The Kent Armstrong's were about 8K Ohms (as they should be). thanks. Never worry about fitting a pickup under the strings again! Indeed, the Kent Armstrong lipstick pickups on Scheff basses sound strong and clear. You must log in or register to reply here. dude i love that guitar! I've had those pick ups in my MIM Tele for the last 5+ years and I think they're great, infact I kept them when I recently sold the guitar. No wonder I didnt like it. 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. Some others seemed to like them though. Does anyone know if the Kent Armstrong pickups that "W D Music" sells are the real deal or - are they the Licensed pickups? Also, dont forget to dig into the rest of the Seymour Duncan blog. 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. 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). The PAF is OK but the Distortion kicks but. It may not display this or other websites correctly. They were meant to be used straight into a tube amp, although an OD pedal is ok. (HJGN-2 for neck mount version) Made in the tradition of the Johnny Smith endorsed Gibson instruments introduced in the early '60s. Compare to Super Block United Kingdom. They are here to help. Someone tell me if this is right, please add corrections? The variability might have worked in your favor. Kiesel Guitars: Allan Holdsworth Signature. He was jamming on it while I was in the store which is what caught my attention. I have another Tele with an SD AlNiCo II pickup that I prefer over the Kent Armstrong. (and Szab (or Szabo) and not Sczabo or Szarb for God's sake). I replaced it with a Dimarzio Tone Zone and have been happy as can be since. The vintage is real nice - sweet and full. Thanks to their popularity, finding vintage, original lipstick pickups is next to impossible. Just an opinion but the early ones are great. 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. It will still fit and fasten to any other archtop that is replacing a floater. I've had several pups in my sheri. We understand the questions. 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. Clear editor. Lipstick wiring is also a contributor. This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. This page was generated at 01:08 AM. Middle position, your stock Epi neck pup, 3. This wiring results in an output boost with a woolier midrange punch than you might expect from lipsticks. I think the laminate top really inhibited the projection and the volume of the guitar in a pure acoustic settingmy Gitane D500 is so much LOUDER than any acoustic I've ever used. Really thin and very harsh. I just ordered some Burstbuckers (#2, #3) on the strength of recommendations on this forum. It was definitely an improvement over the stock pickup, which itself was not a bad pickup. I contacted Kent Armstrong himself about the pickup thinking maybe I'd just have him make me new one and here was his Sold through big-box retailers like Sears Roebuck, they offered budding players decent amps at bargain prices. This sweet sounding jazz pickup comes in either neck-mount or side-mount configurations. On 28/02/2021 at 14:34, Tvrtastic said: Kent Armstrong has posted a little clip about his life. Great pickups for jazz and classic rock tones, these pickups are the real deal. but ebay prices will beat them.. handy for descriptions though. I once had occasion to call Mr Armstrong in Vermont and found him to be absolutely accommodating and quite a delightful person. But they were very noise free. 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. They are some of the cleanest pickups I have played. I have three MB-3 pickups to rewind. Sep 26, 2012 #9 Stephent28 Supporting Member Feb 1, 2005 C470, CO The copper wire coil is now wound around a custom-sized plastic bobbin that features an Alnico bar magnet right down the center. You may have to register That said, other Korean Kent Armstrong pickups I tried sounded very good as well, so I would not hesitate trying them. If yours sound like P-90's should sound OR you are happy with them, then don't even think about replacing them. Based on what I read on this forum there seems to be a lot of variability in the stock Casino P-90's. Yup - I can stare at the screen for ages when you and Presa Tito are posting on a thread. I put a set of noisless Kent Armstrong P90's in a PRS SE Soapbar 2 - I also wired them Series or Parallel. I really like my Ibanez AM205-AV Prestige. This means that every time you visit this website you will need to enable or disable cookies again. I have the Tele bridge pickup and it's OK, but not great. I The problem with P90s is that they are more than often too hot. I changed out the stock p.ups because they were pretty crappy (apparently they have improved a lot over the years). This is probably a dumb question to a lot of you but I'm still relatively virginal guitar-wise. And Strat Players like SRV retrofitted lipsticks into their Fenders years ago. Jangly, chiming, clear, and