Kinman AVn-60's Custom Tele Set

2000 left-handed Fender Telecaster
Bridge & neck
DiMarzio
unknown
Wanted a more mellow sound

Excellent output, no fall-off at the edges of the spectrum. They just stop dead. This is probably a penalty of the no-noise aspect of these pickups
I use a 1963 Selmer Truevoice Zodiac Twin Thirty with a Watkins Copicat echo unit.
The tone is just right, especially in the neck position, to reproduce the rhythm sounds on Shadows numbers.
I play rhythm in a Shadows Tribute band but when you rev the amp up, turn down the reverb and use the bridge position the pickups turn out wicked R&B licks.

I would buy the same again. My other Tele has the Broadcaster set.
Been playing since approx 1963
I also have two Strats
I don't hate them, they have a lovely creamy sound. We are all looking for 'that tone'and I think this is the closest I have come
Have tried DiMarzio's and No-Casters. The DM's are too loud and the Fender No-Casters are thin and reedy

These are the kinman tele replacement set. They are single coil in appearance and size but have hum cancelling coils hidden inside the pickups. They do not hum. The set comes with his t4 switch and plate. The switch has a small board on them with mini pin plug ins, the polarity is marked. There is a switch which causes the tone control to sorta phase the sound instead of muffle the highs, moving the switch give the tone pot a traditional behaviour. The switch itself is installed on a slant. The pickups plug right in. The switch has bridge, bridge/neck parrallel,neck, neck/bridge series. The whole setup is great.

I build custom guitars for local people, by referral and word of mouth. My second guitar is a swamp ash tele that I kept and play. It has sperzles, rosewood over maple neck multi radius 9.5 to 16. Quilt maple top, six saddle bride, true bolt neck, graphtec nut. I got the kinmans to round out this star line-up of parts, and they make the guitar.

I play rockabilly and country. Ala Danny Gatton, Brent Mason, Brad Paisley. These pick-ups are very, very responsive, they are bright. I ussually eq my tube amps or simulator with a boosted bass, slight mid increas and unity on the treble. As a builder I believe that tele twang coms from the bridge pick-up position, the metal bridge itself and the pick-ups. These pick-ups twng with the best. Clear articulate sound. The pickup are very sensitive to position as to drive. The neck pick-up has a very clear glassy tone. The series setting is pure joy to listen to, and can drive a tube amp into mellow distortion if turned up. Excellent tele pick-ups

Kinmans are not cheap, but they are top of the line quality product.

Single coil high-output, zero-noise Telecaster pickups

These pickups were installed in a 2004 Standard Telecaster - AVn-60n in the neck position, AVn-60b for the bridge position, replacing the stock MIM pickups that I thought were still better sounding than those in the US Telecasters. I replaced the originals because of the noise factor. I also purchased the No-Solder harness.

These things give new meaning to the terms Punch and Sustain. Crisp & clear when playing clean, aggressive bite when overdriven. Rolling off the volume knob gives a ton of tonal variations between clean & overdrive. I've played these pups thru my Hod Rod Deluxe, Line 6 Flextone II, VOX, Crate, and Marshall amps w/ the same results. They make a Tele sound like what a Tele was meant to sound like. The pickup selector's 4th position that comes w/ the No-Solder wiring harness really does a great job in adding just a touch of boost & presence when jumping between rhythm & lead tasks. My current band is a tribute band to Bruce Springsteen & Southside Johnny so a great Telecaster sound is a requirement.

I've been playing guitar for 30+ years and am gigging just about every weekend. I also have a set of Kinman Woodstock pickups on my Silver Anniversary Stratocaster that I absolutely love. I got turned onto Kinman after opening a gig for the Little River Band & talking to Steve Housden, one of their incredible guitar players. Would I purchase Kinman pickups again? You betcha....! Yeh...they're a bit on the pricey side, but I'm a firm believer that you get what you pay for. Visit the Kinman website & get an idea for what's gone into the design of these pickups....there's a lot of info to be found there.

Simulated single coil humbucker.
Mixed set...AVN-60 Bridge, AVN-48 Neck

New Warmoth Tele.
Solid rosewood body, ebony neck and fretboard.
Glendale bridge, titanium saddles.
Damn heavy guitar!

