Impersonator MV Pickups

I finally got around to trying the Impersonator MV in the bridge position and then compared it with an HX-85 v2 of mine. The verdict: They both sound exceptional in their own right and better than any actual S style pups that I've had & heard over the decades.

The HX is hotter with mids that got me hooked back in 2009. It has more of a 70's vibe to it whereas the Impersonator is less aggressive, has more of a vintage (50's/60's) vibe to it and has the sexiest mids I think I've ever heard in a S style pup. Both are absolutely stunning whether they're played clean, edgy and/or overdriven.

They both are capable of covering at least as much territory and genres than any other pup on this planet. They and are more musical and pleasant to the ear, mine anyway, simply because A) there's none of that spiky, ice picking sound/frequency that is inherent with many a S style pup and... B) there's ZERO hum!

It's impossible for me to decide which one I prefer so, I now have a 50's/60's S style rig and a 70's S style rig and man do they pack some serious vibe. 

Thank you for your patience, support and curiosity. I hope this message finds you, your crew and our fearless leader, the K Dude, well and good.

Best in tone,  Craig Small

ED:  Thank you Craig, your descriptions are pretty much in line with our impressions.  It's great to know we are one the same wavelength as our customers, it means everything to me and I am so glad you agree.  All the best, Chris Kinman (the fearless K dude ahahaaha)

Rest assured that you don't need to convince me about you guys being the "King of Tone". I've played and heard some of your single coil pickups, and your Impersonator 54's in particular. Simply put, they're nothing short of amazing. Unreal sparkle and chime!

And that's precisely why I'm now contacting you. Are your Impersonator 54's still available for purchase? Or have the Magnum Opus permanently replaced them?

Personally speaking, I cannot possibly imagine a pickup performing better than the Impersonator 54's. No way! They are quite simply BEYOND "heavenly".  So my mind asks . . . . What conceivable improvement could have been made that would enable the Magnum Opus to surpass that earlier legacy?  How could the Magnum Opus possibly BE that much better?

To be honest, I've been so impressed with the 54’s that I'd probably buy ANY-thing with the Kinman name on it at this point, but please help me out wherever you can anyway. ;-)

Thanks so much for your time and consideration.

Tommy Gun

ED:  Thanks for you honest appraisal of our magnificent Impersonator 54 Strat pickup Tommy.  Please note we renamed it the Impersonator MV (Modern Vintage).  FYI we struggled for years to eliminate the horrible Torn Cone Syndrome messy blurt (TCS) that all Strat pickups exhibit when the low E is plucked with an upstroke, it’s explained and demonstrated on the Magnum Opus page.  We tried all kinds of things like different grades of Alnico but the solution turned out to be far more complex. 

And yes, we are always ready to help our valued customers decide which Kinman pickup would suit their application.

Wooow!! 

Thanks to your amazing Impersonator MVs, I now have a Strat that has come back to life and sounds like a Strat without the hum. No more lifeless Fender NV4 pickups. The only problem (well... not really a problem) I had was a reversed phase Fender Shawbucker that sounded like a duck in second position. But now resolved thanks to your 3 conductor hook-up cables. The Kinmans give me a bright, crisp and a little crunchy tone that makes it very hard to stop playing. They are worth every euro invested in them. 

Now you have a happy customer with me 

Cheers

I just have to take a few minutes to say thank you to the fine folks at Kinman.  My new set of Kinman pickups (AVn69 v2 bridge, Impersonator 54 v5 mid & neck) are fantastic! 

I can’t believe what a difference these fine pickups have made in my Stratocaster tone.  They have a nice chimey top end that sparkles with harmonic richness, while never sounding shrill.  The bottom end is full and round without a hint of tubbiness.  Even with this top and bottom goodness, the creamy mids make them sound incredibly focused and smooth when you crank up the gain.  I’m also very impressed with their dynamic response.  When you dig in, they respond with a snappy attack that lends extra note articulation without sounding strident.  I almost forgot to mention that their output keeps up with the humbuckers in my other stage axe incredibly well, without having to re-tweak my settings.  They do all of this while squashing the dreaded 60 cycle buzz (maybe 50 cycle where you are). 

One more thing ,,, thanks for making your Strat pickups with parallel baseplate that fitted my Keisel perfectly, that was a bonus (see pic below)

I am really impressed with the build quality of these pickups.  The pickups themselves show incredible attention to detail and the K-5 Goodbye-Soldering wiring kit is first-rate, using all high-quality components.  I’ve never been a fan of passive tone controls but the HiDef setting really adds a variety of usable tones and can give the highs a humbucker-like quality at mid settings.

Lastly (but not least-ly), I have to give a cheer for Kinman’s customer support.  Joe handled my barrage of questions with patience and answered them with thoughtful consideration, expert knowledge and even laughed and my bad attempts at humor (thanks dude!).

