Pickups...

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Re: Pickups...

Postby nigel » Wed Oct 14, 2009 4:10 am

Hi

Yes i have used Kent Armstrong units on a Telecaster very pleased with the sound and 1st class service

Regards Nigel
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Re: Pickups...

Postby David Martin » Wed Oct 14, 2009 8:06 am

Martyn wrote:Chatting with my luthier in Hartnolls, Plymouth to day and, knowing my Shads interests, he thought I might find these pickups of interest if I was looking for vintage tones. He said these 'tweed' or 'vintage' ones are the regular items but this specialist (Kent Armstrong) also custom builds them to any specifications, which obviously costs a bit more.

"Tell him the sound you're after and he'll produce pickups to do that specific job", was his comment.

He's worked on and played strats fitted with each type and the custom jobs he thought just that bit sweeter, albeit he felt the regular ones would be fine. He said they were on a par with CS54s or 57/62s but at a lesser cost, not carrying the Fender Custom Shop brand and obviously not so well known.

http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/search?page=1& ... at+pickups

Just wondered if anyone here has come across or used these and if you think they're worth investigating further.


I've not used Kent's vintage Strat pickups but have used Tele and P90's of his. Good value... but can't vouch for "that sound".
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Re: Pickups...

Postby Mr Bison » Tue Jan 05, 2010 12:12 am

I'll just want to express my opinion that an electric, solid guitar, basically still is an acoustic instrument. Of course the pickups are important, but - just like some of you have said - the wood in the neck and the body is still the most important thing for the tone, i think. :!:

regards

Markku
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Re: Pickups...

Postby TributeShadow » Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:44 pm

Hi!
I just want to tell you about a new pickupset from Chris Kinman. I have used this pickups sense september and they are GREAT for shadowsmusic. They have more bite and twang than even vintage pickups, even the neck pickup has great twang. They are quite sensitive too, a lot of fast attack. And they have a lot of tone because of the extra mids, these are not as scooped in the midrange as vintage pickups. But the plain strings still sound nice, very similar to a vintage pickup but with a bit more bite and presence. All 3 pickups are the same, Chris didn't make the bridge any fatter because the sound would have been too harsh. The excellent attack and extra presence are very good for muted parts, the muted sound is very good, much better than vintage pickups. I almoust get the exact sound of Hank´s old 59 Strat.

Regards,
Patrik
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Re: Pickups...

Postby dagon1 » Thu Feb 18, 2010 3:12 am

Hi Guys,
I watched the Reunited Show at the Gold Coast venue in Qld. Australia 2 nights ago. It was a treat seeing Hank and the band up close for the very 1st time. It was an incredible experience. Hank keeps the 5way switch at the bridge position throughout the show except for a number or two where I saw him use the bridge/middle position briefly. What tone positions does he use on his strats? BTW the JMI amps really sing SWEET.
Last edited by dagon1 on Wed Feb 24, 2010 10:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Pickups...

Postby dagon1 » Sat Feb 20, 2010 9:38 am

I have a set of Tone Rider Classic Blues (hotter than Pure Vintage) on a Squire Classic Vibe 50's Sunburst,modded with rear tone control for bridge pup, front tone for neck pup and middle pickup sans tone control. I also have a push-pull volume switch that allows me to keep bridge pup kept on in all positions which gives additional combos of neck/bridge or all-pickups-on options. It really gives you a wide range of tones. 8-)
Here's some info:
http://www.tonerider.com/pickups/stratpickups.html
http://www.musicradar.com/gear/all/guit ... 421/review
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Re: Pickups...

Postby neopardyguitars » Tue Nov 02, 2010 6:29 pm

Hallo David,
I am a new comer to the site - but I would like to add a few notes.
I have built some 65+ strats and teles for sale on Ebay,over the past years, plus a number of commissions, and always the main consideration was the tones. The playability was always a given...).
I think tha all of the pickups mentioned in the comments can be coaxed to offer 'that tone, but Fender SCN's ( a favourite of mine) always sound better with a 500k pot and a 0.1f OIP capacitor. I always installed a push pull pot so the bridge and neck, and all 3 pickups could be engaged as well as the usual 5 way switchery. With the afore- mentioned set up, and all 3 pups engaged, the SCN's are at their organic and expansive best. They offer Hanks tone in the late 60's- think 'Evening Comes' .

