Kinman Broadcaster (set of three)

These are Kinman's broadcaster (hot telecaster) pickups. The specs can all be found on the website (Kinman.com). The deciding feature for me is that the broadcasters are higher output and have an almost completely level EQ. This means you can (and I have) roll off the mids and the volume on the guitar and go from an almost P-90 sound to a strat sound. The set of three makes it sound more like a strat than a telecaster, but the no-sodder harness (well worth the money) also comes with Chris Kinman's 9-way switching system. You can mix in the bridge pickup by rolling the tone nob down past 5 (0 is on full) with any other pickup, and a switch sequences the bridge and middle pickups (sounds a bit like a humbucker).

And yes, they really are completely noiseless. Even at a bar I play at fairly often where the wall plug is at a different impedence level, these were silent (the only noise I got is from the amp itself).

I installed these in a Fender Chambered Ash American Telecaster. Teles are routed for a third pickup for anyone who doesn't know that. You just have to jigsaw a hole in the pickguard. Fender doesn't have the specs anywhere on their site, but it's basically a classic 60's tele body and neck with late-50's-sounding pickups. However, the ash body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard all combined with normal tele pickups to produce a sound so bright that it was bordering on harsh. The broadcaster pickups are much fuller than regular Tele pickups, and if I want a brighter sound, I can roll back the input volume and hit the "bright" button on my Hot Rod Deluxe.

"Any artists using this pickup?" Kinman does not endorse any artists.

They sound so good that people who don't play spontaneously comment after I play on how good it sounds. Among other things, with the 9-way switching system and a little patience to figure out the settings, you can get the sound of about 4 different guitars. The "humbucker" sound when you flip the switch doesn't sound like a gibson, though. It doesn't sound like anything else. It's got a little bit of quack and this sort of hollow, hoot sound that's wild. it sounds a bit like a chorus petal with the rate rolled almost off. Despite all this, though, they do sound just like a classic broadcaster and you can get a classic telecaster sound with little to no tinkering. They soften the attack a little, also, and have a smoother response and longer sustain than stock pickups.

I would put these up against any vintage fender.

You simply won't ever run into your self at a gig with these things.

"What's the output level like?" They are significantly higher output than standard tele pickups. I have them set about a cm from the body, and they are still louder than the stocks when they were set halfway to the strings. They're about halfway in output between a P90 and a telecaster (they would be about the same output level as a P90 if you set them higher). The higher output does mean more mids.

"What amps and effects are you using it with?" I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe (2006). It's an uncomplicated tube amp with a great sound.

"Tone - Bassy, middy, muddy, trebly, balanced?" As I mentioned above, the EQ is almost flat on them. All ranges are very clear, and the destinction between individual notes is excellent. Chords sound as good as on an accoustic. The bridge pickup is trebly without being harsh. Position 2 (neck and middle) is particularly sweet sounding. You can't use the selector to go to leads very well, but you can flip the sequencer switch. I use a volume pedal anyway and typically play leads in positions 2, 5, 7 (tone nob rolled off for the neck and bridge), or 3 and chords in position 4 or 1.

"What style of music do you play? Is this a good match?" I play rock, alt-country, a sort of celtic-american-roots-rock mishmash, blues, and a little jazz, almost exclusively fingerstyle on electrics. The pickups work for all of them (it's not a jazz guitar, but it sounds good on the neck pickup for chords), but it is a particularly good match for the alt-country and celtic stuff, and position 2 is outstanding for blues.

"For which positions is this pickup (un)suitable?" Note that when you order a set, Kinman balances them. The middle pickup is intentionally hotter than the neck and bridge pickups by a little bit, but you can balance this with pickup height. Position 4 is quieter than the others no matter how you set the pickups, though.

I would replace these if they were stolen, even if they did cost a total of $500. The price is extremely steep and the wait is about 45-60 days to receive them from Australia. Availability is the only thing that keeps me from rating them as an 11.

I've been playing ten years. I have another custom telecaster, a Les Paul Special (with P90s), a Sheraton II, a D10 Larivee Koa with an LR Baggs Dual Source, a Tennesee Crafters D18 with a Dual Source, a Webber Bitterroot mandolin, and a Roland RD-750 electric piano.

I can't think of anything I'm truly disappointed with in the pickups. It is indeed "that sound" for me.

I compared them to several of fender's custom shop models, artist signature models, and any number of stock pickups.