I’d recommend Kinman and their fine products to anyone looking for a great set of pickups.

Sincerely

Pete Butler

ED:  Thanks Pete, for your thoughtful and detailed Report Card on not just our products but also Joe's customer service.  That's the precise reason he mans our Help Desk and I'm sure he appreciates your praise.

The Kinman Impersonator 54s are a truly noiseless pickup set for Stratocasters that sounds even better than true single coil pickups.

The first thing I noticed is just how silent the Kinman pickups are. I don’t mean quiet. I really do mean silent. So silent, that I could switch my tuner on and off (which cuts out the signal from the guitar to the amp), and hear no difference at all.

I’ve got guitars with humbuckers that aren’t as silent as that.

For me, one of the most important characteristics of a good Strat is the way that the open low E string sounds. I call it the Piano Test, because I’m looking for that piano-like “boooong” when the string is played. It’s got a lot to do with the nut, the bridge saddles and the trem block. None of that matters, though, if the pickups lack authority.  No problems here at all. These pickups have a lot of clarity, power and authority.

If you’ve ever wished that your Strat produced more low-end, especially on the neck pickup, I reckon you’ll love these Kinman Impersonator 54 pickups.

I’m a huge fan of Bare Knuckles 63 Veneer Board pickups. They have a richness and fullness to them that makes me smile every single time I play this guitar. As much as I like and recommend the Yosemite-equipped American Performer Strat, the BK 63 Veneer Board is the sound that I want from a Strat.

Switching back and forth between the two Strats, my jaw hit the floor, I’m not kidding.

These Kinman Impersonator 54 pickups sound very similar to the BK 63 Veneers – but better. There’s more clarity, and there’s more top-end. Honestly, the Kinmans are making my other Strats sound dark – and they’ve got true single coil pickups in them.

Noiseless pickups aren’t supposed to have better top-end than true single coil pickups, but these do.

In Position 1 – the bridge pickup – the Kinman pickups have a slightly softer attack compared to the other two Strats. When you dig into a string, it’s not quite as stabby as the 63 Veneers or (especially) the Yosemites can be.

These Kinman pickups certainly can rock out, and it doesn’t feel like the pickups lack dynamics at all. If you’re after a smoother-sounding bridge pickup, the Kinman pickup might just be what you want.

With the Kinman pickups, I’ve now got two guitars that sound very similar – only the Kinmans sound the best, they’re completely noiseless, and they’re in the Strat that hands-down plays the best. Why would I pickup my other Strat any more?

That’s how good these pickups are.

I've gotta' say, I'm loving these pickups. Especially the #2 and #4 positions. I don't get that low mid mush that happens in 2 & 4 position with so many other pickups. Nice quack and definition without adjusting the EQ. Of course the other positions sound brilliant as well. Furthermore I have more sparkle on top then I expected, what a great surprise and again, better than so many other Strat pickups I've tried. Some of the reviews I read on forums asserted that they don't have the top-end extension of "real" Strat pickups. They sound plenty open to me.

Thanks again for all your help and a great set of pickups! Pete (California)

ED: Thanks Pete, we have often said the sonic performance of our Gen-2 models surpasses ordinary Strat pickups ... it's good to receive your confirmation of that.  Thanks for writing.

Okay... the Impersonator 54 sounds SO DAMN GOOD that I feel scandalized haha. Seriously, this pickup is magic. It just sounds perfectly open, woody, glassy, spanky. The Imp 54 sounds brighter than the AVn-69 I had in there before. i just wanted to say thank you for making such an incredible product. I'm beyond proud to represent Kinman pickups to everyone I speak with here in Texas.

To Mr.Kinman I like your Impersonator 54 Strat pickups so much I have just ordered a set of 60's Custom for my telecaster. I have moved to Austin, Texas. This has to be the Blues Capital of the World now. There is live music everywhere and all the local musicians ask me what I have done to get such an incredible sound. I tell them about your pickups. Thanks again,

Installed a new Impersonator 54 in my USA select Jackson Soloist, neck position. I'm absolutely speechless about the tone of this pickup. I never expected to achieve such a night-and-day difference as compared to the stock SD Classic Stack. There is no comparison. The Kinman pickup is hands down the most dynamic, rich, detailed, and dimensioned pickup that I've ever experienced (both regular pickups and noiseless). Some things in this world are all hype, but Kinman tone is the real deal and is a refreshing expression of true engineering genius, fabricating skill, and top tier quality in all respects. Thank You Chris Kinman for the small package of pure magic! Craig Runk (Michigan USA)

Thank you Chris and everybody at Kinman! You have taken a good care of me and my sounds since 2004 3x trad mkII lefty sets! I installed two weeks ago lefty Impersonator 54s with k7 in my new guitar and what can I say........they sound so unbelievable GOOD with everything so right! Im so happy that I ordered these, there are no words.This coming friday Im flying to Belgium and France to give concerts with singer Nina Åström (also a guitar performance workshop in Belgium) Im so exited!THANK YOU! ps.I also love the new pots volume swells are easier than ever....

