Before I get into this I want you to understand that the value of the volume pot is crutial for performance. Please check it as described on the Perfect Guitar page >Pot values. The following may be a waste of time if the volume pot value is not right.

Preface: Sometimes the pickups sound fantastic immediately after install, sometimes one has to live with the pickups for a while before optimum results are attained. I have lost count of the number of players who told me they were just about to give up on their acquisition when suddenly the whole thing came together and the pickups and guitar sprang into life and they haven't looked back since. This is what one such customer wrote to me:>

Hello Chris, its fun. I played guitar for two years, then I bought your Woodstock Regular some three years ago. Put in my guitar and was dissappointed - no sustain, no tone. I went back to my dimarzios. Recently I did it again and WOW!!!!!!!!I cannot stop playing, I keep enjoing your masterpieces. I had to deserve it. Thank you. I am now going to order pickups for my Telecaster. many regards, yours Vrata.

Unfortunately there is no tried and true method to short-circuit this 'dialing in' period, it's just a matter of fiddling around with settings & different strings etc etc and also letting your ears become accustomed to the new sonic environment. There are so many aspects to this that are different with every customer that it is impossible to offer specific recommendations other than what I talk about on this page.

The magic is there, you just have to discover how to unleash it.

One thing I can advise to those who don't experience immediate sonic transformation is to start with a clean slate. Don't adjust your new Kinman pickups using your previous amp Eq settings. I suggest you set the tone controls to 12 o'clock (position 5 on the knobs) and dial the adjustments in from there, adjusting the Eq controls only after you get the best result from the pickups with those settings. The amp controls will then just fine tune the basic correct pickup adjustments. Don't be afraid to use the controls, that's what they are there for. If your sound needs more brightness simply turn the treble control up.

You can begin exploring your new sonic horizons from a low pickup height setting with high amp volume OR with the pickups at maximum height with lower volume amp settings. Some players prefer one or the other and some prefer inbetween so PLEASE experiment and try both approaches, as discussed below.

Maximum height start point:

Set the gap at the neck pickup (both E strings only) to 2mm or 5/64", but not less than that.

Set the gap at the middle pickup (both E strings only) to 2mm or 5/64", but not less than 1.75mm or 1/16"+.

Set the gap at the bridge pickup (both E strings only) to 1.5mm or 1/16", but not less than that.

To get a workable volume balance between the neck and bridge pickups I suggest you adjust the bridge pickup to your desired sound. Then adjust the neck pickup so it balances. Occasionally we have to put up with a little bit of imbalance to get the sound we want from each pickup, this is normal.

Minimum height start point:

Set the pickups almost level with the pickguard and raise a little at a time until you discover where your sweet spot is. Take care not to let the pickup drop off the end of the screw. If this happens the only way to get the screw started again is to take the pickguard off.

NOTE: If you use less than the recommended gap measurement the sound will be abrasive and harsh and we wouldn't want that now would we, or would we? ALSO these gap distances assume the vibe arm is depressed and not raised. If you pull up on the arm you'll need to increase the gaps accordingly or else the strings will bottom onto the magnets.

Increasing the gap will reduce output level and brightness, some people will like that but others won't, so experiment to get the effect you want. Remember that even 1/4 turn of the adjusting screws can make the difference. And don't be afraid to lower the pickups almost to the pickguard and turn the amp volume up.

You can do things like optimize the neck pickup for loud lead work, the middle for softer rhythm and the bridge for bright twang, bite and growl, or any other responses you would like. Another nice rhythm sound can be achieved by setting the neck pickup down more on the bass side (3mm) than the treble (2.5mm). The in-between sound (2 pickups on simultaneously) can be varied to a surprising degree. For maximum authentic hollowness in pos 2 or 4, set the pickups as above, but for more bite adjust one of the pickups away from the strings. You make the rules here, so experiment!!!

Kinman pickup adjusting screws are the two best tone controls you could wish for, and so much better than relying on the volume or tone controls to tune your sound.

My pickups are more responsive than any other pickup to these settings and a wide variety of tonalities can be achieved by messing around with them. Spend a little time exploring this whole new world of tone and fine tuning your sounds one pickup at a time, the effort will be well worth while. And don't be discouraged if it takes some time, I've heard of players finally achieving their goals up to 2 or 3 weeks on.

STRAT-ITIS explained (Strat-itis = simultaneous multiple discordant frequency syndrome).

