Oh god, here we do again - Hum-Cancelling P90s - Mojotone? Righteous Sound?

[1973Marshall]

I thought I was over this fruitless search. A couple of years ago I finally tried some Kent Armstrong Silents and my Gibson sounded like a Strat. Went back to the real thing but damn if that hum doesn't ruin the experience. With enough volume and gain that hum just kills my mojo. Changing to the middle position (RWRP) and I can concentrate on playing but then I am not on the pup I want to play (middle a'int the same). It seems like I have to consider silent P90s again.

Since there are new models like the Mojotone or Righteous Tones I thought I'd ask if anyone has experience with decently priced silent P90s?

I've looked at Fralin and Duncan in the past but they seem like they are too HB-like in the samples. Kinman seem very expensive and I'd likely have to route my guitar.

Any thoughts on this? I accept I have to make some compromise, but what's the least compromise? I'd rather have slightly thicker than underwound and overly twangy if that's the choices.

Here's the samples I saw online:

 

[cap10kirk]

Mojotone Quiet Coils are the only noiseless P90s I've tried that really impressed me. That's what I'd go with if I wanted/needed noiseless.

 

[1973Marshall]

Mojotone Quiet Coils are the only noiseless P90s I've tried that really impressed me. That's what I'd go with if I wanted/needed noiseless.

How impressed were you? Was it a compromise?

 

[bulbasaur_85]

I enjoyed the fralin hum cancelling p90’s I had in a Gibson es135. Not as much bite as the Gibson p90 but all the warmth and girth was there without the hum. I’d buy them again.

 

[Rod]

I found a set of used Kinmans here.. didn’t care for them.. ended up with a pair of mini hums from Zhangbucker.. love them. They don’t sound like full size hums. Very P-90 ish. NO humView media item 62673

 

[Five Horizons]

I've posted other reviews of the Mojotones on this site. Long story short: buy the Mojotones. I've owned a lot of P90s (Lollar, Gibson, Wolfetone...) and they rock. I've had mine for a little while now and the honeymoon hasn't worn off.

 

[Blackmoreguitar]

You could try Ilitch Electronics. They do various hum cancelling circuits that can be used with Gibsons. I have the noise cancelling backplate on a Strat and it really is very effective and transparent.

 

[supergenius365]

Get an Ilitch noise cancelling system/backplate to use with your favorite P90s.

 

[Tritone]

Get an Ilitch noise cancelling system/backplate to use with your favorite P90s.

I have a PRS McCarty Soapbar. I looked on the site, I didn't see anything that would fit a PRS. Did I miss something?

 

[AaeCee]

Listening to those clips, the first ones sound good but very much like humbuckers, and while the next one sounds decent in the bridge, it's nearly impossible to judge a single like that without a direct comparison to a real P-90.

 

[supergenius365]

I have a PRS McCarty Soapbar. I looked on the site, I didn't see anything that would fit a PRS. Did I miss something?

I have not looked at the page for a while. I know he had a P90 system available. Maybe contact them and ask about PRS.

 

[jzgtrguy]

A couple of thoughts. First I just had a pair of Harmonic design Vintage plus Tele pickups installed. Absolutely wicked hum. Long story short it's a ground loop at my house. It's really very quiet everywhere else. Maybe keep what you like and attack the ground loop.

Second, you might look into Joe Barden's.....http://jbepickups.com/product/soapbars/
I've have other JB pups and they are great and dead quite.

Lastly you might try shielding the guitar cavity by building a Faraday cage and then taking it one step further shielding the pickups themselves....https://www.premierguitar.com/articles/26279-mod-garage-how-to-shield-single-coil-pickups.

The Illich suggestions are also great.

 

[Five Horizons]

I’ve had the Ilitch system before with a Mary Kay CS Strat. It worked great with a little patience of fine tuning the trim pots. It’s effective while keeping the tone of the original pickups.

Do you love your existing pickups? If you’re perfectly happy then the Ilitch system probably makes the most sense. Otherwise, the Mojotones are a good reason to “upgrade” and get noiseless operation to boot.

 

[zeffbeff]

Some off-the-wall ideas:

I had a Gibson Midtown, and I tried Dimarzio's humbuckers in P90 shells. It was a pretty great tone.

Then, I tried mini-humbuckers. Again, a pretty great tone.

Then, I sold it and just stuck with my Les Paul Special with humbuckers.

 

[James]

Check out the Seymour Duncan Custom Shop Humbucker-Under-P90 soapbar pick-ups. Lots of options, no hum.

 

[Synex7254]

Mojotone Quietcoils all the way. Bought a ‘18 Les Paul Classic body off Th Stratosphere and out these in it and couldn’t be happier. All the sound quality of P90s without the hum. They are what they claim to be.

 

[BigDoug1053]

I discovered noise gates and now do not notice P90 noise except on the highest gain settings. I also have Z-90s on an Ibanez AFS75T - and while they are not silent, I wired the middle position N+B parallel out of phase and it's silent.

 

[1973Marshall]

I've posted other reviews of the Mojotones on this site. Long story short: buy the Mojotones. I've owned a lot of P90s (Lollar, Gibson, Wolfetone...) and they rock. I've had mine for a little while now and the honeymoon hasn't worn off.

Mojotone Quietcoils all the way. Bought a ‘18 Les Paul Classic body off Th Stratosphere and out these in it and couldn’t be happier. All the sound quality of P90s without the hum. They are what they claim to be.

I'm pretty interested in these and the price is nice. Would you do the HOT bridge model or the regular?

 

[RayBarbeeMusic]

Get an Ilitch noise cancelling system/backplate

I found that was not quiet enough for work in bars and venues with old wiring and lighting, and nowhere near as quiet as a noiseless. It didn't last long.

I've have other JB pups and they are great and dead quite.

I do to and agree, but they don't sound like P90s. They have their own thing. Ditto the Dimarzios. Great sounding P90s replacements, but they don't sound like traditional P90s.

Kinman is close but the very high 'air' frequencies are not right. The feel wasn't there.

Fralins with the alnico poles instead of bar magnet/screws are great, but again, not exactly like a P90. Close enough maybe, I love the neck version.

I'm skeptical of the Mojos since they use the same 'sidewinder' design as the noiseless Gibsons, but maybe I'll check them out.

 

[Synex7254]

I found that was not quiet enough for work in bars and venues with old wiring and lighting, and nowhere near as quiet as a noiseless. It didn't last long.

Noiseless pickups won’t stop interference. You will have to shield the cavities of your guitars if you’re picking up interference.

Noiseless pickups simply reduce hum similar to humbuckers (some of them are in fact) but retains the single coil quality.