Benedetto A-6

These are passive pickups. They are advertised as a full, warm and articulate dual-coil pickup with Alnico 5 magnets and 4-conductor wire. Versatile for jazz, blues or R&B. 11.8K ohms.

I put these in an Eastman T186 which is identical to a 335 body. They are replacing the stock foreign made Kent Armstrongs. This guitar is all solid wood, and hollow inside. Mahogany back, sides, and neck and maple top. It does have a small center block just under the stop tailpiece. But other than that it is completely hollow. Very nice for jazz, without the ???big box??? hanging on your shoulder.

These pickups are stock on the Benedetto "Benny" guitar. Output is standard vintage humbucker. I originally put an A-6 in the neck and a Gibson 57 PAF in the bridge. But I removed the PAF because it sounded harsh in comparison to the Benedetto. I still like PAF???s, but not with the A-6. The Benedetto is everything they advertise it to be. Dark and warm, and you could really tell in comparison to the PAF. But you would think that the A-6 would get muddy with distortion because it is dark, but that is totally incorrect much to my surprise. With distortion, it sounds very smooth and creamy like Santana tones. So, I ordered one more A-6 and now have them in both positions, and they are well suited for both bridge and neck. I use it for smooth jazz, Lee Ritenour style so I play mostly clean but do use a Seymour Duncan Twin Tube for distortion sounds. The inherant guitar tone is dark, and these pick-ups are dark but it is the most beautiful dark I have ever heard. Also, the highs are still there so don???t worry, but they are not bright. For more of a pure jazz sound, you can turn the tone knob down to between 3-6. I used to do that until I got these pickups, but now I don???t. I usually run them with tone on 10. I also tried these pick-ups with 250K pots but don???t recommend it unless you never use distortion. 250K pots with distortion is muddy. You have more control over the tonal range with 500K pots. I use flatwound 12???s. Effects are Duncan Twin Tube distortion, Boss compression and delay, and sometimes Dunlop Uni-vibe.Amps are Dr. Z head, Bogner cabinet and Groove Tubes combo.

I would certainly, without a doubt, buy these pickups again. They are incredible if this is what you are looking for out of the instrument. I have been playing for 38 years. Mostly blues, but the last five years have been transferring into more jazz and jazz/blues. I usually play through either my 2005 Dr. Z Mazerati head which is 35 watts of clean tube power or my 1999 Groove Tubes Soul-O 45 combo which doesn???t get dirty at all even when cranked. Both have all JJ tubes (6L6), and the Groove Tubes amp has a 112 Weber Blue Dog 50 watt speaker. I also use several Bogner 112 cabinets (Shiva and Cube) loaded with Celestion Vintage 30???s. My third choice in amps is my 2005 Fender Blues Deluxe Reissue which is the only Fender I like because it isn???t too bright. I bought all my amps new. I would say that these Benedetto pickups are versatile, but with limits. I also own and use a USA made Epiphone Sheraton ???64 Reissue with stock Gibson mini-humbuckers, because there are occasions that I want a brighter jazz sound. I recommend experimenting with tone woods, too. Possibly in an all maple body, these Benedetto???s would be even more versatile. Body woods makes a huge difference in pickup tone.

Passive humbuking. Impedance and more at www.benedettopickups.com.

I have installed it in a Squier Telecaster at neck position replacing a Seymour Duncan Jazz Model (SH2N). The other pickup is a Seymour Little 59 for tele. I have changed because I need a more "dark and full" sound for instrumental Jazz and Jazz/Rock.

Medium output level. I use it mostly clean, but sometimes with boss sd-1>fbm-1 for booster>ch-1>little solid state amp at home and some 50-100w amps at studios.
The tone is full and fat, but elegant and little "compressed". Smooth and creamy, is the BEST pickup I ever played. It??s like a "fat-woody-PAF". Very balanced and polite. All jazz sound. Think in Ed Bickert. About 6 at bass, 5 at middle and 4 at treble. Works well at neck position, but you can try it at bidge too.

