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2 options: the new guild DeArmond rhythm chief 1100 replica; (2) suspended Charlie Christian pick up by Pete Bitloff.
You can get either for a really good price, definitely won't break the bank .
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04-27-2017 11:25 AM
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I really, really want the floating CC pickup from Pete. The only problem is that I live in an old house with crappy wiring, so single coil pickups hum and buzz like there's no tomorrow. I really need a humbucker. I wonder if he could make a noiseless version that was still thin enough to fit between the strings and top. I think I'll drop him a letter later today and find out. The Seymour Duncan Custom shop makes a floating Johnny Smith pickup that looks interesting, too. But it is quite expensive.
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you can buy a hum debugger to tame the hum
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I have a hum debugger. I have found that they do not work well with tube amps. Be forewarned.
Originally Posted by wintermoon
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L7's sound darn good with JS pickups IMO.
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I have three, yes three, vintage GJS pickups, both neck and bridge. I could be coaxed to part with some, but Pete Biltoft can make you something for far less.
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Does KA make a hand wound JS pickup WITHOUT 12 exposed polepieces? I want one that looks like a normal, regular JS pickup. That one with 12 exposed polepieces is UGLY!
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Darn good trade. I love the L7's
I had one for a while... I did a transducer and a pickup. I found the transducer was best for like big band and the pickup best for rockabilly. I did two surface mount outputs, one for each sound producing technology so I could return it to stock when I sold it.
I tried just using a mic on it for the big band stuff, but also found I move around to much for that to work well.
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Yes, I think he will make one with 6 exposed poles (or none if you like that look). Originally Posted by Socraticaster
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Is the KA Jazzy Joe a good pickup for $99?
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I would look for a vintage DeArmond 1100 one sided mounted on the neck... or a Benedetto mounted on the pickguard. But only if you want the sound to represent the acoustic sound of your L7C in a good way.
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The Jazzy Joe is a good pickup, but I sprung for the extra $50 for the one actually made by KA. To my ears it had a richer fuller tone.
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I'm so glad that worked out for you. And I'm glad the overwhelming temptation to spend money I shouldn't is removed from my sight.
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A big issue is the age-old question whether you are a single-coil or double-coil kind of player. Kessell or Pass? If you like single coil, I honestly think finding a "monkey-on-a-stick" would be the ticket for that guitar. If you like the humbucker sound, KA can make you a Johnny Smith style with 6 pole pieces and his hand-wound pickups are really nice. You can talk to him on the phone and describe exactly what you want.
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I'm more of a "I-live-in-a-house-with-old-noisy-wiring" kind of player. Originally Posted by lawson-stone
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By the way, is there any way to get a hold of Kent Armstrong aside from WD Music? Or is that his only public means of contact?
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I live in a 1908 house, some of which has been rewired and some of which is still knob and tube. I find that the hum mostly comes from dimmers (I turn those off) and from the interaction between the amp transformer field and the pickup. My main two guitars have Pete Biltoft CCs- a floating HCC and a mounted HCC in my Tele. Yeah, they hum but if I position myself to the amp right, the hum is imperceptible. And the sound of those pickups is superb. My GB10 doesn't really hum that much less, FWIW.
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I think you did fine on trade value. You have the guitar you want, and so does the other guy. Any money you left on the table is hypothetical and the time you would have spent chasing it isn't free. The time you now can spend playing the guitar you want is real and valuable.
John
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Good luck with your vintage adventure ....
Someday, when I have the cash, I want to revisit Austin Vintage Guitars again and bring home a nice L7 .. and maybe a 70s Super 400 if they have one
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KA makes JS style pickups other than the 12 pole model. Tim Lerch has one on his L7 and it sounds great. WD Music sells them. TL has one in black, but KA also makes it with a gold cover.
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Also, I had the Lollar JS pickup on an Eastman, and it was great. I eventually decided to get rid of the Eastman, but I really liked the Lollar. (Personally, I prefer the sound of single coils, but I noisy electrical circuits).
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Congratulations on the L7. IMHO, the early L7's are among the best sounding archtops ever produced. I own a '44 and it's never leaving until pried out of my cold stiff hands. I too want to get a floater, but have no problems with the KA 12 pole. KA's are awesome pickups. I'm interested to see what you end up doing. Cool guitar, great trade.
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Right now, I'm thinking of getting a KA Jazzy Joe neck-mount, and running through 250k pots. I'm looking for a warm, rich tone.
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I think the hand wound KAs are a much better choice. I changed from the Jazzy Joes to hand wound KA12 poles on two guitars, like them much better as they are smoother and more detailed.
I have a '53L7C which i equipped with a Bartolini floater and find this a very good combination. Very warm and "woody" sound, yet clear and transparent. The only disadvantage is that it has no adjustable polepieces.
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Socraticaster,
I know this might be overly obvious, but you need to make sure you chose something that will fit in that spot.
If memory serves me correctly, when I was in the same boat, I was limited in my choices because I didn't have a lot of room between the top and the strings. You need a pickup that is low profile. The D'Armond that NSJ recommends is a great choice.
If you want a permanent, cost effective pickup, The one that I think would be low profile enough AND you can get one cheap, is the pickup that Ren Wall and Ken Rambo designed for the Heritage archtops. I think Lawson had one for sale. They are not very high output pickups and a lot of folks remove them for that reason, but they are a GREAT pickup for a lively guitar like yours. They magically capture a full acoustic sound that is very complex. They wont be boomy. They will be low volume, floating, in my opinion - perfect pickups for that guitar.
Good Luck. The L7c is a great guitar. Although, I have a feeling, down the line you will have another 175. They attach themselves to your heart without you even knowing it..
Joe D
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