the rest of the Seymour Duncan blog. It was strung with Les Paul Signature strings (009). And if you do find them, youre going to pay a premium. I have one of his "hot-rails" type tele bridge pickups in my thinline and that is an amazing sounding pickup, not to mention the nicest made pickup of this type that I have seen from ANYONE (it even has a chrome plated grounding plate on the base), and that is one of his "mass-produced" pickups. In the same price range I prefer GFS pups. Your previous content has been restored. do tone forum. Just an opinion but the early ones are great. IMO, they are the best jazz pickup out there. I was talking with my luthier the other day abound building an archtop and he was also saying he could put a BK Stormy Monday as a floating pickup even being a regular-sized humbucker. Let me continue to believe that my stock Casino pickups are as good as any others because when I read opinions like yours I once again go to this page, http://www.pinupmusicparts.com/Pickups-Kent_Armstrong_P90_Famil.html. Down solos the bridge pickup. I'm about 90% there. Hit the internet today, and youll find many companies making lipstick pickup replicas. This sweet sounding jazz pickup comes in either neck-mount or side-mount configurations. Anyone have any experience with them? Specifically designed for use with traditional arch-top electrics. Fender has even offered several lipstick-equipped Strats right from the factory floor. By I put Kent Armstrongs in my much-reviled epiphone LP about a year ago and found them to be a good pickup and much improved over the stockers (obviously). I once had occasion to call Mr Armstrong in Vermont and found him to be absolutely accommodating and quite a delightful person. Sep 26, 2012 #9 Stephent28 Supporting Member Feb 1, 2005 C470, CO I like the WD Kent Armstrong pickups very much. ive seen a few for sale and was hoping u could tell me a bit about their sounds and what At this point, I do not know if Kent Armstrong supplies Epiphone with other OEM pickups in addition to these P90's. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. However, Dan and Kent had a major falling-out, as the story explains: "The proposal was for Kent to manufacture and distribute the pickups, and for using his fathers name they would split the proceeds. The later made-in China pickups are not nearly as well put together as the old ones. For a while you could still get domestic KA pickups built custom direct by him and/or his sons - not sure if that is possible still today or if it is all via WD Music. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Kent_Armstrong_Suspended_Jazz_Humbucker.html. It may have just been whatever model I had that I didn't like. If I was having another Sei or similar built I'd have KAs in it. Mike, thanks for the feedback (no pun intended). WebKent Armstrong is one of the foremost electric instrument pickup designers in the music industry. For such high output pups, they sure preserve a lot of the guitar's acoustic tone. i dont like the idea of a guitar having a battery too toy-ish IMO. They seem very open with a good output; they don't seem to colour the sound of the instrument as much as the Barts (which appears to be the general consensus)and somehow seem more balanced sonically. Some are excellent, some not so great, but of course that's a matter of taste. Paste as plain text instead, If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Really thin and very harsh. anyhow, i've had 2 or 3 of those on guitars i've owned and they are thin and overly bright. Thanks one and all, that's filled in a lot of blanks for me, and hopefully others. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Kent Armstrong has long been the best jazz pickup designer in the industry. Armstrong or Rautia pickups are a much better way to go. So those VT hand-wound, 12 pole HB'show much does something like that run? All are welcome, from seasoned pros to absolute beginners. Talk with your fellow tone freaks on the web's liveliest (and friendliest!) The variability might have worked in your favor. Building A Jazz Language - Bebop focus, for the moment. It is only available as a side-mount (pickguard mount) due to varying neck sizes from manufacturer to manufacturer. LOL. This page was generated at 01:08 AM. Tech experts from Seymour Duncan are regularly on this forum, and are clearly labeled as employees of Seymour Duncan. (HJGN-2 for neck mount version) Made in the tradition of the Johnny Smith endorsed Gibson instruments introduced in the early '60s. select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Alnico magnets are the traditional 50s/60s Gibson/Fender standards and generally have a warmer fuller tone than ceramic. I also suggest that you choose your priority for heat level. Hi, I don't have a personnal experience with the Armstrong Casino P90s, but I've had other KA pickups (a Firebird mini hum and lipstick pickps) and they were quite good. Hijacking my own thread:doh: The customer changed his mind and went with a Different Armstrong. SBUK been to his house and talked to him many times. Upload or insert images from URL. Instead, they used a relatively crude Alnico V bar magnet with the copper wire wrapped directly around it. From the well setup action and the finely-cut nut, to the smooth polyurethane You cannot paste images directly. Ceramic tend to have a "thinner" sound, but powerful