P90 vs Bucker

[t_ross33]

GASing for a Tele Custom or Custom II (may even try out a Squier version - I think this place is starting to rub off on me )

Not familiar with P90s (I know what they are, just haven't heard them - or paid attention to when I may have heard them...)

What difference in sound or tone might there be between P90 and a humbucker. How do they compare to a regular Fender single coil "bright" sound?

What musical or playing style would your recommend P90s for?

Thanks fellers,

Trev

 

[SuperSwede]

You can always check out the sound samples at Lundgren pickups.

http://www.lundgren.se/

 

[jpfeifer]

Hi t_ross33,

I've been playing a guitar with P-90 pickups for a while now, and when I first got this guitar I had no idea what to expect in terms of tone. P90's are a very unique sound as compared to the single coil sound from a Strat or Tele, or a humbucker.

It's hard to describe the tone exactly, but I would say that they sound like a cross between a humbucker and a single coil. They're not as thin sounding as a normal single coil, but they're not as fat sounding as a humbucker either.

In the bridge position they have almost a snarl kind of tone. Listen to George Thorogood to get some idea of this tone. (I'm not a big fan of his playing but you can hear the tone of his guitar for an example of P90s). Another example of P90's tone is the Beatles Revolver-era recordings. Paperback Writer, Taxman, Your Bird Can Sing, etc. these are great examples of a P90 tone. Listen to Steve Howe in Yes's Roundabout album and you will hear some other great examples.

In the neck position they are much warmer sounding than a normal single coil. You can get really nice tones for Jazz and Blues. The other thing that I've noticed about P90's is that they are very responsive to pick attack. The tone changes with your pick attack, so they make a great choice for anything where you use a lot of dynamics. Play soft and they sound warm, play harder and they start to break up and change tone slightly.

The down side of P90's is that they usually don't have the same amount of overall gain that a humbucker has, so they're not the best choice for very high-gain lead sounds. Also, since they're a single coil design you can get some hum from them in the same way that you would for Strat pickups.

But if you're looking for a more unique sound, and you're not into the high-gain stuff they are a fantastic pickup. I play in a band that does a lot of Blues, Jazz and oldies rock stuff, and they are fantastic for that.

-- Jim

 

[t_ross33]

super_swede: awesome site for comparison. Thanks.

jpfeifer: great insight. P90s might be just what I'm looking for, especially when combined with my favorite body style, the Tele! The Custom and Custom II look real "vintage" as well and will stand out on stage. Currently use a Peavey Tele-style with SSH configuration so I already have some options with single coil and humbucker tones.

Thanks. Once again, glad I found this forum! I'll keep you posted of any GAS attacks.

Trev

 

[kerc]

P90's tend to be raunchier, dirtier, and kinda lo-fi (in a good way!), when compared to the usual humbucker. They're also "treblier" then a 'bucker, with a lot of emphasis on the upper mid-range--in fact, ya gotta watch out sometimes 'cos you can end up with a honky tone. Distorted, they are very garage-y, ballsier than single coils, but with less definition.

Do I like them? I love 'em. My only P90 axe is my 2000 SX SLPJr...

One humbucker that sounds quite similar to a P90 is the one used in the Squier 51.

 

[Katastrophe]

Kerc -

Not to get too off topic, but where did you get that SX? It looks so much different from the GG models on the Rondo website. I guess maybe the model year has the horn looking more Gibby-like?

Very nice, man!

 

[kerc]

Kerc -

Not to get too off topic, but where did you get that SX? It looks so much different from the GG models on the Rondo website. I guess maybe the model year has the horn looking more Gibby-like?

Very nice, man!

Thanks! That's why I put the year there in the description...It's a 2000 model. On that year, they still had the "pointier" horn. By the way, I stripped the clear poly finish off my SX (it was more than 1/16" thick in places!), filled the wood, and shot clear spray lacquer on it, giving it a much thinner finish. The pic shows the refinished body. I also changed the knobs for some Radio Shack cheapies.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

Thats a cool guitar Kerc....