comparing P-90 Pickups

D

Drycreek

New member
Relatively new to luthiery........
My oldest son says ...hey ....if you ever hear a really good set of P-90's you will poop yer drawers.......
O.K. we make a trip to the city and I tell the sales guy we want guitars with P-90's.
He comes back with a medium/high end les paul....leaves me cold, no big deal; told him that "IS NOT" what I'm looking for.
He leaves and comes back with an American made PRS Ted McCarty with a set of PRS P-90's...............wow........now thats the stuff!!!
So heres the question: I was told Seymour was instrumental in creating these PRS pickups? Maybe so/maybe not, I dont know? I want the PRS pickups and was told SD sells P-90's that are darn near identical in sound to the PRS????
PRS does sell these pickups and I'm a little worried about Ebayers dumping a set of Asian S.E. pickups on me...very apprehensive?
Anyone heard "BOTH" the SD and the PRS for a comparison???
Observasions, suggestions welcome.
THX
Dry
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

As with any PU, it's how it reacts with the wood. Being organic, no two pieces of lumber are the same (grain, density, mineral content, water content, etc), and every PU has slight differences in materials and windings.

Gibson makes very good P-90's, the P-90's most often heard on our favorite songs. American and European-made PU's (HB's and P90's) will have better materials and workmanship that Asian-made ones. There is a difference in tone. I don't recall anyone else hear praising PRS P90's to the extent that you have, but I'm sure there are many satisfied users.

Keep in mind that with P-90's magnets are very important; they have a 2 mags-per-coil ratio, vs 1/2 mag per coil for HB's, that's four times more mag influence. You can mix and match any two mags in a P-90 and really dial in the sounds you want. I started doing that several years ago, and now there's a number of forum members that have followed suit, and all of us have gotten great tones.

Duncan makes a few P-90's. I have some of each. I didn't care for the two models with ceramic magnets, so I pulled those mags out and put in alnicos for a richer tone.

Also, there are a number of HB-sized P-90's available today, so you can retro fit any of your HB guitars.
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

The American PRS Soapbar models have Seymour Duncan pickups.

(the PRS SE do not)
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

Good information and interesting, thanks
Still hung up on PRS and SD comparisons? Good woodworking skills....but....visually challenged and electronically uneducated. I have not yet acquired skills to disassemble pickups
THX
Dry
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

Drycreek said:
I have not yet acquired skills to disassemble pickups
Click to expand...

Any 12 year old can take apart a PU and swap mags, it's that easy. Like changing batteries in a TV remote control. I had no previous luthery, handyman, soldering, or electrical experience.
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

Well, I honestly have not met a P-90 I didn't love. That said, I stick to Gibson and SD.

I'd say the difference you heard was the guitar and not the pups.

Furthermore, once upon a time, PRS used a Duncan Vintage in the neck and a Duncan Custom in the bridge.

The Custom P-90 is one bad@$$ mofo. Blueman would have to sleep with the lights on for a month after hearing one.
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

I have an older PRS McCarty soapbar and yes the P90's are SD's. It's one of my favorate guitars, it screams.
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

I am a P90 nut and I find I don't really want to play humbuckers or skinny fender single coils any more. There is just always a good P90 guitar that I will like the sound of more.

That said, I like Gibsons P90s and Duncans CS Antiquities a lot. They are both very good.

I also like the std. SD P90s which you probably played in the PRS... the ceramic mags work in some guitars and in others they don't though.
 
Re: comparing P-90 Pickups

Specifically, PRS used a Duncan Custom NECK model in the bridge position. I stole this idea for my Gibson LP Junior Special.
 
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