I just won a Kinman Thickmaster.

[tdbajus]

Well, I pulled the trigger and got a pair of thickmasters.

They are... interesting.

First, the output seems a billion times higher than the Duncan Antiquity II set they replaced, and I think I might be clipping a couple pedals on my board. Certainly I don't think that I have ever seen the clipping light on my Boomerang looper come on, ever.

I've noticed that playing up on the neck (10th fret+) the neck and middle positions seem a little less defined, too.

On the other hand, I actually like the sound of the bridge pickup now. Previously I used the middle position 90% of the time and the neck the rest.

The middle position is pretty interesting. And my god, the feedback on them is glorious. Seems like it can't wait to start singing out - and I'm using my Vibrolux clone, which is only pumping out a modest 12 watts or so.

The more I play it, the more I like it.

[edit]

I really, really like them. It's funny, but I always kind of figured that I used the middle position mostly out of convenience, but even though the neck and bridge solo are totally quiet, I still use it all the time.

I ordered a second set, this time the SurfMaster.

[WesLeavy]

Here you go, if you can stand it, here's some noodling around. This is the "dry" version, which is just an Amplitube "American Tube" setting, the bass, middle and treble knobs put to 5, no compression, no reverb. If it sounds a little harsh, I'll call that good:

https://soundcloud.com/larry-mal/kinman ... 386Qggh36j

Here is the same thing but with a touch of spring reverb, some compression, and delay- it's just the rest of the preset from Amplitube, but it's a sound a little more like what one might use:

https://soundcloud.com/larry-mal/kinman-1

None of this really is all that well thought out but maybe it will tell you something.

Hi there! Made an account just to post in this thread, I am deciding whether to go with the fat/thick/surfmaster pickups and really wishing there were more sound examples. The soundcloud links you provided appear to be broken now. Do you by chance have a new link to your page so I can listen? Thanks!

[Larry Mal]

Hi there! Made an account just to post in this thread, I am deciding whether to go with the fat/thick/surfmaster pickups and really wishing there were more sound examples. The soundcloud links you provided appear to be broken now. Do you by chance have a new link to your page so I can listen? Thanks!

Hey, Wes, sorry, I took them down from SoundCloud to free up space. I can tell you that the SurfMasters are bright, powerful, and cutting, they are very much more of a vintage Jazzmaster pickup sound just like he says but I'd say even more cutting.

Loud, too- I was really noticing how much output Kinman pickups have yesterday when I was A/Bing some against some noiseless Fralins.

The ThickMasters are still powerful, have good dynamic range, considerably darker and I feel it would be lazy to say they were more into PAF territory but that's probably the best I can do until I've had my coffee.

[WesLeavy]

Hey, Wes, sorry, I took them down from SoundCloud to free up space. I can tell you that the SurfMasters are bright, powerful, and cutting, they are very much more of a vintage Jazzmaster pickup sound just like he says but I'd say even more cutting.

Loud, too- I was really noticing how much output Kinman pickups have yesterday when I was A/Bing some against some noiseless Fralins.

The ThickMasters are still powerful, have good dynamic range, considerably darker and I feel it would be lazy to say they were more into PAF territory but that's probably the best I can do until I've had my coffee.

Hi Larry,
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the description. I'm also weighing the new "Surfmaster DVs" which weigh in at a whopping $600 + shipping. Apparently the coil tapped setting is essentially a Fatmaster and the full coil setting is a "SurfMaster on steroids" according to Joe from Kinman in a message I received from them through their site.

Naturally, no sound examples of the DV exist anywhere online - go figure. I'm still pretty tempted though...

[Larry Mal]

Hi Larry,
Thanks for the reply. I appreciate the description. I'm also weighing the new "Surfmaster DVs" which weigh in at a whopping $600 + shipping. Apparently the coil tapped setting is essentially a Fatmaster and the full coil setting is a "SurfMaster on steroids" according to Joe from Kinman in a message I received from them through their site.

Naturally, no sound examples of the DV exist anywhere online - go figure. I'm still pretty tempted though...

Might be pretty useful, though, this coil tapping. It's a lot of money, but I bought a lot of other pickups trying to avoid the expense of Kinman and just wasn't ever happy in the end. I'm quite the Kinman evangelist, so take that with a grain of salt, at the same time I bought Fralins, Brandonwound, Wilde and Fender noiseless pickups and never liked any of them as much.

[JSett]

I love Kinmans. I have them in a couple of guitars and a few in the parts drawer. I cannot recommend them highly enough - definitely worth the high price.