Artist Award pickup problem

[SFIV1967]

What about the black Benedetto pickup? Would they fit?




Now that I searched a bit that AA pickup problem was discussed here since 2005...

AA

Hi Everybody, I own a 93 Artist Award which which I bought used. Its a very fine Jazz Box ; The guitar of my dreams since the80th. But... The Pickup isnt as good as I expected. For my taste the Output is too weak, its unbalanced and thin sounding. Now I control it with a 0.15-54 Thomastik...

letstalkguild.com

artist award pickups

Any other Artist Award owners have experience of changing the pickups? these pickups get a fairly bad rap in many circles, and I know some people change them out. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's done this, and with what results. My own view at the moment is that the pickup is OK (...

letstalkguild.com

Artist Award Pickups (Revisited)

We talked about this in a thread started in Dec 08 -- viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10708 The issue, to my ears, is to get a more rounded sound from the post-DeArmond / pre-Benedetto Artist Award Model pickups. On both my amps, an Evans JE-200 and a JazzKat, I've normally had to set the treble control...

letstalkguild.com

Ralf

 

[GAD]

What stops you from rigging a Dearmond Monkey on a stick to a newly made pickguard? I mean original ones are quite expensive and some people don’t like the new ones but surely they have a better balance of string volume.

Nothing. It’s just ugly.

 

[Rambozo96]

Nothing. It’s just ugly.

Fair enough, kinda reminds me of the old headgear braces. It’s bothersome to think a guitar as prestigious as an Artist Award had such a abysmal pickup with poor string balance when it was made for a genre that would require it the most. Is the other options for a floater pickup a problem of aesthetics or clearance? I know zilch about jazz boxes but I’m having a hard time imagining it would be difficult to have a new scratch guard made that would fit the new floating pickup. I know some require you drill into the side of the neck to mount it which is understandably not an attractive option for a $5000+ jazz box.

 

[Keef T100]

Hi, great to hear from all you amazing people...good to feel less alone. Tilting the treble side of the pick up is not an option because it is rigidly attached to the pick-guard and the pick-guard is screwed on to the guitar in two places.

Replacing the pickup and the pick guard entirely seems the best option...Don't think I could spend £2050 on a De'Armond pickup, however.
(the current asking price on eBay!) especially in light of the fact that I can remember them being 6 guineas, (£6/6 shillings) when I was a lad!!

Where, I wonder would I find a Benedetto pickup?...(still missing adjustable pole pieces incidentally) I am currently consulting Monty's pickups in London to see if they have any suggestions....watch this space. Thanks again for all your consideration. Keith

 

[GAD]

You can buy Benedetto pickups right from Seymour Duncan (who makes them): https://www.seymourduncan.com/single-product/benedetto-s-6

 

[Keef T100]

Tthank you so much, Gad ...I am ordering a Benedetto...hope they will ship to England.

 

[Nuuska]

Hello

One more thing to try - and it costs nearly next to nothing.

You have not said what strings you use - wound or plain G etc

I have sen some guitars w wound G have the problem, that H/B string is too loud compared to E string.

(Heaven forbid us to talk about G-string )


You could take a cotter-pin - cut it in hallf wo the ring end - then put that piece of cotter-pin under the too-loud-string.

The magnet of the pup will hold it in place.

 

[Keef T100]

What about the black Benedetto pickup? Would they fit?




Now that I searched a bit that AA pickup problem was discussed here since 2005...

AA

Hi Everybody, I own a 93 Artist Award which which I bought used. Its a very fine Jazz Box ; The guitar of my dreams since the80th. But... The Pickup isnt as good as I expected. For my taste the Output is too weak, its unbalanced and thin sounding. Now I control it with a 0.15-54 Thomastik...

letstalkguild.com

artist award pickups

Any other Artist Award owners have experience of changing the pickups? these pickups get a fairly bad rap in many circles, and I know some people change them out. I'd be interested to hear from anyone who's done this, and with what results. My own view at the moment is that the pickup is OK (...

letstalkguild.com

Artist Award Pickups (Revisited)

We talked about this in a thread started in Dec 08 -- viewtopic.php?f=3&t=10708 The issue, to my ears, is to get a more rounded sound from the post-DeArmond / pre-Benedetto Artist Award Model pickups. On both my amps, an Evans JE-200 and a JazzKat, I've normally had to set the treble control...

letstalkguild.com

Ralf

Hi...It has taken some time but I have had a new scratch plate made and have had a Benedetto (Seymour Duncan ) pickup installed.... and the first string deficiency is cured!! I would like to say that the string balance is now perfect but that would not quite be true....It would seem that in their desire to avoid second string dominance, they have gone slightly too far the other way and now the second sting is a little weak....but I can live with it...the guitar is now playable and immeasurably better than it was...Thank you so much to all the contributors, who helped me sort the problem out....best wishes, Keith

 

[GAD]

We’d love to see it!

 

[Rich Cohen]

I have that pickup on my AA and it's terrible due to the string imbalance. I mainly play the guitar acoustically so it isn't an issue currently. Nevertheless, I'm still looking for suitable replacement.

Jag, I recommend talking with Joe Vinikow of archtop.com. He can recommend a solution to the problems you and other face with respect to that era of AAs.

 

[Aristocrater]

Are you using electric or acoustic strings? Acoustic strings don't respond as good as electrics do thru the pickup.

 

[GAD]

Guys, he solved it. See a couple of posts above.