Other manufacturers please be aware that Kinman, Hx, H-core, No-Hum, AVn, SCn, Belltone and DCT are Trade Marks of Chris Kinman.
*Stratocaster and *Strat are trade marks of Fender Musical Instrument Corp. Kinman Guitar Electrix is not associated with Fender but they kindly consent to me referring to their marks. Fender have asked me to tell you that they do not endorse Kinman products (understandably :)
25-Mar-08. Prices rising soon, after 10 years remaining unchanged.
We lead in No-Hum pickup technology today ... others will try to catch up tomorrow
who are you going to follow? the innovator or the imitator?
Sensational NEWS NoSoldering Harness for 2 & 3 pickup Teles with TK4 and TK9 switching, Click here.
Additional information:- Click to read all kinds of useful hints and other information about these pickups.
If it aint got that twang it don't mean a thang!!!.
There
are just 2 sets of Kinman pickups to suit the Telecaster.
Broadcaster set is twangy but fat and meaty too (details below)
60's
Custom set is clean twangy Tele (details below)
NOTE: The bridge pickups are BLACK, not blue as some monitors present them.
Prices, options & Shipping are displayed on our Shop
This set replicates the elusive Broadcaster** pickups sound of the early
1950's but without that annoying hum. Thick and focused tone with
lots of drive...and they are never muddy. The prominent
complex Alnico midrange makes for superb definition with satisfying
'attitude' and plenty of output that cuts effortlessly through the
rest of the band (satisfaction guaranteed). This set has prominent
high end shimmer and air but a more fuller bodied
twang than the 60's Custom set..... and has wide dynamic range that will
delight Tele players who want the extra fat tone and punch of those
early Broadcasters**. The middle position of the selector switch
is a uniquely Kinman tone that some players have said is to die for. My
exclusive design allows me to preserve the original appearance of
the bridge pickup with white string coil overlay and the neck unit
with it's Nickelled cover, without sacrificing any performance or
tone. It's all there in abundance with nothing missing except for
the 60Hz hum, buzz and microphonic whistle. Click on the links to
the individual models for more specific info.
Prices, options & Shipping are displayed on our Shop
This set replicates my favorite Tele* tone, the 1960's white-edgebound
Custom with single coils. This set is brighter than the Broadcasters but never thin, and
has classic Tele focus, twang, dynamics and high end chime. Great
for chickin pickin country lead or any other classic Tele style.
The middle position of the switch sounds better than with original
Telecaster pickups.
Think
of the very best Telecaster tone that you can remember; well this
set has more body/girth/fullness (never thin or excessively bright)
but is not muddy It has very nice complex Alnico midrange detail.... and
it has almost zero 60Hz hum and zero microphonic whistle. Another
feature players will be delighted with is the superb string output
balance. Even the appearance of the original Tele pickups has been
retained, the bridge unit has the black string coil overlay and
the neck pickup has a Nickelled cover. Click on the links to the
individual models for more specific info.
These graphs are intended to give an impression of the tone while not
being representative of any actual measurements.
Note that the tone bars are related to output, which is related to attack/presence.
The treble bar is actually representative of presence as well as
high frequencies.
Background story:
When I set about creating my models for the Telecaster* I had a persistent
determination to preserve the appearance and sound of the originals.
To accomplish this I couldn't use my existing Strat pickup design
so I invented a totally new technology (H-core technology), with it's own set of Patents,
especially for Telecasters. It took 3-1/2 years to perfect the manufacturing
methods but the massive effort in terms of time and special equipment
that had to be invented and constructed was worth it in the end.
These are not just Strat pickups in a different guise, these are
totally new and have their own unique quintessential Telecaster
character and almost magically they have more girth (many regular Tele
pickups have a skinny sound) and much sweeter highs than regular
single coils and yet display abundant presence. Click
on the links to the individual models for more specific info.
Here is a unique list of benefits than you can expect to enjoy when you
fit Kinman pickups.
