Hey all, looking for a heads up from real players on this one, lol.
I have never had anything, or played anything with P90's, however some of the stuff appearing recently, including things on the classifieds here are making me want to try them - my local shop has nothing with P90's for me to bash on and have a play/listen, I have researched on Professor Google, and predictably found everything from reviews saying they are awesome and sound gorgeous and you must have a P90 guitar - to those saying they are crap, noisy, and don't give you anything that single coils don't really cover.
So - Simple question - can those of you who have guitars with P90's please give me your opinion of them, will they give me something I don't already get with my Strat and SE245, is it worth trying to get my hands on something with P90's?
Comments
Firstly, P90s are single coils! They are single coils with twin, repelling magnets (faced south to south in the case of my own pickups).
One of the very first designs, and one of the most versatile out there
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
(Though it was a con as none of the Who ever did live in Leeds, apparently)
I love a good junior with just a single snarling 90 in the butt end ... the other guitarist in my band has a PRS One with a single soapbar ... sounds great.
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
I have a 1959 Les Paul Junior that with a little bit of overdrive just SCREAMS. I find P-90s have more bite and warmth than a Strat style or Tele style single coil.
Differently than old humbuckers, it is pretty easy to find a vintage P-90. For example old lapsteels can be found for a pittance. I have found a huge difference between 50s and 60s P-90s and those that you find today. It's totally worth finding an old one and putting it in a modern guitar.
Totally worth trying.
Breaking up old lap steels for their pickups is practically criminal! :x
So many old Fender laps have been butchered in this way we are losing lovely old instruments ... please don't encourage people to attack Gibson ones too.
Hand wound P90s that will sound every bit as good as your vintage ones are available from everyone from Jason Lollar and the Creamery to ... yes ... my own company. Old pickups should stay in old guitars. You have a 59 Junior ... aren't you glad that some muppet didn't rout it and bung in a Super Distortion in the seventies?
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
So the album The Who (play) Live at Leeds
Could be read (especially for comic effect): as 'The Who Live (as in reside or have domicile) At Leeds.'
The whole thing loses by being explained however
Formerly TheGuitarWeasel ... Oil City Pickups ... Oil City Blog 7 String.org profile and message
I bought a late sixties SG special shortly after seeing the Who, along with a Sound City half stack (I had no idea that Pete was using Sound City heads with with Hiwatt badges so that part must have been intuition)
And not just the Bark either.
The quieter moments of the Tommy segment will show you what the volume control does with a P90. Beautiful.... with or without Pete's talent.
Thanks guys, this is all great stuff - looking for The Who thing now. Keep the comments coming if you have them - otherwise it does seem like I need to give this P90 phenomenon a go - now I just have to get my paws on a guitar with P90's in it, lol.
Look what you have all gone and made me do - I will tell the wife it is all your fault that I have GAS again
)Don't butcher those lap steels! They're wonderful, even just to look at... Some even had a small valve amp in the case, and they can sound excellent after service and safety
Tommy by the Who used mainly SG specials for the 6 string tone.
P90s are possibly the most versatile pickups, aside from a Tele bridge pickup! IMHO of course!!!!