How would you describe this guitar tone?

**lesyeuxnoirs** · 07-14-2026, 02:04 PM

Thanks for sharing these. HL is a great player

It might interest some that he often plays through ‘surprising’ amps for the style and the guitar.Definitely seen Vox, and I think also a Marshall.

**Archie** · 07-14-2026, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by John A.

The way I see it, bridge, tailpiece, body, neck, nut, string, and method of pickup attachment is a system with interacting components. Changes in any of those can result in changes in how the guitar sounds amplified. If the pickup is attached to a top that vibrates, the pickup (and hence the magnetic field) vibrates as well, which is what I suspect accounts for the difference between the sound of set-in pickups and floaters. Somewhat counterintuitively, by this logic (which is really just a guess on my part), a floater is a more purely electric sound than a set-in pickup, which fits with how I hear the difference. In the case of a semi-hollow vs a LP, I think the effect is pretty subtle, and it can be very difficult to hear difference between the two. I have one of each, and sometimes I listen to recordings I've made, and if I don't remember which one I played at the time, I'm sometimes not sure which it is (even though one has humbucker and the other has P90s!).

Never met a floating hum bucker I liked the sound of, they always seem lifeless and sterile. A Dearmond on the other hand sounds great.

**bluejaybill** · 07-15-2026, 11:23 PM

Originally Posted by Archie

Never met a floating hum bucker I liked the sound of, they always seem lifeless and sterile. A Dearmond on the other hand sounds great.

I have a two word response: Peter Bernstein.

**Christian Miller** · 07-16-2026, 03:41 AM

Originally Posted by bluejaybill

I have a two word response: Peter Bernstein.

Yeah but that’s a full on Gibson humbucker - which he uses for that very reason.

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**GuyBoden** · 07-16-2026, 05:10 AM

About 15 years ago, I had a 7 string Archtop guitar custom built with a gap big enough for a floating full sized humbucker. (Bareknuckle Stormy Monday Pickup.)

But today, my ears seem to prefer the sound of the reissue DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1000 Pickup or a Kent Armstrong floating P90.

**Sigmund451** · 07-16-2026, 07:02 AM

Guy, Im with you on that.

Even on my carved archtop I almost always pick the Dearmond selector on the Armstrong P90.

The P90, even with the volume rolled back a bit is still a little too mushy sounding for my taste.

Im having Franz Elferink build me an 18 inch with a Dearmond pickup.

Once thats done Im seriously considering moving my Dreamsong CC floater to the Eastman Carved.
The Eastman is a touch bright. I think the thickness and bassyness of the Charlie Christian pickup may do a nice job taming it.

I just cant seem to warm up to the fat humbucker tone or even the heavy P90 tone. For me its just too much. I do a lot of chord work and it just gets really too thick for my taste. When I hear other players it sounds great but for myself I just lose the clarity I enjoy. Anything much more than a triad is just too much.

I was going to have Franz build a second pickguard and pickup (I still might) but even if its setup for a quick change Im not sure its worth it. I have time to ponder that.

**GuyBoden** · 07-16-2026, 07:08 AM

Originally Posted by Sigmund451

Guy, Im with you on that.

Even on my carved archtop I almost always pick the Dearmond selector on the Armstrong P90.

The P90, even with the volume rolled back a bit is still a little too mushy sounding for my taste.

Im having Franz Elferink build me an 18 inch with a Dearmond pickup.

Once thats done Im seriously considering moving my Dreamsong CC floater to the Eastman Carved.
The Eastman is a touch bright. I think the thickness and bassyness of the Charlie Christian pickup may do a nice job taming it.

I just cant seem to warm up to the fat humbucker tone or even the heavy P90 tone. For me its just too much. I do a lot of chord work and it just gets really too thick for my taste. When I hear other players it sounds great but for myself I just lose the clarity I enjoy. Anything much more than a triad is just too much.

I was going to have Franz build a second pickguard and pickup (I still might) but even if its setup for a quick change Im not sure its worth it. I have time to ponder that.

I think you are correct, for my ears at least.