- No Hum
- Toneful*, Gorgeous, Sweet, Chimy, Bell-like vintage tone
- Crystal clear sound for home PC & Studio recording
- The richly detailed tone of 6 Alnico magnets (like a Fine concert
Piano)
- Outstanding projection, clarity and note separation ... excellent projection to off-stage areas.
- Amazing note definition, fullness and presence (Fat but not muddy)
- Sustain by the bucket full; no string pull & no E/G string
warble from Stratitis
- Well balanced string outputs
- No magnet induced string-into-fret crash so sound is cleaner
- Excellent dynamic range, brings your strings to life and adds
increased 'feel' to your playing
- Extended string life, save money (up to twice as long depending
on your body chemistry)
- Ohhhhh….and I guess I should tell you these are 99.5% NoHum. Shhhhhhhhhhhh...I don't want to make a big deal
of it because other big brand noiseless pickups have created a stigma
for the term noiseless......but mine are different.... really ... different!!!
Look for the Angled selector switch ... only Kinman Harness have it, don't settle for less.
Get greater versatility with extended switching functions.
Install pickups without soldering!
Change pickups at will without soldering!
Replace existing controls with high quality parts without soldering!
Packed with great features to make you sound and play better and look cool too. I am pleased to offer what others say is impossible.... my UNIQUE NoSoldering Harness for Telecaster* (and copies): TK4 Harness for 2 pickups and TK9 Harness for 3 pickup Teles.
These harness make it dead easy for you to install Kinman pickups into your Tele* or similar because you don't have to solder anything. It comes with my pickups and high quality pots, switch and output socket all pre-soldered or with solderless connections. NOTE: Is not suitable for Thinlines with controls thru the wood or for some copy guitars with a control cavity that measures less than 1" (25mm) in width. Download an Accomodation Template to check if it will fit into your non-Fender guitar.
Here's what's special:-
Absolutely ZERO soldering required. 3 years in develoment and perfecting.
Save install costs. Do it yourself inside 30 minute using basic tools.
No twisted wire connections and no wrap around tape. Just clean, secure, reliable connections that will NOT fail you.
Patent applied for angled switch control panel to solve clashing of the knobs in the bridge pickup position. (not sold separately)
No modification needed for Tele’s* and similar guitars. 2 and 3 pickup versions available.
Save install costs. Do it yourself inside 30 minute using basic tools.
Supplied with an innovative chromed Control panel (Patent pending). See Photos below.
User switchable High Definition & Normal tone caps. TK4 and TK9 (internal slide switch)
Fitted with specially made high quality CTS pots, guaranteed to optimize performance of Kinman pickups, OAK selector switch, Switchcraft jack socket.
Brass dome knobs (chrome plated).
Order with Kinman Tele pickups as an *Add-on* item on my Shop Online .
Passive circuitry, no battery required.
Click on these images to enlarge. You will receive your pickups and Harness mounted on a Red shipping panel, the pickups are mounted at 45 degrees just so they will fit onto the shipping panel. You swap everything from this panel to your unmodified Telecaster. Install instructions are sent by email at time of shipping.
Angled switch............ TK9 toggle switch .......... TK4 two pup Harness... TK9 three pickup Harness
Click to View 2 pickup 'NoSoldering Harness TK4'.
Click to View 3 pickup 'NoSoldering Harness TK9'. You can option a Tele neck pickup in the middle instead of a Strat pickup.
Click for TK4 selection chart of the 4 pickup combinations (PDF file
Click for TK9 selection chart of the 7+ pickup combinations (PDF file).
NOTE: Some early Mexican Teles and Tokai's have an exceptionally narrow control cavity which has to be widened to allow our CTS pots to fit in. The MIM specimen I saw was made around 1992. However later versions of Fender's MIM have a normal control cavity measuring 25mm (1" ) wide. I recommend you measure your cavity if in doubt, or be prepared to have it widened with a router.
