Kinman SCn Single

Pickup features: Passive single coil, with secondary dummy coil for hum canceling
Impedence or other specs: 6,8kOhm, Inductivity:2,9Henry

Model of guitar or bass: Self assembled strat (original Fender YJM scalloped maple neck), 2 pc alder body, vintage trem
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: EMG SA-set
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio HS3 (middle), Kinman Hx-85 (Bridge)
Artists using this pickup: ???
You musical style(s): Classic rock, Blues, Country, Fusion
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a more powerful strat. Still have a further EMG SA equipped strat.

Perceived output level: Higher than common sincle coils
Tone: Smooth attack, fat, punchy sound. Very nice & full clean sounding!!!
Sonic evaluation: I have already installed 4 Kinman pickups in two of the strats that I own (please read, if you like, my further reviews for each model). Set 1: 56 on neck and a 69b on bridge position of a ?Rory Gallagher? model (rosewood fingerboard). St 2: SCn on neck and Hx-85 on bridge position of a self assembled strat (with scalloped, one piece maple neck). Both have standard tremolo, and 2-pc alder body. In the mid position I retained my old favorite, Di Marzio HS-3 on both axes. The target was to have the Rory-Strat as a more vintage sounding axe, and the other one as a more modern, heavier/darker sounding one. Both targets matched to 100% with the above pickup choice.
I play all my axes through similar setups: Either a Line6 POD XTL (right through P.A.), or with my Hughes & Kettner Zentera combo. I own further old-tech tube amps like Marshalls and Fenders. I use them only at home, due to the very restricted sound possibilities that they have for my live-work needs.
As described above, I wanted a more powerful, dark-sounding strat, thu the choice of an SCn for neck position. Combined with higher gain sounds (that's what this guitar is intended for...), the SCn delivers what I expected, retaining clarity and being smotth on fast runs. I play always by picking (with pick and/or fingers), cannot play legato (don't like it!), so I needed a smoother attack on the neck sound, for those fast, Eric-Johnson-styled runs. Bu the biggest surprise was the clean sound of the SCn on neck. A pure smooth blues heaven. You get that full, rich "When a blind man cries" lead sound immediately...
Thumbs on !!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For clean blues and heavier dirty sounds, SCn delivers a punchy sound without the hassle attack.

Comments: Playing for 25 years, electrical engineer (diploma), former guitar builder (during the 80's), modified hundreds of axes, especially in electrics, pickup adjustments and customization. As an engineer, I have to say that the Kinman assembly is by far the best that I have ever seen (and I have seen - and changed - lots of ups...). Especially the wire grounding-end at the side of the coil, shows detailed design. That's a fact. A clear "10" here.
Now, from a musician's point of view, the SCn delivered what it was chosen for (see above). I don't know how versatile the pickup might be, I haven't tried this particular on middle bridge, but will do it in near future, as I always try pups on all possible positions and axes.
And a last notice: I don't now WHO out there thinks that Kinman pups are expensive. I purchased them directly from KGE at a very moderate price, comparable to many other products...
Go check!!!

Pickup features: noiseless single coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '64 Gibson Melody Maker
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: original gibson single coil
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: unknown
You musical style(s): neuvo garage rawk
Reason for pickup change: wanted higher output and less noise

Perceived output level: about the same as the '83 Gibson PAF reissues in my Moderne
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: I?m using this as the only pickup in my ?64 Gibson Melody Maker through a Mesa Boogie .50 Caliber head with a stock Marshall JCM 900 4x12.
This pickup was just what I?d hoped it would be. It has nice classic-humbucker-level output, is dead quiet, and still has the presence, response, and tone of a single coil.
On the clean channel of my amp, with my volume and tone dimed, the sound is as Stevie Ray as a Gibson will ever get. With the lead (dirty) channel, which I use more often, it sounds incredible: very harmonically rich and detailed with great dynamic response. The wound strings take on very P-90ish tones, while the plain strings are more hot-rod Strat. It cleans up very well using the volume control without losing any tone.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this pickup would not be suited for any style where absolute cleanliness is needed (classical, jazz)

Comments: This was my first venture in pickup replacement in 10 years of playing, and I am very pleased with the results. Since there aren?t any Kinman dealers in my area, I chose it based on the glowing reviews from this site.
This pickup boosted the output of my guitar, and silenced the hum, but the tone of the guitar remains intact. I thought after installation, my guitar would either sound like a Les Paul Jr., due to the higher output and 24 3/4 scale, or a revved up Strat, because of the new pickup. It was neither and both, but my guitar still sounds like its loveable old self: a 38 year old piece of mahogany that has more character and punch than all but the very best (and most expensive) of today?s guitars.
The main reason I?m writing this review is to let other Melody Maker owners know that this pickup is a great option if they want to expand the tone of their guitars. Original Melody Maker pickups have pretty low output, so this is a ?safe? way to boost that output and kill the hum. The pickup fit perfectly into my pickguard, so I believe it would do the same on any M.M., except for the 50?s models with the 7/8s inch wide pickups. I could not easily detach the original pole-less style pickup cover, and didn?t want to force it, so I cannot give info on that front.
Finally, if you are considering buying Kinman pickups, I strongly suggest ordering them directly through Kinman.com. They are quick, courteous, and you can order a pickup with the options/features you need (color, radius, lefty, etc.). Mr. Kinman even gives you the option of ordering covers without logos. How many manufacturers let you do that?
If I buy another guitar with single coils, they?ll end up being replaced with Kinmans.

