Kinman pickups and patent

Phil Saunders

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Jun 7, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/7/98

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and search for "Kinman" or patent number 5668520

This appears to be a stacked single coil design. What is new and
different (and therefore patented) is that the lower coil is electrically
and inductively shielded from the upper coil. (Kinman claims Dimarzio,
Seymour Duncan, and previous stacked designs are not fully shielded
inductively).

The patent details how the shielding is to be accomplished: imagine a U
shaped shield on top on an inverted U shaped shield, forming an H. The
coils sit inside the H; the shielding allows magnetic signals to pass, but
not electric or inductive signals (i.e. the signal from the string). The
upper coil uses magnetic polepieces, the lower one uses magnetically
permiable (but non-magnetic) steel.

The key is that the lower coil is shielded so that it only picks up noise,
with no signal and no interference from the upper coil. When it is
electrically added to the upper coil, it cancels the noise. The shielding
ensures that no part of the signal is cancelled. Kinman asserts that in
previous designs, signal from the string and/or interference from the
upper coil interferred with the lower coil, causing signal degradation.

Sounds fine in theory, but has anyone tried them?

BluezBlazer Guitars

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Jun 7, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/7/98

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If "noise" is being added out of phase to the noise+signal from the
upper coil this approad will only work on regular sinusoidal types of
"noise", such as
60 and 120 Hertz electrical hum from stray AC sources and
transformer ballasts.

Random electrical noise generated internally
from the electron motion of the windings of the coil iteself has no
inherent phase to be subtracted from the mix, and thus adds itself to
the fray.

If the bottom coil is so shielded as to be immune from the vibrations
of the string, pickguard, body, and counter emf emitted from the
immediately adjacent upper coil, I doubt that it would pick up
any surrounding hum at all.

It will be interesting to run a few tests on the Kinmans...

Take a peek at our site, please: http://listen.to/guitars

Thanks

Jay Lent
Chief Engineer
BluezBlazer Guitars, Inc.
gui...@clarityconnect.com http://listen.to/guitars
--
MZ

stevi...@hotmail.com

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Jun 8, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/8/98

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In article <6lefpm$4q3$1...@gte2.gte.net>,

I seem to recall that this is the way that the Ernie Ball single coils in the
Axis Sport work?

srd

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evil twinŽ

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Jun 8, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/8/98

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Seems like a lot of trouble to go to just to eliminate a little hum.

profrets

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Jun 9, 1998, 3:00:00 AM6/9/98

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A really critical (nothing is good enough) friend of mine heard the Kinman
pickups in Rick Turner's place in Topanga Canyon. His verdict was that this
was going to be the next wave. The first American dealer is Guitar
Traditions in Santa Monica, CA, where pro clients include Jackson Browne,
Bonnie Raitt, Rickie Lee Jones, David Crosby, etc. I think this guy has
something, time will tell.
stevi...@hotmail.com wrote in message <6lhcci$lon$1...@nnrp1.dejanews.com>...