Kinmans and Lindy Fralins , I agree are real cheesecutters, but not mellow! It is essential to install bridge pickup tone control, and ensure that your tone knobs work throughout the clock, not just at the last minute. Both of these work very well with a mellow neck pickup such as a S/Duncan SSL1 or APS II.
You cannot go wrong with SSL1's - brilliant Shads pickups.
One you may not have considered, is a Van Zandt Blues in the bridge. This is a mellow, midly jazzy, pickup with attitude, but it has a lovely tone, and is very organic.
I spent a lot of time using many different combinations of pickups , do remember, when mixing S/Duncans that the odd one, (i.e, 2 Fenders and 1 S/D) has to be wired in reverse, or all you get is a thin lifeless tone, no good to man nor beast.
Finally, long before any electronics are considered, it is essential to ensure that the neck is as tight to all 4 areas of the neck pocket as possible, and use a Tusq nut - the best upgrade for your £ that you can get. Regards, arthur.
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Re: Pickups...

Postby SteveG » Wed Feb 02, 2011 12:44 am

For anyone of a practical disposition, it's worth considering winding your own pickups.

Several years ago I bought a pickup coil winding machine, and I've never looked back. There is quite a steep learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it's not too bad. A bit fiddly, though.

You bypass a whole world of marketing BS and hype once you learn to wind a bit of wire around some magnets.

Steve
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Re: Pickups... News from Chris Kinman

Postby David Martin » Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:22 am

A few years back, Chris and I corresponded and I built a guitar or two with his pickups - quite a time before they were widely known...

Here's a personal update from the man himself...

Hi David,

it's been a long time sine we corresponded and during that time I have been toiling away developing new technology and steadily improving my products. In 2009 I was at an impasse with the development of my noiseless P-90 and I needed a BIG technical breakthrough. In an brilliantly inspired creatively inventive move I invented a stunning device that enabled my P-90 Hx to capture the sound of a real Gibson P-90. This invention was so revolutionary and so momentous that I applied for a Patent. It is a revolutionary invention because there is nothing remotely like it in electrical engineering, let alone in the world of guitar pickups.

I wondered what the result would be if I applied it to a Strat pickup. After a lot of tinkering I was able to design a Strat pickup that Hank has asked me to come up with for his Final tour with Cliff. Unfortunately Hank gave me only 3 or 4 months, the project ended up taking around 2 years so he used Fender CS-54 pickup for that tour.

Anyway I called this new pickup the Impersonator 54 for it's obvious similarity in sound to Fenders CS-54.

Last night I was poking around on my Links page and I came across your Shadows site and I went exploring. I found a post from 2009 by yourself that is obviously now outdated. I can't find an updated post so I wondered if you might consider posting about the most recent technological advancement to set the record straight. Your post is located at Board index ‹ News and Views ‹ How To Get "That Sound"

You might like to discover more about this important new model by visiting my webpage at http://www.kinman.com/guitar-pickups/st ... sonator54/ There are 2 pretty convincing YouTube demos of Shadows tunes there too.

Hope to hear from you.

Regards,

Chris Kinman
---------------------------------------------------------------
Kinman Guitar Electrix
R-evolutionary replacement pickups and harness
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Re: Pickups...

Postby roger bayliss » Wed Jul 20, 2011 9:13 am

Atlantis sounds convincing David. I noticed on a video of the Mark 111 type the guy menions Klein Pickups

http://www.kleinpickups.com/c-2-stratoc ... ckups.aspx

They do a nice set of 59's as well as 55 / 56 strats .. sound files and vids
American Pro Series Strat 2017, G&L S500 Natural Ash
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