P-90's.. pros & cons

you're not going to be able to do it without routing. You'll want to go with a humbucker sized P90 if you don't want to do the extra routing required for the P90.

If you're going the gibson route I'd say P94's but they aren't my favorites.

You could stay with Seymour Duncan and get the Phat Cat with no mods.

Rio Grande has a nice one called the Fat Bastard.

Harmonic Design's Z90 is one of my favorites for that application

and there are a few others....out there I'm sure, but those are worth checking out.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-90

the dog ear vs soap bar config has to do with mounting, in a dog ear it's got the flaps on the sides like on a Casino and the mounting screws are on the outside. Dog ears have the mounting screws in the middle of the pole pieces..


Pro's Fat Fabulous loud rude tone that's clear and articulate like a single coil but thicker with more balls.

Con's Depending on the application and the EMI they can buzz like the dickens.

To me, it's worth it. I love the way they sound.

Pacomc79 wrote:

the dog ear vs soap bar config has to do with mounting, in a dog ear it's got the flaps on the sides like on a Casino and the mounting screws are on the outside. Dog ears have the mounting screws in the middle of the pole pieces.

Paco knows this was just a brain freeze, but the SOAPBAR P-90's have mounting screws in between the pole pieces. Dog-ear P-90's are for surface-mounting, usually on a hollow-body guitar, jazz-box, etc, while the soapbars are for recessed mounting, which is what you would have to do with a Strat (albeit with some major body routing and modification, as already mentioned).

A humbucker-sized P-90 should fit a strat if it was routed for humbuckers (yours already is, many are today). But one other option to mention is the Harmonic Design Super 90 Strat, which is a strat-sized pickup that is ready to drop in. I had an S-90 for Tele once, and loved it. Not quite the same as a true P-90, but close. More output, more beefy tone, but still plenty of bite and clarity. You would need a new pickguard, but it would be a more traditional strat look, and would be appropriate for a strat player with an S-S-S configuration.

As far as regular P-90's, I'll never be more impressed than with my Fralin's. Damn do I love those pickups.

mccreadyisgod wrote:

Paco knows this was just a brain freeze, but the SOAPBAR P-90's have mounting screws in between the pole pieces. Dog-ear P-90's are for surface-mounting, usually on a hollow-body guitar, jazz-box, etc, while the soapbars are for recessed mounting, which is what you would have to do with a Strat (albeit with some major body routing and modification, as already mentioned).

A humbucker-sized P-90 should fit a strat if it was routed for humbuckers (yours already is, many are today). But one other option to mention is the Harmonic Design Super 90 Strat, which is a strat-sized pickup that is ready to drop in. I had an S-90 for Tele once, and loved it. Not quite the same as a true P-90, but close. More output, more beefy tone, but still plenty of bite and clarity. You would need a new pickguard, but it would be a more traditional strat look, and would be appropriate for a strat player with an S-S-S configuration.

As far as regular P-90's, I'll never be more impressed than with my Fralin's. Damn do I love those pickups.

yup. sorry about my error. In my new project (brother in laws old mexican strat with a nice neck) I got the strings off last weekend, cleaned up the frets and opened it up to see what's under the hood. Routed with humbucker slots for all 3 but I think I'm staying skinny. I'm goign to go with some kind of rails (OR QP's) in the neck and middle and an S90 at the bridge. I love everything I've ever heard from Lindy Fralin I think. Just one mans opinion. but.. They really are good. So are the lollars.

Pacomc79 wrote:

http://www.seymourduncan.com/products/electric/humbucker/progressive/prails_shpr1/


whoa, hey.. P rails? Never seen this one before.

Very very cool, bound to happen sooner or later, that's for sure!

Cons: They're noisy when you're not playing them. Hum, buzz, etc.

Pros: They're even noisier when you ARE playing them, in a glorious raucous beauteous way!

This is a great use of p-90's - Starting at 2:50:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTwtSiOXlyg


I too, like the Fralins.

I too haven't heard the seymour duncan triple thingy, but I'm gonna get one and try one out! :cool:

All Those Yesterdays wrote:

Noisy for sure. It's a big complaint by a lot of people when they use them. I just happen to think that's why the boss tuner is for. As soon as I'm done playing, I click it on to mute it

Or get some circuit breaker cables. They're my life saver.

The only thing to add to the clip would be a clip of P-90's slight tube break up and open chord strums. That to me is perfect.

who's_pearljam? wrote:

After the long intro and screaming at about 2:20! Good old Leslie West again.

Or like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30ktWPrWPDc

P-90's sure made a showing at the first Woodstock!

Canned Heat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V55FfDnkQ6o&feature=related

Santana's first set up. SG with P-90's:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnamP4-M9ko



Man, everyone's sold out of the Seymour Duncan p-rail p-90/humbuckers but they definitely have potential!

Crap, I think I'm going to have to come down with something, so I can get off work, go home and plug in.