Authentic P-90 sound - humbucker size?

[jmu]

Hi there1

Has anyone some advice which pickup would give the most authentic P-90 sound (Epiphone Casino type sound), but in humbucker size?

For example, Seymour Duncan produces "Phat cat" pickup, which is advertised as P-90 in humbucker size, but I've read user reviews saying that instead of THAT middle presence, them have "scooped" middle sound (too bright).

Essentialy what I am trying to do is find two of such pickups that would fit into my newly aquired 335 style semi-hollow guitar, which has some crappy stock humbuckers.

Please, help!

[octatonic]

harmonic designs are my first choice for p90 pickups.
lollar are lovely, also.

[ewegogetemtiger]

Originally Posted by octatonic

harmonic designs are my first choice for p90 pickups.
lollar are lovely, also.

The Harmonic Design Z90 is flat out the best-sounding pickup I've ever heard.

Gibsons

[Musiclab]

Lindy Fralin also makes wonderful P90's and great humbuckers too. He also makes something called 9 92's and unbuckers one of them might suit your needs. I put a set of Fralin humbuckers in my agile AS820 and now this is a killer guitar

[jmu]

I know about Lollar pickups, but their web site seems to have lost secure online shoping status. As I live in a state of Croatia (Europe) this is only way for me to buy their pickups.

I must again underline that they have to be humbucker size, 'cause I plan to put them in 335 style guitar which already has carved humbucker size cavities.

Guys, help me please!

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by jmu

I know about Lollar pickups, but their web site seems to have lost secure online shoping status. As I live in a state of Croatia (Europe) this is only way for me to buy their pickups.

I must again underline that they have to be humbucker size, 'cause I plan to put them in 335 style guitar which already has carved humbucker size cavities.

Guys, help me please!

you sure?

Most casinos I have played have p90 cavities.

[Unclenny]

Originally Posted by ewegogetemtiger

The Harmonic Design Z90 is flat out the best-sounding pickup I've ever heard.

Gibsons

Taking a long look at one of these for the bridge position on my Blonde custom strat.

[the_Chris]

People may like the Harmonic Design Z90s, but being a big P90 fan, they don't do them accurately (it's a completely different beast). Z90s are cleaner and clearer pickups, almost hi-fi sounding. One of the better P90-esque ones I've tried are the Gibson P-94s, but even those aren't 100% there (though they do sound great). I've heard a lot of great things about Fralins P-92s, but haven't owned them myself to be able to accurately comment on them (I've seen them in quite a few semi-hollowbodies and people do seem to love them).

[6strings]

Dimarzio claims their humcancelling "Bluesbucker" is a P90 sound.

******//www.dimarzio.com

[theGeek]

I'm a HUGE Kent Armstrong fan. He'll custom wind anything you want for about $90 too... but his stock stuff is more than adequate for anything I need.

[jmu]

Has anyone else tried Gibson P-94?

They seem to fit in humbucker cavities, so, tey would solve the problem, if it is THE sound)...

Please, help!

[Bassline]

I put Gibson P-94's in an SG of mine about a year ago, and I have been nothing but pleased with the sound and performance of the pickups!

They're a good solution when you don't want to enlarge your pickup cavities.

[Yuri Kogan]

Originally Posted by jmu

I know about Lollar pickups, but their web site seems to have lost secure online shoping status. As I live in a state of Croatia (Europe) this is only way for me to buy their pickups.

I must again underline that they have to be humbucker size, 'cause I plan to put them in 335 style guitar which already has carved humbucker size cavities.

Guys, help me please!

You can buy Lollars through ACME. They discount too.

[dewey decibel]

Nothing's going to nail a P-90 (IMO, even new P-90s don't nail the sound of the vintage Gibsons), but a bunch will come close. If you really want a P-90 and nothing else will do, get two dogear'd P-90s and strap them to the top. They should just about cover the humbucker routes.