- The TK4 two pickup NoSoldering Harness:
Beautifully designed and manufactured. The TK4 Harness comes with a 4 position pickup selector switch. In addition to the regular pickup selections the 4th position combines the two pickups in series to provide instant volume boost for a fatter tone with crunch sound [ thanks to the increased output] This connection yields a sound not unlike a P-90 in some respects (only NoNoise).
Another sweet feature is a tiny switch on the harness that allows you to choose between my High Definition tone cap and a regular tone cap. All it takes is 60 seconds of your time to easily change that switch.
- The TK9 three pickup NoSoldering Harness:
NOTE-1: Many Teles have the middle pickup cavity already routed and all that is needed to have 3 pickups is to change the pickguard and get a Kinman TK9 NoSoldering Tele Harness. NOTE-2: Choose between Tele and Strat pickups for the neck and middle positions on my Shop Online
A Masterpiece in Design. Along with all the new innovative features of my other Tele’s Harness the 3 pickup version has some very attractive additional features. First there is a low profile toggle switch mounted subterranean between the 2 knobs that, when flicked down, combines the bridge and middle pickup into series, simultaneously disabling the pickup selector switch (which can be left 'set' so you can return without hesitation). This provides instant crunch sound with a fatter tone thanks to the increased output of the series connection yielding a sound reminiscent of a P-90. The neck pickup can be added via the K7 control (provided that feature has been selected with the 2nd internal switch, read on). This gives a fat but slightly hollow crunch tone similar to a Marshall sound.
There are two tiny 2-position slide switches mounted in the harness. The first switch comes pre-set so the second pot is acting as my K7 mix control, yielding 7+ sounds from the 3 pickups. Sliding the switch converts the
pot from the K7 control to become a Tone control. Again all it takes is 60 seconds of your time. It’s your choice. Disabling the K7 does not affect the K9 switching function.
The second switch allows you to choose between my High Definition tone cap and a regular tone cap when the first switch is set to Tone control. Again, 60 seconds of your time to easily change that switch.
On regular single coils for *Strat's and *Tele's the Alnico-5 magnets
are quite strong, too strong to allow natural string vibration patterns.
The result is reduced sustain and a kind of warbling sound from
certain strings (the G-3rd and E-6th strings are the worst affected)
that is actually a mix of discordant frequencies mixed together,
not a pure steady note of a fixed pitch (see Strat-itis).
And because the strong magnet pull causes strings to crash onto the frets Fender's are notoriously buzzy/rattly
instruments and sustain is cut short by the loss of energy from
the strings.
The heart and soul of Kinman pickups is my unique Alnico-5 magnets
which have 35% less magnetic pull that allows the strings to vibrate
freely and purely. Sustain is noticeable longer and there is negligible
Stratitis. And because the strings are not pulled into the frets
by the magnets the sound is amazingly devoid of buzzes and rattles
and crashing of strings into frets.
This is not magnet aging or simple degaussing, this is a metallurgical
difference in the material itself...that also imparts a rich and complex
tonal texture, a difference that you will hear the moment you first
hear Kinman's. Amazingly output is not sacrificed with the
reduction in magnet strength. You will be astonished at the sustain,
clarity and purity of sound that your guitar will produce when you
fit Kinman's. This is how your guitar sounds when the strings are
not hampered by excessively strong magnets.....as many thousands
of players have discovered to their delight.
High string/Low string
presence difference solved.
As of December '02 all Kinman pickups will be shipped with an improvement
that guitar players will love. Many players complain that if they
set their amp up for killer wound string sound their un-wound strings
literally slice their ears open with excessive presence. But when
they adjust the amp to make the un-wound strings bearable they loose
the great tone they had on the wound strings. There seemed to be
no-where in between. Other manufacturers have tried to remedy this
by using Alnico-5 magnets on the wound strings and Alnico-2 magnets
on the un-wound strings, but having different magnets changes the
overall sound and results in a different type of pickup.
