D'Armond Rhythm Chief 1000 7 string pickup

[Jimmy blue note]

As a 7 string player, the options for a good floating pickup are limited. I've always loved the unique character of the D'Armond Rhythm Chief pickups when I was playing 6 string and I really regretted that that was one sound I couldn't get out of my 7 string set up.
Many of you know that the Rhythm Chief has a really honest frequency response that brings out the acoustic quality of an archtop while conveying a clarity and warmth to the amp.

I got the Rhythm Chief 1000 re-issue for a custom build and when I held it up to the string set on my 7, I saw that it could very well cover the magnetic field of a 7 string guitar, especially since the mass of the 7th string tends to hold down a low frequency range in any pickup anyway.
So I got one and just installed it on my 7 string. It sounds like it was designed for that guitar. Full range, warm, acoustic, full range from low string to the top.

So if you have a 7 string archtop, know that your options have just opened up. It fits nicely next to my Benedetto. Both sound different. I have a volume blend between the two.
Yeah, and I happen to think it's a pretty addition to my guitar too. (who's looking though?)

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Fascinating! I was looking at a Carl Barney 7 last year that had the same pickup, and I figured it was only getting the top 6. If the magnetic field extends to the 7th as well, it's a great find. Barney built many 7s, and a fair number of them have these pickups - like this one:

[Jimmy blue note]

Yeah the reason I like the 1000 is it is devoid of polepieces which are centred under the strings. The 1000 is wound around a bar or something and yes, the magnetic field does encompass the full range of 7 strings. I can't stop playing it, it sounds SO good. And absolutely no hint that it's a 6 or 7 string guitar, no drop off at all.
I'm rethinking the pickups I'll outfit my 7's with from now on. By the way, I use a little tab attachment mounted to the fingerboard so I can set the pickup higher (they usually sit on the top, this brings it closer to the string to find that "sweet spot". The mounting shaft can also be adjusted for bass side height by choosing where that stick is attached and it can be bent (carefully) to find the warm and clarity optimum location. Basically it "floats" above the top with attachments on the stick and fingerboard.