The noiseless Kinman Texas Jalapeño has awesome dynamics and no ice-pick highs
Texas Jalapeño v3 (pronounced Halopeno)- sizzling sweet highs, lotsa spicy presence and aggression when you want it.
Thinking up a name for our latest creation we were torn between Anaheim Chilli and Texas Jalapeno, both are great names. Anaheim is the birthplace of Leo Fender and chilli describes the sound and spicy performance of this pickup very well. But Texas is BIG and Jalapeño chili is hot enough for a great taste sensation but not so hot as to obliterate the taste of the food. Yup, that's why we went for Texas Jalapeño.
Strat sound has just taken a huge step up, the Texas Jalapeño v3 overtakes all other Strat pickups with it's solid high end & outstanding presence and thumping attack on the low notes, even more than SRV himself had in this piece. To get this kind of super performance before was impossible without active electronics, but our Texas Jalapeño is a passive pickup ..... "look Ma, no battery" ..... just genius electrical and magnetic and coil winding wizzardy.
The neck is versatile and good for SRV pieces such as Riviera Paradise and can do the opening notes of Pride and Joy so well. The middle in combination with the neck produces terrific new in-between 'strong quack' sounds. The Extra bridge version has attitude, it really sizzles and growls like a Tasmanian Devil, but by utilizing our unique and special coil winding technology we tamed the high end sizzle to it's not too thin and trebly as bridge pickups tend to be. It's a fantastic pickup for Texas Blues and other emotionally charged musical styles and even great for Surf tunes. Unmistakable Strat sound with every desirable characteristic (except scoop) magnified x 2.5, how's that?
Update 27-Feb-2023: We have also upgraded the Texas Jalapeno EXTRA to the v3 which is designed specially for the bridge position. It has extra output so it balances well with the neck and middle standard Texas Jalapeno v3 and our secret proprietary coil winding technique avoids the thin, overly trebly sound that is characteristic of bridge pickups which robs girth and punch. But it retains a nice bite and it's still spicy and it sounds fat and punchy.
Recommended especially for ALL clean sounds and does crunch and distortion exceptionally well too.
Additional benefits: There is 40% less magnetic string pull than regular Strat pickups so consequently there is no Strat-itis frequency warbling and string crash, just pure sustaining pure musical energy like you've never heard before. Balanced G-3rd string loudness. Stronger than absolutely authentic Knopfler-esque Position 2 and 4 sounds.
Ejoyability factor on a scale of 1~10: Thirteen, with the best Fender non-noiseless being 10.
Set into our K9+ Goodbye-Soldering Harness the Texas Jalapeño set delivers serious versatility that's good from soft n pretty to ferocious rock, even without the aid of distortion pedals. Works well in any Kinman Goodbye-Soldering Harness.
Signal chain requirements for best tone: As with ALL passive pickups it is a good plan to use a low capacitance cable to get the incredible Tone and dynamic performance of these pickups. Learn why here Any https://mobile.kinman.com/pages/any-old-cable-wont-do.php?id=160old cable won't do.
Some people will call these noiseless Stratocaster pickups but Kinman prefers to describe them correctly as Zero-Hum Stratocaster pickups. That's because there are 2 types of noise, Hum which is cancelled in the pickup and Buzz which can only be minimized by shielding the wiring cavities (refer to >Technical >Perfect Guitar >Shielding for newer guitars
Under the Hood of the Texas Jalapeno you can see the taller upper coil and the squashed lower 600 Ohm Hum sensor. What you can't see is our secret Gen-2+ technology inside the tall coil.
Texas Jalapeno nomenclature
Introduced 20-Sept-2018
Patents 5,668,520 6,103,986 8,791,351 B2
To cancel hum we add a sonically transparent 600 Ohm Hum Sensor coil to the bottom of the pickup which is designed with a low profile coil so it doesn’t make the pickup too tall. This Hum Sensor is extremely efficient and uses big wire and low turns count to minimize parasitic coil capacitance so it has no impact on the high frequencies as they pass through. The Hum Sensor is so transparent it can be disconnected without causing any difference to the sound of the pickup (except it will have hum of course). Additionally, the low profile Hum Sensing bobbin allows us to make a taller string sensor which in turn and in combination with a Patented magnetic invention allows the pickup to produce non-aged sound. That is ….. bright and sparkly with varying degrees of mid scoop just like the best old Strat pickups had when they were new.
Kinman's T-100 generation hum cancelling Stratocaster pickups are the world’s first non-aged hum-cancelling Strat pickups. T is for Triumph and 100 is 100% single coil sound.
This new model represents a major milestone in the evolution of Fender type pickups as it has taken about 26 years of inventive and innovative thinking to achieve. The Kinman P-90 Hx and this new model Strat pickup re-affirms Kinman as the King of noiseless.
