DeArmond neck pickup opinions?

[tugboat]

I should be getting the wood for my LP Special scratch build within the next few weeks. Can't wait to start on it! I have a pickup question though (jumping the gun quite a bit but oh well). I heard a clip of one of those Gibson Alnico Staple pickups on YouTube and loved it. Very fat and clear. Problem is only Seymour Duncan makes them in their custom shop and they're ridiculously expensive. Then I read something about how it's essentially a Dynasonic with rectangular pole pieces. Which lead me to find TV Jones' T-Armond inside a soapbar cover. Would this be a groovy combination with a P-90 in the bridge or should I stick with dual P-90's. It's not cheap either but it's cheaper than the Duncans.

I have time to think about it though. If my build goes OK I should be ready for pickups this winter.

[chuckocaster]

I think so! I say go for it.

[tugboat]

It's kinda hard going by YouTube videos and Internet sound clips though. The YouTube video I saw was some Fretted Americana video of a guy named Phil X playing an old 1956 Gibson Black Beauty. Loved the sound of that neck pickip. If the Dynasonics sound like the staple pickups that would be sweet. I've heard other sound clips of neck P-90's that I love as well though.

It just gets confusing listening to Internet sound clips. I have several months to stew on it though. I might end up just getting a matching neck P-90 since it's cheaper though. Save me even more money. Those T-Armonds aren't cheap either.

[NeoFauve]

That's the reverse of the p'up arrangement on a Gretsch G6120EC. The Eddie Cochran. It's a hollowbody, so there'd be obvious differences. But having played one of those a number of times, it's hard to imagine it being lousy, even backwards, and in a solidbody
http://youtu.be/hmejQL2HMKY

[tugboat]

That's the reverse of the p'up arrangement on a Gretsch G6120EC. The Eddie Cochran. It's a hollowbody, so there'd be obvious differences. But having played one of those a number of times, it's hard to imagine it being lousy, even backwards, and in a solidbody
http://youtu.be/hmejQL2HMKY

The clip I heard of that black beauty sounded incredible with the p90 bridge/staple neck. After some googling it does look like the Staple pickup is indeed just a Dynasonic with rectangular magnets.

[Kap'n]

I love the T-Armonds. Apparently these folks thought the DeArmonds sounded pretty good in the neck position.

[tugboat]

That's a pretty cool picture! Who are they?

[Kap'n]

That's Mary Ford and her backup band.

[Gravity Jim]

That's Mary Ford and her backup band.

Har!

[Frat Rettle]

L.P. hisself.

[tugboat]

L.P. hisself.

That's a heckuva backup band!

I just youtubed some old Les Paul and Mary Ford stuff. I've never really listened to his stuff before but he was a crazy good guitarist! Probably why he had a guitar named after him!

He looked like he loved Les Paul's with either the Dynasonic or staple pickup in the neck.

[Kap'n]

Mary Ford was a better guitar player than I could hope to be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Df09Sodpk

Those are the DeArmond equipped guitars, on the neck pickup.

[tugboat]

She's a lot better than I am, that's for sure!!

[tugboat]

One more question. How does a Dynasonic/T-Armond compare in output with a P-90? If I have a standard output P-90 in the bridge will it overpower a T-Armond in the neck?

[Kap'n]

T-Armonds are pretty loud. Probably about the same output as a "normal" P90. They are extremely percussive, though, more like a Fender style pickup, due to the rod magnet design. A lot of lows.

The standard Dynasonics that Gretsch supplies these days are lower output than that.

[tugboat]

Good to hear. Leaning towards a T-Armond in the neck and a P-90 in the bridge. Love the sound of that pickup style but am finding it hard to justify paying more just to have rectangular Polepieces on the staple pickup through the SD custom shop.

[Kap'n]

Hmmm...staple pickups are supposedly unbalanced compared to the P90 in the bridge of mid 50's LPC's. They're also allegedly based on the DeArmonds.

I haven't directly compared them, so maybe I was guessing wrong?

I can say that T-Armonds are hotter than TV Classics. Probably comparable, level wise, with the Burstbucker Pros in my LP. Maybe a touch less hot.

[tugboat]

That output sounds like it would work just fine with a P-90 in the bridge. I may try the T-Armond in the neck.

[yankeerob]

When it comes to pickups - I buy great stuff from people I know personally... Hayden Minnett of Bulldog is 'The Man' when it comes to winding a great PAF or P-90... or anything else... in the manstream - unfortunately - he doesn't - at present - do those funky Lester neck p/ups... I personally don't understand the hype about them in any case.... I've bought a ton of GFS stuff lately - because it's so low risk... and kept it all because it's so interesting... OK... I've also assembled a fair bit of neck/body stock on the cheap to experiment with... but my point is... if you were to take a calculated risk on something like their 'Soapbar 180' for the grand sum of $32.95 and wired it so you could have it either S/C or H/B... I'll bet you dollars to doughnuts it'll give you more back than any boutique wannabe in terms of what you - personally - will get out of it... and if worst comes to worst... someone'll buy it for $20... in fact I'll go as far as saying I'll buy it from you for the asking... how 'bout that for a recommendation.... yours faithfully...

[ziess]

I was playing my Dyna Jet yesterday for a few hours...
How about putting the Dyna in the bridge?

[tugboat]

I was playing my Dyna Jet yesterday for a few hours...
How about putting the Dyna in the bridge?

This guitar will be an interesting middle ground. I've thought about that too but I think I'd prefer a P90 in the bridge. I already have a really good twanger in my Tele and my concern with a Dynasonic in the bridge would be be too much crossover with the Tele. If it works out I think a P90 in the bridge would be a better middle ground between Humbuckers and a Tele.