Harry DeArmond

Who was Harry DeArmond?

Harry DeArmond invented the first commercially available attachable guitar pickup in the mid-1930s. He established a working relationship with Horace 'Bud' Rowe's company, Rowe Industries, to manufacture and develop these items. The company was located at that time at 3120 Monroe Street in Toledo, Ohio.

They began with four models—two for flattop guitars, with an integral volume control—and two for archtop guitars. Initially called guitar mikes, these passive electromagnetic pickups shared the same wide shallow coil shape with individual alnico 2 pole-pieces.

The RH type flush-fitted into the guitar's sound hole, retained with adjustable springs to minimize damage to the instrument and facilitate removal. To avoid interfering with playability, It projected only a few millimeters above the soundboard and had an edgewise, almost flush potentiometer knob.

The FH type comprised a coil assembly, first in a plain chrome-plated brass cover, a single slot—then finally a two slotted cover fixed to a 1/8" rod parallel to and slightly below the sixth string. DeArmond called the rod a pressure rod.