Phat Cat (neck) on a Swamp Ash Les Paul Studio (Gibson)

[PGC246]

I've ordered a neck Phat Cat for my Swamp Ash Les Paul. The 490r that came stock in the neck was just too muddy for my tastes. A lot of people have been saying the Phat Cat is quite muddy itself (although apparently this is fixable by swapping the magnets, which I'm happy to do).

What I'm wondering then, is a stock Phat Cat still a significant departure from a stock 490r? Even if it's considered muddy for a P-90, does it still offer significantly more clarity than the stock humbucker?

Any feedback would be appreciated, especially if anyone has heard a Phat Cat in an Ash Les Paul before.

[blueman335]

Re: Phat Cat (neck) on a Swamp Ash Les Paul Studio (Gibson)

In mahogany and warm woods, Phat Cats in the neck slot can be very dark, and have less treble and clarity than most neck humbuckers. Almost no high-end in my guitars, and a common complaint here. It's because it's overwound for that position and has A2 magnets. The biggest target market for HB-sized P-90's is Gibson-design guitars, which are warm-toned, so this hasn't worked out well. I've swapped magnets in all of my Phat Cats and that makes a huge difference. In the neck slot I use these magnets: A5/A4, A5/A5, and A5/A3. With more approriate magnets, neck Phat Cats can have a nice, sharp high-end, like other P-90's. P-90's have a different sound that HB's: more open, more treble, less mids.

In brighter woods, a stock neck Phat Cat will sound better, but your Les Paul still has a thick body. Put it in, play it, and decide for yourself what it needs. Phat Cats aren't all that popular, so don't count on too many responses from players having used them in an ash LP.

To change magnets in a Phat Cat, you have to unsolder the cover. Unlike almost every other P-90 in the world, they don't have screws to hold the baseplate to the coil; the cover holds the whole thing together. One side of the cover will lift up easily, the other won't because of a ground wire. The magnets lay side-by-side, repelling. Push them out one at a time so you don't get the orientation mixed up. I slide the old magnet out halfway, and hold the new magnet next to it, so the ends repel and sides attract. That's the orientation.

[PGC246]

Re: Phat Cat (neck) on a Swamp Ash Les Paul Studio (Gibson)

Cheers mate, very informative. Should be an interesting wee experiment.

[blueman335]

Re: Phat Cat (neck) on a Swamp Ash Les Paul Studio (Gibson)

The great thing about P-90's is that you have two magnets to work with, and they don't have to be the same kind. That gives you a lot more potential to fine-tune to get the tones you want.

Bridge model Phat Cats have been described by a senior forum member (who's also a PU winder) as 'thin and weak.' They're overpowered by the loud, dark neck model. I change mangets in those too, to increase output and mids. I use these in my bridge P-90's: A8/A4, A8/A5, A4/A4, UOA5/UOA5. Give them a fuller sound with more muscle.

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Phat Cat (neck) on a Swamp Ash Les Paul Studio (Gibson)

+1 to what Blueman has advised.

Just put them in first and see how they sound to your ears. I love P-90s in the first place, but it's just frosting that they are so easy to get a large variety of tones out of them by swapping magnets. With 2 mags each, the tonal possabilities are near endless.

[DesertRat]

Re: Phat Cat (neck) on a Swamp Ash Les Paul Studio (Gibson)

I've used stock Phat cats in a mahogany Les Paul before. They are a great choice for "classic" sounding stuff be it rock, jazz, or country. If by "clarity", you mean strong note definition and clear sounding chords (even under moderate gain), then you'll probably like them. Magnet swaps are a bit more tricky than a standard humbucker, but as folks have said, you have a lot of options and versatility there. My favorite is A2/A5 for bridge, but I actually prefer stock in neck.