Berny Kay

[NightWinder]

Anyone have any news on these pickups. I believe them to be small old kay pickups- 45 awg....Fishpaper bobbins perhaps.
Thanks for any info..

[soundmasterg]

Those look like the "Kleenex box" pickups from what I can see in the picture. A local guy used a guitar just like that (except it was black) at the local jam a couple weeks ago. It sounded good too. Sorry I can't help you with identifying the details about the pickups though.

Greg

[Dave Kerr]

A little more info on Barney's Kay here

[Spence]

Don't see any of those in the UK but I was under the impression that the Gold K pickups were essentially a P90 made for them by Gibson.
Sam Lee Guy would know for sure.

[Possum]

....

They are Kleenex Box pickups, or Kessel Pickups or whatever you want to call them. They use 44 gauge wire, and are similar to P90s but have many noticeable differences you'll see if you take one apart. They don't sound like P90s in a traditional sense, they have their own kind of tone. Nitewinder you've asked this before you should just watch for one on Ebay and buy one like I did, and take it apart. They are not paper bobbin either but the bobbins again are significantly different than P90 bobbins. Jump/swing blues players like them alot.....

[spud1950]

Don't see any of those in the UK but I was under the impression that the Gold K pickups were essentially a P90 made for them by Gibson.

The Kay Barney Kessel pickups were made by DeArmond-Rowe. One of the many classic Harry DeArmond designed pickups.

[Spence]

The Kay Barney Kessel pickups were made by DeArmond-Rowe. One of the many classic Harry DeArmond designed pickups.

Excellent. Now have you got any information on the wire, wind and construction?????

[spud1950]

I couldn't tell you anything unless I could find the info on the net,but when it comes to DeArmond pickups, that info just doesn't seem to be available. You would have to get hold of one like Possum did and examin it.

[Possum]

....

They come up on Ebay for about $100 each, I managed to get one for about $40 that needed rewinding, but it just had a bad solder joint, an easy fix. They're not really anything you could copy, the pole screws are thick about half way from the top then skinny where they go into the body, weird design, but hey DeArmond knew what the heck he was doing. The bobbin is very different too. They are worth getting to study. I buy broken vintage pickups to study all the time, you can learn alot from some of the wierder designs, some of them were bad ideas but some were great and timeless.

[Spence]

I have a shed full of weird and wonderful pickups but not those. I used to buy up loads of unusual pickups but I don't bother anymore as I'm not going to recreate them for a non-existent market. I do repair plenty of unusual pickups most of which are aircoils. I sincerely recommend people stay well away from aircoils unless you really know what you're doing. They are not for the faint-hearted.

[NightWinder]

Fleabay

There's nothing wrong with the pickup at all. I think he may be a little gain happy is all : ) I will however be looking for some on Fleabay though. I'd suspect this would be good for a Blackface, not a modern Crate amp??/

[John_H]

There was this thread a while back on Rowe pickups. Some good info.