Kent Armstrong Interview

[Doug B]

A Chat With Kent Armstrong & Aaron Armstrong. The Armstrong History and Guitar Pickup Discussion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Zgb9JoACU4

[sgcim]

Science and Math, now you tell me!
Roger Borys gave me Kent's phone number, so I could tell him what type of pickup I could replace the POS DiMarzio PAFs the idjit seller had on my Borys Jazz Solid.
So I call him up, and a bloody Brit answers the phone. I thought Kent was from the US, but now I see it was actually Aaron, humoring the stupid Yank that yes, he was talking to the famous KA when it was really his son AA.
I suppose RB is in on it also, but AA is obviously just as qualified to represent the company as his daddy is, but I can't help wondering if AA has the familiarity with jazz players as KA does.
He asked me what kind of sound I wanted to get from my PU, and all I could say was that I wanted a combo of the sounds that Kenny Burrell and Johnny Smith got out of their DeArmond pickups.
It kind of reminded me of a Monty Python sketch in retrospect, because JS and KB used different Dearmond PUs, and it would be impossible to build a PU that got the RC-1100 that KB used, and the "Jazz
Pickup"( an older model of Dearmond than the RC-1100) that JS used.

He kept asking me if I could get more specific, and I named the albums that KB used his D'A and RC-1100 on, and he kept doing his Eric Idle act and said things like, "Yes I believe I know what you mean", but I suppose he wanted more descriptors that he could relate to, like distortion, hum, bell-like, chimey, etc..

What we settled on was KA's version of the RC-1100 and I was perfectly happy with that, although it does sound better through a tube amp than a solid state amp.
So I've been unknowingly lying all these years when I've said I've spoken with KA- who knows? It could've been Eric Idle all along...

[Cunamara]

British humor.

[Stringswinger]

An easier way for forum members to watch this:

[blackcat]

British humor.

Meets American humour.

[sgosnell]

British humor.

An oxymoron. Like British cuisine.

[Doug B]

An oxymoron. Like British cuisine.

So just WHAT is wrong with Mushy Peas or Bangers and Mash hmmmm???

Doug

[Christian Miller]

An oxymoron. Like British cuisine.

-insert witty and erudite comeback—

Nope it’s been a long day. I could do some classic British swearing if you like?


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[Christian Miller]

I’d invoke the Angus Steakhouse meme but I’m not sure people would realise it’s a troll and actually and up there on their next visit.

I am not a cruel man.

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[MinToyTot]

Fawlty Towers just ain't funny and Blackadder is merely O.K., but Peep Show is an amazing work of pure beauty which I consider to stand alongside Arrested Development as joint no. 1 TV Comedy. Awesome show, great job!

[Christian Miller]

Fawlty Towers just ain't funny and Blackadder is merely O.K., but Peep Show is an amazing work of pure beauty which I consider to stand alongside Arrested Development as joint no. 1 TV Comedy. Awesome show, great job!

At last! A reference to UK comedy from the past 50 years and not Monty flipping Python again. (I mean you're wrong about Blackadder, but I'll let it slide.)

I wouldn't have thought Peep Show would have cut through, but there you go...

[Christian Miller]

So just WHAT is wrong with Mushy Peas or Bangers and Mash hmmmm???

Doug

It's important to understand Mushy Peas are a condiment.

[ThatRhythmMan]

At last! A reference to UK comedy from the past 50 years and not Monty flipping Python again. (I mean you're wrong about Blackadder, but I'll let it slide.)

I wouldn't have thought Peep Show would have cut through, but there you go...

Peep Show and Toast of London are amazing.

Edit: I can’t forget to add Garth Marenghi's Darkplace also.


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[sgosnell]

Mushy peas and bangers and mash are marginally acceptable, I suppose, but I draw the line at Yorkshire pudding.

[Doug B]

-insert witty and erudite comeback—

I could do some classic British swearing if you like?

Our family is Canadian, but Dad was born in Yorkshire. In polite company he swore by saying "Hell's Bells and Little Fishes!"

Doug

[Christian Miller]

Mushy peas and bangers and mash are marginally acceptable, I suppose, but I draw the line at Yorkshire pudding.

Seems like a funny place to draw the line tbh


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[sgcim]

At last! A reference to UK comedy from the past 50 years and not Monty flipping Python again. (I mean you're wrong about Blackadder, but I'll let it slide.)

I wouldn't have thought Peep Show would have cut through, but there you go...

Black Books had me pissing in my pants, and also gave me a wonderful business model to follow should I ever want to open up a bookstore.
I watched every DVD of "The League of Gentlemen", and plan to take a holiday to Royston Vasey someday, although I wouldn't be treated like Local People if I did.
I'll look for Peep Show. Thanks!

[Christian Miller]

Black Books had me pissing in my pants, and also gave me a wonderful business model to follow should I ever want to open up a bookstore.
I watched every DVD of "The League of Gentlemen", and plan to take a holiday to Royston Vasey someday, although I wouldn't be treated like Local People if I did.
I'll look for Peep Show. Thanks!

Toast is worth your time as well.


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[Christian Miller]

Peep Show and Toast of London are amazing.

Edit: I can’t forget to add Garth Marenghi's Darkplace also.


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Mindhorn?


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[sgosnell]

Seems like a funny place to draw the line tbh

Lines must be drawn somewhere, and that's where I draw mine. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a lot of Korean food.

[ThatRhythmMan]

Mindhorn?


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Oh, yes!


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[Doug B]

Lines must be drawn somewhere, and that's where I draw mine. It's the most disgusting thing I've ever eaten, and I've eaten a lot of Korean food.

So you've never had Marmite or Vegemite?

[GuyBoden]

Good stuff, his ideas about having a pickup for each string, the 'Faraday cage' and the KA 'Cable test' were most interesting.

The metal cover on a standard pickup acts as a 'Faraday Cage', most Jazz KA pickups are epoxy, so I'm wondering how KA designed his pickup's 'Faraday Cage'?