DHart
Well-Known Member
It's been a very busy few weeks for me as I shed three guitars, acquired four more, and engaged in a good bit of modding/tweaking. The activity is all winding down now as I have completed the work on the last instrument in the process.
The final phase of this all involved installing a set of TV Jones' T-Armond pickups (replacing Kent Armstrong humbuckers) in a much-loved D'Angelico hollow body guitar of mine. I've loved this fine instrument, but not the PAF-style humbuckers that it was originally equipped with.
I just finished installing a new wiring harness and the T-Armond pickups. All I can say about the result is W-O-W! The result is the most potent guitar I've ever played. Potent Power are the operative words. The hollow body, T-Armond pickups, and the 25.5" scale are responsible for this. The sound is HUGE. And, rich, clean, detailed, and articulate. I went with 1M pots and modified the tone pots to be No-Load.
Those of you who have T-Armonds know how big these pickups sound. Those who haven't heard T-Armonds are in for a real ear-opening experience when you do.
I am exceptionally pleased with where this instrument is now... dramatically improved over the Kent Armstrong humbucker days... and NEVER to return!
The guitar is a D'Angelico EX-SS in Trans-Black finish, with a 15" bout (smaller than an ES-335, larger than an ES-339), 1.75" deep, 6.8 lbs, and a 25.25" scale. It's a really enjoyable size - not too big, not too small, light weight, hollow body, extremely resonant, moderately full neck profile, but not huge.
Build quality (from Unsung, when they were in S. Korea) is the best I've seen from Asia and on-par, or better than, a great many Gibsons that I've played/handled - exquisite attention to detail!
It wasn't an inexpensive guitar to begin with ($1700 Guitar Center regular price, I got it during a 15% off sale for $1445) but not terribly expensive either. Now I have about $1900 in it, with the upgrades, and worth every penny.
You really "feel" this guitar resonate, physically, against your body, when playing it. And with the T-Armond pickups... you feel the amp responding dramatically, as well. Much more so than with most pickups. I think the 25.5" scale accentuates this. All I can say is that it feels and sounds H U G E.
Oh, what a feeling - like I've never experienced with a guitar before.
If you haven't experienced D'Angelicos lately, you might have a look at them - very impressive instruments! And the same goes for TV Jones' T-Armond pickups!
The final phase of this all involved installing a set of TV Jones' T-Armond pickups (replacing Kent Armstrong humbuckers) in a much-loved D'Angelico hollow body guitar of mine. I've loved this fine instrument, but not the PAF-style humbuckers that it was originally equipped with.
I just finished installing a new wiring harness and the T-Armond pickups. All I can say about the result is W-O-W! The result is the most potent guitar I've ever played. Potent Power are the operative words. The hollow body, T-Armond pickups, and the 25.5" scale are responsible for this. The sound is HUGE. And, rich, clean, detailed, and articulate. I went with 1M pots and modified the tone pots to be No-Load.
Those of you who have T-Armonds know how big these pickups sound. Those who haven't heard T-Armonds are in for a real ear-opening experience when you do.
I am exceptionally pleased with where this instrument is now... dramatically improved over the Kent Armstrong humbucker days... and NEVER to return!
The guitar is a D'Angelico EX-SS in Trans-Black finish, with a 15" bout (smaller than an ES-335, larger than an ES-339), 1.75" deep, 6.8 lbs, and a 25.25" scale. It's a really enjoyable size - not too big, not too small, light weight, hollow body, extremely resonant, moderately full neck profile, but not huge.
Build quality (from Unsung, when they were in S. Korea) is the best I've seen from Asia and on-par, or better than, a great many Gibsons that I've played/handled - exquisite attention to detail!
It wasn't an inexpensive guitar to begin with ($1700 Guitar Center regular price, I got it during a 15% off sale for $1445) but not terribly expensive either. Now I have about $1900 in it, with the upgrades, and worth every penny.
You really "feel" this guitar resonate, physically, against your body, when playing it. And with the T-Armond pickups... you feel the amp responding dramatically, as well. Much more so than with most pickups. I think the 25.5" scale accentuates this. All I can say is that it feels and sounds H U G E.
Oh, what a feeling - like I've never experienced with a guitar before.
If you haven't experienced D'Angelicos lately, you might have a look at them - very impressive instruments! And the same goes for TV Jones' T-Armond pickups!
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