PFDarkside
of the Forum
Title says it all...
Do people really think these have the same pickups?
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Silence Kid
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
I don't, but that's speaking as a Jazzmaster aficionado.
I'm unsurprised a lay-person (or someone only casually acquainted with guitars outside Strats and Les Pauls) would mistake any of the above pickups for a Mosrite pickup, G&L Jumbo MFD, or each other. A thread on the front page now mentions the Squier Mascis, which basically does have P90-like pickups.
I don't, but that's speaking as a Jazzmaster aficionado.
I'm unsurprised a lay-person (or someone only casually acquainted with guitars outside Strats and Les Pauls) would mistake any of the above pickups for a Mosrite pickup, G&L Jumbo MFD, or each other. A thread on the front page now mentions the Squier Mascis, which basically does have P90-like pickups.
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dystrust
Well-known member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
I've heard that J Mascis has several Jazzmasters with the stock pickups swapped for P90s; that could explain the Squier sig.
I've heard that J Mascis has several Jazzmasters with the stock pickups swapped for P90s; that could explain the Squier sig.
Discharged
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
They're not.
/Peter
They're not.
/Peter
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
To be fair, unless you are a gear geek they might as well be the same.
Think about it. Visually a dog ear P-90 seems to differ as much or more than the Jazzmaster pickup from the soapbar p-90. Unless you've had reason to learn, what would you guess?
To be fair, unless you are a gear geek they might as well be the same.
Think about it. Visually a dog ear P-90 seems to differ as much or more than the Jazzmaster pickup from the soapbar p-90. Unless you've had reason to learn, what would you guess?
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DavidRavenMoon
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
They are both single coils. Real Jazzmaster pickups have very shallow coils. The reissues are taller, so they are more similar to a P-90. But of course Jazzmasters have alnico poles and P-90s have steel screws. Mosrite pickups are more similar to a P-90.
I once fit a P-90 in a Jazzmaster cover for a guitarist I played with back in the 80s. Had to spread the pole screws out wider.
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They are both single coils. Real Jazzmaster pickups have very shallow coils. The reissues are taller, so they are more similar to a P-90. But of course Jazzmasters have alnico poles and P-90s have steel screws. Mosrite pickups are more similar to a P-90.
I once fit a P-90 in a Jazzmaster cover for a guitarist I played with back in the 80s. Had to spread the pole screws out wider.
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Dave Locher
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
I can understand the confusion, especially back before Jazzmasters became so popular again.
I can understand the confusion, especially back before Jazzmasters became so popular again.
DavidRavenMoon
New member
Do people really think these have the same pickups?
P-90 is an old Gibson design.
They are totally different pickups, just as a Strat and Tele are totally different, yet similar pickups.
Just call them by their names.
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P-90 is an old Gibson design.
They are totally different pickups, just as a Strat and Tele are totally different, yet similar pickups.
Just call them by their names.
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PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
I see a lot of people refer to Jazzmaster pickups as P90s. It would be unfortunate for someone to assume that a Jazzmaster would sound anything like a P90 equipped guitar, when it sounds closer to a Strat than a Les Paul.
I also understand that to someone with minimal experience it could be confusing since they are a similar looking pickup. The thing that prompted this thread was listening to a guitar podcast where a Fender Brand Manager (non electric, to be fair) referred to Jazzmaster pickups as P90s.
It was immediately corrected by another guy, but that was a little shocking to hear a fender guy say that.
I see a lot of people refer to Jazzmaster pickups as P90s. It would be unfortunate for someone to assume that a Jazzmaster would sound anything like a P90 equipped guitar, when it sounds closer to a Strat than a Les Paul.
I also understand that to someone with minimal experience it could be confusing since they are a similar looking pickup. The thing that prompted this thread was listening to a guitar podcast where a Fender Brand Manager (non electric, to be fair) referred to Jazzmaster pickups as P90s.
It was immediately corrected by another guy, but that was a little shocking to hear a fender guy say that.
JB_From_Hell
Jomo's Nimions
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
What podcast?
What podcast?
PFDarkside
of the Forum
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
Guitar Nerds.
Guitar Nerds.
DavidRavenMoon
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
I heard that the other day!
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I heard that the other day!
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Chistopher
malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
The main differences between P90s and JM pickups are so "minor" that most people that aren't super into guitars wouldn't know they made a difference. By minor I don't mean that the effects are minor, but that to an outside eye it wouldn't seem too.
