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Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

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  • Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

    So before anyone tells me a p90 isn't the right pickup for me: I own an Epiphone 1955 Inspired Les Paul which is stock with Gibson P90s.

    It sounds fantastic under high gain, perhaps even perfect to me, but I'm no longer jiving with the les paul body type (ironic given my user name) due to the upper fret access, balance point, etc (I'm a bedroom/seated player) and bought a 2016 SG Standard P90 because it plays amazing and sits perfect for me.

    As a bedroom player, feedback isn't an issue for me.

    My SG sounds really good in most aspects but no matter how I dial it in, compared to my epiphone, it's a bit woofy/wooly, sometimes it sounds almost like it's hitting a fuzz petal in the distortion, more loose and grungy than the tight snarl I get from my Epiphone. It cleans up a bit by scooping the mids but then it loses a lot of its fullness in the mix. I've tried raising/lowering the pickup but didn't really help much.

    Both have Gibson USA P90s, so some difference definitely from the construction of Les Paul vs. SG, and I'm not sure if the cap values are the same. SG should have 500k stock but who knows, I suppose I could open it and test with a multimeter.

    I'm wondering what my other options are for a P90 that will have a tighter snarl in disortion, and take out some of those unpleasant mids.

    I would consider the DiMarzio P90-sized Super Distortions but I'm not sure the baseplate on these has holes where that pickup does since they're not in standard P90 configuration. I didn't really buy this to be my "P90 guitar," I bought it because it was available and has the exact neck profile I love and sounds like it has a really good base tone.

    I'm looking at Bareknuckle Pig 90 or Supermassive P90.

  • #2
    Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

    The big thing for you is you have a lot of options available to you. One thing I will say is the DiMarzio P90-sized Super Distortions are going to sound like a Super Distortion, not a P90 which are totally different sounds. That being said the SD is a phenomenal pickup and great for high gain. I think you should take a look at the Stockholm P90, it sounds like it might scratch your itch.

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    • #3
      Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

      Originally posted by Securb View Post
      The big thing for you is you have a lot of options available to you. One thing I will say is the DiMarzio P90-sized Super Distortions are going to sound like a Super Distortion, not a P90 which are totally different sounds. That being said the SD is a phenomenal pickup and great for high gain. I think you should take a look at the Stockholm P90, it sounds like it might scratch your itch.
      I'm totally okay with it sounding like an SD but I'm afraid it won't mount to my baseplate, otherwise it would be me go-to, so I wanna weigh my options, but I'll look up samples of the Stockholm, thanks!

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      • #4
        Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

        You might also check out the Humcutter from Railhammer - it's humbucking yet it has legit P90 tone.
        They use a rail under the low strings for tighter feel, and there are several versions with different amounts of output.
        JoeNaylor makes good stuff.

        EDIT: Never mind, I forgot those are full-humbucker-sized and use standard mounting rings.

        PS: I'm pretty sure the DiMarzio P90-size SD can be mounted in a standard P90 rout using a regular mini hum ring.
        Assuming you have enough string clearance, that might be the way to go.
        Last edited by eclecticsynergy; 12-11-2019, 03:09 PM.
        .
        "You should know better by now than to introduce science into a discussion of voodoo."
        .

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        • #5
          Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

          Originally posted by eclecticsynergy View Post
          You might also check out the Humcutter from Railhammer - it's humbucking yet it has legit P90 tone.
          They use a rail under the low strings for tighter feel, and there are several versions with different amounts of output.
          JoeNaylor makes good stuff.

          EDIT: Never mind, I forgot those are full-humbucker-sized and use standard mounting rings.

          PS: I'm pretty sure the DiMarzio P90-size SD can be mounted in a standard P90 rout using a regular mini hum ring.
          Assuming you have enough string clearance, that might be the way to go.
          I doubt it on the clearance. These mount into the pick guard like on a full batwing humbucker SG, it's possible the baseplate they use has holes that would accomodate it or I could drill them but I don't want to drill holes for a mounting ring.

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          • #6
            Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

            Those dimarzio p90 super distortions require the minhumbucker mounting ring, which drops right into a p90 rout. They are readily available in black and cream

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            • #7
              Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

              Originally posted by singlecutarmy View Post
              I'm not sure if the cap values are the same. SG should have 500k stock but who knows,
              I think you meant "pot" values.

