Very high output pickups in 1967 SF5

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Hi to you all!
I have an opportunity to buy 67 sf5, and the pickups reading on this one are quite high- 11k both positions.
Other 60s sf I played had usually 6k-7k readings and sounded pretty good.
So I need to know please if the higher reading pickups are original (seller says its dearmounds)
And if someone happens to know how the higher readings pickups sounds relatively to the standard sf pickups. Thanks!!!
 

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Hi X-wing! 11k is not a stock Guild humbucker, it does sound right for a DeArmond. Does it have replacement pickups?
 

SFIV1967

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As Steve said, a 1967 Starfire V came with Guild mini humbuckers. The DeArmonds are replacement pickups, unless it was a "Special" built, which should be visible on the label (usually marked with "Spec").
In 1970 some Starfire Vs came with DeArmind pickups and special mounting rings to cover the holes of the already routed mini humbuckers, see Hans' book page 89 for a picture.
Ralf
 

Walter Broes

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That does seem like a high DC reading. That said, I used to have a mid sixties SFIV, and I never measured the pickups, but it certainly was a loud guitar!
 
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Thanks for answering
Im
Sorry for my ignorance - the pickups are Guild mini HB, but I thought they were made by Dearmond.
Im any case, they are seems to be original to the guitar. The guitar indeed very loud. I tried to find online another SF with hotter pickups but couldn’t find.
Thanks again
 

SFIV1967

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the pickups are Guild mini HB, but I thought they were made by Dearmond.
No. Guild introduced their own mini humbuckers in 1963. They were introduced to replace the DeArmond pickups and were made by Guild, not DeArmond.
The factory Guild made mini humbuckers in a 1967 Starfire V look like this: https://shop.guitarpoint.de/media/images/popup/Guild67SF5CH_EN1410_5.jpg
But they were always in the 6.5-7k ohms range. If you have those Guild mini humbucker pickups in your guitar and they read 11k that means they were rewound and are not original.
Don't worry, a lot of sellers don't know about the details, there was an Emerald green 1967 Starfire V on ebay where Cream City Music also said they are DeArmonds, but they had a 6.xk ohms reading. They were clearly Guild mini humbuckers from the pictures.

The DeArmond pickups in the rare 1970 Starfire V looked like the bridge pickup on that one: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/34/07/5e/34075ed2bc69bcefccfdcc24acfcb964.jpg
Same style like on Gretsch guitars in the 50ies.

Ralf
 
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dapmdave

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Looks like lots of good replies for the first part of your question. As to the second... this old acoustic player, turned electric player, has learned that lower output pickups generally sound better (to my ears, at least). As in a lot of things, a bigger number is not necessarily better.
 
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