Advice on a new archtop pickup

[mpmd92]

Hey everyone,

I recently acquired a beautiful Dupont archtop:



It sounds absolutely lovely acoustically but I'm having issues with the amplified sound. The low E string is about twice as loud as the other strings and the original Benedetti pickup doesn't allow for an individual string adjustment. I've already had the pickup lowered and its axis straightened which helped a little bit but not enough. I tried blocking the sound holes which helped with the feedback but not with the volume disparity (it also deteriorated the tone somewhat). I talked to the manufacturer who said he stopped using Benedetti pickups for his guitars years ago (I got mine second hand).

All this to say, I'm looking to buy a new floating pickup. I'm going for a sound that is quite balanced and on the mellower side of things, no piercing highs (think Wes Montgomery, Russel Malone, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrel).

After a little bit of research I have two main contenders:
- a Kent Armstrong 12 Pole Humbucker (Kent Armstrong Handwound Series Side Mount PAF Style 12 Pole Humbucker Pickup Black)
- and a DeArmond rhythm chief 1100 (DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1100 – Thomann France)

I've chosen these because they appear to be quite popular and have individual poles to make adjustments to individual strings. The demos I've heard online sound great with either one. How do I decide ?

I'm leaning towards the Kent Armstrong because it looks a bit more versatile in case I want to play some more modern stuff, mess around with effects and such.

Thank you for your advice

[customxke]

For me, I ended up experimenting with different types of strings to arrive at a good balance. I'm using an early FHC, and it plays well with Monel strings (Martin Retros), and they also sound great unplugged.

[Cavalier]

As a alternative....

Something acoustic violinists do is to use different kinds of stings in different places depending on the violin. You might have a aluminum wrapped A and a silver wrapped G, different cores etc...

Guitarists tend to stick to a set and play with gauges but one string loud suggests a mix for a volume match, for fun you might buy a few singles and play around, don't forget a bronze as only the core will send a signal out and it might go with the acoustic sound.

[citizenk74]

Hey everyone,

I recently acquired a beautiful Dupont archtop:



It sounds absolutely lovely acoustically but I'm having issues with the amplified sound. The low E string is about twice as loud as the other strings and the original Benedetti pickup doesn't allow for an individual string adjustment. I've already had the pickup lowered and its axis straightened which helped a little bit but not enough. I tried blocking the sound holes which helped with the feedback but not with the volume disparity (it also deteriorated the tone somewhat). I talked to the manufacturer who said he stopped using Benedetti pickups for his guitars years ago (I got mine second hand).

All this to say, I'm looking to buy a new floating pickup. I'm going for a sound that is quite balanced and on the mellower side of things, no piercing highs (think Wes Montgomery, Russel Malone, Joe Pass, Kenny Burrel).

After a little bit of research I have two main contenders:
- a Kent Armstrong 12 Pole Humbucker (Kent Armstrong Handwound Series Side Mount PAF Style 12 Pole Humbucker Pickup Black)
- and a DeArmond rhythm chief 1100 (DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1100 – Thomann France)

I've chosen these because they appear to be quite popular and have individual poles to make adjustments to individual strings. The demos I've heard online sound great with either one. How do I decide ?

I'm leaning towards the Kent Armstrong because it looks a bit more versatile in case I want to play some more modern stuff, mess around with effects and such.

Thank you for your advice

[rabbit]

Congratulations on your lovely 'new' guitar.

Best of luck to you on the pick-up.

[mpmd92]

Hadn't thought of the string idea, I'll give it a go, thanks

[sgosnell]

Maybe a bronze string for the bass E. That should lower the volume to some degree. Or a Monel string as a compromise. I have some D'Addario nickel bronze strings on an archtop with a Rhythm Chief 1100 and I really like that combination.

[Cavalier]

The cores make a difference with magnetic pickups too, hex cores put out more signal than round.

[joebloggs13]

I would also look at Bartolini. They make great pickups.

[daverepair]

I recently installed a Kent Armstrong 'Hand-Wound' single coil, on my '47 Epiphone Broadway, because of the adjustable pole pieces. I use bronze strings, and the pole pieces allowed me to balance the string output(between wound & unwound strings) very well. I'm very pleased with it.

[gitman]

Both KA pickups are a sure bet, can't go wrong with either one - it's just a matter of taste whether you prefer the slightly brighter/ more direct tone of the single coil or the smooth and slightly compressed tone of the humbucker version. One advantage of the single coil model might be the extra tap it has for a slightly lowered output, much like the original 1100's had.

[lumena]

I have also been looking at pickups and since I tend to use bronze strings, I wrote Kent Armstrong and he suggested his 12 pole humbucker for Bronze because it allows individual adjustment for each string.
YMMV

[Cunamara]

Be aware, though, that the Kent Armstrong floating PAF is still a bright and clear pickup, rather than a dark and woolly one. And how it interacts with any given guitar is also a factor. I have heard it sound fabulous on some guitars and bright and nasal on others. For the kind of sound that you are describing, I would avoid using a typical Fender style amp as the midrange cut built into those will exacerbate the problem as it emphasizes both the lows and the highs.

Although the examples you cited all are on the bright side of the tonal spectrum compared to, say, Jim Hall or Ed Bickert (which is where my ears tend to go). If that is the sort of tone you like, the Kent Armstrong PAF may suit you to a T. Bear in mind, though, that all those players used guitars with set-in pickups rather than floaters. I don't think it's possible to fully capture that sound with a floating pickup, at least in my experience (both of my archtops have floaters). The DeArmond is a beautiful sounding pickup; the exemplar of that tone is Johnny Smith in his mid-1950s recordings.

The most inexpensive solution to try has already been given above, which is to replace the low E with a less magnetic string such as a bronze 80/20, Monel, etc. An acoustic string should have about half the electrical output, which might balance your pick up well.

And, by the way: beautiful guitar!