Rowe Industries, Toledo, OH manufactured DeArmond brand pickups for a variety of different stringed instruments from the 1930's to the 1960's. For our purposes here we will discuss the models made for amplifying acoustic archtop guitars.
The intention of these pickups, or "guitar microphones", as the packaging referred to them, was to allow an acoustic guitar to be amplified without disturbing the acoustic tone of the instrument by permanently installing the pickup. Flat top guitars (Spanish or western guitars with center oval soundholes) were easy to attach a pickup to but the f-holes of an archtop are not located under the strings so a more ingenious method was necessary. DeArmonds were available with two different methods for attaching to the archtop; the neck rod, or string clamp and bracket (aka "monkey on a stick").
The neck rod attached to the neck of the guitar with two small screws while the string clamp (sometimes called the pressure rod) attached to all 6 strings on the lower side of the bridge.
Model 1100 Adjustable Rhythm Chief
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The DeArmond was the original floating pickup, later copied by Kent, Sekova, and other brands. The top model, the Model 1100 Adjustable Rhythm Chief, was often seen on D'Angelicos, Guilds, and other top-of-the-line archtops from the period. They were generally supplied with one or two-knob control boxes, either hardwired with cords, screw-type mini-microphone connectors or, on later versions, a 1/8" mini-phone jack. The two-knob versions came with a "rhythm" switch push button (to change the tone and volume quickly when the player switches from rhythm to lead playing).
Model 1100 Adjustable Rhythm Chief installed (both options)
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The entry-level model was known as the FHC while the higher-end models were named the Model 1000 Rhythm Chief and the Model 1100 Adjustable Rhythm Chief.
Model 1000 Rhythm Chief | Model FHC with String Clamp | Model 1100 Adj. Rhythm Chief
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I've found few other details about Rowe Industries except that during the 1990's Fender bought the DeArmond Company from Guild.
Read the full story of Harry DeArmond
Rhythm Chief Instruction Diagram
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