Friday, December 25, 2009

DeArmond Guitars

Harry DeArmond invented the first commercially available attachable guitar pickup sometime in the 1930’s.. To market his invention he teamed up with Horace 'Bud' Rowe's Company, which was located in Toledo Ohio. It was there Rowe/DeArmond pickups, effects and amplifiers were manufactured.




Originally the chief user of DeArmond pickups were guitar players looking to be heard above the sound of a big band. The other group of users were jazz guitarists seeking a clean sound and as well to be heard as well as a trumpet or drums.

The original DeArmonds came in two styles. The RH was detachable and could be fitted over the soundhole of a flattop guitar by use of springs.



You see a lot of these on the acoustic guitars used by the British Invasion groups of the mid '60's.


The FH used a metal brace that attached to the strings beneath the bridge and tailpiece of an archtop guitar.

The older Gretsch guitars used DeArmond Dynasonic pickups. D’Angelico guitars featured DeArmond pickups. Guild electric guitars also featured DeArmond pickups.

DeArmond guitars were based on older Guild electric guitars.

Guild opened its business in 1952 when Epiphone guitars went out of business. Many of the artisans that worked at Epiphone were hired by former employee Alfred Dronge and retailer George Mann. Originally located in Manhattan and then moved to larger facilities in Hoboken New Jersey.

In 1966 the company was acquired by Avnet and moved its manufacturing to Westbrook Rhode Island where it continued until 1995 when Guild was acquired by Fender.

Fender was on an acquisition spree at this time to diversify their product line up and add a well made acoustic product into the mix. Additionally Fender had acquired the rights to the DeArmond name and its pickups.


It was in 1997 that Fender designed a series of guitars based on Guilds electric guitar lineup, but to be manufactured in Korea and Indonesia. The plan was to ship the guitars to the United States and install the electronics including new DeArmond pickups.

DeArmond Goldtone and 2K Alnicos
The pickups came in four varieties. The guitar pickups were the DeArmond 2K Single Coil and the DeArmond Gold Tone Humbucking pickups.

The bass pickups were the DeArmond Turbo Jet Bass Single Coil and the DeArmond Gold Tone Bass Humbucking pickup.

DeArmond Starfire IV


Fender test marketed the guitars, branded DeArmond in Europe and Asia and the line was very successful. The guitars were later marketed in the United States and Canada and continued until 2004 when Fender suddenly dropped the line. Fender did sell one of the former DeArmond products under its Squire brand through 2005 or 2006, only it used different pickups.



DeArmond Starfire Special
In 2004 members of the Fender Forum were notified by FMIC there was a big discount being offered through Musicians Friend to clear out Fender Musical Instruments Company’s stock of DeArmond guitars. After that DeArmond guitars were no more.




They can still be found on eBay at reasonable prices and are still excellent values.






DeArmond M-72



The Korean made DeArmonds are excellent guitars. The Korean instruments have set in necks, the fret markers are much nicer plastic versions.

They are bound on the top with plastic trim and the logo is inlaid. The wood is superior using maple for the tops and walnut for the backs or solid mahogany for some of the models.

The necks are made of mahogany.

DeArmond S-65
The Indonesian products are nice playing instruments, but are definitely inferior.

The block fret markers on these are made of PVC, the necks are bolt-on, the pickups on some of the budget models are not DeArmonds, the wood is agathis and the headstock logo is a decal.

The hollowbody models, the X155 and the 400 are excellent jazz instruments.


M-77T
The X155 is a large bodied guitar with a Venetian cutaway and twin humbuckers and the 400 is a slim body single cutaway instrument with a single Florentine cutaway, a Bigsby style vibrato and twin 2k single coil pickups.

There are also two semi-hollow instruments manufactured. The Starfire features twin Gold Tone humbucking pickups and double cutaway, while the Starfire Special is equipped with two single coil 2K pickups a Florentine cutaway and a Bigsby style vibrato. Both instruments were based on the Guild Starfire guitars.

