are kent armstrong pickups any good

I'm not sure how their other pickups are. Vermont-wound pickups from Mr. Armstrong and his son are still within easy reach. They sound very authentic for P90's and when used in You must log in or register to reply here. That assembly was then wrapped in cellophane tape, vacuum wax potted, and inserted straight into the trademark lipstick tube coversactual lipstick tubes! I've only tried his Firebird pickups & thought that, even though they seem like quality product, tonally they were very "polite" & lacking any personalityflat & not in a good way. He made pickups for many UK builders (not to mention Benedetto (sp?) So those VT hand-wound, 12 pole HB'show much does something like that run? My gut feeling is that they are one of the better import options out there but maybe not the same level as US aftermarket. Privacy Policy | I mixed and matched and put his 54 neck and 57 middle with a 62 in the bridge to slightly increase output and fatten up tone. I have a KA 12 pole humbucker packed away somewhere that I had in the bridge position of a Tele I sold, not sure if it's a US, and remember that it sounded really good and was good enough that I made sure to remove it before selling the Tele. I don't think they're anywhere near the Rolphs but I can't be arsed to swap them between guitars to do a real comparo. no, i don't like those one bit. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. it does not have that upper mid spike and is much more PAFish? This page was generated at 01:08 AM. I used the vintage in the neck and the HPAOR1 in the bridge. It had a nice tone, good The Gear Page is the leading online community and marketplace for guitars, amps, pedals, effects and associated gear. I have the Tele bridge pickup and it's OK, but not great. I have another Tele with an SD AlNiCo II pickup that I prefer over the Kent Armstrong. They were very impresive. There is a chance that you might have gotten a "good" set of P90's as stock equipment on your Epi. Again, it took me by surprise about the sheer number of pickups they produce. 2 reviews, 4,340 hits, 0 comments 9.9 Superb HSDO-1 Super Distortion This is a high output, tight, bassy even the lower priced ones.. 30.00 or so, in single coils were excellent. 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. Kiesel Guitars: Allan Holdsworth Signature. They allow me to play the most aggressive styles of music out there like no other, they really complete my tone. Danelectros had a unique sound that no other guitar could capture. I put a set of noisless Kent Armstrong P90's in a PRS SE Soapbar 2 - I also wired them Series or Parallel. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. I have a Bendetto floater on my Guild Benedetto AA and I love it. anyhow, i've had 2 or 3 of those on guitars i've owned and they are thin and overly bright. If it's a 3-humbucker guitar I strongly recommend the following : 1. Assuming they do, it is curious how so many people automatically rip out the stock Epi pickups and replace them with (you guessed it) Kent Armstrongs. 1995-2022 Harmony Central, Inc. All rights reserved. I just fitted a tele bridge pickup and it's great. The cheaper type are made in the far-east while the more expensive ones are USA made. Specifically designed for use with traditional arch-top electrics. he is quite the crackuphe was full of quips and one liners - it was an entertaining conversation. Their relatively hollow, plywood-composite construction also plays a significant role. Gotta find that pup and find a guitar to install it in soon! I have another Tele with an SD AlNiCo II pickup that I prefer over the Kent Armstrong. 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. The PAF and bridge humbucker in my Jackson Soloist are excellent pickups. Super Block United States. Someone tell me if this is right, please add corrections? 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 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. Specifically the tele bridge and the neck mini humbucker pickups. It may have just been whatever model I had that I didn't like. i dont like the idea of a guitar having a battery too toy-ish IMO. They weren't very good. I put a Vermont Armstrong P-90 pickup in my Ampeg AMG-100. May 20, 2009 in Epiphone Electrics. For that sort of tone you want the alnico 2 magnets. That's the only first hand experience I have with Kent Armstrong pickups. 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. I thought it sounded terrible. 