Deltoluxe Pickup: Distant Sound of the Old Delta Blues.
Introduction
The Gretch Deltoluxe Pickup since released was quite an intriguing novelty to me. I always thought that the piezo transducer is the only right choice for the blues guitar. You just have no alternative when you have to preserve the acoustic sound of the instrument carefully. Which is considered an authentic blues sound. And it just appeared that the magnetic pickup can deliver a real bluesy sound. Not the same as the piezo but certainly bluesy.
Presentation of Gretch Deltoluxe Pickup
And the Gretsch Deltoluxe Pickup – live proof of that. The first time I heard about Deltoluxe was when the Gretsch company released the Jin Rickey guitar. The clone of Jim Dandy which in turn is a carefully crafted replica of the parlour guitar “Rex Playboy”. That guitar was hugely popular in 30th-40th years of the 20th century.
The Gretsch Deltoluxe pickup in it’s turn draws inspiration from the classic DeArmond Rhythm Chief 1000, incorporating elements from various vintage DeArmond pickups. Fondly referred to as the “monkey stick” pickup, the Rhythm Chief pioneered guitar pickups for archtop guitars, marking a significant chapter in the evolution of this technology.
So, if I may say, the two replicas of the great old technologies have met in Jin Rickey: the Rex parlour guitar of Gretsch and the DeArmond pickup of Guild.
Ordering @ Solo Guitars
So, I was intrigued. I watched the demo videos on YouTube. It appeared to perform really well. But now I wanted to try it myself. I have ordered it on Solo Guitars.
The wait was not that long, less than a week. And here it is. Let’s see if it flies or not.
Trying the Deltoluxe Pickup On the Instrument
There was a kind of enigma for me. Which guitar should I use to install the DeltoLuxe Pickup to try? I have two Gretsch Jim Dandy guitars which could be a perfect match: the Gretsch G9500 Jim Dandy and the Limited Edition Jim Dandy Oxblood. But both were already electrified with Schatten pickups. So I decided to try it with the ancient Harmony Stella H929. I don’t like the idea of modifying instantly the old precious instruments. So, the installation of the soundhole pickup without drilling a hole in the body won’t do any harm to the instrument. At the same time, it allows hearing the electrified sound of the historical piece.
Installation Process
Really, there is nothing fancy about the installation process that is worth talking about. Especially when it comes to soundhole pickups with the cable hanging freely outside the body, i.e. no drilling or special fixture involved.
- Loose or remove the strings for better access to the soundhole.
- Fix the pickup in the soundhole with the provided screws.
- This model has a special harness to fix the input jack on the endpin outside the body. That is lovely handy feature. I usually prefer to drill the hole. But in this case, I was not so sure if I wanted to leave the pickup on my Stella or I put it in any other instrument. In this particular case, that special harness could not have come at a better time.
Sound of the Stella H929 Through the Deltoluxe Pickup
The sound is great for me. The record will be placed here soon for your review and assessment.
The journey of the Gretsch Deltoluxe Pickup is one of rediscovery and innovation, proving that the blues, with its diverse tones and textures, can find expression through a variety of technologies. As we delve deeper into this sonic exploration, it becomes evident that the intersection of vintage inspiration and modern craftsmanship has given rise to a pickup that adds a distinctive bluesy character to the music landscape. The Gretsch Deltoluxe Pickup, with its roots in the past and eyes on the future, invites guitar enthusiasts to embrace a new era of blues expression.