I have found a way of achieving a good result without using different
magnets in the same pickup. Resistance, inductance, resonance, magnet
strength and Q are unchanged so this little secret of mine can't
be detected other than by listening. The wound strings on my pickups
have all the snap and attack that you'd ever want but the plain
treble strings produce a nicely balanced tone that won't offend
ears.
People sometimes ask "Why do Kinman pickups for Tele's cost more?"
Well let's talk about value for money and how Kinman's will actually
help to pay for themselves. As you will discover when you scroll
down this page my products feature 18 years of research resulting
in amazing technology and incredible attention to detail
and then there is the Tone quality...... which will be
your pleasure to experience.
1) I do not use molded plastic parts to form the coil bobbins. My bobbins are assembled one at a time by hand using individually drilled and routed flanges that are skilfully hand de-burred and radiused around the edges one at a time. These flanges are made from extremely inflexible (and expensive) material that is made specially for me and is much stronger than even the best moulded plastic parts. Molded plastic parts are certainly cheap but I get far better performance using my special parts and painstaking hand assembly. My special black material is most definitely not the usual inexpensive vulcanized fibreboard which is stamped out enmasse at very low cost.
2)
Many players have noticed that after they fitted Kinman's their
strings last longer, up to twice as long (depending on your body
chemistry). That means the Kinman's will help pay for themselves
and eventually save you money.
3
Here are some pictures of what makes my Tele models so special.
Note the innovative 100% steel laminated bobbin (H-Core) in pic
#1, it's made from 150 'H' shaped steel plates. These 150 plates
are not allowed to touch each other. This is a world first never
before seen in guitar pickups. It took me 3 years of exhaustive
R&D to figure out how to manufacture this special bobbin. Of
course it's Patented. This innovative bobbin is the secret of how
I was able to create zero-hum, authentic sounding Tele pickups
that retain the appearance of the originals, with Alnico magnets
and the string wrap. Anyone wondering about the value for money
aspect of these products will no doubt develop a deeper appreciation
after seeing this; you won't find too many people who would like
to make two of these for the price I am asking.
I recommend you to click on these for a larger image to see the extraordinary and revolutionary
lower bobbin's 150 steel plates in detail.
150 tone secrets of my pickups for *Tele's.
Click the photo to see the 150
steel plates forming the H-core of my Tele pickups noise sensing
coil. All adjacent plates are separated by a 7 micron gap (a human hair is 75 microns) so no electrical current can flow between plates.
Click the photo to see the BLACK string sensing coil with a core of 6 Alnico rod magnets that sits
on top of the steel H-core.
After the coils are assembled to the baseplate but before string is wrapped,
the whole pickup is wax potted to solidify the loose coils so the
string won't collapse the open and loose windings. Then the string
is wound on both coils and then it's wax potted again.
Note the information indelibly printed on the baseplate, so you'll always
know what you've got, even years later.
Note
the perfectly formed chamfers on the Alnico magnets and the white
string wrap of the AVn-48b. The AVn-60b gets Black string. In the enlarged view you can also see all those laminations
of the lower bobbin. NOTE, the bobbins are BLACK, not blue as some monitors represent them.
Returns for exchange: I like happy customers telling the world what great pickups I make and am prepared to exchange if the results are not as dramatic as my customer hoped for. The details are located on the *Terms and Conditions* buttons on my Shops Online.
My special cover is 100% invisible to magnetism and alternating electro-magnetic
fields, unlike a conventional metal cover. That's part of the secret of
why the pickups sound so great.
These special covers are not quite as resistant to scratching as a metal cover but under normal conditions last many years. In any case thery are easily replaceable and can be ordered direct from Kinman from anywhere in
the world. Simply Contact Me.
NOTE: Kinman Tele pickups are available in 4 options.
Right and left hand
improved stagger (for non-wound G string) and
right and left hand
traditional stagger (for wound G string).
No difference in price.
NOTE: I have
deleted the non staggered version because the new generation
Tele pickups do not require a special flat pole setting for flatter
fretboards.
