P90 size pickups (sorted) for project & finishing question?

Creed_Clicks

Hi all, one of these Rosser bodies on the way, and just wondering if you have any pickup suggestions. P90 pickup routes. Are there any that would jangle similar to a Jazzmaster? P90s have a bit of jangle anyhow. Options I think could be something like the TV Jones T90 or possibly mini humbucker / firebird size pickups that have a Ric flavour? Or a Jazzmaster flavour.
I will put a standard strat style neck on this.

As a total noob, any recommendations on how to finish this without using any special power tools etc, which I don't own.
Crimson guitar stain and finishing oil? Any other brands? Thinking of staining it as black as I can get it, then applying some kind of protective coat over that so it doesn't get easily dinged? Any advice there?

lovestrat74

Staple P90s have more "jangle"

Creed_Clicks

lovestrat74 said:

Staple P90s have more "jangle"

That is true. Maybe I am overthinking it.

WezV

yeah, staple or dynasonic style would be fun

impmann

TBH, and I know this may sound a little controversial based on the shape of that body... but Firebird pickups. Genuinely... I love 'em and good ones sparkle like single coils.

Funkfingers

WezV said:

staple or dynasonic style would be fun

TV Jones offers its T-Armond model in a P90-sized housing.

Creed_Clicks said:

Are there any that would jangle similar to a Jazzmaster?

Do JMs jangle? Maybe, Sixties versions do a bit. My AV'65 has the darker, higher output Fifties versions.

The Creamery does some interesting variations on conventional pickup themes.

Gibson does a pickup that amounts to a P90 with six rod magnet polepieces. This might answer the brief.

Creed_Clicks

@impmann yep, I was thinking that, the route is a P90, so I'd just need the surrounds?

Funkfingers

Firebird and mini humbuckers sit within the perimeter of a soapbar P90 cover. The plastic cover then has to be attached to the rout floor. 

@SteveRobinson is probably the best person to explain how Gibson do this.

WezV

Funkfingers said:

WezV said:

staple or dynasonic style would be fun

TV Jones offers its T-Armond model in a P90-sized housing.

Mojo does some too.  For Dynasonic's he has a non adjustable version which would fit this without modification, and 2 adjustable versions that would likely require deeper routes. 

I haven't tried these, but  he did make me a non-adjustable Dyna style pickup to fit a P-90 cover before they were an option.

I don't think you will find a wider range of designs built around the P-90 format
https://www.mojopickups.co.uk/product-category/pickups/p90/

WezV

Funkfingers said:

Firebird and mini humbuckers sit within the perimeter of a soapbar P90 cover. The plastic cover then has to be attached to the rout floor. 

@SteveRobinson is probably the best person to explain how Gibson do this.

The traditional way is with a bracket.   the whole pickup and ring assembly moves together when adjusting, so the pickup feet need a larger hole so the screw passes right through.  A nut soldered onto the screws sets the height of the pickup within the ring


You can now buy these covers with screws in 2 of the corners which make life much easier and act like a normal ring

Creed_Clicks

Thanks folks. Hopefully something that is drop in will be what I will go for. P90s aesthetically might go better with the JM bridge, but as it is a reverse firebird, the firebird style pickups might be the best option! Plus I have never had a guitar with FB pickups.

WezV

if you go for firebird/mini hums you have the option of traditional metal firebird rings, the p-90 style rings show above, or the lesser spotted Epiphone style mini hum rings.  Between those you should be able to get something that ties in aesthetically with the trem and your other aesthetic choices

epiphone style

SteveRobinson

Funkfingers said:

Firebird and mini humbuckers sit within the perimeter of a soapbar P90 cover. The plastic cover then has to be attached to the rout floor. 

@SteveRobinson is probably the best person to explain how Gibson do this.

Wez has said everything I think.

 Here are Firebird pickups in mini-humbucker rings. 



They're attached using Gibson brackets which work with P-90s and mini-humbuckers

Funkfingers

Thank you, Wez and Steve. Your pictures speak far more loudly than my words.

Creed_Clicks

Thanks again for the info folks !

ICBM

WezV said:

You can now buy these covers with screws in 2 of the corners which make life much easier and act like a normal ring

I’ve seen those before - I really don’t understand why they don’t make them properly with four mounting screws, they look odd with only two. Drilling another two holes probably won't work if the top of the ring is too thin in the other corners.

Funkfingers

Where the Wilkinson mini humbucker surrounds lose out are:

1) Height/depth
They do not ride up and down with the pickup the way that the Gibson type does. This means that they might be too short to protrude enough from some routed cavities.

2) Mounting screw location.
The screw in the (let's call it) bottom right hand corner of the ring wants to bite into the bridge/Treble pickup cavity floor almost exactly where the all of the pickup and switch cables pass to/from the control cavity on a Les Paul.

WezV

You can mount them with p90 screws and springs to get the ring height you want, then further adjust the pickup from there.  You can also use black screws if you want it more hidden 

I do prefer the look of a traditional ring, but prefer the practicality of these

Teyeplayer

It’s been a few years but from memory the Gibson mounting brackets are/were a nightmare to obtain. I can’t remember if I was ever successful, feel like I bodged together an alternative. 

Creed_Clicks

ok, so DON’T get the wilkinson mounting rings right?

WezV

Why not?