500k pots are good with P90's if the pickup resonance is in a good range. I have the Tele bridge pickup and it's OK, but not great. I have another Tele with an SD AlNiCo II pickup that I prefer over the Kent Armstrong. Wa Jangly, chiming, clear, and detailed are often used to describe their singular voice. The words Fender, Telecaster, Stratocaster and the associated headstock designs are registered trademarks of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Wasn't so keen on the bridge which is hot @ 15k. They are some of the cleanest pickups I have played. The neck pickup produces a surprisingly authentic jazz tone with, the tone rolled down, with it rolled up it's a a warm nice tone with. I've had Kent Armstrong pick-ups in my sheraton for about 15 years. It's funny that this thread just came up, because I discussed this topic with my tech just today. He also has a line of Korean-made pickups that are very good for the price, but they're not in the same league as his hand-wound stuff. They have a nice full tone not thin and bright like most pickups in this output range. Very well built pickups, that sound good also. dude i love that guitar! Theyre their own thing. I e-mailed about a possible custom wind and Kent himself replied quickly that he'd be happy to do one. Bridge position a hotter KA like : http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Rocker_Alnico_Humbucker_Chrome_Cover_HRC-1A. Very nice guy. Well by looking at the list of players that he's made pickups for, he should be **** good. I would be interested in you comments about the Benedetto swap. This page was generated at 01:08 AM. I just purchased an El Rey4 and I find the original pickup kind of listless. After I wax potted them they weren't too bad. Some are excellent, some not so great, but of course that's a matter of taste. If I was having another Sei or similar built I'd have KAs in it. Ceramic tend to have a "thinner" sound, but powerful ceramics give good metal tones when over-driven. 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? You cannot paste images directly. From years of modifying and designing special recipes for his customers, Kent custom pickups into a 1994 Gibson Les Paul Standard. Performance & security by Cloudflare. They cost around 40 give-or-take here (Seymour Duncan and No wonder I didnt like it. While some might call it a brittle sound, others love the faster response and better note definition. But during the electric guitar boom in the 1950s, he added the original Danelectro and Silvertone guitar to his lineup, again with the starter-budget guitarist in mind. My main problem is I live in a unit so I can never play anything out loud, I'm looking to re-locate asap. (HJGN-2 for neck mount version) Made in the tradition of the Johnny Smith endorsed Gibson instruments introduced in the early '60s. And like the Rhoads fan mentioned above, the split tones are excellent, and not that weak-ass puss-o-matic tone which is the usual result of split coils. 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. It's got the M213K PAF at the neck and a M214K Distortion at the bridge. Talk with your fellow tone freaks on the web's liveliest (and friendliest!) Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. I had my LP wired so that 1 volume pot was a master volume, and the other was middle pup only. But the in-between 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 a set of Kent Armstrong's Icon series Strat pickups. I can't remember what the model on it was, but I do remember trying to find it and it was discontinued. What would you guys recommend fro the bridge of a Les Paul if I want deep bass, solid mids, and sweet(smooth) highs. One look at them, and its easy to see why they quickly took the name lipstick pickups. I have used Seymours and Gibsons and there's very little difference, except in the price. I'd go for that configuration again if I had a 3 humbucker guitar. I have a set of his humbuckers in my neckthrough semihollow. This is the 7 string version of Kent Armstrong's super popular jazz humbucking pickup. Maybe a medium output but with nice growl. Every one of my archtops (5) has a Kent Armstrong 14-pole PAF humbucker. While scores of guitarists got started on these plywood powerhouses, most would move on to something more reliable as their playing progressed. You won't find the distortion on the WD website though. Mike, thanks for the feedback (no pun intended). Unlike the Duncan SMB4D the Armstrong is very consistent all the way up the neck with thick mids, clear highs and growling lows. Well, this time he has outdone himself. Copyright 2023 Seymour Duncan. check out the FAQ by clicking the Yup - I can stare at the screen for ages when you and Presa Tito are posting on a thread. So what are they? Theres a guy selling the following KA pickups around here for a reasonable price Are they any good? All I know is WD sells Kent Armstrong pups at higher end pricing with no sound clips or specs. But the in-between setting runs both pickups in series wiring. This wiring results in an output boost with a woolier midrange punch than you might expect from lipsticks. But then Danelectros are no longer the only place youll find lipsticks. I was happy with it. Hit the internet today, and youll find many companies making