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David Allen Pickups maker of finely crafted electric guitar pickups with over 40 models of
pickups covering Strat, Tele, Humbucker, Bass, Jazz Master and P90’s. We are the fastest
growing boutique pickup maker in North America.
Find out why Touring Pro’s and Session Artist are turning to David Allen Pickups to meet their
search for TONE
This PARTY will be a BLAST and space is limited
This Party will be near the NAMM show in Anaheim at the Anaheim White House Event Center
Two Partners in the Booth you will enjoy; RocknRollRelics Guitars and Friedman Amplification.
This combination makes this booth to come to!
Rock n Roll Relics makes beautiful hand crafted guitars that are dripping with mojo and play like a dream
come true.
With Models covering the “SG” style, Townsend and SixtyOne; T-Style, Richards; S-Style, Blackmoore,
Jr-Style, Thunders I and II, JazzBastard and a NEW LP-Style
Rock N’ Roll Relics has been in business since 2005. We are all about building guitars that play
great, sound great and look cool. All our guitars are hand-crafted and custom-built from the
ground up. Each build is given detailed attention from start to finish.
For all our bolt on neck models we use light weight Alder & Ash. All bodies are two piece and
light weight. One piece bodies are available for an additional charge.
All our set neck models are made from African Mahogany with 2 way stainless truss rod and the
choice of ebony or rosewood finger-board. Radius: 12″ | Profile’s available: 60’s – .8 @1st Fret |
’59 – .877 @ 1st Fret | 50′s (baseball bat) – .955 @ 1st Fret | Fret wire: Jescar- 45/100 medium
jumbo.
Necks on all models have hand roll edges for a smooth and vintage feel up and and down the
neck.
Aging level for bodies, necks and hardware is light, medium and heavy.
ALL our finish work Is done In nitrocellulose Lacquer and applied thin and vintage like to
achieve that natural feel and tone. No plastics or polly’s are used on any of our builds.
Friedman Amplification will be announcing the Steve Stevens Signature amp from our booth and
Steve Steven will be there to do this on Friday at 2:30
Presenting the ultimate modded Marshall Plexi style amp – The Friedman Brown Eye. Created
by legendary amp guru David Friedman, the Brown Eye is an EL34 based plexi platform amp
using custom transformers and David Friedman’s renowned tones and voicings. Released in
2009, Friedman amps have already found their way into the arsenals of many of the top touring
artists today.
Check out "Dirty Shirley!" She’s simple and straightforward (one channel and no effects loop)
and is ready for fat sounding Classic Rock.
We will also have a Pink Taco in the Booth so come check it out!
Nancy Wilson
Playing D. Allen CoolCat P90
Glen Campbell Hand Signed limited issue of 25 by RocknRollRelics
with David Allen Country Boy model pickups
The #1 hand signed will be in our Booth come check this piece of history out!
Andy Andersson guitarist for FUEL
Playing David Allen TomCats and CoolCats
Booth Appearance Friday 1/25/13 2:00
Derek St Holmes Guitarist for Ted Nugent Playing a RocknRollRelics Thunders I
with a D. Allen PhilthyCat P90
Jeff Cease Guitarist for The Eric Church Band
Plays D. Allen JohnnyBuckers and CrazyCats
Vintage guitar Apri l 2011 Vintageguitar.com
Gear Reviews
d. allen tomCats/Cs series PiCkuPsPrice: $119.95/ $224.95 (retail)Contact: dsallenpickups.com.
a relative newcomer to the world of pickup manufacturing, David Allen is somewhat old-school. His pickups use hand-wound bobbins with laser-cut fiber flatwork, hand-beveled Alnico magnets, scatter winding, wax
a Pair of Player’s DelightsD. Allen TomCats, CS Series Pickups
potting, fabric tape, and U.S.-made cloth-wound wire. Complementing his use of traditional materials, Allen also employs traditional designs like the TomCats humbuckers and Custom Shop series pickups for bass that he recently sent us for a once-over.
