dearmond FH-C Guitar Mike

[pingu]

anyone here use one ?

Guitar ‘Mike’ har har

as opposed to the
RC1100 and 1000 models

any thoughts ?

[mr. beaumont]

They're excellent, had one on my old Kay archtop. I noticed a few years back the wire connection at the control box was frayed, so I took it off, need to get it fixed one of these days.

They're about as close as you can get to a Rhythm Chief at a fraction of the price.

[David B]

I've got a '48 FHC on a modern Trenier Jazz Special, a laminate 16" archtop. It's a classic sound but like many vintage pickups, the sound can very wildly. Mine had had a re-wind at some point in its life and was wound very hot at 9.5k, which in combination with a loose coil, made it microphonic.

I sent it to Nick Fryer of Fryer Pickups in Cincinatti in the US, who's one of the few people I've found who really know these pickups. He rewound it to 8k and tightened everything up. Now it sounds great.
I'm running mine with just a 1k volume pot. At some point in the future I will add a tone pot.

[customxke]

I actually prefer them to Rhythm Chiefs. I use one on a 50s L5, and it’s one of my favorite electric tones.

[omphalopsychos]

My favorite pickup ever is a Dearmond fhc. They don’t all sound the same. Some of them sound muffled and wooly, some of them sound honky, some of them sound bright. The one on my dangelico has the most perfect balance of clarity and fullness of any pickup I have ever played.

[slabboardsam]

Saw one in a mixed box of junk at a guitar show in September, $200 obo. Should have gotten it for my Loar LH-700.

[zephyrregent]

I also have an FHC pickup on a Trenier Jazz Special that was built as an acoustic. The sound is clear, notes sustain a long time, there is no heavy muddy bass. I can have the tone control all the way up on the guitar and the tone still isn't too bright.

I had a Rhythm Chief 1100 installed on a D'Angelico EXL-1 years ago. It was better than the stock Armstrong "Jazzy Joe" floating pickup. I think the FHC has a different sound, it's hard to describe.

[pingu]

1304782[/URL]]I've got a '48 FHC on a modern Trenier Jazz Special, a laminate 16" archtop. It's a classic sound but like many vintage pickups, the sound can very wildly. Mine had had a re-wind at some point in its life and was wound very hot at 9.5k, which in combination with a loose coil, made it microphonic.

I sent it to Nick Fryer of Fryer Pickups in Cincinatti in the US, who's one of the few people I've found who really know these pickups. He rewound it to 8k and tightened everything up. Now it sounds great.
I'm running mine with just a 1k volume pot. At some point in the future I will add a tone pot.

thanks for the info everyone
interesting ….
i saw one for sale that had a dc resistance of 10.5 Kohms

shame Guild or whoever don’t make a repro one ….

[2bornot2bop]

I've got a '48 FHC on a modern Trenier Jazz Special, a laminate 16" archtop. It's a classic sound but like many vintage pickups, the sound can very wildly. Mine had had a re-wind at some point in its life and was wound very hot at 9.5k, which in combination with a loose coil, made it microphonic.

I sent it to Nick Fryer of Fryer Pickups in Cincinatti in the US, who's one of the few people I've found who really know these pickups. He rewound it to 8k and tightened everything up. Now it sounds great.
I'm running mine with just a 1k volume pot. At some point in the future I will add a tone pot.

Beautiful! We’d love to hear it!

[omphalopsychos]

I also have an FHC pickup on a Trenier Jazz Special that was built as an acoustic. The sound is clear, notes sustain a long time, there is no heavy muddy bass. I can have the tone control all the way up on the guitar and the tone still isn't too bright.

I had a Rhythm Chief 1100 installed on a D'Angelico EXL-1 years ago. It was better than the stock Armstrong "Jazzy Joe" floating pickup. I think the FHC has a different sound, it's hard to describe.

Yeah that is a real special one! So harmonically rich.

[omphalopsychos]

Here's one on my L7. Sorry for spamming with my own playing, but I'm enthusiastic about these pickups.

Finally, here's the master. My inspiration for using an FHC.

[pingu]

1304839[/URL]]Here's one on my L7. Sorry for spamming with my own playing, but I'm enthusiastic about these pickups.

Finally, here's the master. My inspiration for using an FHC.

don’t worry omph ,you’re playing and
the L7/FHC all sound great !

I love this style of music
is it just called ‘swing’ ?

anyway , love it !

[omphalopsychos]

Ha! Thank you! I dunno what to call it. It’s mostly pretty mainstream jazz borrowing from a lot of traditions including bebop, but swing and soul jazz are probably the two biggest influences.