lipstick pickup replicas. It really brightened the sound but the guitar needed that. I'd like to try one. Lipstick wiring is also a contributor. I have three MB-3 pickups to rewind. I'm actually thinking of up grading. I had a 12 polepiece nickel covered Kent Armstrong in the neck position of a double humbucker Tele for a while, and it was a very sweet sounding humbucker. FWIW, the markings on the bottom of the original P-90's say Epiphone (engraved in the bottom plate) with a sticker on each that says either neck BHK or Bridge BHK for the respective pickup. Webhey guys, i was wondering if any of u have had experience with kent armstrong pickups. WebWPU90H Hot Rod Series Hot Soap P-90 This beefed up version of Kent Armstrong's already muscular WPU90 pickup utilizes the sweetness of a pure alnico magnet. One common upgrade is the pickup covers. yes. WebEmail: sales@kentarmstrong.com Phone: (239) 543-3625 Fax: (239) 543-5874 WD Music Products, Inc. 17570 N. Tamiami Trail Suite 1 North Fort Myers, FL 33903 I played classic / rock / blues at the time and got several compliments on my sound after gigs. Armstrong or Rautia pickups are a much better way to go. 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). Always loved his drumming, but how about on guitar too, and singing.,https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6IBeJMtpzY Mike, Any experience with this one? http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Kent_Armstrong_Suspended_Jazz_Humbuck There are millions of jazz basses out there, much fewer SB basses. This is the same pickup used by Eastman on their 7 string archtops. Lipstick wiring is also a contributor. select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. LOL. I just ordered some Burstbuckers (#2, #3) on the strength of recommendations on this forum. 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). These are the Kent Armstrong pickups in my Soloist: The bridge pickup has a bright fendery tone, for a humbucker it. I played a mates Bare-Knuckle p.ups the other day and they sounded AWESOME. The Kent Armstrong's were about 8K Ohms (as they should be). In fact, modern guitarists such as Phoebe Bridgers still swing Danelectros over their shoulders quite often. Instead, jazz players often focus on tonal purity It's like an on-board pre-amp boosting and distorting the signal. Well, this time he has outdone himself. I heard the hot rod vintage is better than a JB? It felt wrong and so I told him that I wasn't interested." 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. has body but the upper frequency contour is really interesting. Playing them clean in a tube amp.best tone I've ever heard. It will still fit and fasten to any other archtop that is replacing a floater. He'll also custom wind you anything you want if you call him. Kent Armstrong makes a number of different hand-wound pickups and will do custom work as well. When searching for the right single-coils for his guitars, Daniel knew they would have to be easy and inexpensive to manufacture. Is there any better bang for the buck in a new guitar than this. again, i cannot help with what you are really asking, but after reading some disparaging other comments, i thought i should at least share my experience with his handmade jazz pickups, which are superb. What's the opinion from those I can tell you for fact that the Stock P-90's in my 2004 Casino were not even close to the Kent Armstrong P-90's I replaced them with. EDIT: forgot to mention, I'm especially interested coz I have a G-400 Custom which has 3 buckers also, and I have an active picup git, an Ultra-II with NanoMag, it can make some half decent tones. Then you can dial the middle one to zero. Has an output of 8.14 k. I may be wrong, but i think that is one of the overseas "licensed" pickups, not handmade in Vermont. too many fuzz pedals to buy first! So now I use the Gretsch when I know an amp is going to be needed and my Heritage 575 is too modern soundingah the choices I get to make. The neck pickup produces a surprisingly authentic jazz tone with . But they were very noise free. Pickups like our Lipstick Tube Strat pickup drop comfortably into most Fender-style pickup routes. 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 6.6k. I ended up moving on from that guitar but that was pretty cool. i think ill try and persuade my dad to rewire it for me. Announcing the all new Side mounted Jazz Pickup. Happy hunting! link above. If you disable this cookie, we will not be able to save your preferences. Maybe I got a bad set but they were the muddiest most life-less pickups I have ever tried. You are using an out of date browser. This pickup is vertualy brand new. the pickups in my bree/blue fretless are kent armstrong hand-wounds very nice. Post up some sound files, I'd love to hear them. The cheaper type are made in the far-east while the more expensive ones are USA made. You must log in or register to reply here. Fender has even offered several lipstick-equipped Strats right from the factory floor. I've had several pups in my sheri. The tone is bright and detailed with a single coil type twang that also provides great crunch on Any users out there? tone forum. And while these guitars might be missing the tonal contributions of a plywood Dano, they still bring that beautiful twang to every guitar theyre in. 