Fred Kinbom
Fred Kinbom is a Swedish lap steel guitarist, based in the UK .
Although quite new to the world of slide guitar, Fred's melodic playing, personal touch and unique approach to the instrument has drawn many a favourable comment from experienced steel players, slide enthusiasts and general music lovers alike.
In December 2007, one of Fred's tunes available on YouTube was the #12 most viewed music video of the week in the UK , and the #16 top rated. Fred's debut lap sliding release - the Crystal Bar EP - is available on the Slide Planet netlabel, where he has also contributed to the Slide Planet Volume 1 compilation (both available for free download at www.slideplanet.net ).
Fred Kinbom has K&K Pure Western Mini systems installed in both his acoustic lap slide guitars - a Lazy River "Weissenborn"-style guitar and a 1930s Oahu Hawaiian guitar.
He has the following to say about the K&K pickups: "For me, an acoustic guitar pickup should reproduce the natural sound of the guitar. The K&K Pure Western Mini does that better than any other pickup I've tried or heard - they are passive but have a very strong signal, virtually noise-free and they literary soak up the natural vibrations of the guitar. Great for solo acoustic live performances, but also fantastic for blending into the mix when recording.
Now, I am a person who used to think that recording an acoustic guitar through its pickup was quite a stupid thing to do. But after struggling in vain for a few days with different mic configurations to capture the sound I wanted for a certain song I was recording, I tried blending the K&K pickup and preamp signal with the two condenser mics I was using for recording, and what a difference! The K&K provided the rich, juicy bass response I was missing, and when I combined this with the ambient mics I was finally happy with the recorded sound. "I have K&K Pure Western Mini installed in both my acoustic lap guitars, and I'm not looking for another pickup, as I'm completely satisfied.
Also, they are inexpensive considering the sound you get!"
Links:
http://www.myspace.com/fredkinbom
http://www.youtube.com/oahusteel75
Photo Credit: Francois Jouve
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