Hey guys, after toiling at the forums and researching for quite some time, I've decided to try kinmans. The problem is I'm having a hard time deciding which ones to go for.

Based on the sound clips, I really dig the voicing of the blues set (clean set), but I hear maybe a little flatness on the high end (Kinda reminds me of the lace sensors I used to have), I'd like a little more clarity. Distortion wise it sounds like the "new" traditionals (Which chris claims are now the same output as the blues) or the woodstocks are the ticket. I can't melt them in a pot and combine, so I must choose.

My AMSE Strat is a little on the wimpy side, needs some beef, it's one of those "light resonant" (Maple neck/alder body) type guitars if you know what I mean.

I'm looking for balls and clarity if that's possible, but without the scooped midrange. Tall order for sure.

These pickups will be used for Blues, Funk/Rock, surf/50's songs mainly.

If I can go from SRV to patsy cline to james brown to kool and the gang I'll be set.

Based on this, which set do you think will get me the closest with a bass shy strat?

Many thanks in advance!

I use the 56/56/59bridge set and love it, they have more chunk and bark than regular strat pups and work very well into distortion boxes..... the 60s sets are thicker and smoother which I didnt need....... havent tried the 'new' sets

Last year I had a Strat loaded with Kinmans. The bridge unit was the Southern Cousin (overwound tone), whilst the other 2 were the Vintage '62 models.

You're right about the top end being a little like the Lace sensor/Dimarzio Virtual Vintage/EMG p/u's - flat and uninteresting. I AB'ed a bunch of recordings with these pick-ups and a set of Fender CS Fat '50's (overwound vintage pick-ups). The result to my ears was really like chalk and cheese. I go for more traditional Strat blues tones with minimal processing and for my requirements the Fender Fat '50's were streets ahead of the Kinman's in terms of tonal character and authenticity. I've since found similar results with Suhr V60LP's compared to the Kinmans.

If you use a lot of OD/Distortion/signal processing I could see how the Kinman's would be preferable in terms of their hum-cancelling properties.

And don't get me wrong, they didn't sound awful at all - definitely better (more organic, less Hi-Fi) than the Dimarzios and EMG's. I just found the tonal compromise too great to justify keeping them in my Strat.

quote:

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Originally posted by blues healer:
You're right about the top end being a little like the Lace sensor/Dimarzio Virtual Vintage/EMG p/u's - flat and uninteresting.

...for my requirements the Fender Fat '50's were streets ahead of the Kinman's in terms of tonal character and authenticity. I've since found similar results with Suhr V60LP's compared to the Kinmans.

If you use a lot of OD/Distortion/signal processing I could see how the Kinman's would be preferable in terms of their hum-cancelling properties.

I just found the tonal compromise too great to justify keeping them in my Strat.

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+1 - Well said, BH.

I've been using Kinmans for a couple years now. I've got the Woodstocks in an ash strat with Maple/paoferro neck. I find them pretty damn nice and the top end is more present than his other pickups. The deal is his blues and traditional sets are "aged tone" where he simulates old magnets by knocking off topend. I had a set of traditionals and did not like them. Got these Woodstocks and am way happier. The Woodstocks are "un-aged tone"

I've been thinking about picking up a set of Blues (62,62, Scn) just kinda looking for a great deal.

I also gotta say, my other am std with the standard singles are pretty damn quiet with the proper sheilding.

+2 on that. I've had a set of AVN blues(?)in a strat (maple neck/ash body) for a couple of years now and while they're more natural, and quieter, than either the DiMarzios or EMG's they just don't sound like "strat" pickups. They sound good and they will give more mids. For me they just have a real "80's" thing about them - too clean I guess. And, for what it's worth, they'll be coming out of that axe when I get around to it. I love that quote about 'chalk and cheese' blues healer - it's perfectly descriptive.

+ 1 for Woodstocks. Bright and snappy without being shrill.

I've got an older set of the Classics (56-56-59) like DonneR and I like them, I've been using them for 4 or 5 years. The secret to the Kinmans is the height adjustment, this varies the tone much more so than on regular pickups. I like mine about 1/8" above the pickguard as I feel this gives a nice open and "woody" tone to the neck pup. The bridge pup is slightly hotter than the one in the Trad set and I like it alot especially with distortion. For me they were a huge step up in tone from the stock Am. Std. pickups in my '93 Strat and the Texas Specials I used for awhile. I should say that they sound alot better in my basswood body MIJ Strat than they did in my poplar Am. Std., more punchy and lively with better top and bottom end.

FWIW the tech who works on all my guitars now once said that "Basswood bodies sound like good old alder bodies should sound", which I thought was an interesting statement since basswood is considered "cheap" body wood by many....

Guy thanks for the response! You know just when I think I have my mind made up, winds of change are abound!

The Suhr's DO sound tasty, but from the descriptions I've read, I think I want more beef(?). For the true single coils, the Wagners, and Fender's Fat 50's were also ideas if I were to go that route. Currently I have dimarzio blue/red velvets in the strat. Which over all were an improvement over the stock deltas, are still not "there." I felt like I lost some of the organicness (is that a word?)
for power, but still would have liked more power from the pickups for that compromise. They brought some other new sounds to the table that were cool, but still didn't give me a woody.

However I do play dirty/clean about 50/50 and when recording am around computer monitors, so the hum can pose to be an issue. Which is why I've been looking at Kinmans. I tried the newer lace varieties (Holy Grail, Hot Golds) and HATED them! Really lifeless, and my guitar no longer sounded like a strat to me. That's the only thing that makes me a little concerned on kinman, but everything I've read, says that's not so much an issue with those p'ups. I tried the SCN's on the new fender strats, which sounded pretty nice on first impression.

More opinions please...espeacially if you have experience ith the red/blue velvets that you could compare the other pickups mentioned to!

Thanks

bumpity...

If you're thinking about going sincle coil. The Duncan Antiquities have caught my attention. The Texas Hots and the Surfers.

I wonder what great sheilding could do for the noise issue?

Good shielding and good hook-up wire will dramatically reduce your noise. I prefer copper paint and tape for the cavity and cloth covered wire. This and a decent cable will keep you pretty quiet - even in front of a computer.

John to be honest...I did the guitarnuts shielding to my tele...it took about 4 hours and what I noticed was that I could now take my hands off the strings and there was no more noise...as far as reducing the noise of the already noisy single coils...I really don't think it did much if any of that...YMMV!!

Chow,
Seegs

try these out:

http://www.soundclick.com/bands/6/jokerjknymusic.htm

'56 relic w/ AVN Blues into my Fuchs ODS-30 w/ Tone Tubby HempE.

Thanks joker! I actually had already found this.

They were very useful. Glad you had that stuff up!