Pick up for Sweet 16

[iim7v7im7]

Hi,

 

I own a 2001 custom Sweet 16 with an HRW 3 pickup (pickguard mount) with a volume and tone pots on the pickguard.  I am considering swaping out the pick-up.  I am interested in other pickups that others have tried?  I use the instrument for straight ahead jazz chord melody with either a Polytone Mega-Brute or an Allen Accomplice (Fender Blackface Circuit) with a 1 x 12" cabinet.

 

My guitar tech is kind of a purist and only recommends old DeArmonds (http://www.dearmondguitars.com/pickups.html) which cost a fortune if you can find one. The options that I have identified for pick-up mounted PUs are:

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Kent Armstrongs (http://www.wdmusic.com/pickups_for_jazz_13624_ctg.htm),

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Seymour Duncan-Bennedettos (http://benedettopickups.com/home.htm),

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Lindy Fralins (http://www.fralinpickups.com/jazzguitar.asp)

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Newer HRW model (http://www.heritageguitar.com/Custom%20Features/HRW-pickup.htm)

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Buscarino http://www.buscarino.com/accessories.html

 

I am looking for a warm tone with excellent string to string clarity.  I f I had to describe what I would like improvement in, its clarity. Have any of you tryed out any of these?  Any benefit over what I have now?

 

Thanks,

 

Bob

[SouthpawGuy]

Hi and Welcome to the HOC ...

 

I have no personal experience of a Sweet 16, but here are links to a couple of HOC threads that might help.

 

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/i...opic,188.0.html

 

http://www.heritageownersclub.com/forums/i...pic,1731.0.html

 

 

I do have an HRW equipped Millennium, think of a LP with f-holes, and lately I've been using it through a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube pedal, to reduce  the gain and boost the bass end slighlty, into a Blues Junior. I'm getting a very passable jazz tone indeed.

 

 

by the way it's customary to post pics of your guitar, as I'm sure someone will tell you shortly.

 

Regards ...

[Gitfiddler]

Hi and Welcome, Bob. 

 

You've included most of the nice p'ups for a floater, but I caution you to steer clear of the K.Armstrongs offered by WD Music.  Those are the Korean models marketed under Kent's license.  They are not equal to any pickup personally hand wound by him.  I purchased a floating humbucker from WD, thinking it was the answer to my tone needs, only to send it back for a refund.  I contacted Kent directly via email and purchased a hand wound PAF with twelve adjustment pole pieces for my Sweet 16 and Golden Eagle.

 

They are superb pickups and can be purchased through

 

 

www.archtop.com

 

Hope this helps!

[iim7v7im7]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the Kent Armstrong recommendation (www.archtop.com).  I think I might have to decide between the Armstrong Handmade Floating Single-Coil and the Armstrong Handmade Adjustable Floating PAF. 

 

Does anybody have experience comparing these two PUs?

 

:-)

 

Bob

[brentrocks]

welcome BOB!

[ingeneri]

Bob,

 

I got the floating Kent Armstrong Johnny Smith pickup for my D'angelico.  I liked it so much, I recently ordered the built in KA humbucker from archtop.com for the neck pickup on my Super Eagle.  Like you, I'm tempted by the floating single coil as it's supposedly close to the old dearmond sound.  You may also want to check this custom pickup out as well: http://tomshortshandmadepickups.com/steve_...zz_floater.html

 

Another concern to have about the old dearmonds, they're really unreliable.  I spent a fortune on one only to find the odd cable didn't work.  You can get new cables from archtop.com, but they cost $50.  Also, they weren't made to attach to the pickguard like modern floating pickups.  So you either have to use the ugly monkey bar, or drill into the side of the neck.