Dirty or rusty strings can also do this but many players know this horrible phenomena is caused by excessively strong magnets in the pickups, here's how it works. What happens is the magnets of the pickups pull a section of the string (the part that's over the pickups) into a U shaped vibration path. Normally the strings vibrate in what is essentially a single-plane path or pattern. Lets say that the time taken for a string (not subjected to excessive magnet pull) to complete one cycle or oscillation is X milliseconds. Traveling in a U shaped path it actually takes longer to complete one cycle or oscillation since the distance is greater via the U shaped path, so the time is X + Y milliseconds. Now it's getting clear that what you have is a string that has a section of it's length vibrating in a U shaped path and part of the remaining section raveling in a direct single-plane path and yet other sections traveling at all frequencies between these two extremes. This means that the three sections are actually vibrating at many different frequencies when the string should be vibrating uniformly at a single frequency. What happens when you mix all these different frequencies together? Uggghhh, dissonant Strat-itis that's what! It's bad enough hearing 2 non-harmonious notes coming from a single string, but when you get multiple dissonant frequencies (or notes) being produced simultaneously from a single string the results are absolutely ghastly. A string that's out of tune with itself no less. That's what Strats do when you adjust the pickup magnets close to the strings. But when you adjust them to prevent Strat-itis, output, sensitivity and dynamic range are reduced and noise is increased when the Amp's Volume is turned up to compensate.

Fortunately Kinman Strat* and Tele*pickups utilize a unique magnet technology that reduces the string pull of Alnico-5 by around 35% and virtually eliminates the multiple note syndrome in Stratocasters. This is not magnet aging or degaussing, this is something new, something unique to Kinman.

Return to top

Checking the truss rod adjustment.

1. The neck should be almost straight when the guitar is in tune. You can check this in two ways. With the guitar in a playing position (important), first eyeball along the edge of the fretboard, this will give you an indication of any massive discrepancies, such as a banana bend or a kink. Next, hold (in turn) each of the two E strings down at the 2nd fret and the 16th fret and note the gap between the string and the crown of the frets (see fig 2). A gap of about .06mm or .003" (the thickness of a piece of paper) is ideal but it can be a little more. If this measurement is excessive then adjust the truss rod until at least one side is straight (due to twists it is permissible for one side to be a little more bent). Don't over straighten either side and remember to readjust the truss rod if you change string gauges or switch between different brands, such as D'Addario and DR which have different tensions.

Return to top

Checking the string set-up:

2. Next you have to check the string heights above the frets. Measure the gap at the 12th fret between the string and the crown of the fret with the note on the 1st fret closed. For a .009"-.046" gauge the E1st string should measure no less than 1.2mm (3/64") and the E6th no less than 2mm (5/64") but 2.1mm is better. The intermediate strings should increase gradually to bridge the two E strings. Because the bass strings have more excursion than the thinner ones their gap has to be more, to prevent unwanted rattle or clunk (that's when the string hits the fret so hard it actually discharges most of it's energy with a 'thunk' sound). This is deceiving because it continues to vibrate, but without the bass frequencies and with much less output. Don't be fooled into thinking the action is really great (low) and it doesn't rattle; it's just that it's gone through the 'threshold of rattling' into the clunk zone and you're loosing more than half of your tone and output level. Get used to having the action higher, it will only take a week and your sound will be so much better.

Set the following gaps at the 12th fret with the first fret closed. These measurements suit .009"-.046 gauge strings, for heavier gauges you can reduce the gap slightly but for lighter gauges I recommend that you increase the gaps slightly. If the string bends choke in the upper register it probably means there is an End-kink in the neck at about the 15th fret. This is a very common problem with guitar necks. The simplest way to overcome this is to raise the action height until the bends don't choke, alternatively you can have the fretboard relevelled and refretted (ouch!) by a high class guitar repairer. Don't even think about getting it done by anyone less.

Keep the ruler at right angles to the fret over which you are setting the string gap at.

IMPORTANT: Use a jeweler's magnifier to see the graduations on the ruler in detail.

Setting up the bridge:

Strings should be centered on the saddles, so they are not pulled to one side thus causing misalignment over the neck. If they are to one side of the saddle it is often because the saddles have a lean to one side and the string slides sideways to the lowest point. To prevent this happening the grub screws of the saddles should be set similarly, so the saddles does not lean to one side.

More coming soon (Jan-08).

Return to top

INTONATION adjustment:

After you have done all this stuff take a look at the intonation of the strings. Ideally, you need a tuning meter to do this accurately, and make sure the strings are in good condition. During use, strings accumulate dirt, grime and rust on the bottom side where it can't be seen easily so lift the string and gently run your finger under the string in the area you play on; it should be smooth. If they are rough or less than smooth, the strings can't possibly play in tune so replace them. Then tune the open string to zero on the meter scale and then play the 12th fret, the meter should read zero again. If it reads sharp then adjust the saddle away from the 12th fret and keep checking and adjusting until it reads zero for both tests. If it reads flat then adjust the saddle toward the 12th fret and keep going as previous until it is corrected. Work your way through all the strings one by one.
NOTE: Moving the saddles significantly can cause the bridge angle to rise or fall causing the action height to change and the strings to lose tune; the vibrato springs have to be adjusted to reset it. This whole operation is a bit like a dog chasing it's tail so you have to persevere before things come good, but once it stabilizes then it's good forever.