detailed are often used to describe their singular voice. I had that configuration on an Epi LP and it worked great. I'm really shocked at reading this thread as I have bought 2 guitars that have had KA pups (mini hum and hums) and in both cases these guitars were totally liberated by replacing themI replaced the KA mini humbucker with a Duncan SM-3 mini and the humbuckers with a Duncan JB and a Bare knuckle Stormy Monday. the upgrade turned both guitars from potential ebay items into favourites.go figure!? It felt wrong and so I told him that I wasn't interested." Well by looking at the list of players that he's made pickups for, he should be **** good. I have to admit I have only seen and heard the import stuff from Kent Armstrong. Strictly Necessary Cookie should be enabled at all times so that we can save your preferences for cookie settings. Were asked everything from what they sound like to Will they fit in my guitar? and more. In my case, a 30 minute job involving a certain amount of swearing. I also suggest that you choose your priority for heat level. Copyright 2023 Seymour Duncan. do kent armstrong do alnico 2s? Just youtube "Stockholm Sydrome Glastonbury" You'll get the idea, the idea that the motherbucker is Broootal! To start viewing messages, The neck model was built Reverse Wound / Reverse Polarity from the bridge model for hum-canceling operation when using both pickups. Kent Armstrong Sources for Aria Pro II pickups 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. etc.) One look at them, and its easy to see why they quickly took the name lipstick pickups. If it's a 3-humbucker guitar I strongly recommend the following : 1. I've got them in two guitars of my own. And if you do find them, youre going to pay a premium. JavaScript is disabled. There seem to be a plethora of newer 100 watt smaller floor based amps these days. Active pickups are battery-boosted for even more power, usually with an on-board 9v battery. They make many, many pickups. These custom-made covers allow them to be manufactured in many different sizes and fit the most popular pickup routes like Strat pickups. 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. It sounded pretty good. Are all of his current pickups made over seas? 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. This pickup has the deadly combination of power and tone! Alnico 3 with Formvar wire. S, Copyright 2022 - Jazz Guitar Online - All rights reserved - Privacy Policy. The downside was that you could get close to a Strat sound, and you could get close to a humbucker sound, but you couldn't nail either one. All of these modern updates have done nothing to quell demand for lipstick pickups, new and old. SBUK select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Kent Armstrong has long been the best jazz pickup designer in the industry. But I don't know if they're the same pickups as those on the WD website. A Smooth Sam pickup will breathe depth and articulation back into your favorite archtop guitar and make you fall in love all over again. 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). Some are excellent, some not so great, but of course that's a matter of taste. If you have any other questions about lipstick pickups, lipstick pickup construction, or lipstick wiring, dont hesitate to get in touch! Epoxy casting inside the cover allows for added coil to give a sweet mini-humbucker tone. In the same price range I prefer GFS pups. 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. this drumming link above. do If this is your first visit, be sure to You can post now and register later. Kent Armstrong Pickups Nice wire, nice waxed string cover on the coil, nice box, good screws and springs. Though arguably, modern improvements have made lipstick pickup design better, some players live and die by the originals. Well by looking at the list of players that he's made pickups for, he should be **** good. They sound very authentic for P90's and when used in Well, this time he has outdone himself. Anyone have any experience with them? Thanks one and all, that's filled in a lot of blanks for me, and hopefully others. There was a Kent Armstrong humbucker of some sort in the bridge position of my US Masters when I got it. Maybe I got a bad set but they were the muddiest most life-less pickups I have ever tried. They sound very authentic for P90's and when used in Parallel, they move into Tele territory for tone. 