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I did a comparison video of a dearmond 1100 reissue and the dearmond 1100 original pickup. First of all this was pain in the ass in youtube and I am a horrible editor so please be patient. The first video is the reissue dearmond that is on my Heritage Ghost built D'angelico New Yorker. This is a brand new pickup available now. The second is a video of my Barker guitar with an original dearmond 1100 and it has been on the guitar since 1979. I just played a basic tune and some single lines at the end to get and idea of difference in sound. Note the guitars do have different strings but essentially that should not matter given the pickup sound is what we are going for and hopefully this helps. To me there is a difference but nothing that I can tell and nothing good or bad about either one.
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04-27-2024 03:30 PM
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Hard to compare being they are 2 different guitars and strings but i would say you can't go wrong with either pickup version.Thanks for the video's.
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In the playback as I listening these pickups work differently the humbuckers. The Heritage D'a is a brighter sounding guitar acoustically and sounds very different than the Barker. The Barker is a bit warmer with more mid-range not the top end of the Heritage and not quite the bite. I think these pickups essentially amplified those characteristics pretty good and reliable. What is tells me more than anything else is that the reissues work fine and look just like the originals but save you plenty of cash. I don't mind paying for something premium if it truly is above and beyond the regular stuff, but I also find there are diminishing returns.
Premium things to spend money on......well for one good beer, never buy the cheap stuff usually not worth it.
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Thanks for posting this. I was wondering about exactly this question lately (which is sort of silly since I don't even own an archtop).
Comparing the two, I like the sound of the original better. It's definitely warmer but they both sound very good and I have no way to know if the added warmth is the pickup, strings, or guitar. There is a definite vibe to both of them that I associate with these pickups and the new one certainly sounds like something I could easily live with given the easy availability and price regardless of the difference or where that difference originates.
A couple of questions if you don't mind. As I understand it both of these are single coil pickups. What is the hum/noise level like?
And what is the height of these pickups? This may seem like a really stupid question but is it thin enough to mount on the end of say a Tele fingerboard or does it need more height than that?
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I was very disappointed when I put the reissue on my D'A and expected to get the same sound that I got from the RC-1000 I used ages ago.
Then I remembered that I was expecting to get the same sound that I got from a PV Vintage amp with two SRO EV speakers which I used with the RC-1000, and it just can't be done with the amps I used to test it.
You've got to factor in the three elements involved in sound production on an amplified guitar- the guitar, which includes factors such as the strings, the pickup, and the amp, which includes the speakers.
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The Barker sounds warmer, but it’s impossible to tell what difference there might be because each guitar is different. The Heritage sounds fantastic in my book!
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Jim these are as thin as they come although the 1000 without the polepieces is ever a bit lower. You can get clearance even when the distance from the top of the guitar to the bottom of strings is 10mm. I can tell you these pickups make no noise at all and I have never had an issue with them making noise. In some cases they are not even grounded to the strings and still make no noise at all. You can run a ground wire to the tailpiece, but it is not necessary most of the time on these pickups.
Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
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Both sound nice. I have an original on an Artist Award that I wouldn't think of replacing.
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I hear more midrange, more "texture" in the vintage one. Granted it's not apples to apples but this is consistent with my experience about what makes vintage dearmond pickups unique in the first place: they all have a natural "growl" built in. Maybe they sound the same through the amp. It's a little tricky to tell how much has to do with the acoustic sound of the guitar masking the guitar amp.
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I think the different guitar makes the difference. There was no rocket science involved with Harry DeArmond's pickups and Fender/Guild had (has?) them reproduced in the Orient pretty damn well.
I have owned quite a few vintage DeArmond pickups (I still have three of them) over the years and I like them a lot for jazz. My only experience with the reissues is that I bought a reissue rod for use with a vintage example and it did not fit perfectly (the reissue rods are ever so thinner). I also had to have one of my vintage DeArmond 1100's rewired and it cost me almost as much to have that done as a new reissue would cost. Old stuff eventually needs renovation. If I was looking for a pickup for a modern guitar and wanted a DeArmond, I would opt for a reissue. If It was for a valuable vintage guitar, I would go for an original, but strictly for valuation purposes (I believe that a vintage example on a valuable vintage guitar enhances the value of both).
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It absolutely depends on the guitar as a dearmond is a microphonic pickup so it responds to the acoustic environment.
I also could do a video comparing a vintage 1000 ( no polepieces ) and a reissue 1000 ( no polepieces.) These are wound different than the 1100 and I actually think the reissue sounds better than the reissue of the 1100. I don't want to post a clip of each if there is no interest but I can.
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I'd love to see that comparison. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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Tim Lerch has had a DeArmond Rhythm Chief pu in his tele. Originally Posted by Jim Soloway
For Those Looking for Different Tele Neck Pickup Tone
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I just bought a reissue 1000, and I'm loving it after less than a day. It's well balanced across monel strings, and sounds slightly smoother overall than the 1100 I had on the guitar, if my memory doesn't fail me. It's thinner, a little cheaper, and maybe better sounding than the 1100, and I wish I had bought these before. It's not a huge difference, though. I really can't imagine that the original could sound better than the reissue, of either model.
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Sgo, you found out exactly what I was hearing. The 1000 is smoother than the 1100 and I really need to post my using it on my 1938 L5. I bought the L5 naturally from the acoustic standpoint it is a punch sound generator for sure. However, I put the reissue on the guitar just to have and I am liking the electric sound so good I keep plugging it in because of the sound. It is big and warm and full of tone. Possibly one of the best electric sounds I hear. To me it is cross between a single coil and P90 sound and makes no noise. I clearly would not be paying premium for vintage originals. Originally Posted by sgosnell
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I'd really love to hear that. Originally Posted by deacon Mark
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