floating pickup?

[gianluca]

hi

could anybody suggest a good floating pick for my the loar LH-600-VS?
better if something that doesn't requires screws and holes in the guitar...

gianluca

[mr. beaumont]

They won't be cheap, but something like a DeArmond "Monkey on a stick" pickup would sound fantastic on that guitar, and require no modification to the instrument.

[Geert]

I have a Benedetto S6 on my LH-600. I like it a lot!

G

[gianluca]

hey, many thanks!

@beaumont: I'll try to find it somewhere that deliver it in italy. but does it have an "electric" tone? I'd like to achieve something like the matt otten's tone whit his monarch...

@geert: are available some audio files of your benedetto?

[spiral]

Bartolini

YouTube Video

Zoller

YouTube Video

Kent Armstrong (no poles, in "ebonized" case)
Note on this video: the guitar is direct and he has replaced the wooden bridge with a metal one which gives it all a little more ping. I love this pickup through an amp.

YouTube Video

[gianluca]

mmmhhh
I listende with hearphone but I found these pickup too bright and thin on E and B strings.
I'd like a warm and fat tone.

does anybody knows something about the ibanez george benson pickup (it is available at the dealer near my home)...

and about bartolini, the 5JNB is "without mounting bracket"
(http://www.bartolini.net/information..._pickups.htm):
but it isn't explained how does it be fixed on the top of the guitar.
glue?

someone knows what pickup is on the peerless monarch?

and, how much distance do I need between the top and the strings to fit the pickup?
on my the loar I have less than 2 cm (0.78 inches)

[Geert]

A sample can be found here:‪The Loar LH-600+Benedetto s-6 pickup.mov‬‏ - YouTube


G

[Vihar]

Originally Posted by gianluca

mmmhhh
I listende with hearphone but I found these pickup too bright and thin on E and B strings.
I'd like a warm and fat tone.

If you want something mellow sounding without having to turn down the treble on the amp (and there's no tone knob on the guitar), I suggest you to get something with a metal cover on it. The one TruthHertz suggested would work perfectly.

Eddy currents do their job effectively.

[63Bigsby]

AJ Luomaranta, a great Finnish luthier also builds great repros of the DeArmond Rhythm Chiefs, mounts on the neck with two tiny screws. Not exactly cheap but nowhere near the prices of the originals that can go up to $700-1K. I have an original one but these are just as good:
AJL-Guitars :: News

AJL-Guitars : : Exclusive Handcrafted Guitars

[mambosun]

Originally Posted by 63Bigsby

AJ Luomaranta, a great Finnish luthier also builds great repros of the DeArmond Rhythm Chiefs, mounts on the neck with two tiny screws. Not exactly cheap but nowhere near the prices of the originals that can go up to $700-1K. I have an original one but these are just as good:
AJL-Guitars :: News

AJL-Guitars : : Exclusive Handcrafted Guitars

Gasp, 350€ !!

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Originally Posted by mambosun

Gasp, 350€ !!

I went for years before I bought *a guitar* that expensive!

[gianluca]

Originally Posted by Geert

A sample can be found here:‪The Loar LH-600+Benedetto s-6 pickup.mov‬‏ - YouTube


G

very nice job, geert (the playing and the pikup)
but you did install a pickguard: how many screw holes did you do?

did you find problems for the few mm between top and strings?

and which strings and amp on that video?

[Geert]

Hi Guanluca,

I did install the pickup and guard myself. There are 2 srewholes: 1 in the side of the neck, and 1 thu the binding of the body.

I did not have any trouble installing it (refering to the distance between neck and strings) The pickup sits at about 2 mm down the top of the neck.

The strings are flatwounds .012's and I play the guitar through a fender champion 600 5 W tube amp (not ideal, I know)
I've played the guitar through a small bass amp once, Really liked the sound.


G

[ah.clem]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

They won't be cheap, but something like a DeArmond "Monkey on a stick" pickup would sound fantastic on that guitar, and require no modification to the instrument.

mr. beaumont. I can't seem to find any pricing for the pickup. What kind of money are you talking? I was planning on putting a Benedetto on the 5th Ave. acoustic, but this looks interesting. The pickup and parts run about $220, plus installation. I could install this myself. Do you think one would work with 80/20s on the 5th Ave.? Thanks.

[63Bigsby]

Here's some good info of the old DeArmonds:
www.VintageArchtop.com

[burchyk]

Kent Armstrong Handmade Adjustable PAF

[carlescountry]

Look at this

Steve Bistrow Western Swing/ Jazz Floater

[Meggy]

I put a relatively cheap Kent Armstrong Slimbucker (the cheaper Korean-made version) onto my Ibanez JP20 - it sounds great IMO. If you get the side-mount type (has a small side-mount arm designed to be fixed to a pick-guard) you can actually fix it directly to the guitar top with a pad made from high-density foam rubber (or something similar) using double sided sticky tape. This avoids having to drill any holes at all in the guitar. It works well on my guitar, and the pad can be removed easily (the tape does not form a permanent bond) - but make sure the finish on the guitar will not be damaged by the double-sided sticky tape (my guitar has a poly finish which is pretty tough).

This approach should work with other floating pickups too. I don't think the acoustic tone of the guitar is noticeably affected by fixing the pickup like this, since the pickup is place right at the end of the fingerboard, at the edge of the guitar top, but I guess that might be a consideration on some guitars.