Starfire III, LB 1 or Dynasonics?

[Walter Broes]

 

[parker_knoll]

It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside it, but I’m almost certain that the TVJ T’Armond pickups I installed in my Duo Jet ~10 years ago hd full-sized magnets, just like the Gretsch pickups I pulled out. I wonder if they changed to a single unified (and smaller) design for consistency and cost across their different mounts.

I wonder if that accounts for my different experience of them compared to some of you.

they have huge magnets, just Walter's saying they're not as huge as the '60 originals

EDIT: Let's see who's got the longest magnet!

 

[Smiert Spionam]

That's just it -- the T'Armonds I've installed in the past don't look like those in the pic Walter just posted in post #20 -- I remember them as being bigger, more like vintage, and certainly as large as Gretsch reissues. That's why I suspect they changed -- possibly to streamline production, reduce costs, etc.

I could of course be mistaken. Might have to repossess the ~2010-ish 6128t that I installed them in from the friend who still hasn't paid me for it, so I can open it up to take a look....

 

[HeyMikey]

Would any of the Gabojos fit in an LB1 slot? I’m curious why they don’t make a traditional Dyna style mount?

 

[GGJaguar]

A Filtertron is just about the same size as an LB-1. So maybe this Gabojo would be do-able?

Mr.2000FT - LM Long Magnets - Dearmond style Cream leather Filtertron case - cover for Hollow Body Guitars

Guitar pickups with vintage flair

www.gabojo.com

 

[Smiert Spionam]

I'm about to order a set of those Gabojos, and I'm ok with the Filtertron-sized mount, because it's for an M-65 with a Todd pickup (the Todd ring won't work, but a reissue LB-1 ring should). A regular DeArmond top-mount won't work, because they sit too high.

I'm torn about whether to go for long or short magnets, though. I'd prefer the sound of the long, but if I try the neck and don't love it, I'm not going to cut into the guitar for the bridge. The short pickups could be more easily repurposed for something else. I'm not sure yet what I'll do.

 

[Walter Broes]

That's just it -- the T'Armonds I've installed in the past don't look like those in the pic Walter just posted in post #20 -- I remember them as being bigger, more like vintage, and certainly as large as Gretsch reissues. That's why I suspect they changed -- possibly to streamline production, reduce costs, etc.

Makes sense. The TV Jones folks must be so sick of endlessly explaining and repeating the various Filtertron mounting options they offer they may have chosen a DeArmond solution that fits both hollowbodies and solidbodies.

I’m curious why they don’t make a traditional Dyna style mount?

I am too. To make things even stranger, Mojo pickups from the UK have DeArmond 2000 inspired pickups too in....you guessed it....humbucker mount, soapbar P90 mount, Filtertron mount...anything but the traditional DeArmond shells.

Then there's Lindy Fralin, who actually has great-looking DeArmond replica shells - and sells them with his noiseless P90 and noiseless Alnico rod insides...only!

Gemini pickups (worth checking out, great pickups!) have...DeArmond inspired telecaster lead pickups, complete with the polepiece height mechanism, and also offers them in a Gibson/epi style minihumbucker mount - only.

 

[Smiert Spionam]

Makes sense. The TV Jones folks must be so sick of endlessly explaining and repeating the various Filtertron mounting options they offer they may have chosen a DeArmond solution that fits both hollowbodies and solidbodies.


I am too. To make things even stranger, Mojo pickups from the UK have DeArmond 2000 inspired pickups too in....you guessed it....humbucker mount, soapbar P90 mount, Filtertron mount...anything but the traditional DeArmond shells.

Then there's Lindy Fralin, who actually has great-looking DeArmond replica shells - and sells them with his noiseless P90 and noiseless Alnico rod insides...only!

Gemini pickups (worth checking out, great pickups!) have...DeArmond inspired telecaster lead pickups, complete with the polepiece height mechanism, and also offers them in a Gibson/epi style minihumbucker mount - only.

It's a world of many imperfect choices.



I'm honestly befuddled by what I remember putting in that Duo Jet. I will probably have to open it back up out of curiosity.

In the meantime, I don't know whether I'm a terrible person to think about cutting into a really clean M-65, or a genius.

 

[Walter Broes]

Well...you know...

It's not a D'Angelico or a Loar L5. And you're not putting three neon pink DiMarzio humbuckers in it.

 

[Brian J]

From top to bottom: Seymour Duncan, 60s DeArmond with Martin cover, TV Jones. The TV pickup is from 2014. I want to try the Gabojos at some point if I can get them in a DeArmond mount. The Gemini tele pickup looks good as well.

 

[Shakeylee]

a nice pickup that might fit someone's need is the GFS surface mount stuff. they sound pretty goodand there are various P-90 and goldfoil styles in a dearmond mount

KP - GFS NYII Pickups, Black/Chrome - Kwikplug™ Ready-EP_NYI

and if you have a humbucker mount, the surf 90 is a GREAT pickup

Surf 90 Black/Chrome-Surf 90 Black/Chrome

 

[jp]

Just for the sake of comparison, here's a pic of a Gretsch Dynasonic reissue. This is most likely from the early 2000s. The construction is not nearly as robust as an original vintage and lacks the nice terminal connector piece for the wires.

rl

 

[parker_knoll]

Great and informative pics here, including mine.

 

[JackNangle]

OP here - thanks for all the info guys, much appreciated

 

[JackNangle]

And an update - ordered a Dark Emerald Green SFIII with Dynasonic (sort of). Should be here next week, ordered a Bigsby aluminium bridge for it too. Not my pic, but so you get the idea

 

[GGJaguar]

ordered a Dark Emerald Green SFIII with Dynasonic

Nice! I got one about 8 months ago and I like it.

NGD: NS Starfire III Dynasonic

I’ve been waiting for Guild to offer a Dynasonic verison of the Starfire III ever since its introduction in 2013 and here it is! GAD did a tremendous review of the standard model, so I will refer you to that for all the details. I will just give the highlights as I see them. The superstructure...

letstalkguild.com

 

[HeyMikey]

@Walter Broes mentioned in another thread that the early 1960s DeArmonds often have a tendency to squeal. Is that true for later ones, and for the newer TVJ, SD, Gabo, Guild “Dynas” as well?

 

[chazmo]

And an update - ordered a Dark Emerald Green SFIII with Dynasonic (sort of). Should be here next week, ordered a Bigsby aluminium bridge for it too. Not my pic, but so you get the idea

Congrats, Jack. Give us an NGD when you get it. I love the green color of these.

 

[Walter Broes]

@Walter Broes mentioned in another thread that the early 1960s DeArmonds often have a tendency to squeal.

I said that about the "beveled top" DeArmonds - not the more familiar DeArmond 2000's that Gretsch, Guild, Kustom, Martin, Levin, etc all used.

The 2000's will squal too, but you have to play very distorted and/or loud for that to happen. In my experience they're much more feedback resistant, to the extent where it's not really a problem for how most people use them - from twangy clean to rootsy lower gain amp breakup.

 

[HeyMikey]

I said that about the "beveled top" DeArmonds - not the more familiar DeArmond 2000's that Gretsch, Guild, Kustom, Martin, Levin, etc all used.

The 2000's will squal too, but you have to play very distorted and/or loud for that to happen. In my experience they're much more feedback resistant, to the extent where it's not really a problem for how most people use them - from twangy clean to rootsy lower gain amp breakup.

Ahh, thank you Walter. I didn’t look close enough to notice those were the beveled version. That makes sense now.