Otherswise Phat Cats, P-94s, Z-90s, Dream 90s, Mississippi Queens (these are made in the UK), Fralin P-92s, etc- it's all good. None of them are dead on P-90s but are all cool pickups.

[vipunen]

Originally Posted by 6strings

Dimarzio claims their humcancelling "Bluesbucker" is a P90 sound.

DiMarzio.com

I have this on neck position on my epiphone sheraton II (335 copy).
It's designed so that when you split the coils, you get sigle coil sound with pretty hot output.
This mode sounds great on my epi.
I would recommend this one. You get good P90 and singlecoil sounds on one mic. (If you put extra switch on your guitar)

[amanitas]

I have a Lindy Fralin P-92 in my tele - it's the size of a humbucker, and it sounds great...

Big thumbs up

[FFTT]

I've considered changing out the stock neck PU on my Ibanez AF105NT with either a better quality HB or an HB sized P-90.

Just not sure how that would work out on the latter with the full hollowbody
regarding hum and feedback issues.

It could be cool to have a Casino/ES-335 hybrid tonally.

Then again you can buy a PRS Soapbar SE for $400.00, so why not just buy a P-90
guitar for when you want those tones?

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by FFTT

I've considered changing out the stock neck PU on my Ibanez AF105NT with either a better quality HB or an HB sized P-90.

Just not sure how that would work out on the latter with the full hollowbody
regarding hum and feedback issues.

It could be cool to have a Casino/ES-335 hybrid tonally.

It would be fine.
The ES295 is a full body rockabilly/jazz guitar with P90's (originally).
The reissues have P100's in them, which suck.
I have Lollar P90's in my ES295 and they kick ass.

Then again you can buy a PRS Soapbar SE for $400.00, so why not just buy a P-90
guitar for when you want those tones?

It doesn't sound the same- the SE is a decent guitar but dropping humbucker sized P90's into your Ibanez would be what I would do in your position.
I've owned Gibson ES175's before but find them a little too 'jazz'- the big body combined with the P90's is where it is at for me tonally, along with my gaggle of tele's (one of which has Harmonic Design's Super90/Z90 combo).
I can go from woody jazz tones to rauchy rockabilly to full on balls out rock music.

Certainly I need to be careful with gain staging, but that is true with any big bodied guitar.

[FFTT]

The trouble is that this is already a real nice guitar and I'm not sure
if I should mess with success.

If I do anything at all, I'll end up having all the electronics done.

[Bluzzi]

What about the Barenuckle ones? I don't think they are humbicker size though.

jim

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by FFTT

The trouble is that this is already a real nice guitar and I'm not sure
if I should mess with success.

If I do anything at all, I'll end up having all the electronics done.

As long as you don't route the body you can always return it to stock.

[Unclenny]

Originally Posted by FFTT

Then again you can buy a PRS Soapbar SE for $400.00, so why not just buy a P-90
guitar for when you want those tones?

Because.....I happen to know that you love that Ibanez. And.....I also know that you lust for the P90 tone.

Tell you what.....I'll do the Blonde if you do the Ibanez.

Originally Posted by octatonic

As long as you don't route the body you can always return it to stock.

[FFTT]

It's on my infinite to do list.

My friend George Pittaway of EZrollguitar, is currently borrowing it
for some recording down in Richmond.

So, depending on his schedule, I might have him swing it by
Lindy Fralin's shop for an estimate.

He's also quite impressed with the guitar as is, so I may just let it be.

[octatonic]

Replacing pickups in hollowbody guitars can be tricky- getting pots out through the f-holes can be a complete PITA and you can scratch the paint work getting them back in.

The way around it is to unscrew the pickups and then snip the cable about 3-5 inches from the top of the pickup and then solder the new pickups to the old cabling- make sure you use heat shrink over the solder join.

Don't snip the cable too close to the top of the pickup otherwise you will have trouble putting the old ones back in.