What pickup will enable me to get this sound?

T1mothy

year ago I bought audio technica pro 70, lovely stuff, I ve been more than satisfied with it but lately I ve been GASing for an archtop with a humbucker to get the smoky jazzy tone but that would mean Id have to sell my petite bouche and I love that thing very very much. Then I suddenly realized that the tone Adrien Moignard got with his guitar on a video playing autumn leaves was actually quite close to what Id like to hear (if not exactly it). Here is the clip.

Now obviously getting the exact pickup he uses would be the best idea but the De Armond Mike is nowhere to be found in Europe. + those pickups are basically vintage, so even if I found one online Id be running a high risk of the thing not working at all. Could you guys share some other options I could look into?

Best regards,
Tim

Amir_G

So you're basically looking for a magnetic picup. You should check out the Peche a la mouche/Stimer/Guzz. They are not identical, and each has its own strengths and weaknesses, but they all share this electric sound characteristics.

T1mothy

wonderful. Im really new to the world of electric sounds. Thank you :-)

klaatu

The Miller Flèche D'or is another option. Similar to Peche a la mouche but much slimmer.

Buco

DeArmond will be the closest sounding to the jazz box/archtop sound.
Reinier Voet is using it and it's by far my favorite amplified sound on a Selmer style guitar.

There are many models out there and some can be bought for reasonable money on ebay but the ones most popular for jazzy sound, Rhythm Chief 1000/1100 or Guitar Mike FHC will start at $400 for a working model and upwards to $1000 for mint condition one.

Guild is making a reissue of 1000/1100 model for around $120 brand new and I've read on jazz forums that people compared vintage to the reissue and found no big difference. So reissue might be the ticket:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/like/282040483404?lpid=82&chn=ps&ul_noapp=true

There's an auction on ebay, this is a potential steal, $33 with one day left:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DE-ARMOND-GUITAR-MIKE-PICKUP-/172232503830

I scored a no name knock off locally for $25.
Sounds good but a little to thick for my guitar, around 10mm so I have to move it a bit too far towards the bridge which both thins out the sound and gets in the way of playing.
So that's a consideration for you too, measure the clearance between the guitar top and the strings at the neck end of the soundhole with strings pressed down at the highest fret where you would play solos.

I use Krivo which is around 7mm and I like it.
I have a similar situation like you, I'd love to get an archtop and this pickup cures my GAS. A friend has/had Stimer, Peche and now Yves ST48 pickup/s and I prefer the sound of Krivo. It's warmer sounding then those classic electric Django pickups and get's me closer to the the archtop sound.

Amir_G

I also use the Krivo. Soundwise, it's really nice. But I really wish it had a soundhole clip like the Stimer/Peche, etc..

ChrisMartin

I too like the Krivo. I only bought it recently and am still getting used to it, but the tone is just right, not too muddy, not too thin, (but I am still experimenting with amps) and I also thought about a soundhole clip and it would not be hard to make something and epoxy it to the back, but for now I use the putty supplied so it can switch from oval hole to D hole. Also re Stuart's comment, agreed, Ibanez make some good archtops cheap, for less than the price of a De Armond Rhythm Chief, that might satisfy your GAS ! I recently sold all of my old German archtops because I no longer get on with their thicker necks, so I will be investigating some of the Ibanez range for myself.

pickitjohn

If you got GAS and some extra bucks laying around here is a interesting find.

AR4489, D'Angelico Selmer archtop

http://guitars.com/inventory/ar4489-1934-dangelico-selmer

Michael had this same Guitar for sale the first part of 2012 ( I Believe )



This is also pretty interesting maybe the MOST ORNATE Archtop I've seen.

1950 Selmer Esquire Arch Top Jazz Guitar a 1 of a kind Deco Masterpiece !

http://www.ebay.com/itm/152112048754?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

bluetrain

There are Dearmond Guitar Mike's and FHC's on Ebay quite often. The pickup is a bit thicker than Stimer etc so it doesn't fit on all petite bouche guitars. I have one and it fits on my guitar perfectly. I highly recommend this pickup. The new reissues are not the same thing as they don't have the correct compensation for b-string and wound strings. My Guitar Mike has perfect balance with Argentines and with phosphor bronze strings on my archtop.