ceramics give good metal tones when over-driven. Again, it took me by surprise about the sheer number of pickups they produce. I changed out the stock p.ups because they were pretty crappy (apparently they have improved a lot over the years). They offer authentic PAF tone, sounding open and warm while retaining excellent string to string articulation. Great pickups for jazz and classic rock tones, these pickups are the real deal. The cheaper type are made in the far-east while the more expensive ones are USA made. One retailer mentions that Kent Armstrong's pickups with adjustable poles can be adjusted to work with either nickel or bronze strings, a claim that doesn't appear to originate with the manufacturer. May 20, 2009 in Epiphone Electrics. I know for a while you could still get domestic KA pickups built custom direct by him and/or his sons - not sure if that is possible still today or if it is all via WD Music. These modern designs are much more reliable and standardized than vintage lipsticks while retaining most quirks that make old ones special. Even with a dynacomp switched on! Archtop pickups are halfway down. They were very impresive. As long as you are talking about KA pickups and bumping the thread, I think of it as no dis-service to the OP. I really like my Ibanez AM205-AV Prestige. This is the links to the two: http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Rocker_Humbucker_Gold_Cover_HRG-1, http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Rocker_Alnico_Humbucker_Gold_Cover_HRG-1A. I've had several pups in my sheri. Unlike the Duncan SMB4D the Armstrong is very consistent all the way up the neck with thick mids, clear highs and growling lows. Since I wrote that post I did some trawling and found some good references, also got on the humbucker page at GFS and copy/paste all the specs on the ones I'll get next windfall. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Kent Armstrong sells his pickups exclusively through WDmusic. Kent then went on to make his own pickups using the name 'Rainbow Pickups' and once his name was more established, he changed it to Kent Armstrong Pickups. I have used Seymours and Gibsons and there's very little difference, except in the price. They sound very authentic for P90's and when used in Parallel, they move into Tele territory for tone. I just purchased an El Rey4 and I find the original pickup kind of listless. Copyright 2021 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. By contrast, the Armstrong (VT-made) PAF 12-pole humbucker has a much fatter, more electric sound. Based on what I read on this forum there seems to be a lot of variability in the stock Casino P-90's. It's got the M213K PAF at the neck and a M214K Distortion at the bridge. Never worry about fitting a pickup under the strings again! I'll have to get around to trying it in a "real" guitar one of these days. link above. You could probably find a wiring diagram on the net, and it's a 15 minute job for someone who's good with a soldering iron. And not only did these metal tubes give his pickups a unique look, but the metal cover helps shield the electronics and mellowed the otherwise ice-picky sound of his design. Among its other design factors, Danelectros magic can be traced straight to the highly unique pickups that Nathan Daniel designed. I tried the humbucker sized P90s. It would be hard to describe in words just how bad they were. Maybe I got a bad set but they were the muddiest mo I used them exclusively in my tele strat builds for a long time, and those are all nice pups, too. link above. http://www.kentarmstrong.com/KentContact.html. These are the Kent Armstrong pickups in my Soloist: The bridge pickup has a bright fendery tone, for a humbucker it. Daniel found he could source lipstick tubes from wholesalers for much less than standard pickup covers. That said, other Korean Kent Armstrong pickups I tried sounded very good as well, so I would not hesitate trying them. Your link has been automatically embedded. The Epiphone pickups measured 7.7K (neck) and 8.2K (bridge). it does not have that upper mid spike and is much more PAFish? There was a set in a D'Angelico I just traded. I e-mailed about a possible custom wind and Kent himself replied quickly that he'd be happy to do one. check out the FAQ by clicking the Sam Sherry, Thanks for your response. This explains why I wasnt as concerned with the Epiphones tone. The "Hot Rod" bridge pickup was a fattened up PAF sound, similar to a Burstbucker but with warm thick mid's and highs without being harsh. Post up some sound files, I'd love to hear them. I have a set of Kent Armstrong's Icon series Strat pickups. Unfortunately it didn't work out - for Dan wanted an additional 10% above of the proceeds for the use of his name. Inside the pickup, the improvements continue. I have no experience of his full size humbuckers but have always thought his fender singles were real good and a lot of people speak very highly of his P90s. I have spoken to him many times on the phone. the pickups in my bree/blue fretless are kent armstrong hand-wounds very nice. before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. thanks. But part of that is the guitar. i was looking at the seymour duncan ones but i think there a bit expensive because ill need 3 of them. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
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