Understanding the love for P90s

sawyer

Buy a single p90 Junior. Job done. Had/have many guitars but junior's have personality and by far my favorite. They seem alive.

OilCityPickups

sawyer said:

Buy a single p90 Junior. Job done. Had/have many guitars but junior's have personality and by far my favorite. They seem alive.

One of the reasons is no string pull from a neck pickup ... 

sawyer

That could well be it. Built a single humbucker Strat and it had 'that' element to it. Single pickup guitars seem to have breath to them? I could be talking rubbish here ha. That's how I perceive them. Chords seem to hang better.

NelsonP

SlopeSoarer said:

Neil said:

NelsonP said:

So, I can also thoroughly recommend one of these....

https://www.dawsons.co.uk/dawsons-co-uk-gibson-2019-les-paul-junior-tribute-dc-electric-guitar?prod=207314&gclid=Cj0KCQjw4-XlBRDuARIsAK96p3BeicXjWVAPq3Nsm6SQLTNffSCCfNZwXmR-L2AfmQvsk3kyU-tToQgaAjCFEALw_wcB

Or, if you want a single cut jr then they should be out soon. Will be more money though I'd expect.

Reverend sensei 290 or jr worth a look too? 

I love a Special but can't get over that scratchplate. 

P90's are my favourite pickup and have often thought about trading my humbucking Standard for a lovely TV yellow DC  Special.

Yep I'm with you about that scratchplate, just doesn't do it for me.

There's a special with a similar configuration and a sc jr in the namm 2019 range, due to be launched shortly.

Honestly, get over 'that scratchplate'. That way you get a great guitar at a great price.

And if you really can't then just get the 2019 les paul sc jr

https://images.app.goo.gl/LSzFU6UVkZVJJtid9

jaymenon

RandallFlagg said:

The cleans are warm and lovely and driven they can be snarly. Things can get a little thin and spiky if you're not careful but with the mids up and treble rolled back they have a different character to a driven humbucker, less compressed, big bold and hard hitting.

bacchanalian said:

I think with them being single coils they sound a bit less restrained than a humbucker and more likely to interact with the amp at lower volumes. Nice harmonic overtones.
Yesterday, I tried a mint 2018 Les Paul Classic, gold top with P90s, which would have been a purchase if not for the 60s neck.
Bonus R6 vibe as well. 

These guys have it nailed - the P90 (I'm new to this pickup) is a lovely full sounding pickup when played clean.

Also unlike Strat pickups (which I love clean, but really don't like overdriven), the P90 takes overdrive in a musical fashion, retaining a bit more definition and expression compared to a humbucker...

Danielsguitars

 

Danielsguitars

doesn't get much better for me or a goldtop with bigsby 

AuldReekie

uncledick said:

Buddy Whittington uses them in his post 'Strat' Lentz guitars.  Early Santana is what put me onto the whole P90 thing.  Love the Oil City Masterwounds in my McCarty Standard.  Much more useable than the typically overwound PRS spec SDs it came with.

Typically through a Cornell Romany Pro and sometimes my AC15C1X.

Is that a McSoapy Standard you have?  If so, care to elaborate on the differences between the stock SDs and the Masterwounds? I've one and its a great great guitar.  Thanks 

xchrisv

@SlopeSoarer here’s a comparison video we did a while ago featuring a ‘52 Goldtop with P-90s and a ‘58 with PAFs. The fact that original PAFs have extended highs and much more clarity than most modern humbuckers means they sound very similar in some ways, but there’s still enough of a contrast between the two for this to prove useful: https://youtu.be/tMcz4zn7IGo 

xchrisv

And here’s some in a hollowbody into a blackface Deluxe Reverb: https://youtu.be/T374rNsnspA

monquixote

AuldReekie said:

uncledick said:

Buddy Whittington uses them in his post 'Strat' Lentz guitars.  Early Santana is what put me onto the whole P90 thing.  Love the Oil City Masterwounds in my McCarty Standard.  Much more useable than the typically overwound PRS spec SDs it came with.

Typically through a Cornell Romany Pro and sometimes my AC15C1X.

Is that a McSoapy Standard you have?  If so, care to elaborate on the differences between the stock SDs and the Masterwounds? I've one and its a great great guitar.  Thanks 

I had a satin soapbar PRS and thought all the stuff about the SD p90s having no top end was just internet guff but having heard the TPS P90 episode the McCarty they have sounds rubbish and dull compared to the other guitars.

Kind of wished I'd swapped them rather than flipping it.

HAL9000

OilCityPickups said:

sawyer said:

Buy a single p90 Junior. Job done. Had/have many guitars but junior's have personality and by far my favorite. They seem alive.

One of the reasons is no string pull from a neck pickup ... 

Yup. My Esquire-alike (which started life as a Tele) is really very resonant and lively indeed.

kluson

Juniors are just so great!

SlopeSoarer

NelsonP said:

Honestly, get over 'that scratchplate'. That way you get a great guitar at a great price.

And if you really can't then just get the 2019 les paul sc jr

https://images.app.goo.gl/LSzFU6UVkZVJJtid9

Yep, it is a bit shallow really. It's a bit like food though for me the experience starts with my eyes: ) I should see one in the flesh before dismissing completely.

chrisv said:

@SlopeSoarer here’s a comparison video we did a while ago featuring a ‘52 Goldtop with P-90s and a ‘58 with PAFs. The fact that original PAFs have extended highs and much more clarity than most modern humbuckers means they sound very similar in some ways, but there’s still enough of a contrast between the two for this to prove useful: https://youtu.be/tMcz4zn7IGo 

I'll watch that when Corrie is on later: )

Thanks for all the other comments and input!

IvisonGuitars

Here's a very quick rough and ready demo of my '57 Special Model with @OilCityPickups Firewatch Soapbar P90's in. Just finished this one and it's a LOT of fun! There's plenty of raunch in the P90's when you dig in but the moment you back off, they become crystal clear. That's what a good P90 is to me  

SlopeSoarer

IvisonGuitars said:

Here's a very quick rough and ready demo of my '57 Special Model with @OilCityPickups Firewatch Soapbar P90's in. Just finished this one and it's a LOT of fun! There's plenty of raunch in the P90's when you dig in but the moment you back off, they become crystal clear. That's what a good P90 is to me  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQbqiOkxeZw

Nice!