Allen’s TomCats humbucker line is designed to offer a
medium-hot
output that retains articulation. The neck pickup uses 42-gauge Formvar and is wound to 6.88K-ohm resisitance, while the bridge pickup measures 8.8K-ohm, allowing ample distortion for most styles. Both utilize Alnico II magnets and have four-wire conductors for custom wiring options.
In both the bridge and neck positions, the TomCats do indeed offer noticeably improved articulation versus stock/mid-grade pickups. Live and in the stu-dio, the TomCats render a very pleasant warmth that yields a sense of vintage, but with an attack that takes them up
a level. Picked lines jumped from the solidbody we used to test them, with a warmth and articulation that certainly would help smooth any instrument that might be naturally boomy.
A hint of drive through a nice tube amp helps extract an inherent high-end sparkle from the TomCats; overdriven tones come to life without being too muddy. As more drive is dialed in, the pickups maintain their tone, articulation and high-end shimmer. The difference in output between the neck and the bridge is pleasing – and convenient. If one must make a com-parison to vintage, you could say they have a late-’60s feel, but are considerably more open. And their high-end makes them stand out.
The Custom Shop P-style bass pickup is assembled using much the same technique and materials. Wound hotter than most passive pickups, it’s a traditional-style replacement that, while it does not attempt to emulate any particular predecessor, is laden with classic vibe. It renders a very open sound with notes that blossom.
Both of these pickups/sets do a very good job of bridging the gap between vintage and modern. They sound wonderful and are extremely versatile. – Sean O’Bryan Smith
February 2012- Print Pages http://digital.premierguitar.com/premierguitar/201202_1/Print_subm...
1 of 1 3/2/12 8:20 AM
D.Allen Pickups – Review
Posted on June 6th, 2011 by Will Kelly
I build pickups, too …You’ll notice I said “too”. Once in a great while a craftsman discovers
someone else who shares similar interests, but is also “head and shoulders” above the rest in
talent. David Allen is such an artist. I really mean “artist”, because he takes the basic
components of pickup construction and takes them to another level of performance and tone. I
am jealous, but not bitter. It’s refreshing to see someone really excel at their chosen livelihood.
D.Allen Pickups are based upon two premises: the first is, “be true to vintage specifications” and
the second is, “but with a twist”. You can order most sets of D.Allen pickups with either vintage
windings and output or tweaked versions that are slightly ‘hotter’ and more ‘modern’ in tone.
But rest assured that either way you’ll be getting a handmade, custom wound pickup that has
clarity, detail and tone for days!
I recently had the opportunity to evaluate some of David Allen’s finest creations and came away
with some strong, favorable impressions. My good buddy the Nashville Super Picker, Johnny
Hiland, let me know he was working with David on some new pickup models. Johnny is legally
blind; consequently he has some of the BEST ears in the business! He can simply hear things
that most of us can’t. I trust his opinions implicitly when it comes to tone, so when Johnny
introduced me to David Allen and arranged for some sample sets to be sent to my shop for
evaluation, I was stoked. I’m writing a new book for Voyageur Press on how to build an Electric
Guitar, and David’s pickups will be a great addition to the section on customizing electronics.
The first set I tried was for Strat style guitars. This set’s nickname was
“JohnnyCats”, being Johnny Hiland’s prototype pickups. They really captured the vintage Strat
chime, quack and piano like tones, but still have enough power in the bridge position to drive an
amp when picked hard. The neck pickup was based around a genuine ‘54 Strat neck pickup, but
made with some custom materials that add dimension. The middle pickup had similar influences
from a ‘59 Strat pickup, but was RWRP (Reverse Wound, Reverse Polarity) for quiet operation
in the 2 and 4 positions. The bridge was designed to balance volume-wise with the rest of the set,
especially when changing from the neck position to the bridge pickup. This is an extremely
flexible set that handles many types and styles of music but still always
manages to sound like a Strat. David uses high quality, hand-beveled alnico magnets, USA-made
‘push back’ cloth hookup wire and real fiber flat work. A special scatter wind technique, a
unique wax potting process, and lacquer dipped hand-built bobbins all add up to superior build
quality. I especially liked the fact that each pickup coil is fabric taped to protect the delicate-
build wire assemblies. You just can’t buy a more authentic, better made and superior sounding
pickups for your Stratocaster than these.