For example, a humbucker has two coils and a single coil has one. Even if you don't play guitar it would be fairly obvious that there would be a noticeable difference. As for P90s and JMs, they are both mostly plastic on the outside with a small row of metal rods, most normies wouldn't know that the P90 has two bar magnets connected to screws and the JM has rod magnets. Even less would know that the flatter and wider wind makes a difference.
The main differences between P90s and JM pickups are so "minor" that most people that aren't super into guitars wouldn't know they made a difference. By minor I don't mean that the effects are minor, but that to an outside eye it wouldn't seem too.
For example, a humbucker has two coils and a single coil has one. Even if you don't play guitar it would be fairly obvious that there would be a noticeable difference. As for P90s and JMs, they are both mostly plastic on the outside with a small row of metal rods, most normies wouldn't know that the P90 has two bar magnets connected to screws and the JM has rod magnets. Even less would know that the flatter and wider wind makes a difference.
DavidRavenMoon
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
Even for a person who doesn’t know the difference... they don’t look the same at all. And Gibsons have P-90s. While some new Fenders also have them, can they call them P-90s?
Internally the two pickups are similar because they are wide, flat coils. But the Jazzmaster is flatter and has rod magnets for poles. And they don’t sound the same at all.
But it’s like saying a Jaguar has Strat pickups.
I’m kind of surprised how wrong some of these guys are on these podcasts. If you’re doing a show about guitars at least spend a few minutes on the internet looking up your facts. Lol.
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Even for a person who doesn’t know the difference... they don’t look the same at all. And Gibsons have P-90s. While some new Fenders also have them, can they call them P-90s?
Internally the two pickups are similar because they are wide, flat coils. But the Jazzmaster is flatter and has rod magnets for poles. And they don’t sound the same at all.
But it’s like saying a Jaguar has Strat pickups.
I’m kind of surprised how wrong some of these guys are on these podcasts. If you’re doing a show about guitars at least spend a few minutes on the internet looking up your facts. Lol.
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Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
If you didn't know pickups even used magnets and fields let alone coils o wires inside why would it be obvious that the metal circles in the middle of the plastic rectangle are different?
If you didn't know pickups even used magnets and fields let alone coils o wires inside why would it be obvious that the metal circles in the middle of the plastic rectangle are different?
DavidRavenMoon
New member
Re: Do people really think these have the same pickups?
Well regardless, why would someone think they are the same pickup when they don’t look the same. Jazzmaster pickups are rectangular and larger. P-90s look like a bar of soap.
I guess the issue is all these once proprietary designs have become generic. And players think all there’s only these now common pickup models. I just thought a Jazzmaster has Jazzmaster pickups. A Tele has Tele pickups. Gibsons had their own version of a humbucker before that became generic. Now you see Fenders with pickups designed originality by Gibson, which is kind of funny.
For a guitar and pickup maker, I find the whole thing very confining. It’s as if these are the only guitars/pickups/tones. That gets boring.
Then every now and then someone discovers that there were other pickups. Then you get Filter’Tron clones, and lipstick tubes, Widerange HBs, and now gold foils.
I’d like to see every guitar maker do something original, just as Rickenbacker (who invented the pickup), Fender, and Gibson did. Makes it hard to swap pickups, but I feel a guitar should be designed with its own tone. Just as a Tele, Jazzmaster or Firebird was. Everything all sounds the same these days.
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Well regardless, why would someone think they are the same pickup when they don’t look the same. Jazzmaster pickups are rectangular and larger. P-90s look like a bar of soap.
I guess the issue is all these once proprietary designs have become generic. And players think all there’s only these now common pickup models. I just thought a Jazzmaster has Jazzmaster pickups. A Tele has Tele pickups. Gibsons had their own version of a humbucker before that became generic. Now you see Fenders with pickups designed originality by Gibson, which is kind of funny.
For a guitar and pickup maker, I find the whole thing very confining. It’s as if these are the only guitars/pickups/tones. That gets boring.
Then every now and then someone discovers that there were other pickups. Then you get Filter’Tron clones, and lipstick tubes, Widerange HBs, and now gold foils.
I’d like to see every guitar maker do something original, just as Rickenbacker (who invented the pickup), Fender, and Gibson did. Makes it hard to swap pickups, but I feel a guitar should be designed with its own tone. Just as a Tele, Jazzmaster or Firebird was. Everything all sounds the same these days.
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