DeArmond Guitar Mike Dating

[Duck Dodgers]

Have a Guitar Mike that needed new cables. Found some Belden that was very close and went to work.

This is an early pickup without any depressions in the top.
Opened it up and found what may be a date on the inside..

The earliest patent info I found was 3 or 4 years later and showed a depression in the top at the first string.

So, 7-23-42 is pretty early and a surprise as this was during THE war. Pickup works great. I'm going to put it on my Dad's old archtop. I think he bought them both at Montgomery Wards before he was drafted in 1943.

Anybody have any input on production dates??

[belwar]

I would consider that the date of production myself... I have three dearmonds myself including the mandolin 500, a late 50's guitar mic, and a 60's rythm chief 1100. They all have date markings on them.. usually on the outside of the back plate.

That is a very early guitar pickup! Probably work a nice little chunk of change too. You probably sell it and buy two later guitar mics :>

b.

[Duck Dodgers]

This one's a keeper...sounds great and it was my Dad's to boot.

Belwar....been following along on your 1100 progress. Looks like fun. How's the SolidWorks comming? Sure would like to see the models.

[KilgoreTrout]

Hi there:

I recently purchased a 1947 Gibson L7 that came with a DeArmond FHC "Guitar Mike" -- the later type, with the slots under the E and G strings. In an effort to approximate the date of it, I've been trying to figure out the approximate date (or even the sequence) of the variants. The no-slotted version is obviously the first, with patent applied for in 1946, but after that, I'm not clear. The variations are:

no-slots / slots
screw-on cable / attached cable
volume-only control box / volume and tone controls
monkey on a stick / neck mount.

I assume the last of these were offered simultaneously.

Sources on the web seem to suggest this pickup was in production from the 1940s to the 1960s.

Can anyone point me in the right direction? Thanks.