Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

[Lunatic_Guardian]

I've been liking some humbucker sounds, have been having trouble with noise, and was thinking of going for a humbucker-equipped guitar. But then I discovered that Dimarzio makes some humbuckers in p90 size, that could work on my current guitar!
https://www.dimarzio.com/pickups/soap-bar

I would certainly lose the p90 tone in the bridge, which I don't mind so much. I do mind losing the neck p90 tho.
Might go with a Virtual p90 for the neck, it supposedly sounds like a cross between paf and p90. Or a Dimarzio/Duncan standard p90.
But the bridge I'm unsure about, and the choices are rather slim... DLX Plus, said to be based on the Steve Special, I fear it's too scooped.
So there's DLX Neck(less scooped slightly?), Tone Zone: ceramic edition, and Super Distortion.

I want something that can sing without much gain and not sound 'weird' with low gain. Ability to "cut trough a mix" is great, which is why I'm afraid of the DLX plus Bridge.
No, the guitar isn't shielded, I will ask for that on installation of whatever I choose, but I fear it might not be enough protection to stay with pure p90s.

Ideas?

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

I've wondered about some of those as well.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

The DLX is not so scooped IME. Certainly less than a Bill Lawrence L550 for example.

The P90 sized Super-Dist and Tone Zone are not THAT different from each other, IME, albeit the TZ is a Dual-Resonance model while the SD is not.

They are all decent pickups, able to produce classic tones. Enough to stay in one of my guitar (I've put the DLX bridge model in neck position but I periodically change the bridge pickup, going back and forth between Super-Dist, TZ and L550). Nothing to rave about, though. I'd take a Kinman P90Hx over them and I'm not sure that a P90 sized GFS humbucker would sound worse.


As objective data, I share some measurements that I've done:

DiMarzio DLX = 18,18k for an inductance of 5.15H (it's more than a P.A.F. replica and such a high inductance is not exactly the recipe of a scooped tone).

DiMarzio P90 sized Tone Zone = 16.3k and a whooping 7.77H of inductance (the same than a Gibson 500T).

DiMarzio P90 sized Super Dist = 13k and 6.97H. It's a bit less than the inductance of a full sized one if memory serves me.

For the record, more inductance = less brightness / more power and mids, all other parms being equal.

 

[Lunatic_Guardian]

Re: Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

It would be too troublesome and expensive to import kinmans over here, even if they do look cool.

I will keep searching. Right now, I'm considering going double Virtual p90, I don't need that much gain.

 

[Erlend_G]

Re: Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

Had a GFS P-90 sized humbucker, measured 13k...

It was actually less loud, than the stock 8k P90.

But did have that humbucker tone, maybe a bit "sleeker" with more high mids.

 

[garrett]

Re: Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

I had the DLX90 in the bridge with a VP90 in the neck and it was a cool set. The DLX was still in the vintagey ballpark. They were both somewhere between P90 and PAF to me, with the VP more to the P90 and the DLX more to the PAF side.

My biggest complaint is the mounting screws. They are not recessed at all, so my palm rubbed on the bass side mounting screw of the bridge pickup. I had to cover it with tape.

 

[freefrog]

Re: Dimarzio's p90 sized humbuckers?

I had the DLX90 in the bridge with a VP90 in the neck and it was a cool set. The DLX was still in the vintagey ballpark. They were both somewhere between P90 and PAF to me

I agree.

My biggest complaint is the mounting screws. They are not recessed at all, so my palm rubbed on the bass side mounting screw of the bridge pickup. I had to cover it with tape.

FWIW, I've used screws with a flat head borrowed from...old phones plugs. I don't think that ours are the same than in USA but the goal is to testify that compatible screws can be found elsewhere.