The solidbody instrument are based on two old Guild guitar designs, the M-75 and the S-10. These came in a variety of styles that went from budget models to player models.

The budget guitars featured generic open humbucking pickups and bolt on necks while the nicer models featured either solid mahogany bodies or chambered bodies with walnut backs and maple tops. Some came with Gold Tone Humbuckers and some featured 2K single coils. The necks were set in, the bodies bound and the inlay was superior.


DeArmond also released a Gumby style solid guitar,
S series 12 string and the S67 seven string model.

DeArmond Jetstar Bass
The DeArmond Jetstar bass guitars were based on the Gumby guitar shape and came with either two Gold Tone Humbucking pickups or two 2K single coil pickups. DeArmond also introduced the Pilot Bass which was a modern offset solid body bass that came in various styles and had Fender style bass pickups.

Another unusual DeArmond creation was the DeArmond Bajo Jet guitar. This is another "Gumby" style solid body that was a six string baritone guitar. It came with three DeArmond single coil 2k pickups. If you can find one, this has got to be a great addition for any guitarist. It had a set-in bound neck with dot position markers. One interesting feature is this guitars controls. There are one volume and one tone potentiometer for all of the pickups. The upper switch controls the neck and bridge pickups like on a twin pickup guitar.


There is an extra switch that turns on the middle pickup and reverses the polarity. So you can have the middle pickup in phase or out of phase with the neck and bridge pickups.



The most unique DeArmond was the Ashbory bass. This was a copy of the orginal Guild version

This unique instrument is still in production, however is sans the DeArmond brand and has gone back to just being the Ashbory bass.

My personal favorite is the DeArmond M-72 with twin Goldtone pickups.

Guitars manufactured at the same factory relabeled under the Squier brand

Some of the leftover DeArmond guitars were re-branded as Squier guitars.

This lasted for about one year until they were gone.
©UniqueGuitar Publications (text only)





19 comments:

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Greg Field said...

Left out of this story is the DeArmond Bajo Jet, an absolutely killer sounding baritone guitar featuring 3 of the legendary 2k pickups. There are 2 pickup selector switches, allowing a multitude of pickup combinations. Like the Jetstar it featured a gumby shaped body. It was offered in the same colors as the 12-strings, red, green, and natural. It is one of the rarest guitars of the Dearmond line

Unknown said...

I own three DeArmond electrics, all 6 string, an M50, a S65 and S73. The M50 is a no frills guitar I bought new in Dallas (G-Center) for $90. Have it set-up for slide with, all original hardware but fitted with Wilkinson P90's. The S65 is translucent red, it has the "Squire by Fender" badge on it, all stock, it is just evil, came with Duncan designed p_ups, these growl!! The S73 is my #1, all electronics have been upgraded to Gibson, including Classic '57 p_ups. I just love the workmanship on these, the s73 has mother of pearl inlays!! I bought it for $100! Its like the best SG you ever played or heard. I have a L-Paul standard and a strat, these are more playable than guitars four or five times the price.
JD
Vancouver

Anonymous said...

The date of Guild moving to Westerley,Rhode Island in the article is incorrect.I believe it was 1969 or 1970,as I own a ´68 Guild that has the Hoboken label inside.I own a late 90´s Dearmond Starfire III copy and although heavy as a Les Paul,it is a wonderfully built quality guitar.

Anonymous said...

It seems so odd that a guitar as well designed and built as the Korean DeArmonds would have such a short production run considering how successful they were at the time and that they continue to increase in their value and acceptance amongst players who have been discovering them.I think there is a deffinite snob factor when comparing Asian made Guild product variants to the American versions.This past year(2012)Guild announced the new "Newark Street"series of reissues.....very nice but very pricey new versions of some Guild classics.in my mind,they should never have stopped making these wonderful hollow electrics in either the states or in Asian factories.Here is a tip,If you appreciate the quality of the DeArmond Guild guitars of the 90s but don't want to pay the inflated prices they have been commanding of late,Take a look at the current line of Cort hollow bodies made in Indonesia.The Source model es335 copies are amazingly well made guitars along with the more country/rock a billy toned Sunset models.The hardware on these guitars are TONEpros,graph trek and Bigsby,and all stock from the factory.A particularly sweet guitar is the Source BV model with p90s and a b70 licensed Bigsby.