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. Indeed, difficult especially without his hand. http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_archtop/Kent_Armstrong_Suspended_Jazz_Humbucker.html. Just youtube "Stockholm Sydrome Glastonbury" You'll get the idea, the idea that the motherbucker is Broootal! the only ones I didn't like were the stacked humbuck hot output.. way too dark for my taste. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful. 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. Im saving up for a burst les paul standard aswell would you recomend the same pickups for a peter green kind of sound? For me, the tone is wayyy too bright, and it seems like the top 80% of the tone wheel is all the same (this could actually be a wiring issue, I have to have it inspected). I had some double blade Strat pickups in my parts Strat for a while. Below are pictures of this model of pup as well as the Casino, as listed on the WD website: A site named "Dan Armstrong - A Man and His Guitars" outlines the history of Dan and his son, Kent, and their manufacture of guitars and pickups. Quality-wise they are in between stock Epis and the more expensive Seymours and Gibsons. this drumming I got the cheap ones (I was only 18 at the time) and was very pleased. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. My Epi originals had a passive resistance of about 14.5K Ohms!!!!! On 28/02/2021 at 14:34, Tvrtastic said: Kent Armstrong has posted a little clip about his life. Terms & Conditions | Registered Trademarks, There are 2 different types of Kent Armstrongs. Please check your items carefully and confirm they are correct for color, position, etc. Well by looking at the list of players that he's made pickups for, he should be **** good. Most people consider Kent's jazz Pickups to be the best in the world and who are we to argue? Danos usually feature a 3-way toggle switch. As long as you are talking about KA pickups and bumping the thread, I think of it as no dis-service to the OP. If you go here. It may not display this or other websites correctly. I would have been doing all the work and Dan would get as much - actually more for just using his name. That said, other Korean Kent Armstrong pickups I tried sounded very good as well, so I would not hesitate trying them. I tried the humbucker sized P90s. I have the Tele bridge pickup and it's OK, but not great. ive heard both good and bad bout kent armstrong, but the overwhelming majority says good. 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. The lead "Vintage" pickup was less chunky sounding than a Burstbucker 1 but creamier than an Antiquity. 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. Neck postion, this KA pup : http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/PAF_Style_Chrome_Cover_HPAC-1, 2. If you go for the re-wire, the easiest option is 3 volumes and master tone. Also what is the difference between active and passive pickups? They include his 61 Strat, 57 Strat, 66 Tele, Gretsch P90's, 59 Esquire and 78 Musicmaster pickups. Thanks again. Also, dont forget to dig into the rest of the Seymour Duncan blog. i was looking at the seymour duncan ones but i think there a bit expensive because ill need 3 of them. Thanks one and all, that's filled in a lot of blanks for me, and hopefully others. I'll hafta get some of Telenators PT-90's. Never worry about fitting a pickup under the strings again! You may have to register [/quote] Thanks. S, Copyright 2022 - Jazz Guitar Online - All rights reserved - Privacy Policy. Also, the bridge model had slightly increased output to better balance with the neck position pickup. I wanted to have some time with the guitar before I went with the swap but at the next string change, I'll change out the pickup. Rewiring to 1 master vol plus a specific vol for middle pup should be quite cheap; it doesn't need any new / different components. Rickstar123 This is probably a dumb question to a lot of you but I'm still relatively virginal guitar-wise. This company advertises that they have the hand wound Kent Armstrongs: http://www.oneflightupguitars.com/kentarmstrong.html. No more actual lipstick tubes! For such high output pups, they sure preserve a lot of the guitar's acoustic tone. And Strat Players like SRV retrofitted lipsticks into their Fenders years ago. 