              Your SG probably has 300k pots. I'd put in 500k pots with .010 uf caps to clean it up. You can also try lowering the P-90 and raising the pole pieces. You could even replace the pole pieces with 1022 alloy screws which are a bit brighter...I think your pup has 1018 alloy screws.
              Originally Posted by IanBallard
              Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

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              • #8
                Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

                Originally posted by GuitarDoc View Post
                I think you meant "pot" values.

                Your SG probably has 300k pots. I'd put in 500k pots with .010 uf caps to clean it up. You can also try lowering the P-90 and raising the pole pieces. You could even replace the pole pieces with 1022 alloy screws which are a bit brighter...I think your pup has 1018 alloy screws.
                Could have sworn I replied, think I accidentally deleted.

                According to Gibson specs it should be 500k with 22nf caps but who knows if the previous owner modded it.
                When the original Les Paul evolved into the Les Paul/SG Standard in 1961, it ushered in a new lineup of sleek double-cutaway guitars that would become legendary in their own right, with rock and blues players in particular. Decked out in the upmarket features of the original SG Standard, but with a twist, the SG Standard 2016 T carries a pair of screaming P-90 pickups like those used on the original SG Special of the


                I will double check the pot values before moving forward, gosh i hope this isn't a PCB or I'm gonna be very displeased.

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                • #9
                  Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

                  Yes, according to that link the pots are 500k ohms with .022uf (22nf) caps.

                  You could try 1 meg pots, .010 uf caps, 1022 pole piece screws, lower the pup but raise the screws.
                  Originally Posted by IanBallard
                  Rule of thumb... the more pot you have, the better your tone.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

                    My two cents about P90 sized DiMarzio humbuckers...

                    All those that I own are meant to be mounted like regular P90's but with the holes placed differently: their screws go through the plastic cover and through the baseplate, then through the height setting springs located between baseplate and wood.

                    From underneath, they look like this: https://www.emma-music.com/boutique_...k-dimarzio.jpg

                    So, although their coils under the cover are actually much smaller than a P90 coil, these PU's can't be mounted directly as minihumbuckers, unless their baseplates are swapped (which is possible and even easy: I've done it several times).

                    Musically, a P90 sized SD has almost the same inductance than a typical P90 but its double thick ceramic mag and wider magnetic windows make it sound dirtier, with more bass and low mids...


                    FWIW. Good luck in your tone quest, OP!
                    Last edited by freefrog; 12-15-2019, 08:11 AM.
                    Duncan user since the 80's...

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                    • #11
                      Re: Need different bridge P90 suggestions for higher gain music?

                      Originally posted by freefrog View Post
                      My two cents about P90 sized DiMarzio humbuckers...

                      All those that I own are meant to be mounted like regular P90's but with the holes placed differently: their screws go through the plastic cover and through the baseplate, then through the height setting springs located between baseplate and wood.

                      From underneath, they look like this: https://www.emma-music.com/boutique_...k-dimarzio.jpg

                      So, although their coils under the cover are actually much smaller than a P90 coil, these PU's can't be mounted directly as minihumbuckers, unless their baseplates are swapped (which is possible and even easy: I've done it several times).

                      Musically, a P90 sized SD has almost the same inductance than a typical P90 but its double thick ceramic mag and wider magnetic windows make it sound dirtier, with more bass and low mids...


                      FWIW. Good luck in your tone quest, OP!
                      I'm guessing the baseplate on mine is wider or mounts to another baseplate with dog-ear style flares to screw into the pick guard, but TV Jones sells a dog-ear adapter that may work, or I can mount of a dog-ear baseplate, I'll need to pull the pickguard and take a look.

                      I pulled the control cavity and it's, of course, a PCB, so I'll need to buy a full set of pots and caps.

                      Going to grab two 525k and 1 meg pots to A/B and 22nf and 10nf caps.

                      When I see the base plate I'll decide on pickups. I want to try the super distortion if it's not super hard to mount it with the stock hardware. If it looks like it's going to be rough I'm looking at going bareknuckle or SD vintage as they sound more open like my Epiphone does.

                      When I A/Bed it against my epiphone I realized my epiphone is actually thinner sounding which keeps it more articulate when I crank the gain, it leaves the punchy lows, and doesn't get woofy. So maybe I actually need something more vintage sounding.
                      Last edited by singlecutarmy; 12-16-2019, 09:36 AM.

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