The next set of pickups I was anxious to get my hands on were for
Telecaster style guitars. Johnny Hiland is known throughout the industry as a ‘chicken picker’
and the Tele is his home turf, so I was especially hoping these were going to be good. And they
were! This set was designed to bring clarity, and great note definition. There’s a responsiveness
that allows you to produce different tones simply by changing your pick attack angle. David
uses an extremely thin nickel silver cover to help the magnets interact
better with the strings. These are wound hotter than vintage specs to really balance well with the
bigger sounding bridge. The bridge pickup is also wound a bit hotter so that it drives the amp
better, but not so hot that it loses tonal range and definition. These are great examples of some of
the best vintage Tele pickups around with a Nashville ‘super picker’s’ best recommendation
behind ‘em!
Take it from me, humbuckers are some of the most difficult pickup sets
to build. All of David Allen’s pickups are handmade in his shop by the man himself, so I really
wanted to see a true craftsman’s work with this set, nicknamed the “Johnny Buckers”.
They’re wound like an extremely articulate late 50’s vintage ‘PAF’ with
lower output but producing a tone that plays and sounds much hotter (think Van Halen I and II).
They’ll play snappy or soft depending on your pick attack. The bridge seemed to be designed to
balance better with the neck; it’s hotter but still keeps the widest tonal range possible. I really
liked the fact that this set plays so smoothly with gorgeous glassy highs, and without getting
brittle or harsh in the process.
I’m a huge P-90 fan. The problem is that for most of us they’re a bit
‘harsh’ in the midrange, and sometimes unmercifully noisy thanks to 60 cycle hum. Not only do
I think D.Allen resolved these issues, he’s improved the format to boot. David’s “CoolCats”
were inspired by some really great, early 1960’s P-90’s. But David uses a hand built bobbin
carved from real maple wood and deploys Alnico 5 magnets to add the crunch we all expect
from a great P-90 of the era. I really found that this pickup can bark and play dirty just like you’d
want, but still cleans up really well. These were wound to 8.68 ohms, so they’re a little bit hotter
to bring back that period tone with a little extra balls.
D. Allen pickups are handmade interpretations of the best in classic
electric guitar tones, but with a modern ‘twist’ to them. David takes the best of vintage and adds
modern enhancements that don’t detract from what we all love about vintage guitars, but adds to
that with taste and tone. Price-wise, these are mid-range replacements, well worth the money.
You can go to DallenPickups.com to check out his wide array of pickups, and feel free to write
David directly if you have any specific questions about his products. He’s a small operation, and
he’s invested his heart and soul in to providing the best upgrades in the pickup market to average
players like you and me!
“Recently, a gentleman named David Allen created some NEW Johnny Hiland signature pickups that are
similar to Bardens….They’re dual blade pickups, yet they offer a range from Tele-style to Strat-style
tones, so my guitar is a bit different…But it’s cool because people can buy the Johnny Hiland pickups
from David and transform their guitar into exactly the same guitar I’m using.” Johnny Hiland
Johnny Hiland about the DAllenPickups JohnnyBlades
Guitarplayer Magazine interview with Johnny Hiland about his new album All Fired Up
What was the signal chain that you used to create the tones on this record?
“I cut the whole album with my Ernie Ball Music Man Silhouette with D.Allen pickups and my Bolt
amplifier…..”
Johnny Hiland Announces His First
Signature Line of Pickups
admin | July 23, 2011
Johnny Blades Pickups
Legendary Nashville Guitarist, Johnny Hiland and DAllenPickups announce the first Johnny
Hiland signature pickup line. These sets were many months in design and making to reach the
TONE that Johnny Hiland had to have to do a signature line.
