P90s for my Strat?

Littlejonny

I've had Fender Hot Noiseless in for a year or so, and I'm missing the character of the original Fender pickups. I was thinking however, that I've always wanted to try P90s in a Strat - especially the bridge position seems ideal for this?

Am I right in thinking that the P90s won't fit in the cavities (it's routed HSH) and that they are screwed directly into the wood? Also, are there hum-cancelling P90s that are worth buying, or does that ruin the tone?

Thanks in advance for your advice - I really want to try this - possible even 3x P90s for a monster Strat!

RickLucas

Have you considered something like this? No need for any routing. I had a bridge unit once and enjoyed it.
https://www.alegree.co.uk/collections/stratocaster-single-coil-pickups/products/sub-zero-p90-toned-stratocaster-single-coils

axisus

I can't answer your queries, but I absolutely fell in love with the guitar in this video and the gorgeous tones. So much so that it inspired my current build thread elsewhere on this site.

axisus

You can get humbucker shaped P90s ...

Littlejonny

axisus said:

I can't answer your queries, but I absolutely fell in love with the guitar in this video and the gorgeous tones. So much so that it inspired my current build thread elsewhere on this site.

Yes I've seen that video - awesome tones.

Littlejonny

RickLucas said:

Have you considered something like this? No need for any routing. I had a bridge unit once and enjoyed it.
https://www.alegree.co.uk/collections/stratocaster-single-coil-pickups/products/sub-zero-p90-toned-stratocaster-single-coils

Those look interesting but I'd have to hear a demo before buying based on written description. Also - surely part of the P90 bridge tone comes from the straight (not angled) magnets and their greater distance from the bridge itself?

Dave_Mc

Problem is the P90 will kind of fight with the other Strat pickups... you'd think it would work better than a humbucker because it's still a single coil, but it kinda doesn't since it's just too powerful and too fat-sounding (plus you can split a humbucker). Maybe if you got a tapped P90 with a really low output tap you might be able to get something with sits with the Strat singles but which also provides a more standard P90 tone, but I haven't tried that and it may well not work in practice!

And yeah P90s need to be screwed to the body, I think. Funnily enough 3 P90s, as you suggested, can work well.

EDIT: To be clear- it works fine if you're ok with the "hotter bridge, lower output neck and middle" thing and don't care about the bridge + middle together setting. Or I guess (I haven't tried this) going with hot neck and middle Strat singles might help at least a bit.

ICBM

Dave_Mc said:

Problem is the P90 will kind of fight with the other Strat pickups... you'd think it would work better than a humbucker because it's still a single coil, but it kinda doesn't since it's just too powerful and too fat-sounding (plus you can split a humbucker). Maybe if you got a tapped P90 with a really low output tap you might be able to get something with sits with the Strat singles but which also provides a more standard P90 tone, but I haven't tried that and it may well not work in practice!

And yeah P90s need to be screwed to the body, I think. Funnily enough 3 P90s, as you suggested, can work well.

I don’t think P90s mix well with Fender pickups at all. I know that’s not an entirely universal opinion…

And yes, three P90s is fine.

Dave_Mc

ICBM said:

Dave_Mc said:

Problem is the P90 will kind of fight with the other Strat pickups... you'd think it would work better than a humbucker because it's still a single coil, but it kinda doesn't since it's just too powerful and too fat-sounding (plus you can split a humbucker). Maybe if you got a tapped P90 with a really low output tap you might be able to get something with sits with the Strat singles but which also provides a more standard P90 tone, but I haven't tried that and it may well not work in practice!

And yeah P90s need to be screwed to the body, I think. Funnily enough 3 P90s, as you suggested, can work well.

I don’t think P90s mix well with Fender pickups at all. I know that’s not an entirely universal opinion…

And yes, three P90s is fine.

I know quite a few people put a P90 in a Tele neck position... I'm not sure I've ever tried that. Hotter Tele pickups can have a bit of a P90 character... sort of... but I would guess a neck P90- even an underwound one- would still be quite a bit louder unless you have a really hot Tele bridge pickup?

ICBM

Dave_Mc said:

I know quite a few people put a P90 in a Tele neck position...

I know, and I think it sounds horrible. A P90 in the neck position of a Tele is far too midrangy compared to the bridge pickup - the whole point of a Tele for me is that the *bridge* pickup is the hot midrangy one, the neck pickup is meant to be cleaner and clearer.

P90s work with other P90s and with humbuckers.

Littlejonny

Well that’s discouraged me! Maybe I’ll just tweak my EQ pedals for a while. 

Littlejonny

Or I could leave the strat alone and scratch the itch by buying another guitar!!!

ICBM

Littlejonny said:

Or I could leave the strat alone and scratch the itch by buying another guitar!!!

These are pretty nice...

steamabacus

If it's routed HSH you could get a new HH scratchplate and two humbucker-sized p90s without any routing or undue hassle.

Littlejonny

steamabacus said:

If it's routed HSH you could get a new HH scratchplate and two humbucker-sized p90s without any routing or undue hassle.

Yeah that’s what I was thinking. or I could go HSH with the Hs being HB sized P90s and the S being one of those single coil sized Alegree things.

Im a bit weird in that I play a strat but almost never use the in-between positions. They just sound cheesy to me, unless I’m trying to be Richard Thompson for fun. 

Dave_Mc

ICBM said:

Dave_Mc said:

I know quite a few people put a P90 in a Tele neck position...

I know, and I think it sounds horrible. A P90 in the neck position of a Tele is far too midrangy compared to the bridge pickup - the whole point of a Tele for me is that the *bridge* pickup is the hot midrangy one, the neck pickup is meant to be cleaner and clearer.

P90s work with other P90s and with humbuckers.

Yeah that's pretty much what I'm coming round to as well...

Littlejonny said:

Or I could leave the strat alone and scratch the itch by buying another guitar!!!

Yes that's the correct answer right there! 

Littlejonny

Well…I raised the height of the Hot Noiseless yesterday and what a difference! They were nearly flush to the pickguard before. Much more aggressive sounding now - it was like I’d added a boost pedal. 

Lost some of the Hendrixy chime but I guess so would p90s! I think I might keep the strat as is and pick up a PRS SE Soapbar when I have the spare cash.