Output: slightly higher than vintage.
Tone: like a really good Tele...only better.
Amps: I've tried this guitar through everything I could find...big Marshall to teeny Crate to direct. I wanted to get a good perspective

I hadn't heard these pups before, so I bought them because of others reviews. I've used a host of different Duncans, and various Fenders. The Kinmans are the best I've tried...by far. Yes, they're quiet, as advertised, but the tone is the thing. They're ballsy AND sweet. I especially noticed the attack...loads of transients, but interestingly enough, there was great sustain. It's been my experience that if a pup is attack-ish (lots of "pop"), then there's no sustain. Not so here.

Also, the middle position is glorious. Lots of character. Kinman claims that his magnets generate a fair amount of complex harmonics. I suspect there's a pretty good mix of even order harmonics being generated. Only a guess.

This combo proved a good choice...60 for the bridge, and 48 for the neck. The 60 is very smooth, and less mid-ish, so it mellows the bridge, and the 48 has a bit more mid, so it adds punch and articulation to the neck.

A+ Chris

I put a Kinman Avn60b in my Fender MIM 50s Classic Esquire
This is truly a great guitar I put Glendale Bridge with Titanim Saddles and a Allparts Black Bakelite Esquire Pickguard on this beauty

I play all kinds of music Country Rock Blues Jazz
The thing I noticed when I play with the Kinmans is there is a beautiful sound that comes out of this guitar nice full texture and lively chime that I've never heard in a Telecaster before This pickup is magic

I have a lot of great gear
Fender Custom Classic Stratocaster with Detemple Titanium Block and Saddles Detemple Tortoise Shell and after hearing the Esquire with the Kinman Avn60b Bridge I put Avn Mark 2 Traditionals in the Stratocaster
A 1968 Gibson Les Paul Custom
1983 Fender Telecaster Glendale Bridge and Saddles
!994 Ernie Ball Music Man Alert Lee Pink Burst
Carvin AE18412 12 string Guitar

Victoria 45410
Vox Ac30cc With Alnico Blues
Carvin Vintage 16 with a Weber Alnico Bluedog 15w Speaker
B1uesboy TVL5 with a Jensen P12q Speake
Fender Twin Reverb With JBL E120s Speakers
Roland Microcube

These Kinmans are the real deal I've been playing guitar around 40 years and I know good quality gear

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 1982 fender telecaster '52 reissue
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: myself
You musical style(s): rock, blues, country, alt-rock, alt country
Reason for pickup change: having owned my telecaster for 23 years, i have put it through all kinds of changes. i sweated out the original pickups after about 3 years... they didn't sound so remarkble anyway. since that time i tried all kinds of pickup combinations... mostly seymour duncan... ya know, "hot lead", "quarter pound lead", "hot neck", "stacked neck", " 'lil '59" bridge... pull pots... you name it. i was never, ever quite satisfied with any of these sounds... they never sounded like good fender sound... they only sounded like single coil pickups... and a bit compressed.

Perceived output level: without question more output than stock fender tele pickups... more bright... more depth... right where a tele should be... vintage guitars should sound like this
Tone: very balanced tone... once again, compare this sound to "real" fender tone... i have... it doesn't mimick... it is real
Sonic evaluation: playing through 4 different amps at the present time... peavey classic 50, peavey classic 30, 1950's supro w/1 10" , 1967 marshall 100w w/4x12 enclosure

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: rock, blues, country... it's all good

Comments: trust me... if you would like crystalline clear tele tone that also has some gut, spend the extra money, allow the delivery time... you will be shocked when you hear your tele for the first time... shocked in a good way... chris kinman has made it possible... these pickups are silent... silent... with none of the compressed sounds attributed to other stacked coil "silent" pickups... these pickups shimmer and breathe... i can't wait to put kinman pickups in my stratocaster.

Pickup features: Single coil passive, noiseless
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Deluxe Telecaster 2004
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Fender Noiseless
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Fender Noiseless
Artists using this pickup: Unknown
You musical style(s): post-rock, alternative rock.
Reason for pickup change: The neck pickup in this guitar was too 'muddy' and didn't have the bright tone that my other standard USA Tele's neck pickup has.