First
lets talk about my *Tele neck pickup. Traditional Tele neck pickups
have 2 undesirable characteristics, muddy sound and terrible string
volume balance. I wanted the best string volume balance possible
so I designed the cover with a slight arch to house the staggered
poles that makes this little pickups so enjoyable, that is possessing exceptionally
good string volume balance.
Now,
it has been said that vintage pickups sound so good because they
have certain imperfection (excessive string pull resulting in string
crash and buzz, pitch instability (Strat-itis), overbearing G string
that sounds like a chain saw, 60Hz noise etc etc), however I strongly
disagree. I reckon they sound so good because of some fundamental
sonic characteristics and that they sounded great in spite
of these imperfections.
Regular
single coils with traditional magnet stagger (with high G pole)
were designed for wound 3rds (G) as these strings have lower output
than plain (non-wound) strings. When a plain 3rd is used on one of
these pickups the high 'G' pole gives that string more output than
all the others making it dominant over the others (level wise).
It jumps out and can be heard as the loudest string, standing out
in licks, runs and chords. Discerning players find it quite
irritating.
This
increased sensitivity also means the 3rd (G) string misbehaves somewhat. Because of
it's high mass but low tension relationship, it tends to succumb to
the magnetic influence of the magnets and at elevated volume levels sounds
akin to a chainsaw or buzz saw. This is actually a combination of
the string crashing into the frets and frequency instability (Strat-itis).
So we end up with a mix of Strat-itis and fret crash, I have never
heard anything more horrible.This also translates into distortion
sounds and, as with clean sounds, it is really quite objectionable
and unpleasant (very un-musical).
I
make all my pickups available in the Traditional stagger upon request
but if ordered with the default improved magnet stagger the rasping
3rd (G) is not a problem. Almost all Fender single coils (other
than flat pole setting) have a Traditional magnet stagger. In any
case my Traditional stagger behaves significantly better then regular
pickups because of my lower magnet strength.
NOTE: When a wound G string is used with a magnet designed for non-wound string the wound string will have significantly lower output. If you contemplate alternating both types of string it's better to choose a stagger for wound G string. When you are using the non-wound string it will be louder than the others but that is preferable to one that has lower output.
Included
with each set are all metal thread screws and springs (for mounting from the bridge
pickup to the bridge plate and metal threads to suspend the neck pickup from the pickguard), bypass filter capacitor and resistor, fitting
instructions, wirograms and shielded output cable for the output
socket. For mounting the neck pickup direct to wood as in original
Teles you need to use your original special long wood screws. I also urge you to read 2 paragraphs down the page about the best way to mount to wood.
It is possible to convert from wood mounting of the neck pickup to pickguard mounting, but in practice it is extremely difficult to place the holes accurately; one really needs to use a drilling template that locates into the pickup hole in the guard. These are not readily available but those that are more resourceful might consider making one out of hardwood or plastic. Dimensions are provided on the active link above.
Installing: (Scroll up for my innovative NoSoldering Harness that eliminates wiring and soldering)
Fitting is straighforward. However you should check your pots with a multimeter to ensure they measure a minimum of 240K ohms. My pickups work with all the original controls and the hook-up cables are already generously cut to correct lengths (tip of cable and ground take-off leg) and are pre-soldered to suit most Tele*, Thinlines and Tele-like guitars. If you have non-standard control positions (Volume pot and/or selector switch) and require longer cables tell us when you order in the Additional notes box on the Checkout page. You will need soldering skills and a soldering iron, a screwdriver for cross head screws and a tube spanner to tighten the pot nuts and output socket nut. Comprehensive fitting instructions are included and are very detailed with easy to understand wirogram drawings (you can view these by >Logging-in to Customer Service >Support >Install info ). Shielding and setting up is also discussed in the Fitting instruction text and on the >Tone Workshop >Perfect Guitar pages of this Website.