Return to top

String choice.

I always say to use the biggest strings you can handle. Remember that SRV used .013 to .058 (Detuned to Eb); He didn't struggle with heavy strings like that for nothing. Thin strings produce more squawk and less output and in general sound pretty terrible. A good compromise between heavy and light and my personal favourite set is the .010 - .046. These are easy to bend on the plain non-wound strings but have a nice full bass sound with lots of twang and output. Remember that if you change gauges of strings the set-up will have to be revised as the neck and bridge adjustments rely on a given string tension, if that changes then so do the adjustments. As for brands, it's a personal choice as some strings don't like the chemistry of some players and won't last more than a few hours. Try different brands until you find the one that works for you. Also read "My Thoughts" on strings.

WIROGRAMS and Fitting Instructions for Strat and Tele. More links below the 2 pages. wiring diagram

These are my regular wiring diagrams and fitting instructions. The specials ones for my NoSoldering Harness, S1 install, bridge humbucker and 4 way Tele switch are only available to Kinman customers by invitation using a link to another webpage.

These are the wirograms that are included in every Kinman pickup set and are now available for download on PDF files. You'll need Adobe Acrobat 4 or 5 PDF reader. You can either click on the image of the wirogram that you're wanting to download - or click here for the Stratocaster wirogram or here for the Telecaster wirogram. Click here for Tele install instructions or here for Strat install instructions. They should be as good as the originals that come with every purchase providing you have a good printer.

Soldering tricks:

As of August 2006 we began the transition to RoHS compliance, that is our products are manufactured without Lead to comply to the new RoHS 'Lead Free' international standards. All products will be Lead Free by end of 2006. You will see this symbol printed on the back of the pickups or harness parts.

Lead Free products use SAC solder (Silver and Tin) and are soldered at a temperature of 700 degrees F. NEVER mix Lead solder and Lead Free solder. If a lead free product is repaired and re-soldered with leaded solder then long term reliability can not be assured.

It is possible to avoid soldering altogether by ordering a Kinman NoSoldering Harness. However, fitting Kinman pickups is not so difficult. The only tricky part is soldering. Our cable tips are compatible with Lead and Lead Free solders. First you need a 25 - 40W watt pencil type soldering iron to perform good soldering work on pot casings because these dissipate lots of heat energy. You also need a small roll of resin cored solder preferrably between 1 and 1.7mm in diameter.

Now let me show you the tricks that makes it easy. Look at the photo of the pickup cable. Notice the RED end, this is soldered to the switch terminals, this part is pretty easy. Apply the tip of the Soldering iron to the terminal and melt whatever solder remains from the original installation, apply a little more solder if necessary. Poke the exposed wire of the Red end into the opening in (or over) the terminal, hold for a second or two and then withdraw the Soldring iron. Hold the cable steady in place for a few seconds while the solder cools and solidifies.

Click on the photo for a larger view.

Back from the end of the cable is the ground take-out point that I call the *ground-leg*, this is the most difficult part to solder. The correct way to solder this to the back of the volume pot is to first apply heat from the soldering iron to the case of the pot, adding a little bit of solder helps heat transfer. It's getting ready for the next step when you notice the solder take to the metal of the pot case. Some pots have a shiny yellowish plating that will not take solder. This coating should be scraped or abraded (sanded) off to expose the metal of the casing which will take solder more easily.

Once you have a little pool of molten solder on the pot case simply poke the tip of the ground-leg into that pool, don't try to lay the whole length of the *ground-leg* into the solder. Once the tip had taken to the pool of solder remove the iron and let it cool. The reason for soldering only the tip is to prevent heat conducting along the ground leg and melting the Red inner and causing a short.

If this happens it is possible to open the lap shield to expose the Red inner with a pointed object like a small knitting needle. By so doing it is likely you will solve the short when you pull the strands of the shield away from the Red inner. A little drop of super glue of Nail laquer over the melted point will prevent the short recurring.

In any case it might be reassuring to have someone who has soldering skills available for help should you run into difficulty, or avoid soldering altogether by ordering a Kinman NoSoldering Harness.

Good luck.

This page has been intended only to be guide, if you get into difficulty I suggest you consult a high quality, extremely competent repairman with a lot of experience. There are a lot more complications and finer points not discussed here as a small book could be written on the subject. Have fun, stay cool and don't smash your guitar (in frustration). Hope you like all this stuff.

All my best in AVn-Sound,

Chris Kinman.

Return to top