Perceived output level: About the same as a regular Tele neck pickup.
Tone: Absolutely beautiful. I'm not concerned with how "vintage" this pickup sounds, I was simply looking for a noiseless pickup that provides excellent note clarity without noise. I got it.
Sonic evaluation: Here's my setup:
Am deluxe Tele 2004 with Kinman AVn60 in Neck > Boss DD5 > Boss RV3 > Boss OD3 > Boss BD2 Keeley mod > Rat 2 > Big Muff Pi > Line 6 DL4 > Boss TU2 > Fender 65 Twin reverb reissue.
I purchased the deluxe tele and was extremely happy with the playability - beautiful neck, fretboard - lovely to play. Compared to my standard USA tele it feels much better and the pickups do sound different. I mainly use the neck pickup and find the pickup on the standard tele can be a bit to harsh with the high end. Unfortunately, the noiseless pups on the deluxe were too far the other way and just didn't give me the brightness I need. I researched and decided to go for the Kinman - I am delighted. This pickup sounds very much like the standard tele neck pickup but without noise and also without the harsh high-end. Note clarity os lovely and it handles distortion very well. It's a very very articulate pickup and provided me with exactly what I was looking for.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Poct-rock, alternative rock. I love the wound of a Tele neck pickup but as I like that chimey brigt sound, I need quite a bit of treble on the amp. Unfortunately, ths can lead to "icepicks in the ear" - and turning down the treble just didn;t give me the sound I want. So I bought this kinman and can now achieve a great amount of treble without icepicks. The sound is immaculate.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else? DEFINTELY!
How long have you been playing? About 12 years
What other gear do you own? Lots.
What do you love about it? Very articulate, great clarity accross all frequencies. Quiet!
What do you hate? Nothing!
Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Only virtually, by reading reviews etc, but not in the flesh.
Why did you choose this one? Good reviews.
Anything you wish it had? Buy this pickup if you want less noise and great clarity form your tele.
Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for that sound? Yes - I am very very satisfied!

Pickup features: single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Schecter PT Tele style
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Duncan designed
Other pickups on guitar: Kinman only
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, R & B, Swing and Rockabilly
Reason for pickup change: Looking for THE TONE

Perceived output level: To me very good output, its what I was looking for, loud with vintage style and gutsy when it was needed.
Tone: Great tone, everything you want from tele pickups; treble, twang, bite and cutting definition through the bridge pickup. Warm fat vintage tele tone from the neck pickup, great for jazzy blues chords and a fantastic sound and warm sustain for solo work. Middle position is probably my favourite tone, hit it hard you get the tele bite and crunch, play it gentle and you get sweet clear defining of strings. Brilliant in all positions.
Sonic evaluation: I play a Schecter vintage tele copy with a 25 year old Music Man 110 amp. The poor old amp has served me beautifully for all those gigging years playing from surf intrumentals to dinner dance(boring) to gritty blues and rock and about everything in between.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mainly bluesy swing, rockabilly, rhythm and blues and a bit of 1950's early 1960' s rocknroll. A little bit of jazz.

Comments: I'm a Fender man, always have been.I've owned many, Stratocaster(1975), Jaguar(about65), Mustang (early sixties),Musicman (early sixties), Jazzmaster (L series 1962) and they have alway been great. Never owned a Gibson in my life. I love Fender sound and tone. It suits me, and that is a personal choice. A few months ago I was hankering for an old and vintage telecaster sound and I realised I had never owned one or played one much.Not being able to afford the vintage 1960's Fender Tele I found what I figured was the best sounding and playing Tele copy. It is a Schecter PT vintage, had Duncan designed pickups, played and sounded really good. However, it lacked something in the tone department for me, and I had Kinman Avn custom 60's fitted.These pickups are dead set gold.The tone and vintage fat sound , with bite and crunch (just hit it hard and that crunch is there) but it also gave me such a great sound for comping the chords behind the other guitar player.These pickups aren't for someone wanting a Joe Satriani,speed hammering on type of playing sound or a heavy metal grungy sound, but for a Tele(and Fender) tone purist these are the deal. I've been playing over 30 years on all types of gear (mainly Fender), but these pickups will transform a decent sounding guitar to something really special. Think of Buchanan, Cropper, Burton,Collins and Jimmy Bryant. All those tones, ther right in there. Fantastic work by Kinman. Can I say any more. Try em out.