The first two sets will be unveiled at Summer NAMM. The JohnnyBlades, a unique dual blade
single coil set with chime and quack but none of the single coil Hum, and the JohnnyBuckers a
Humbucker set that plays Blues/Jazz/Rock and is clean and spanky enough to chicken pick on!
Guitar Player Magazine
AudioFanzine
New D. Allen Pickups
By TonyBruno on 07/13/2011 at 00:29:00
Nashville guitarist Johnny Hiland and D. Allen Pickups announce the first
Johnny Hiland signature pickup line.
The first two sets will are the JohnnyBlades, a dual-blade single-coil set with "chime and quack,"
and the JohnnyBuckers, a humbucker set voiced for blues, jazz, and rock that the company says
is "clean and spanky enough to chicken-pick on."
For more information: D. Allen Pickups
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dave allen had put in many years as an engineer working with mobile satellite and radio networks when a job relocation threatened to uproot him and his family from their home in the San Francisco Bay Area. But rather than move with the company, Allen, an avocational musician, decided to start his own boutique pickup operation.
D Allen now offers a full selection of guitar and bass pickups, all hand-made from premium components. While some modern pickup makers aim to recreate in exacting detail the designs housed in golden-era elec-tric guitars—mid-1950s P-90s, late Fifties PAF humbuckers and Fifties and Sixties single-coils—Allen uses them as a foundation for subtle inno-vation. “My goal is not to create a replica set of 1959 Strat pickups,” he says. “I make a slightly hotter bridge
D allen JohnnyBlaDeS anD JohnnyBuckerSliSt Price From $299.95 dallenpickups.com
pickup with a different scatter pat-tern for a more balanced sound, and I hand build each bobbin, using a spe-cial process that reduces microphon-ics and keeps the pickups a bit qui-eter than vintage models.”
Allen likes to design his pickups in conjunction with the players who actually use them, many of whom are killer guitarists. He recently collabo-rated with the country-rock-jazz vir-tuoso Johnny Hiland to create sig-nature models with his Joe Barden–inspired blades. It required a pro-tracted tonal study to craft a proto-type that stood up to Hiland’s stag-geringly high standards. “Johnny’s got an incredibly gifted ear, and while he’s such a nice guy, he’s very hard to satisfy,” Allen says. “Standard metal blades were too shrill, so we had to get some new blades custom-made from cold-rolled steel. In the end, we must have gone through 20 different designs to arrive at the final product.”
One of the results, a single-coil
Johnnys Be Good
pickup dubbed Johnny-Blades, comes in matched sets of three.
These electronics include four-con-ductor lead wires and are available with white, black, crème or parch-ment covers. Most important, they sound surpassingly good. “The JohnnyBlades are incredible,” says Hiland. “The neck pickup is round and bubbly, while the bridge gives me that Tele-like spank. The pickups are great with a clean tone, and with dis-tortion they really let me reach out, grab you by the neck and throw you around the room a little.”
Allen also designed some dou-ble-coil pickups, the JohnnyBuckers, with Hiland’s assistance. These pick-ups use Seth Lover’s original PAF as a point of departure, but they incorpo-rate higher-quality components than the original designs; for instance, rather than using plastic, the innards boast shins of Canadian maple, a tonewood that provides a little extra resonance. The pickups have the cold-rolled steel blades, which pro-vide greater clarity in this context than standard iron pole pieces, and are characterized by a tight, bright sound that refuses to muddy up at higher volumes. Hiland says, “The JohnnyBuckers are absolutely killer. On the one hand I can tear loose with them when I feel like rockin’ out, and on the other hand they’re the only humbuckers that I can chicken-pick with. They definitely love to be spanked.”
Dave Allen likes to design his pickups in conjunction with the killer guitarists who actually use them.