Hi to everyone involved in the Impersonator 54 Project! This is my third set of Kinman Pickups - I do already have a Woodstock regular (which I realy love) and a Traditional MKIII set (which is not my pair of shoes) - The Impersonator 54 is definitely the one I like best by far!! I put it in a custom made strat with a one piece swamp ash body and a huge one piece maple neck- which to me sounds awesome when played unplugged. The 54 set trasmits every little detail of the guitar and adds character - which couldn't be better. I love the crystal clear high end, the punch and twang of the upper mids and the clean defined low end. The dynamic range and response is stunning! This set can put up with the very best "real" single coils I played - and I definitely wouldn't want to change it for anything else. THX for awesome work!! I'm very happy!!

Hello, I installed Impersonator 54 set into my Hohner the Prinze Telecaster. Wow, never heard a tele sounding so good. Could not resist and installed them into my Fender Stratocaster and -wow again. Best PUs so far. And, just for info, they replaced Tom Anderson PUs that are all but bad- however the Impersonator set is the best I ever heard / tried. Now, I will have to buy another set ( 2 pcs) - for my Hohner The Prinze. Thanks and keep the good work,

I put the 54 neck into my Lonestar strat and gigged with it soon after. It sounds fantastic. From Hank to Hendrix, it did it all, just like to say. Well done for making such an authentic sounding vintage strat pickup. Will be buying another in the future for the middle position. (Ed: note no mention was made about it having Zero-Hum, only that is a fine authentic sounding vintage strat pickup ,,,, but is does produce Zero-Hum)

I want you folks to know, that bar-none, these Impersonator 54's are EASILY the single finest set of single-coil pickups that I have ever owned or had the pleasure to play. They are simply beyond 'superior'! And that is NOT an over-statement!

Like you folks, I've been playing electric guitar myself now for a lot of years (50+), and I currently own 27 electric guitars (22 have single coils), and I'm honestly in "disbelief" over the performance of these 54's. They are absolutely incredible! As you know, we have purchased a number of Kinman pickup sets over the years including your noiseless P90s, and we've been duly impressed with them all, but this is profoundly different. These 54's are simply 'stellar'

Anyway, please accept my very best wishes to you and the entire Kinman crew for continued success there in your personal and professional lives. I can assure you that I will be doing my very best here to sing the praises of these exemplary 54's to anyone and everyone who cares to listen.

Most sincerely, Joseph Stewart

Hi at Kinman, I must say I am impressed with the Impersonator pick ups, I play Shadows songs, sure do get that tone! Also they sound great through a distortion pedal. Regards, Mike Kirk (NZ)

I like the 54's, the tone and response in Logic is almost perfect. Through a regular Fender tube amp the 54's are great.

I have the Impersonator 54 and PAF Astound SSH setup fitted in my favourite Parker Nitefly. Wow!! The sound really nails what I was looking for - some authentic bell-like strat tones from the singles along with some player-sensitive creamy bite from the humbucker. The volume balance is just awesome. The guitar sounds like it really should now - incredibly versatile and all round fantastic. If anybody else should seek advice on doing a Parker Nitefly, you can confidently recommend the setup I've just installed. Thanks for all your help and for a brilliant Aussie product. I'd call the result more than a feel-good experience - the guitar has now become pretty much exactly what I wanted it to be, which is not only extremely satisfying but a great reflection on Kinman pickups. All the best,

     Thanks for making the greatest single coil pickups in the world.

I can say that these pickups beat anything I've had previously in my other Strat which is a 2004 American Standard.  That instrument has had Fender and DiMarzio standard and noiseless pickups. None match the superb tone in clean or crunch mode that I'm getting from my new Strat build and these Impersonator MV pickups. The fact that they're also noise free is of course a big bonus, but the tone is 5 times more important to me.  While one might argue that I'm comparing two different instruments, I personally believe that at least 90% of what I'm hearing is due to these Kinman pickups.

Ken

Wooow!! 

Thanks to your amazing Impersonator MVs, I now have a Strat that has come back to life and sounds like a Strat without the hum. No more lifeless Fender NV4 pickups. The only problem (well... not really a problem) I had was a reversed phase Fender Shawbucker that sounded like a duck in second position. But now resolved thanks to your 3 conductor hook-up cables. The Kinmans give me a bright, crisp and a little crunchy tone that makes it very hard to stop playing. They are worth every euro invested in them. 

Now you have a happy customer with me 

Cheers