Pickup features: Single Coil, Passive
Impedence or other specs: Visit Manufacturer's Website (kinman.com)

Model of guitar or bass: Franken-Tele (Peavey Reactor neck on a Tele body)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: neck & bridge, plus add'l middle PU (modded)
Other pickups on guitar: Fender neck PU, Peavey neck PU and Peavey Bridge PU
Artists using this pickup: see manufacturer's website - kinman.com
You musical style(s): whatever pays the most :)
Reason for pickup change: I needed a quieter guitar for recording, that could sort of straddle the Telecaster and Stratocaster thing. AND I wanted to find something that was more vintage sounding, not a humbucking replacement. After two people recommended Kinmans (one a luthier and the other a session guitarist) I figured I would give it a shot for my Franken-Tele.

Perceived output level: The pickups sound like vintage single coil pickups, with a percievable, slight increase in level.
Tone: balanced, with complex mids and lots of vintage chime
Sonic evaluation: I used the guitar with various amps (fender blues-deville, mosvalve realtube amp, old danelectro, ampeg reverberrocket reissue) a line6 pod, and also recorded direct via mic preamps. The kinmans sounded unbelievably great. They sound like fender single coil pickups, but it's really quiet. They also don't sound compressed, like some humbucker/single coil substitutes, or some active pickups.
One detail: After I installed the pickups, I noticed that the bridge pickup seemed to have a slight hum. It was lots less than the usual single coil hum that usually is associated with single coils, so it was no big deal, but the hum was in stark contrast to how dead quiet the other pickups were. I was convinced that it was the pickup, but after I reopened the bridge assembly and control panel I discovered that it was a loose ground connection. I resoldered the pickup's ground shield to the volume pot and the hum was eliminated.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Styles: Rock, Blues, Funk and other artful noodling...

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen, would you buy it again or get something else?
- Definitely, I'd replace 'em in a heartbeat!
How long have you been playing?
- 30 years (really, has it been that long?).
What other gear do you own?
- Lots of stuff. It's an obsession!
What do you love about it? What do you hate?
- It's a well engineered, well crafted product. That doesn't leave much left to hate, does it?
Did you compare it to other products? Which ones? Why did you choose this one?
- I've had the chance to try out a number of single coil "hum-less" substitutes. There are some notable pickups out there, such as the humbucking ones made by Joe Barden. But the Kinman's really sound and feel like vintage Fender pickups - just quieter...
Anything you wish it had?
- A cheaper price tag? They're not cheap, but you get what you pay for, and in this case it's a relative bargain...
Are you satisfied with this pickup or still searching for that sound?
- Color me satisfied. Thrilled, to be more exact.

Pickup features: noiseless single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender American Telecaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender American Tele
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Country, surf, jazz, blues, rock
Reason for pickup change: Wanted to be rid of hum

Perceived output level: About the same as stock pickups
Tone: Balanced, with a trebly edge
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Blues Junior. These pickups really sound great. The signal coming out of the guitar is never distorted... I like this. There is actually very little difference from the stock pickups except for the lack of hum. That, and the neck pickup has the same tone but less muddy. It really is just as advertised, a classic sound, twangy bite in the bridge, and a full smoothness in the neck position. Combining the two gives the sound an interesting hollow quality. I am quite happy with the sound I get from these pickups. I often find that I rollback the treble a bit to get the sound more mellow and warm, especially in the bridge position.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: These pickups are great for the style of music I play.

Comments: I have been playing almost 15 years now, and I would buy these again if I lost them.
I actually didn't try any other pickups before I tried these, I knew that I liked the sound of the Fender pickups, but the hum was annoying me... I was quite impressed with all the information on pickups and tone on Kinman's website (definitely worth a read) that I decided to give them a try.
The instructions that came with the pickups said to spend time adjusting the height of the pickups (distance from strings) and that even a quarter turn can make a big difference in the sound, and I've found this to be true.
When I bought these, www.kinman.com was running a promotion where every 5th customer gets 1/2 off, and I was lucky enough to get this. But to me, these would still be worth it if I had paid full price.
I am giving them a 9, only because I reserve 10's for really, really, really, really, really, really, really spectacular things. The quality of these pickups is exceptional, and the price asked for them ($228 new from their website) is reasonable.