I urge you to learn how the pickup ground cables should be terminated onto the volume pot by visiting Soldering tips in >Customer Service >Support >Install Info. It teaches NOT TO HEAT THE ENTIRE CABLE of the exposed ground section as this can cause short circuits.
A list of recommended installers for the USA can be viewed on My Dealers >USA.
Standard Tele pickup cable lengths
are long enough for control panels to be reversed without having to swap solder/terminal points from Volume pot to Tone pot. However you can avoid having to do this by ordering a NoSoldering Harness. These harness feature an angeled switch that avoids interference of switch knob and volume knob so you never accidentally disturb one when changing the other.
No Pickguard mounting direct to Wood. If your original pickups are EMG or similar pickups with parallel baseplate and your pickup cavities will not accomodate the normal offset asymetric baseplate of regular Tele pickups then click this to see how to provide for these normal baseplates.
For mounting without a pickguard direct to the wood it is imperative that no foam (or very little) is packed under the pickup as spring material. The correct method is for the Silicon rubber tube springs we provide to be placed over the screw between the wood and the pickup (do not use metal springs as they might short the signal). Excess pressure resulting from using foam packing under the pickup will lead to mechanical de-formation (bending) and eventual failure of the pickup. A minimal amount of low density foam to help align the pickup from leaning is OK. Click here to see how it's done.
To learn specific and detailed info about the types of screws to used I recommend you Log-in to >Customer Service >Support >Install Info >
Mounting pickups without pickguard, direct to wood.
Various
model *Telecasters have had 1Meg, 500K or 250K Ohm pots fitted as
factory original. I suggest you try my pickups with the original
controls but if you feel that you are getting too much brightness,
or shrillness then fit 250K CTS pots. My *Tele pickups are designed
to work as intended with 250K pots but you can use other pot values
to customize your sound. CTS pots are available in America from
Allparts in Texas (see Links page). IMPORANT: Please also
refer to Pot
Values in the Perfect Guitar page for detailed discussion about
pots and various problems they often have.
Even though Kinman pickups are fitted with 2 conductor shielded cables
it is OK to wire to a 4 way switch by soldering the ground connection
of the neck pickup to the switch. A NoSoldering Harness incorporating a 4 pos switch is now available, see above for exciting details.
Upon request I will send my customers my own 4 way switch wiring instructions. Fenders
4 way switch wiring diagram talks about, and shows a ground wire
from the metal cover of the neck pickup. Disregard this directive
for the special Kinman cover because it has no provision for grounding and does not need to be.
For Teles with Strat pickups fitted I recommend either my narrow spaced Strat AVn-56 (bright, twangy, plenty of spank for clean country licks) or my AVn-62 (less bright, less twang, easier to crunch.... for distortion/blues) for the AVn-60's Custom Tele set as a complementary middle (and or neck) pickup.
For the Broadcaster set my *narrow* spaced Strat AVn-56 as above or my AVn-59 (slightly hotter version of the AVn-62 above) as a complementary middle (and or neck) pickup.
I recommend you use Kinman *narrow* spaced Strat pickups for Neck or Middle positions because these will align with the strings better than the regular spaced models. These are identified with the *Neck* designation handwritten on the label (on one end of the Plastic box).
NOTE: There is now a special order box for 3 pickup Teles with the optional TK9 NoSoldering Harness on my Shop Online. Choose from a selection of Tele and Strat pickups.
I like happy customers telling the world what great pickups I make and am prepared to exchange if the results are not as dramatic as my customer hoped for. The details are located on the *Terms and Conditions* buttons on my Shops Online.
Disclaimers:
*Telecaster and *Tele are trade marks of Fender Musical Instrument Corp. Kinman
Guitar Electrix is not associated with Fender but they kindly consent
to me referring to their marks. Fender have asked me to tell you
that they do not endorse Kinman products (understandably :)
** Broadcaster
is a Trade Mark of the Gretsch Guitar Company who have kindly consented
to me using their mark in this way.
