P90 vs P100....why do people think p100's suck??

[riffpowers]

I'm shopping around for an LP special, it seems some come with p90's and some with p100's.On paper the p100's sound ok, same as a p90 but hum cancelling, but a ,lot of people aeem not to like them
I just wondered why??Is it a case of p90 snobbery or something or they really really bad??I'd be interested to know as I'd hate to buy a p100 guitar to find it sounded awful, but at the same time I'd hate to miss out on a perfectly good guitar if the P100's are a good pickup and I was misinformed.
Anyone help me out here??!!

[ArthurS]

People say they just don't sound like P90s

[cvansickle]

The "flaws" in the P90's design are part of what makes it sound sooooo good! The P100 design removes those flaws, and in the process takes away that coolness. Sort of like transistors and tubes in amps - yeah, trannies get the job done more efficiently, but tubes still sound better.

[mbratch]

Hum cancelling has pros and cons. Yes, it cancels noise/hum. But it can also take away some of that extra "edge" or "bite" that would normally be there.

I remember arguments in the '70s about dolby in tape recording. Dolby reduced hiss in tape recording, but audiophiles often argued it took away some of the high or ultra-high frequencies that gave the music that extra "live" sound. (*sigh* OK I'm starting to show my age.)

It's always a bit of a trade off.

That doesn't mean that hum cancelling is bad. It's just a little different. Some like it, some don't. Certainly many a great guitarist has made their name and have enjoyed hum cancelling pickups.

Really, the only way to tell if you'd like them is to try them.

[T.Wesley]

I think too many people buy a P-100 equipped guitar expecting them to sound like P-90s but without the hum. It's not the case - they are very different sounding pickups.

Go into it expecting the P-100s to sound like what they sound like, and you're unlikely to be disappointed.

Having said that, I think there are better stacked P-90 style pickups on the market, but the Gibsons definitely don't suck.

--chiba

[jetlag]

I've heard people complain about the loss of low end over stock P90's. If it's true, if you lose the balls of those pickups, then I don't blame people for chucking them (or clipping the lead to the dummy coil).

[Scott Cioe]

Chiba,

On a related note, what hum cancelling P-90 style pickups do you prefer?

I have a mid seventies deluxe with mini-hums that I am considering P-90 style pickups for, as I love the sound. However, like many people, I could do without the noise as I play with a fair amount of overdrive for most of the band's sets.

Thanks,

Scott

[HHB]

the DiMarzio virtual P-90 is my choice for humcancelling soapbars, they sound very authentic

[The Golden Boy]

The P-100s choke your sound. I don't know if it's a type of "compression" or what, but I had a P-90 crap out in one of my guitars and I replaced it with a P-100. I was happy with it for a while, but a few years back I was looking for a change, and put a Duncan Custom P-90 in, and man, was the difference amazing. It felt so much more dynamic, like more touch sensitive- playing lighter there was less 'attack' and digging in made it really "bark." On top of that, the whole of my sound became more "open." I generally prefer humbuckers, but I'm never going back to P-100s.

[Dave Orban]

FWIW, Charlie Baty (Little Charlie and the Nightcats) gigs P100s in a recent-vintage ES-295, and they sound pretty damed fine, IMO...

[Garrett Bagby]

I like P-90's. I like P-100's.

Dolby sucks.

[mbratch]

Originally Posted by Garrett Bagby

I like P-90's. I like P-100's.

Dolby sucks.

Heh... we'll just have to beware of any new guitar pickups with dolby noise reduction.

[samdjr74]

Years ago I had a special edition LP with P100's. To me they sounded flat and bland. They didn't sound horrible but they did nothing to impress me.

These days I only have one guitar with P90's and that's a LP Gem studio. The P90's are a little wild, untamed and right in your face. More meaty then a single coil but without the refinement of a humbucker.

[Mutley]

I have a P90 guitar (McInturff Zodiac) that came with Terry's DiMarzio T90s and I wasn't a big fan of so I put the DiMarzio DLXs into the guitar. The hum was gone, but these pups were over the top bright and way louder than any other guitar I owned. It made it difficult to switch guitars during a show without turning the amp down.

Recently put a set of Vintage Vibe P90 ceramic bars back in the guitar and can't believe how good it sounds. Much better than the DLXs.

[playon]

Originally Posted by Dave Orban

FWIW, Charlie Baty (Little Charlie and the Nightcats) gigs P100s in a recent-vintage ES-295, and they sound pretty damed fine, IMO...

Yep... it's the guy, not the gear.

But THE GUY PAGE doesn't sound as catchy, does it?