Kinman CV-HMS Hank Marvin Set

Hi all Kinman is shortly releasing another version of these fantastic pick-ups CV-HMS Mk II, which will be due for release very soon. I have heard from their technical department today ( 21-04-09).

Pickup features: Strat replacement noiseless stacked humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: MIA Fender '97 Roadhouse Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Fender Texas Specials
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Classic rock, blues, some country
Reason for pickup change: Heard a set of Kinman's & liked sound, then found out they were noiseless.
I have had noise problems in 2 or 3 gigs, can be very irritating.

Perceived output level: Slightly louder than Texas Specials, but not "hotter", as they aren't as midrangey
Tone: Balanced & clear (deceptively so - see below)
Sonic evaluation: Fender MIA Strat into Fender Hot Rod Deluxe, or Roland BC-30, or Peavey Envoy for practice

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Good for styles mentioned above, probably Jazz also with treble lowered, since they are so clear.

Comments: I would buy again, tho I might opt for the Kinman Avn traditional set. I'd like to have the Hank Marvin set I have now & a Tradtional set in another Strat. I've been playing for 30 years, especially in the last 10 years in hobby bands playing local bars.
I currently own several guitars as well as my USA Strat, including a Fender MIM Tele that I changed the pups to USA Fender Delta Tones, a Godin LG-P90, A Chinese Jay Turser Strat (which sounds surprisingly good) & a couple of "parts guitars" I made up myself.
At first I was a bit disappointed in the Hank Marvin set. I had heard the AVn blues set in a guitar in the store, but opted for the Hank Marvins because I was a Shadows fan. I picked his "classic" set to stay closer to vintage sound (he also endorses a "modern set" made by Kinman which are warmer). The AVn blues set was a little more "sparkly" to my ears.
Then I read a review here advocating lowering pups to near pickguard to increase that "vintage sparkle". It works! Now I have quiet pups with very clear string to string defintion. Not too thin, & not too middy either. These pickups take time to get used to & grow on you. It's necessary to adjust the heights to find your sound as they are very affected by height. You can get quite close to the strings due to low gauss magnets (low string pull). This changes the sound considerably, becoming almost P90-ish, full & warm. Backed off, we're back into Strat territory.
The sound is so clear it's deceptive. I was playing today, then picked up my Turser Strat for a change. I thought "wow, sounds pretty good!".
Played for a few minutes, then switched back to the Kinman guitar. Immediately I noticed it was louder & especially clearer note for note, as well as absolutely silent between notes. You tend to begin to take for granted the clarity of Kinmans when you've been playing just them for a while. When you try something else, the difference is immediately apparent. These pickups have their own character & once you're used to it, you're spoiled! I'm tempted to buy a traditional set for my Turser Strat & a set for my Tele - but I'll have to save for quite a while!!
I'm giving them a 9 only because they don't have quite the vintage vibe of the Kinman AVn-T traditional set, which was really the sound I wanted. but that's really my fault, not the pickups, since I should have made sure I heard the various sets first.
It would be very helpful if Chris Kinman had better sound bites on his website, like Seymour Duncan does.

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: AVn-59, AVn-59, AVn-63

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Lindy Fralin Vintage Hot
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): currently fingerstyle soloist/vocalist
Reason for pickup change: Purchased a set of Kinman AVn-Broadcaster and liked them so well, I thought I'd give these a try.

Perceived output level: medium hot with increased dynamic range and clarity
Tone: Balanced with prominent high end shimmer and air (sparkle/presence)
Sonic evaluation: Fender Strat - maple neck/fretboard '59 Fender Bassman Reissue
At first listening: the expected classic vintage Strat tones I was looking for, but as more time was spent with them, a much wider dynamic range became increasingly apparent. Nuances not heard before [pick/fingers rubbing and scraping the strings, string squeaks, string windings, fret buzzes] were delicate and very detailed. Definitely a lot of air/sparkle/shimmer textures going on. String to string balance very good. Good quack in 2 & 4 positions. Classic vintage clean tones.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic Rock, Country, Top 40, Cocktail Jazz, Hawaiian Contemporary

Comments: I would probably buy them again if they were stolen or destroyed. Especially enjoying the complex high freq. textures and detail. I have also considered pickups by Lindy Fralin & Harmonic Design.
Been playing for 30 years, the last 12 as solo guitarist/vocalist.
Other misc. gear: '52 Telecaster Prototype with Kinman AVn-Broadcaster pickups, '52 Gibson Les Paul Gold Top [original w/stop tailpiece conversion], '91 Mark Lacey Empire ArchTop,'63 Fender Vibroverb Reissue, Mesa Boogie V-Twin Preamp/50-50 amplifier, Mesa Boogie Tremoverb head w/2 2-12 Rectifier cabs

Pickup features: Single Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: G&L Legacy
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: G&L Legacy Special stock PU's
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock, blues, surf.
Reason for pickup change: I wanted the classic 60's Hank Marvin sound without the noise.

Perceived output level: More than standard stock fender pu's and without the noise
Tone: These pickups have a very complex ,rich sound to them, I read some German website reviews and they said these particular Hank Marvin pu's weren't much use for anything but Hank Marvin music , but I can assure you they are fantastic sounding suitable for a wide range of sstyles.
Sonic evaluation: I have a Laney class A combo amp which sounds similar to a Vox Ac30, but I mainly play through a POD 2.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play a lot of different styles, but I did get these for mainly the Shadows instrumental sound.

Comments: I would definitley buy Kinman pickups again,I would like to hear some others before I bought them, there are several options to choose from.