Does a single coil (sized) P90 replicate the sound of a traditional soapbar P90?

lovestrat74

As the title suggests...

I have a Telecaster and was wondering if it is worth getting a single coil sized P90 in the bridge position? Do they mimic the traditional P90's or am I just better off getting a Tele bridge routed for a P90?

OilCityPickups

No single (Fender) coil size P90 is going to exactly nail a full size P90 sound ... physics won't allow it. My own Alligator 90 tele bridge pickup still only goes part of the way.
To get a proper P90 sound you need at least a humbucker sized P90 which can ape the bobbin, wire gauge and most important, bobbin shape of the original. You could rout out and use use an ashtray bridge that takes a humbucker and thus fit a HB sized P90.

stimpsonslostson

It IS worth getting a Tele sized P90, depending on why you think you need one. I always found "normal" Tele bridge pickups too harsh...
I put in one of Ash's Alligator 90 pickups et voilà, search over. It's not AS full sounding as the P90 in my junior, but it's a wonderful sound. 

lovestrat74

stimpsonslostson said:

It IS worth getting a Tele sized P90, depending on why you think you need one. I always found "normal" Tele bridge pickups too harsh...
I put in one of Ash's Alligator 90 pickups et voilà, search over. It's not AS full sounding as the P90 in my junior, but it's a wonderful sound. 

Thanks @stimpsonslostson - I am looking to get a junior'ish P90 sound.

@theguitarweasel - do you have any soundbites or any links to the Kayman and Aligator?

OilCityPickups

lovestrat74 said:

stimpsonslostson said:

It IS worth getting a Tele sized P90, depending on why you think you need one. I always found "normal" Tele bridge pickups too harsh...
I put in one of Ash's Alligator 90 pickups et voilà, search over. It's not AS full sounding as the P90 in my junior, but it's a wonderful sound. 

Thanks @stimpsonslostson - I am looking to get a junior'ish P90 sound.

@theguitarweasel - do you have any soundbites or any links to the Kayman and Aligator?

Not at the moment ... I seem to be so busy making them I don't have time to record them. Besides ... I really don't trust sound clips ... I have no control over compression or what folks play them back on.
For a Junior sort of sound fit a HB sized P90 end of story.

Funkfingers

'Scuse me while I play Devil's advocate.

Even when the pickup bobbin, coil and magnets conform to P90 specifications, the steel Telecaster bridge is going to add a bunch of metallic overtones to the overall sound. Fender's posh P90 Telecaster model guitars usually employ the short "hardtail" Stratocaster fixed bridge. 

More anecdotally, it has been my observation from guitars of various scale lengths and construction methods that the best hosts for P90 pickups conform to Gibson scale length, glued-in neck and, sometimes, the bridge design.

I derive enormous enjoyment from a Squier VM Telecaster Custom II but it always loses out to a PRS SE which, in turn, loses out to a Gibson.  

kjdowd

I found the sound of the creamery strat 90s I tried a while ago more similar to a gold foil if anything. Really liked it though. 

OilCityPickups

Funkfingers said:

'Scuse me while I play Devil's advocate.

Even when the pickup bobbin, coil and magnets conform to P90 specifications, the steel Telecaster bridge is going to add a bunch of metallic overtones to the overall sound. Fender's posh P90 Telecaster model guitars usually employ the short "hardtail" Stratocaster fixed bridge. 

More anecdotally, it has been my observation from guitars of various scale lengths and construction methods that the best hosts for P90 pickups conform to Gibson scale length, glued-in neck and, sometimes, the bridge design.

I derive enormous enjoyment from a Squier VM Telecaster Custom II but it always loses out to a PRS SE which, in turn, loses out to a Gibson.  

The majority of the 'metallic overtones' in a telecaster bridge pickup assembly come from the Telecaster bridge pickup's base plate which is right under the pickup. Notice the immediate difference when you fit a non baseplate Tele bridge pickup ... you lose a lot of twang. Of course a P90 doesn't have a steel base plate, so there is much less ferrous metal in the magnetic field, even if an ash try style bridge is still used. 

The scale length is an issue, but the OP asked specifically about pickups. 

lovestrat74

Thanks for all your comments guys!

Henrytwang

TheGuitarWeasel said:

Funkfingers said:

'Scuse me while I play Devil's advocate.

Even when the pickup bobbin, coil and magnets conform to P90 specifications, the steel Telecaster bridge is going to add a bunch of metallic overtones to the overall sound. Fender's posh P90 Telecaster model guitars usually employ the short "hardtail" Stratocaster fixed bridge. 

More anecdotally, it has been my observation from guitars of various scale lengths and construction methods that the best hosts for P90 pickups conform to Gibson scale length, glued-in neck and, sometimes, the bridge design.

I derive enormous enjoyment from a Squier VM Telecaster Custom II but it always loses out to a PRS SE which, in turn, loses out to a Gibson.  

The majority of the 'metallic overtones' in a telecaster bridge pickup assembly come from the Telecaster bridge pickup's base plate which is right under the pickup. Notice the immediate difference when you fit a non baseplate Tele bridge pickup ... you lose a lot of twang. Of course a P90 doesn't have a steel base plate, so there is much less ferrous metal in the magnetic field, even if an ash try style bridge is still used. 

The scale length is an issue, but the OP asked specifically about pickups. 

I go along with that, a lot of that classic Tele bridge pickup tone is down to the ferrous metal base plate, you can even buy a steel plate to fit under your Strat bridge pickup to give it a Tele like tone.I’ve noticed that some cheap telecaster pickups have a brass baseplate, these pickups will not give you the classic twang as they will not distribute the magnetic field in the same way as a ferrous plate and are maybe what you need if you find the steel plated pickups harsh. Ceramic magnets can also make any pickup sound brittle.

HAL9000

stimpsonslostson said:

It IS worth getting a Tele sized P90, depending on why you think you need one. I always found "normal" Tele bridge pickups too harsh...
I put in one of Ash's Alligator 90 pickups et voilà, search over. It's not AS full sounding as the P90 in my junior, but it's a wonderful sound. 

I’ve got an Alligator 90 in my Esquire-alike. Awesome pickup. However, if I was doing it again I’d probably opt for the Kayman instead to get a touch more warmth.

meltedbuzzbox

Get a mojo broadcaster bridge puckup, it's immense

lovestrat74

HAL9000 said:

I’ve got an Alligator 90 in my Esquire-alike. Awesome pickup. However, if I was doing it again I’d probably opt for the Kayman instead to get a touch more warmth.

Yeah that was what I had in mind ..