Covers
Connection means available
Dimensions
Pot & Capacitor values
Gold plated magnets
Magnet spreads we normally ship (ensures magnets align with the strings in each position)
Magnet Staggers
Hook-up cable
Output Polarity:
Mounting hardware included
We highly recommend consulting the Install Guide in the Technical section even if you think you know it all. Kinmans' require specialized knowledge and sometimes there is updated info. There is also a handy wiring diagram available.
We also highly recommend consulting the Adjust & Set-up page in the Technical section so you get the best out of your Kinman pickups.
** Alnico-K is a unique proprietary Alnico rod magnet developed by Kinman in 1985. It is Alnico-5 but has 40% less string pull than Alnico-5 so sustain is longer and there is much less clatter from string crash and no Strat-itis string warble.
* Fender and Stratocaster and Strat are registered Trade Marks of Fender Musical Instrument Corp, Inc. Kinman is not associated with FMIC but they kindly permit us to refer to their Trade Marks to reference our products.
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Hear that great sizzle |
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The beautiful other side of the Texas Jalapeno |
UNITED STATES | 17-Aug-2021
Chris and Team,
I just wanted to drop a line to say Thank You.
I am simply awestruck, speechless with these pickups (Texas Jalapeno and Kick-in-the-Arse)
From the very first note that leapt from the amp it was obvious that your pickups aren't just 'next level', they are peerless (meaning without equal).
Thank you again. I'm looking forward to placing another order soon.
Best, Matt Barr, Indiana, USA
AUSTRALIA | 05-Oct-2023
Texas Jalapeno set of 3 with the EXTRA version bridge pickup.
I installed these Magnum Opus Texas Jalapeno set in my MusicMan Silhoutte and Holy crap. These sound Great. Still sounds stratty, but nice low end full. Made the sss music man full. Neck is like butter if u play smooth but punchy if u whack it
Bridge sorta has bit of low end tele thing, It seems like it focusses on nice midrange
Nice tops. Tops and punch is better than the Luke single coils, sweeter.
Insane balance (string to string)
Bend note up it stays full !! Huge difference on this guitar
This guitar is naturally bright with it’s Maple fingerboard
Lots good qualities just not enough full ooomph but now it’s great.
Strings are new still not harsh or too bright
Bottom end is great. But midrange …. it sustains forever
This is great
Friggg, I want these in the Luke.
ED: Glen is a Tone Hound and has many Kinman's in his arsenal of MusicMan and PRS guitars, but this is his first set of Magnum Opus. I'd say he's hooked.
UNITED STATES | 13-Jan-2024
Hey Chris, I got the Squier Strat set up with your Texas Jalapeno suite with the "Extra' version in the bridge. Holy cow, these are THE quietest pickups I've ever heard!! And the tone is amazing!! This Squier is now a super-Strat!! Scott
ED: Scott is a Master Luthier of considerable accomplishment and his guitars and basses, which he builds from the ground up from planks of fancy and exotic woods, are works of sonic and craftsman's art so he knows his stuff about tone.
Regenbogen ultra thin and light guitar
JAPAN | 27-Sep-2026
Hi Joe and Chris,
I finally installed the pickups, and I just wanted to share my impressions with you. In short: they are absolutely fantastic. Honestly, I could not be happier with them. First, here is my setup and the kind of music I usually play.
Guitar
Momose Strat-style guitar
- Roasted maple neck
- Lightweight ash body
Amp / Recording Setup
Mooer Radar → Yamaha THR30II
Styles I play:
- Blues: Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, Mateus Asato
- Pop: Judy and Mary, Yorushika
- Anime songs: K-On!, Bocchi the Rock!
- Rock: Red Hot Chili Peppers
- Hard Rock / Metal: Mr. Big, Yngwie Malmsteen, Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, X Japan
Overall Impression
These pickups are simply amazing. They respond exactly the way I want them to, and the sound I imagine in my head actually comes out of the guitar. They are extremely easy and enjoyable to play, and most importantly, they make me want to keep playing.
There is a very direct connection between what I do with my hands and what comes out of the amp. They respond beautifully to picking dynamics, articulation, and different playing styles.
The E56 is outstanding.
It has a strong attack and a great sense of bite, while still remaining clear and musical. It also works exceptionally well with overdrive and distortion. The notes remain clear and well defined, even with high gain. The low end is full and powerful, so the sound feels thick, but it never becomes muddy. There is also a very satisfying midrange push.
At the same time, it can still produce that dry, woody, slightly aged vintage Strat character when I want it. What impresses me most is that the pickup really lets the sound I want to hear “ring out” naturally.
I can even play distorted rhythm parts on the neck pickup that I would normally associate with a bridge pickup, and it still feels completely natural. With many other neck pickups I have used, heavier distortion often caused the sound to become muddy, compressed, or unclear. With the E56, that simply does not happen.