Anonymous said...

The name DeArmond seems to have quiet a following for the pickup sounds.let be tell I had a Mogar, its on (jedistar).I had it for over 55 yrs It had 2 Dearmond model 40 pickups fitted and it sounded incredible.The range they could put out was just mesmerising and that was just using a marshall 20 w amp. The guitar has since been damaged beyond I will miss it like a child.The bridge was a melita sonic pat so I took all parts of and thinking of selling or doing a self build that should sound good. I was surprised to find all the pots had dust cans and the wiring was really tidy.let you know how it pans out.

Medardo B. said...

I want to buy a couple DeArmond clear "D" knobs.
Where can I get them? does anybody would like to sell them to me?
I cannot find them anywhere... =(

William said...

Hi there, I've arrived here while searching the web for information about DeArmand guitars as I've just acquired a black nineties M75, which seems great, but one thing is perplexing me. I have what might well seem like a pretty dumb question but can anyone explain exactly how the three position switch is meant to function? 'Up' = neck and 'down' = bridge seems easy, each with own pair of vol and tone knobs, but despite the temptingly obvious assumptions about the middle position, it seems to behave in what seems like quite a strange manner and I don't know whether I have a fault or whther I've just missed the point of what is supposed to be the case. Mid position definitely produces a different tone to either up or down but but there only seems to be any control from the upper volume knob. Much appreciated if anyone can confirm.

Unknown said...

Hello Does anyone know why Dearmond has a M65 and a S65 SG guitar?

Unknown said...

I have a black m-65c DeArmond and it has been my main giging guitar for roughly 15 years. I was VERY surprised to hear the specks on it, and that it was considered an"inferior" or "beginner" guitar. It has play SOLIDLY since day 1, and it has been dropped once causing cosmetic damage, but still plays great! I've been trying to look up the serial number on the back but have had no luck. Any thoughts?

Unknown said...

Hello,

I own a Dearmond M75 and want to have know its technical information (construction, wiring...). Does anyone have an idea of where can I achieve it? Nowadays, neither Guild nor Fender haven't it.

Thanks in advance

Unknown said...

Hello
Has anyone ever found a DeArmond M75 goldtone pick u wiring diagram

Unknown said...

Came across this blog, cheers for letting folks know about these fine instruments. I own three Dearomnds, one I purchased for 60$ at guitar center in Dallas, lat 90's these were LP Studio type guitars. These were turned into nice studio guitars, one setup for slide (and added a P90). The third I picked up (red-set neck-Duncan pup's-Squire badge) for nothing in Vancouver, its an Indonesian model that puts my Gibsons to shame, mother of pearl inlays, the neck is perfect and it was mint mint! I have some other parts, bridges, pickups (I have gold foils from the P-90 swap). Cheers
JD Vancouver

Unknown said...

Can somebody please tell me if the dremond m70 came with Seymour Duncan pick ups and if not originally gold tone how humbucker sound in this model.
Any help would be great.

Frits van Zanten said...

This week The Go-go's uploaded a video of 'We got the beat' with Jane Wiedlin playing a De Armond guitar.

Carlos said...

I have a Bajo Jet (signed by Guild). It's very hard to find the year it was made. Before '95 off course, how to know when exactly?

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Brian Krashpad said...

Hi Marc!

The photo of the antique burst M-72 with the white pickguard (this was the stock clear pickguard, but with the underside spray painted white) is a guitar I used to own. I took the photo-- that's my kitchen floor underneath it. Could you list an attribution of the photo to me?

Thanks,

Brian Krashpad

Mr. Anonymous said...

I don't think all the DeArmonds were patterned on Guild models. I always thought the M-75T was intended as a copy of the Gretsch solid bodies with a Les Paul shape such as the Duo Jet, Rock Jet and Round Up.