* If it was destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else? R.: sure!!! is the best pickup ever made.
* How long have you been playing? What other gear do you own? R.: I have been playing for about 15 years. I have a washburn mg-74 that I??m still bringing back to life (I buyed it used and almost dead). My plan is change the stock pickups to a better set with a rock-like character.
* What do you love about it? What do you hate? R.: I love everything about it, even the look (black nickel cover).
* Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one? R.: As I said above, I was looking for a more jazz sound, but the seymour jazz model, despite the name, is too much clean and bright for my purposes. The seymour jazz it??s a very nice pickup, but different of my goal.
* Anything you wish it had? R.: I wish to have more and more time available for play guitar, but time is a precious thing at 30??s.
* Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for <b>that</b> sound? R.: I??m 100% satisfied with it.
* Anything else you'd like to share? R.: I sugest everybody to try and test gear until find your favorites, but always "listen" the sound and don??t mind about brands. Cheap instruments can be surprisingly good.

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs: high

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez AF-120
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez Super58
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Don't know.
You musical style(s): Jazz
Reason for pickup change: I could not get the warm/fat jazz tone that I wanted with the Super58s. To my ear the tone that they produced was very thin.

Perceived output level: definitely hotter than the Super58s.
Tone: Fat and warm. Beautifully balance between electric and acoustic tones.
Sonic evaluation: I play an Ibanez AF-120 hollowbody with 2 A-6s strung with D'Aquisto flat wound strings through a Fender Cyber Deluxe. With this combo I can get great jazz tones. I imagine it would sound even better through an Fender Twin or Deluxe Reverb. To be honest, I wish I had heeded the previous reviewers advice and just gotten one A-6 for the neck position because I rarely use the bridge pickup.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a great jazz pickup. As I said above, this or any pickup on a hollow body is in my mind almost unecessary.

Comments: I would definitely buy another Benedetto pickup (A-6 or B-6) if this one were stolen/destroyed. I have been hacking around on the guitar for about 25 years. I play jazz, folk, and some rock. I also own a Carvin Bolt-T solidbody and a Taylog 812C with a Seymour Duncan MagMic pickup.
The only comparison I made was between the Super58 that came stock on the guitar. I am very satisfied with this pickup. I am still searching for my perfect jazz sound but the limiting factor is not this pickup and this set up comes close. It is the amp and my ability. I hope to someday acquire a carved archtop and can definitely see transferring these pickups to it.

Pickup features: Passive
Impedence or other specs: high

Model of guitar or bass: Heritage 575 Custom
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Schaller
Other pickups on guitar: Schaller
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Jazz
Reason for pickup change: The Schaller sounded harsh and brittle. The Benedetto significantly darkened up the sound with out loosing the detail.

Perceived output level: Clean, Dark Detailed
Tone: Dark!
Sonic evaluation: I am using a Heritage 575 Custom strung with Thomastik GB Flat wounds through an Evans AE200

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Jazz Guitar. This pick up is Ideal. I have it in the neck position. I never use the bridge pickup so I did not replace it.

Comments: I have been playing guitar for about 30 years. I quit for 15 years because of an incurable tendonitis problem. I recently began playing again little by little. I still have tendonits but am not trying to career at Guitar. I still suffer from delusions of grandeur though! I also have a Takamine NP18C and a 1972 Les Paul Model (gold top) which is heavely modified. I took out the P90s and put in Seymour Duncans, Jazz in the neck and a JB in the Bridge I also put a tune o-matic on it. I never use it any more I just can't bear to part with it. I bought it new in 72.
If my guitar were lost or stolen I'd start all over again. I'd probably look into getting something custom made by some arch top luthier. When looking for a new pick up (I hated the schallers) I almost bought a bartolini "tuck andres" Probably would have but the bartolins are so hard to get. I was going to get another benedetto model B6 but one of the head luthiers at the blue guitar, Stephen Neal nd I'd have to say he was right. I love this pick up. Darker than the schaller without loosing any of the detail. Perfect for Jazz. I'd have to say that I am really satisfied with this pick up but still search for the etherial standard I hear my head.