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Topic: Who Makes a Great P-90 |
Buck Dilly
From:
Branchville, NJ, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 9:18 am |
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| I want a P-90 that sounds like the original 1950's Gibson P-90's. I have one on my ES-175 and have had others on LP Juniors that really smoked on 10 and are very clear on lower settings. Duncan maybe? |
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Michael Lee Allen
From:
Portage Park / Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 9:57 am
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DELETED
Last edited by Michael Lee Allen on 26 Feb 2011 2:19 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Stephan Miller
From:
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 10:00 am
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You might check into the Z-90s by Harmonic Design. Enough people are raving about these to make me curious...
--Steve |
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David Wren
From:
Placerville, California, USA
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 10:59 am
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Might take a look at the Carvin web site.... they offer lots in the way of PUs, and have a pretty good rep as well.
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Dave Wren
'96 Carter S12-E9/B6,7X7; Twin Session 500s; Hilton Pedal; Black Box
www.ameechapman.com
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 11:30 am
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My problem with a lot of modern P-90s is that they are often overwound, as compared to 50s and 60s originals. I put a Duncan set into a 70s Les Paul Deluxe 10-15 years ago, and the bridge position was heavily overwound. I'm imagine this is to equalize volumes due to the larger vibration amplitude near the neck pickup, and perhaps to evengoose up the signal more for bridge pickup soloing. But they don't sound right, to me.
So, I would probably look for two neck position pickups, and pay attention to how hot they're wound. I think Duncan publishes specs on this, and I thought the neck-position Duncan I had was very good-sounding. I've also used newer Gibson P-90s - they were also very good.
I haven't used Fralin's P-90s, but I've never played a Fralin pickup that wasn't great - he does make them, and gives the option to wind anywhere between 20% underwound to 10% overwound, or anywhere in between. I like slightly underwound for an archtop, and maybe stock or very, very slightly hotter for a Junior/Special. He recommends 10-15% hotter for bridge as compared to neck, but I think you can get them any way you want them. |
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Jerry Hayes
From:
Virginia Beach, Va.
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 11:42 am
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Buck, I gig with an Elvis impersonator and was looking for a guitar to do the old Scotty Moore stuff at reasonable price so I bought and Ibanez Artcore gold archtop which really looked the part however after the first gig I realized the humbuckers just didn't have the sound I wanted. I asked around the internet and heard about Duncan Phat Cats. I bought a pair of those and couldn't be happier. When we do "Mystery Train", "Good Rockin' Tonight", or any of those other Sun record goodies the Duncans bring home the bacon for sure.. They fit right in the same slot that a humbucker does and look like one except they're single coil so the row of screws goes down the middle of the pickup. My buddy has one of those Epiphone small archtops that has P-90's and we compared the sound with his and I think the Duncans are a little louder and with a touch more brightness. One of my Teles has a humbucker in the neck position which I've never really been happy with so I think I'll put a Duncan Phat Cat in that guitar.........JH in Va.
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Don't matter who's in Austin (or anywhere else) Ralph Mooney is still the king!!!
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Andy Zynda
From:
Wisconsin
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 2:43 pm
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P-90's??
Jason Lollar!!
Lindy Fralin!!!
Jaw-dropping tone from these two guys.
I personally have 2 guitars with Lollars in them, and there aint nothing that comes close.
-andy-
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Stephen Gambrell
From:
Over there
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 3:36 pm
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| I recently bought an Epiphone '56 Les Paul copy, with their P-90's in it, and it sounds terrific! PLUS, you can buy the whole guitar for what some of the "boutique" guys charge for a set of pickups! |
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Jim Peters
From:
St. Louis, Missouri, USA, R.I.P.
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 4:59 pm
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| Dave W, Carvin does not have p90 style pups. JP |
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James Pennebaker
From:
Mt. Juliet, TN
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Posted 26 Apr 2006 5:47 pm
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Jason Lollar. Nuff said.
JP |
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Buck Dilly
From:
Branchville, NJ, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 27 Apr 2006 8:50 am
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Thank You for the input. I have gone with a Duncan for now. If it does not work out I will move it and try the Lollar or Fralin. Jason has doen great work for me in the past. I should have waited until I got all the feedback, but I tend to be impulsive.
What inspired me was my ES-175. I was really surprised when I got this ax home and tried it through my gear. The clarity at low instrument volumes was incredible. And when I open it up, it has body and really nice dirt. I can't underestimate the qualities that a 1952 Gibson body contribues to the sound though. |
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Geoff Brown
From:
Nashvegas
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Posted 27 Apr 2006 1:22 pm
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Buck, what geetar are you using it in? Just curious.
