Fralin Hum Cancelling P-90s in my Black Dove Tele

[StaticRick]

I Just finished installing these in My Black Dove Tele. Actually, this may have started life as a Black Dove Tele, but the only things that are original is the pickguard, bridge, and pots.

I was obviously going for a Fender "Junior" thing. The neck is a genuine strat neck with a black headstock, roller nut, and Abalone dots. The body is Mahogany, no contours. The pickups are now the Fralin Noiseless P-90s. They sound fantastic. To my ears, they do exactly what Lindy says they do. They give you the classic P-90 sound without the high noise factor that P-90s usually have.

Here's the cherry on top: These are F-Spaced Hum-Cancelling P-90s!!!! My luthier/Fralin dealer/Awesome dudes, Fifth Ave Fret Shop, asked Lindy if he could make these for me. It took a while since these were the first F-Spaced Hum Cancelling ones he did, but they are terrific. As I understand it, he is geared up to offer these now if you ask for them.

Big props to Lindy for being so accommodating and for working so hard to get his customers what they ask for. Props also to Sean and Phil at Fifth Ave Fret Shop. If you're in Central Ohio, I'm sure you already know these guys are the best guitar setup, repair, and restoration shop around. http://www.fretshop.com

The obligatory photos:

 

[Tone Disciple]

Looks great!

So --- tone report?

No 60 cycle hum? None? Zero? Zip Nada?

 

[jbb]

I put a set in my historic lp special & it saw its first gig new years eve. They sound great & no hum at all. If your after that 50's p-90 sound they do it in spades. Good job Fralin.

 

[Gasp100]

Amazing! I would love to have that kind of config. So, the body is aftermarket? Custom?

 

[StaticRick]

Amazing! I would love to have that kind of config. So, the body is aftermarket? Custom?

The body is a Warmoth: Mahogany, no contours, hardtail bridge, strat neck pocket, trans red finish. It basically matches the Fender Black Dove tele body, except I wanted no contours and mahogany. I did have to use a different 3-pos switch. The route for the switch in the Warmoth body is smaller than the route in the Fender body.

It sounds great. I still may tweak the pole heights a little, but I'm really happy with this creation.

 

[Griz]

Very cool.

 

[Gasp100]

The body is a Warmoth: Mahogany, no contours, hardtail bridge, strat neck pocket, trans red finish. It basically matches the Fender Black Dove tele body, except I wanted no contours and mahogany. I did have to use a different 3-pos switch. The route for the switch in the Warmoth body is smaller than the route in the Fender body.

It sounds great. I still may tweak the pole heights a little, but I'm really happy with this creation.

Jeez, I didn't realize they could do a config like that (ie. strat neck pocket on Tele style body although that just means the back of the neck pocket is rounded vs. squared off?). They did the finish as well?
Looks awesome, must sound great too -- congrats!

 

[Andygee]

Very nice piece.......
Mine is a "Les Tele" version and the Fralin folks were great winding these hum-cancelling P90s for me. Two piece Rosewood neck(I asked for some unusual grain for the fretboard) and mahogany body by USACG, Faber bridge....luthier Nick Bucci Wilmington, DE

 

[drod2045]

this may be a dumb question, but these hum canceling P90's...is it only in position 2 or is there no cycle hum in any position like a traditional HB?

 

[johnmfer]

They're hum canceling in all positions. They're technically humbuckers with two coils underneath the covers, but tilted on their sides with screws going into the magnet in the middle. This gives the pickup only one point on the string where it's reading the vibrations which leads to a single coil tone.

 

[drod2045]

Thanks john. Did ordering F-spacing add additional cost? Their site says they're $130 each

 

[bynt]

Sweet! Thanks for the post and the tone report. Both guitars pictured are AWESOME!

 

[socalscott]

I had Kent Armstrong install his silent 90 into Retrofit 90HB covers. No additional charge. Same design/price as Fralin.
Great service too.

FYI, this design has some strong string pull. Not unlike mag rods.
90's enjoy a sweet spot quite close to the string.
These do not hit the amp hard like a 90, so adjustments to mids is required.
I have a 90 set with Strat spec taps and they hit harder and bolder plain strings.

Great SC tone, but I'm hearing Ilitch Electronics may have his BPSCC P90 version, CVNCS. It mounts in the gits control cavity.

 

[Macaroni]

I have a set of 3 custom noiseless P90s that Kent made for me too. Pure vintage P90 tones and no noise. I replaced them with a custom set of Charlie Christian pickups - noiseless too.

 

[Supertgtr]

I just sent in my order for some of Fralins hum-free P90s with a 5% underwind for this guitar:

It's a Fender JA90 Telecaster.

I also ordered new CTS pots, , new caps, new LP "tophat" knobs, strap-lock buttons, shielding tape and a Fishman Powerbridge for it. I'm very excited about this new "project" guitar!

 

[Dewvis]

I would like to try some in my SG classic.