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.) He has a Classic 57 mounted as a floating humbucker That could be a great solution! Seymour Duncan Strat Sized Lipstick Pickup, Seymour Duncan Danelectro Lipstick Pickup, Seymour W. Duncan Biography: The Man Behind It All, Mark Holcomb Scarlet & Scourge Signature Humbuckers, The Wes Hauch Jupiter Rails Humbucker Pickup Set, The Present and Future of Lipstick Pickups. Mar 9, 2015 #6 Kent is a great guy. The later made-in China pickups are not nearly as well put together as the old ones. 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. WebThe Rocker cleans up nicely and is warm, even in an alder/maple set up. To start viewing messages, I bought one of the pickups made by WD music in Kent's name. 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. By We are using cookies to give you the best experience on our website. I like a pickup that is able to produce the true "natural" acoustic tone when it's fully on, but can go completely dark and everywhere in between. If you go here' date='. I always wanted to get a third pickup (the Armstrong Rock Treble, or something like that) for the guitar, but haven't done so yet. I have spoken to him many times on the phone. Finally, modern lipstick single-coil pickups offer a variety of wiring improvements. WebReviews Kent Armstrong Vintage Series 6 Shooter PAF Style Humbucker Pickup This pickup design has sweet, soulful tones with a warm bass, punchy mids, and a bright, jangly treble response. Compare to Super Block United Kingdom. We all do. This explains why I wasnt as concerned with the Epiphones tone. Santa Barbara, California. A Smooth Sam pickup will breathe depth and articulation back into your favorite archtop guitar and make you fall in love all over again. EMGs or something else but they were so good I've kept them. Indeed, the Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups on Scheff basses sound strong and clear. 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. thanks. The Epiphone pickups measured 7.7K (neck) and 8.2K (bridge). Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. They were OEM pickups pulled from some Jazz guitars. link above. To start viewing messages, Ive found using a bridge Seymour Duncan Vintage Mini hum in the neck position of my Tele, gives me a warmer, darker No, I agree, with shells it's a lot easier and in some cases sounds richer. They certainly suit me, although YMMV. His pickups are really, really nice. do kent armstrong do alnico 2s? Kent Armstrong has long been the best jazz pickup designer in the industry. Most people consider Kent's jazz Pickups to be the best in the world and who are we to argue? Not horrified, but bowled over with mediocrity. We are not able to accommodate order changes or cancellations once you have completed the check out process. Thanks to their popularity, finding vintage, original lipstick pickups is next to impossible. I've fitted their humbuckers and P94s to several guitars in recent years. I changed out the stock p.ups because they were pretty crappy (apparently they have improved a lot over the years). Unfortunately it didn't work out - for Dan wanted an additional 10% above of the proceeds for the use of his name. 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. I have The copper wire coil is now wound around a custom-sized plastic bobbin that features an Alnico bar magnet right down the center. Some others seemed to like them though. humbuck size p90s.. and the vintage 12 pole humbuck. 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. Don't know for sure. Epoxy casting inside the cover allows for added coil to give a sweet mini-humbucker tone. I Sunny Coalville. WebThese pickups are handwound in the USA by Kent Armstrong and retail for $160 new, not the import version. In fact, you were doing that on the vid and it was good. We understand the questions. From the well setup action and the finely-cut nut, to the smooth polyurethane Sam: How was the pickup swap in your ElRey? These new pickups allow you to completely equalize the string balance through height adjustment of individual polepieces. I currently have one of their mini-humbuckers in the neck of my Tele. I don't have one but I use the capacitor in my ToneBlock 202, and I do have the treble up higher than I used to. Building A Jazz Language - Bebop focus, for the moment. And Danelectro continues to build the reissue Danelectros around the lipstick pickup platform. Very warm sound. Were asked everything from what they sound like to Will they fit in my guitar? and more. I'll have to get around to trying it in a "real" guitar one of these days. I got the cheap ones (I was only 18 at the time) and was very pleased. Active pickups are battery-boosted for even more power, usually with an on-board 9v battery. But part of that is the guitar. You may have to register Along with Dire Straits Mark Knopfler, Page also found his Dano perfect for electrified blues slide.

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