Pickup features: Passive Single Coil
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: G&L Legacy
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: G&L stock pickups
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change: Primarily to get rid of single coil noise; also to get a more vintage sound.

Perceived output level: Hotter than stock pickups; these pickups are able to crank without sounding harsh or losing their musicality. I also have a Fender Elite (the precursor to the Robben Ford model) which uses humbuckers. The Kinman have slightly higher output than these humbuckers.
Tone: Growling low end; sweet shimmery highs; rich harmonics. These pickups have an outstanding blues growl. They cut through the mix without sounding harsh. The SCn manages to avoid being harsh while maintaining a crisp high end.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a G&L Legacy (G&L's take on a strat) with a Line 6 AX2 amp. Our band plays a variety of music, Bob Dylan to Van Morrison to Sheryl Crow to Patsy Cline to some harder edged originals.
The Kinman pickups excel when I need a harder edged blues sound. The higher output of these pickups makes them well suited for blues/rock. These pickups are very musical. Though I've been able to get a wonderful clean sound, they seem better suited for blues. The blues sound I've been getting is complex, with a lot of harmonic roll in the tone. They really open when I crank the amp. The complexity allows you to get a wide variety of tones based upon picking attack and fret board technique. I have found that I can get a great clean tone when using the in-between position (either neck/mid or mid/bridge). It is very reminiscent of the Eric Johnson's tone on his recently release CD "Seven Worlds." They sound very deep and rich without getting muddy. The harmonics shine through especially when I use clean settings on either the Mesa Boogie Mark II combo model or the Budda Twinmaster model. I love either of these sounds, especially with a little chorus thrown it.
The biggest difference that I've found between the Kinmans and the G&L stock pickups is that the high end is much richer. There is much greater clarity between each note and the high end rings out in a very pleasing manner. The harmonics are also more complex and add a richness to the tone that was missing in the G&L stock pickups.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Roadhouse rock; blues; a little jazz and a little country thrown in.

Comments: I'm giving these pickups a 9 (Even though I gave the number rating below as a 10). I'm giving them a 9 here not because I think there is anything wrong with these pickups. Actually I would have to say quite the contrary. These are excellent pickups that are DEAD QUIET. They exceeded my expectations about being quiet. My Legacy does not produce any hum, even if I stand within two or three feet of my television set (no exageration here!). They also deliver exactly the sound that is described on the Kinman web page (www.kinman.com). However, I'm in limbo between giving them a 9 and a 10 because I think that I would have rather purchased the AVn-'56 models rather than the AVn-'62s. The AVn-'62s don't seem as versatile as I would like. They have a great blues/rock vibe, but don't seem as well suited to a mellower jazz tone. Based upon the description of the AVn-'56s on the web page the '56 would be better suited to my playing style. However, I don't consider this a knock on the '62s. The '62s are just different.
I went to my local repair shop (The Twelth Fret in Portland, OR - They do GREAT WORK!) and compared the Kinmans to some Rio Grande pickups, Lindy Fralin's, and another replacement pickup (GS2?) and the Kinmans more than held there own. They sounded better than all of these pickups (the Rio Grande pickups were very nice however - they had a great smokey quality - probably a less versatile sound, but nice none the less) while being DEAD QUIET!. These pickups truly are quieter than the humbucking pickups on my Fender. The quietness of these pickups can not be exagerated.
I probably should give them a 10 across the board. I would give them a 10 across the board except that I wanted something a little sweeter and more versatile, so I'll waffle and go with a 9.5 rating. I don't think the pickups have the problem. They deliver exactly what they claim to deliver - great vintage blues/rock tone while being exceptionally quiet. I just didn't make the best choice for what I need.
If you want a harmonically complex, musical sound with a higher output blues/rock edge you would be hard pressed to find anything better than these pickups.

Pickup features: passive single coil
Impedence or other specs: 6.6kOhms, 3kHz resonance

Model of guitar or bass: Yamaha Pacifica
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock Strat clone
Other pickups on guitar: Kinman Avn63, Duncan TB1B
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): blues-rock, "classic" rock, some jazz
Reason for pickup change: seeking less noise but wanted to retain single-coil tone

Perceived output level: slightly hotter than stock Strat
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: Using the Pacifica, through either a Bandmaster or a Pro Jr.; the hype is justified. This pickup is dead quiet - easily as quiet as my Duncan humbucker or the Gibson humbuckers on my ES175, yet it retains the single coil tone. The clarity is almost shocking. This particular, somewhat hot, model is very Stevie Ray. It takes a little more tone tweaking to get Jimi. Interestingly, it is also more versatile than the stock pickup with regards to useful tone variations. The stock pickup would sound too muddy when the tone control was set low and too shrill when the tone control was set too high. The Kinman sounds good regardless of where the tone control is set. The Kinman also responds better to distortion. With my Ibanez Tube Screamer in the loop, I can almost get a Dickie Betts or Carlos Santana kind of creamy, sustained overdrive, which is highly unusual for a single coil.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is more versatile than a stock Strat or Pacifica pickup - it certainly can do anything a Strat pickup can do, only more. As for positions, It's actually designed as a bridge pickup, but I'm using it in the neck. Therefore, I don't think it would be particularly unsuitable for any position.

Comments: The Kinmans transformed my guitar; dead quiet and righteous tone. If I had to do it over again, I might consider alternative Kinman models, but would not consider anything else.