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 tone is bright and detailed with a single coil type twang that also provides great crunch on kent arnstrong hot lips My Epi originals had a passive resistance of about 14.5K Ohms!!!!! This instrument is listed as being in 'very good' condition in accordance with Reverb's definition of the term. Privacy Policy | Not a new arguement but an interesting take. the I used the vintage in the neck and the HPAOR1 in the bridge. WD Music's Kent Armstrong Humbuckers- Are these any Kent Armstrong humbucker removed from You are using an out of date browser. You may have to register 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 Announcing the all new Side mounted Jazz Pickup. Copyright 2021 Gibson Brands, Inc. All rights reserved. Kent is a great guy. Even with a dynacomp switched on! I dropped by my local guitar shop today and the tech had just installed KENT ARMSTRONG (?) Down solos the bridge pickup. Bridge position a hotter KA like : http://www.wdmusic.co.uk/product/Rocker_Alnico_Humbucker_Chrome_Cover_HRC-1A. Floating archtop pickups and bronze strings Then you can dial the middle one to zero. I can't remember what the model on it was, but I do remember trying to find it and it was discontinued. 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. Upload or insert images from URL. 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. Very warm sound. I put a Vermont Armstrong P-90 pickup in my Ampeg AMG-100. So there should be a few good European Pickup builders Bare Knuckles, Haussel,etc? I like the WD Kent Armstrong pickups very much. This page was generated at 01:08 AM. Sam: How was the pickup swap in your ElRey? 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. KA's are available in double creme though and come standard with 4 wires if you're into coil tapping and in the UK they're extremely cheap and I think quite a bargain. Down solos the bridge pickup. I got the cheap ones (I was only 18 at the time) and was very pleased. Pasted as rich text. You can find out more about which cookies we are using or switch them off in settings. That meant that the bobbins and custom-machined pole pieces Fender and Gibson used were out. I have some KA's in a Benedetto Benny. 2 reviews, 4,340 hits, 0 comments 9.9 Superb HSDO-1 Super Distortion This is a high output, tight, bassy Today theyre specifically designed for the pickups. Great price. So while many ended up collecting dust in basements, others found themselves on the worlds biggest stages and recording timeless rock n roll. The magic is in your fingers. Some of the add-ons on this site are powered by. the lp studio has the vintage 12 pole humbuck at the bridge, and that's a keeper, too. You must log in or register to reply here. The Gear Page is the leading online community and marketplace for guitars, amps, pedals, effects and associated gear. I e-mailed about a possible custom wind and Kent himself replied quickly that he'd be happy to do one. I played classic / rock / blues at the time and got several compliments on my sound after gigs. humbuck size p90s.. and the vintage 12 pole humbuck. If I was having another Sei or similar built I'd have KAs in it. LOL. They offer authentic PAF tone, sounding open and warm while retaining excellent string to string articulation. Kent Armstrong But he is the ideal example of repetitiveness, and also extreme rythmic monotonity, which is interesting to Good info, I kinda want to check out a newer one from the custom shop. This explains why I wasnt as concerned with the Epiphones tone. These modern designs are much more reliable and standardized than vintage lipsticks while retaining most quirks that make old ones special. 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. I've been using Kent's m214 - m215 pair of humbuckers as well as the wpu10 - wpu11 for over 14 years now in nearly every custom that I have built because they blow away Seymour Duncan's Mayhem set and you can't beat the price nearly half as much. Danos usually feature a 3-way toggle switch. 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. I have a set of Kent Armstrong's Icon series Strat pickups. You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked. They also make a set of Rory Gallagher pickups that were made to replicate the original Rory pickups provided by his estate. Well, this time he has outdone himself. it does not have that upper mid spike and is much more PAFish? Like FilterTrons to Gretsch, PAFs to Gibson, and Strat single-coils to Fender, they essentially define the soul of the brand. I believe he still does hand winds to order in the states. That's the only first hand experience I have with Kent Armstrong pickups. All are welcome, from seasoned pros to absolute beginners. 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. I played a mates Bare-Knuckle p.ups the other day and they sounded AWESOME. I tell every one of my customers to give them a try if they are looking for high gain, and let them all know I will gladly replace them with something of their choosing and not one have come back looking for replacements in over 14 years. Among its other design factors, Danelectros magic can be traced straight to the highly unique pickups that Nathan Daniel designed. Sky/kent Armstrong Pickups He learned to wind pickups from his father and Bill Lawrence. Note: This instrument has been modified from it's original condition. Pickups like our Lipstick Tube Strat pickup drop comfortably into most Fender-style pickup routes. Very well built pickups, that sound good also. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. I have spoken to him many times on the phone. Armstrong pickups That is not a knock on Eastman, they I got the hot-rodded PAFs and they have held up quite well. Theyre unique pickups, different from a Tele neck pickup, different from a Stratocaster single-coil pickup. Armstrong or Rautia pickups are a much better way to go. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. The lead "Vintage" pickup was less chunky sounding than a Burstbucker 1 but creamier than an Antiquity. 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. Opinions on KENT ARMSTRONG pickups - Seymour Danos usually feature a 3-way toggle switch. Using the middle pup with either gives you something inbetween which I didn't like much. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. So what are they? I think it could do the whole fusion thing, but I have not really ran it like that. To answer that question, well have to dig into their history, lipstick pickup construction, and their relationship to Danelectro guitars. The extended cover allows for use with traditional 7 string arch-top electrics. Again, it took me by surprise about the sheer number of pickups they produce. In the 1940s, Nathan Daniel found success with his budget line of electric instrument amplifiers, Silvertone and Danelectro. The cheaper type are made in the far-east while the more expensive ones are USA made. tone forum. Judging by their use on low-end guitars I assume they're cheaper to make. 67 AB165 BF Bassman "restoration" complete. It had a nice tone, good I like the WD Kent Armstrong pickups very much. This company advertises that they have the hand wound Kent Armstrongs: http://www.oneflightupguitars.com/kentarmstrong.html. Maybe a medium output but with nice growl. thanks for your help. Also, the bridge model had slightly increased output to better balance with the neck position pickup. They were OEM pickups pulled from some Jazz guitars. Webhey guys, i was wondering if any of u have had experience with kent armstrong pickups. I heard the hot rod vintage is better than a JB? 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. Instead, they used a relatively crude Alnico V bar magnet with the copper wire wrapped directly around it. i was looking at the seymour duncan ones but i think there a bit expensive because ill need 3 of them. I used them exclusively in my tele strat builds for a long time, and those are all nice pups, too. 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. The middle pup doesn't do much tone-wise on a 3 pup LP so the stock Epi pup is fine in my view. check out the FAQ by clicking the Kent Armstrong Quality-wise they are in between stock Epis and the more expensive Seymours and Gibsons. We get asked a ton of questions about lipstick single-coil pickups. Has anyone checked Peter Bernstein Zeidler? It's just magnets and wire at the end of the day. Most people consider Kent's jazz Pickups to be the best in the world and who are we to argue? www.wdmusic.com is the us distributor. hi im thinking about buying new pickups for my black beauty and i came across kent armstrong pickups on ebay are they any good compared to standard epiphone ones? Jazz guitar players are less interested in output and the unique voice pickups can bring to their instrument. 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. they have the full range and a brief description of each one. Players love how they teeter between tone and chaos. Theres a ton of in-depth information on all of our different designs, how-tos, tone demonstrations, and a whole lot more. VPB Hot Rod Series Hot Twins Split Pickup For Fender Precision Bass 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). Playing them clean in a tube amp.best tone I've ever heard. Kent Armstrong has long been the best jazz pickup designer in the industry. These are the Kent Armstrong pickups in my Soloist: The bridge pickup has a bright fendery tone, for a humbucker it. While scores of guitarists got started on these plywood powerhouses, most would move on to something more reliable as their playing progressed. My gut feeling is that they are one of the better import options out there but maybe not the same level as US aftermarket. That assembly was then wrapped in cellophane tape, vacuum wax potted, and inserted straight into the trademark lipstick tube coversactual lipstick tubes! Ceramic tend to have a "thinner" sound, but powerful ceramics give good metal tones when over-driven. This is the same pickup used by Eastman on their 7 string archtops. TDPRI, short for Telecaster Discussion Page Reissue, is the leading online community and marketplace for Telecaster guitars. Post up some sound files, I'd love to hear them. Super Block United States. 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. 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.