Lollars are great P90s, and so are Duncans. Which Duncan are you using? He makes a few different ones. I like the Antiquities a lot. |
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James Quackenbush
From:
Pomona, New York, USA
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Posted 27 Apr 2006 4:13 pm
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Jason Lollar makes a great sounding P-90....His P-90's are more in line with the old Gibsons
I also have the Harmonic Design Z-90's on a guitar , and they are POWERFULL pickups wtih plenty of tone ....They overdrive quite a few preamps though with all the power they have ....Find the right pre or amp , and they sound incredible ...Very wide dynamic responce with BIG FAT P-90 tone !!...They are surprisingly quiet also ..... Jim
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Robert Leaman
From:
Murphy, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 28 Apr 2006 4:53 am
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| I have a original P95. It was made by Sturm-Ruger and it has a wonderful commanding sound. I notice that when I use it at a gig, everyone pays attention to its sound. |
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Geoff Brown
From:
Nashvegas
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Posted 28 Apr 2006 6:35 am
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Those Z90s are a great sounding pickup! I wouldn't say they had a vintage voice, but they sure are mucho gusto with tone  I'd like to to put a pair in a Les Paul, but those cover choices he offers...I wish he had nickel-plated as an option. I suspect there's a reason for that. |
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Buck Dilly
From:
Branchville, NJ, USA * R.I.P.
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Posted 28 Apr 2006 8:28 am
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| I ended up getting the Duncan clean bridge P-90. It will probably end up on a pre-lawsuit Ibanez Thinline Tele. I have Duncans on there now and will just add a third pickup close to Bridge position. I have had such good luck with Duncans in general. I can never get enough grit out of Fender type SC pickups. |
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Michael Brebes
From:
Northridge CA
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Posted 2 May 2006 9:17 am
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| The best P90 I've heard is Seymour Duncan's Antiqity series P90's. They match well with my 1952 Les Paul P90's. A number of years back, I purchased an Epiphone LP Special clone for my brother because it actually sounded and played better than the Gibson reissue. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 14 May 2006 8:08 am
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Are P-90's typically loaded into the guitar using the spring loaded method (for pickup height adjustment)?... or are they typically screwed down against a "stop" of some sort and then use the pole piece adjust for height adjusment?
Thx,
pb
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 14 May 2006 8:38 am
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| Quote: |
| Are P-90's typically loaded into the guitar... |
They were screwed directly into the body on old Les Pauls Goldtops and Specials with the white or black soap-bar shaped cover. On Les Paul Juniors, ES-125, 225, 175, 330, 350T, and so on, they used the dog-ear cover, which was screwed directly into the top.
I always have used wooden spacers if I need to elevate P-90s in a Les Paul. I often need to do that with the bridge pickup to balance the output to the neck pickup, since I don't prefer overwound bridge pickups. |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 14 May 2006 9:17 am
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In the '77 Les Paul Special I have, there is a metal plate screwed into the bottom of the pickup routing, then the two screws that go through the P-90 screw into that plate. There were rubber/foam spacers put between the pickup and that plate (at both ends of the pu), to set the height.
The neck pickup plate was screwed directly into the bottom of the pickup routing, the bridge plate was raised a bit (with washers), but also had the rubber/foam stops. In this manner the pickup height was pretty much unadjustable.
I saw on the new Les Paul Jr's with P-90's (at GC) that the pickup was spring loaded and that pickup height was adjustable with those same two screws that go through the pickup.
(I'm talking about the soap bar style with no dog ears).
I picked up some springs at the hardware store, removed the rubber/foam stops, and made these ones adjustble (for now).
The springs worked perfectly for making it into the adjustable pickup height thing. 'Not sure if that's the way it is meant to be, though.
Just wondering what the general consensus is.
Thx,
pb
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Mark Metdker
From:
North Central Texas, USA
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Jim Sliff
From:
Lawndale California, USA
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Posted 19 May 2006 12:25 pm
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Stephan Miller nailed it - the Harmonic Design Z-90 is jaw-dropping. You can smell the barbecue sauce dripping when you pay through one. Scott makes just wonderful pickups, and his prices are amazingly low.
I've been through dozens of pickup brands (on guitars) over the decades, and the only ones I have now are Harmonic Design, Red Rhodes (RIP) Velvet Hammers, and Tom Holmes humbuckers on my Trussart. Oh, and one experimental "boost coil" pickup made by Lindy Fralin. The only other one I would consider is anything from TV Jones. I probably have a bunch of Duncan and Fenders laying around - I'd give those to the needy.
It's a pity Jerry Wallace doesn't make guitar pickups! |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 19 May 2006 1:51 pm
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| Jason Lollar makes the best P-90's. I own several original Gibson ones from the 50's and while they are cool and I like them, Jason's are better than all of them. Lindy's are good too, I have one of them . Jason's are the best. |
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