Another major surprise is harmonics. Compared with every other Strat neck pickup I have used, the E56 makes harmonics dramatically easier to produce. The difference is immediately noticeable.
Among all the neck pickups I have owned, the E56 is the best I have experienced in these areas. Previous neck pickups I have used include:
- Lindy Fralin Real 54s
- Suhr V63+ / ML
- Suhr V70
- Seymour Duncan SSL-2
- Seymour Duncan YJM Fury STK-S10
- Mojotone ’54 Clone Strat
- Funk Ojisan Strat pickup
- Y.O.S. Smoggy Single Coil
The Texas Jalapeno EXTRA is equally impressive.
It has a thick, powerful sound, but it still keeps the lively and open character that I want from a Strat bridge pickup. There is plenty of treble and clarity, but the high end is never harsh or painful. It has excellent attack and bite, and once again, it works beautifully with distortion. Even under high gain, the sound remains clear and defined without collapsing or becoming muddy.
Natural harmonics are very easy to produce, and pinch harmonics are also extremely responsive. It also handles heavily distorted hard rock and metal rhythm playing very well, including tight palm-muted riffs on the low strings.
Despite being a single-coil-style Strat bridge pickup, it has enough power and authority for this kind of playing while still sounding unmistakably like a Strat.
Once again, the biggest compliment I can give it is that the sound I want to produce actually “rings out” from the guitar. Among all the bridge pickups I have owned, this is the best I have experienced for these qualities.
Previous bridge pickups I have used include:
- Seymour Duncan SSL-6
- Seymour Duncan YJM Fury STK-S10
- Y.O.S. Smoggy Single Coil
- Kinman Hx-85 v2
- Kinman Kick in the Arse Standard
- Kinman Kick in the Arse Heavy
E56 + Texas Jalapeno EXTRA as a Set
I am also extremely impressed with how well the two pickups work together. The transition between the neck and bridge pickups feels incredibly natural. There is almost no sense that I need to completely redesign my amp or pedal settings when switching between them. I can create one core sound and comfortably use either the neck or bridge pickup without worrying about one becoming too dark, too bright, too muddy, or too thin. That balance is extremely important to me.
The neck + bridge combination is also excellent. It has a smooth, rounded, almost “rolling” character with the sharp edges softened slightly. It is very musical, easy to control, and very usable in many situations.
Overall, this combination has exceeded my expectations. I have tried many Strat pickups over the years, including several Kinman models, but this E56 + Texas Jalapeno EXTRA combination feels especially complete. It gives me the clarity, power, harmonics, dynamics, bite, thickness, and versatility I have been looking for, while still keeping the character of a Strat.
Most importantly, they are simply inspiring to play.
Thank you very much, Joe, for all of your help with my order, and Chris, for creating such incredible pickups.
I am genuinely very happy that I chose these.
All the best,
T. K.
UNITED STATES | 29-Nov-2019
Your Texas Jalapeno is the best strat pickup I ever had or tried. Its like am getting more out of my pedals and amps without more signal from my guitar. What I really like is the upper frequencies. There is lots of top end but it never gets piercing or icpicky. Some Strat pickups are hard to handle when it comes to high mid and treble. I also bought the Fatmaster set. Also waiting for the Big nine O with harnes. I haven't bought this many pickups in so short time ever in my life, that speaks for itself. Regards Jon
UNITED STATES | 15-Jul-2020
Texas Jalapenos - Absolutely perfect
Normally I don't do this sort of thing but I just have to say it.
These Texas Jalapeno pickups (with the extra in the bridge) sound absolutely divine. I thought they might be too bright in a 24 fret SSS guitar where the neck and middle are a little closer to the bridge (with 500k pots as well) but nope, perfect clarity without getting at all piercing.
Every position sounds terrific--the neck has perfect definition on the low notes without getting muddy, bridge has power and clarity without ever getting ice picky, notch positions sound exactly as they should. Even the often neglected middle pickup sounds great--a very well balanced and smooth sound throughout each octave. I'm also using a mini-toggle to add in the neck pickup to positions 1 and 2 and the fake tele sound of position 1 sounds pretty convincing and all 3 pickups in parallel sounds extremely lush.
A job well done mister Kinman. Truly the greatest set of SSS pickups I have ever heard.
Note from Chris Kinman: Thank you very much Jonathan. It's so good to receive your letter.
For Your Interest I was inspired by Fenders Custom Shop's Ancho Poblano but I knew I could go at least 2 better. "Ancho Poblano" extremo so to speak. With the EXTRA version for the bridge I actually went 3 better and it's very gratifying indeed to have my work appreciated in what you wrote by someone who is obviously well experienced and authotitive in Strat sound. All the best, Chris Kinman.
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