# Dating a DeArmond "Guitar Mike"



## KilgoreTrout (May 25, 2009)

Hello:

I recently purchased a well-worn 1947 Gibson L7 and was delighted to discover a DeArmond "Guitar Mike" (sic) FHC pickup (aka as a "monkey on a stick") in the case pocket. I'm trying to get a sense of the history and/or rough date of this pickup. Various sources on the web date them anywhere from the 1940s to the 1960s, so the search has been very frustrating. I know there has been some variation over the years. This one has the single volume control and an attached 1/4 inch patch cord (it's old, but may not be the original), rather than the later screw-on 1/8 inch. I have heard that they are sometimes dated on the outer back plate, but I can't see anything on mine (granted, some of it is obscured by the remains of a thin felt pad). I did take the control box apart to repair a frayed connection, and there is a partially obscured number on the volume pot (?0403?) that might be a clue. I'm not keen on disassembling the pickup itself. 

If someone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

Can't help you, but that is a nice vintage piece. I'm old to remember what a monkey on a stick is and yeah, that pickup does look like one. Welcome to the forum BTW. 

P.S. I haven't read Vonnegut in ages.


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## KilgoreTrout (May 25, 2009)

Thanks for the welcome.


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## KilgoreTrout (May 25, 2009)

KilgoreTrout said:


> Hello:
> 
> I recently purchased a well-worn 1947 Gibson L7 and was delighted to discover a DeArmond "Guitar Mike" (sic) FHC pickup (aka as a "monkey on a stick") in the case pocket. I'm trying to get a sense of the history and/or rough date of this pickup. Various sources on the web date them anywhere from the 1940s to the 1960s, so the search has been very frustrating. I know there has been some variation over the years. This one has the single volume control and an attached 1/4 inch patch cord (it's old, but may not be the original), rather than the later screw-on 1/8 inch. I have heard that they are sometimes dated on the outer back plate, but I can't see anything on mine (granted, some of it is obscured by the remains of a thin felt pad). I did take the control box apart to repair a frayed connection, and there is a partially obscured number on the volume pot (?0403?) that might be a clue. I'm not keen on disassembling the pickup itself.
> 
> If someone could point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.


Well, I've finally found the answer, so I thought I'd reply to my own post in case anyone else is wondering. The date code was on two places: a "50" was under the rubber cover on the tab that extends from the pickup and fits under the fingerrest. I also disassembled the pickup (turns out the cover wasn't soldered on), to reveal the attached date stamp.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Welcome to the forum. Enjoy and post often. 

Thanks for the pics.
What a fantastic looking guitar! 
The pickup "system" is totally new to me...interesting and creative design though.

How does it play? .... and sound?

Cheers

Dave


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## KilgoreTrout (May 25, 2009)

greco said:


> Welcome to the forum. Enjoy and post often.
> How does it play? .... and sound?
> Cheers
> Dave


Thanks for the welcome.

The guitar plays great, once you get used to that huge Gibson neck. I removed the pickguard and replaced it with a reproduction, and replaced the original one-pot control box with mini volume and tone pots on the pickguard. The acoustic sound is typical of a good archtop from the period -- good projection, but mid-rangey, at least with flat wounds. It's has more depth than some other archtops I've played, but like most it doesn't have the wide range and bottom end of a dreadnought, for example. The pickup sounds surprisingly clear and transparent -- not biting like a Charlie Christian pickup or a P90. It's not as warm and round as a humbucker, but it can get warm if you roll back the tone. The carved top resonates at around a C, so you have to watch for feedback on that note in the lower register. I usually play background jazz at receptions and the like, so I'm not playing very loud and feedback isn't usually a problem. 

- Kilgore


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## KilgoreTrout (May 25, 2009)

greco said:


> Welcome to the forum. Enjoy and post often.
> 
> Thanks for the pics.
> What a fantastic looking guitar!
> ...


This is what it sounds like. I'm afraid my playing doesn't do it justice.

http://music.sutros.com/songs/12360/Pfrancing.mp3

- Kilgore


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

KilgoreTrout said:


> This is what it sounds like. I'm afraid my playing doesn't do it justice.
> 
> http://music.sutros.com/songs/12360/Pfrancing.mp3
> 
> - Kilgore


Thanks so much Kilgore !! I am listening to your mp3 link for the third time...enjoying every note. I have saved it..so you need to arrange to get some form of royalty from me.

Congrats on your playing ...very impressive...exactly the style that I'd like to learn. The tone from your guitar is wonderful !

Does your trio/group have a CD? I'd like to buy one. Wish I lived closer to NB so that I could come out to one of your gigs.

Again, many thanks.

cheers

Dave


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## KilgoreTrout (May 25, 2009)

No CDs, but thanks for the kind words. I'm fortunate to get enough reception gigs and theatre pit work to pay for the gear, and play the occasional club or festival gig to stretch out for fun, usually with a quartet (adding sax or piano). It has become a rather lucrative hobby, almost by accident, and that's enough for me. I was lucky to find the L7 locally, although there are quite a few on Ebay, usually at unrealistic prices. Someday, maybe I'll score an L5 and/or Super-400, and then I'll die a happy man.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

I was just given the task of repairing a pickup identical to the one shown. Not in nearly as gleaming a condition. I'm hoping to find some tip;s for dislodging the bobbin - such as it is - from the bottom plate. Could be tricky. I suspect that heat would help, but since the coil/bobbin seems to be adhered to the bottom plate by some sort of adhesive substance, reaching the temperature that overcomes the heat-dissipating properties of the bottom plate, without damaging the coil, will be tricky. Judging by the difference between the quality of the coil backing material, the one shown above is all-original, and what I've been tasked with has been repaired at least once before. Worth noting that long metal part on the left is magnet, as is the short t-shaped portion on the right. The perpendicular part that straddles the two sides of the coil in the middle is non-magnetic, and I assume made of the same material used for the base. Likely brass with nickel or similar plating, since there is VERY weak magnetic tug underneath.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Finally finished making and winding a coil. I should have probably used thinner wire, but my roll of #43 was giving me trouble so I went with #42. Probably too thick. I managed to get somewhere shy of 5000 turns on the coil, which was about as much as I could stuff on and still fit in the space. Measures just over 4.7k DCR. The top and bottom flatwork are thin fibreglass that I had. You can see that there is a nonmagnetic "spacer" between the two magnets. That's where the "crossbar" in the earlier picture goes. Tomorrow, I remagnetize it, wire it up and see how it sounds. Hope that's the end of it. I have wads of other things I want to get to.


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