P90 with strat bell-like clarity??

[tickdoker]

I have a swamp ash guitar with a Fralin p90 in the neck, tele bridge.
The fralin is a little too bassy/muddy for my tastes.
I'd like to get more of a strat bell-like tone with that rubbery feel.
Or even a sweet lipstick type vibe. Not so much low end but still sweet.

The middle position blends in phase with the tele pickup as well.

Would you guys recommend Lollar P90s, Thorn GT-90, or maybe something like a TV Jones or a Firebird pickup?

or does anyone make a strat/lipstick pickup in a P90 casing?


THanks for the input.

 

[Quarter]

I'd check with Bryan at BG-Pups, he does custom winds and can dial you in.

 

[jads57]

Check out Vintage vibe pickups ( Peter Biltoft ). He can custom make you a pickup at a very reasonable price! I''ve had a variety of his p/ups and have always ended up happy w/ his outsatanding work and service!

 

[tickdoker]

Hey guys. Both very helpful suggestions. Wasn't familiar with them.
I'm checking it out.

Thanks!

 

[JefeMaximo]

I would actually recommend listening the the current Gibson P-90s. I have one in my Custom Shop LP Junior reissue, and was surprised at how clear it is when played clean. As much as I love anything by Jason Lollar, I would choose Gibson if I were shopping for this type of P-90.

 

[RockStarNick]

Duncan can wind you a Strat pickup in P90s clothing.

Or, go with the Fralin Alnico Pole P90s.

 

[BUTTISLAND]

have you play with the pickup height? you probably already did, just curious.

Do you also plays with your volume knob? sometimes rolling down the volume help to tame it a bit in that region. One thing i like from P-90 is, its sound like single coil on lower volume and one full blast, sounds almost like a bright humbucker.

 

[D.G.]

Send it back to Lindy and have him wind it down.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

have you play with the pickup height? you probably already did, just curious.

Do you also plays with your volume knob? sometimes rolling down the volume help to tame it a bit in that region. One thing i like from P-90 is, its sound like single coil on lower volume and one full blast, sounds almost like a bright humbucker.

i kinda have the same problem as the OP in my tele. what it really comes down to is that the P90 wants to see a 500k pot, but you'll icepick your ears out when you switch to the bridge pup. so you have to compromise somewhere.

my compromise is actually reverting back to a regular Tele neck pickup. i'm having Bryan from BG pups wind me an A3 based pup to match with the Duncan Jerry Donahue i have in the bridge.

 

[Baxtercat]

Firebird p/ups don't have the treble extension. They're more midrangey.
A Jazzmaster p/up will get it [if it'll fit] because the poles are magnets rather than screws.

 

[BUTTISLAND]

i kinda have the same problem as the OP in my tele. what it really comes down to is that the P90 wants to see a 500k pot, but you'll icepick your ears out when you switch to the bridge pup. so you have to compromise somewhere.

my compromise is actually reverting back to a regular Tele neck pickup. i'm having Bryan from BG pups wind me an A3 based pup to match with the Duncan Jerry Donahue i have in the bridge.

if its to ice pick on the bridge, you might want to roll down the tone knob a bit. That's what it is for.

and you are right, ever once in a while we have to compromise.

 

[marscottm]

I'm going to get an underwound Vintage-Vibe HS90A to accomplish the same thing. A Lollar Firebird would be a close 2nd and should be quite bell-like, especially for a bucker. TV Jones magnatron is another option. All the above would probably be better options for what you describe than an underwound traditional P-90, Thorn 90, etc

 

[jetlag]

If you are really wanting to stay with a P90 type pup I would recommend that you look at a P90 design that uses 6 slug magnets like a strat pickup with no ferrous baseplate. A lot of winders will do that for you. David Plummer comes to mind (the Zhang bucker guy). I think fralin winds those too. Then maybe go with an underwound design, definitely less than 8K if we are talking 42 enamel wire. If you are wanting a chimey sound, A3 three slugs might be better - that cuts the low end as well.

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

if its to ice pick on the bridge, you might want to roll down the tone knob a bit. That's what it is for.

and you are right, ever once in a while we have to compromise.

absolutely. but then you're in the middle of a song and switch to the neck pickup and all you get is mud. so you have a choice. set the guitar up for the P90 and have a real trebly bridge pup, or set it up for the bridge pup and have a bassy P90.

i'd rather have a guitar that's balanced, and all settings are usable.

 

[Thepilot]

the P90 neck pickup on my Duesenberg Double Cat can do a very convincing strat sound. Not sure if that helps you or not. I know you can buy those pickups- just not entirely sure where.

 

[johnmfer]

If you are really wanting to stay with a P90 type pup I would recommend that you look at a P90 design that uses 6 slug magnets like a strat pickup with no ferrous baseplate. A lot of winders will do that for you. David Plummer comes to mind (the Zhang bucker guy). I think fralin winds those too. Then maybe go with an underwound design, definitely less than 8K if we are talking 42 enamel wire. If you are wanting a chimey sound, A3 three slugs might be better - that cuts the low end as well.

I'd like to second this. Also, I think if you do try 42 gauge wire, you'll firmly be in Fender territory. I'm pretty sure normal P-90s are wound with 43 gauge. Can someone confirm this for me?

 

[Sterling#Sound]

Dave Stephens Pickups has a really good handwound reproduction of a P90

 

[tickdoker]

If you are really wanting to stay with a P90 type pup I would recommend that you look at a P90 design that uses 6 slug magnets like a strat pickup with no ferrous baseplate. A lot of winders will do that for you. David Plummer comes to mind (the Zhang bucker guy).

Do you guys have the contact for David Plummer (Zhangbucker)?

Duncan can wind you a Strat pickup in P90s clothing.

Also, I don't see the Duncan strat in a P90 on his site. Maybe that's a custom order thing?

THanks for all the great replies! Keep'em coming.

 

[Grimace]

Harmonic designs

 

[saucyjack]

Second the Harmonic Design Vp-90.
Lots of clarity for a P-90 not sure I would say it's strat like, though