Feedback and thoughts on this P90 configuration.

[Phil Gerke]

Hey All,

So I'm going to put together a rather unique pickup configuration and I'd like to hear your thoughts. I'm still fairly new to this and I'm really new to making my own pickups. Here it goes, I know its ambitious.

I'm going to wind a 43awg A8/A4 P90 for the bridge position. Immediately next to it as close as I can get I will be putting a 42awg A8/A4 P90 RWRP. I'm going to wire these two into a 4 way switch which will be Series, P90 1, P90 2, Parallel. Then to a standard vol and tone circuit. Weird I know, but wait there is more.

Next, in the neck will be a tele neck pickup (not sure which one just yet). That will be wired to its own volume and tone circuit then to the output, parallel with the output from the switch.

So I know the wiring is kinda wacky, its for a friend and he plays with an interesting rig. (Matter of fact I'm toying with the idea of using a TRS jack to enable feeding the neck pickup to a separate amp. I know, Frankenstein stuff.

What I am mostly curious to hear feedback on is the dual P90 idea. I'd like to have two completely different tones from the pickups which I think I will achieve. Also, when they are put series I like the idea of having the missmatched coils (ala the Custom/59 hybrid) to create a big scary humbbucker which I'm hoping will prove interesting. I'm starting with the A8/A4 combination as I have seen a number of people recommend it, and I have not heard it yet so I am curious. I'm open to suggestions and I kinda plan on messing with the mags anyhow.

Guitar is an old Ibanez Talman, that I have made into a hard tail. Rosewood fingerboard. I'll be making a custom pickguard to accommodate all of this. Style of music is rock, hard, but not metal at all. I want this to be a phat, ballsy, mean bastard. It won't be a shredder just rhythm, big riffs for days and days.

Alright, lay it on me. Thanks in advance!

Phil
PDX

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Feedback and thoughts on this P90 configuration.

Hell, I'd just go for it. I imagine that the series setting will be all mud, especially if one of the P90's is hot. But I have had similar thoughts about having two different single coils right next to each other at the bridge. I think it would be a great setup.

You might also consider dual outputs. Plug a stereo-to-mono cable into one, and get n/b in parallel...but plug a mono cable into each jack, and get the neck circuit into one amp or effects chain, and the bridge into another.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Feedback and thoughts on this P90 configuration.

IMO, if the two P90s connected in series, in phase does not sound muddy, your P90s cannot have been much cop to begin with.

Meanwhile, two P90s in series, OUT OF PHASE could prove very interesting. THINK: Brian May Red Special.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Feedback and thoughts on this P90 configuration.

I've wired a few P-90 guitars with a push-pull so that I can have them linked in series, which creates a 'virtual HB'. It's very handy for solos when you want a little more horsepower.

For what you're doing, you don't need a 4-way switch with the P-90's, as what I do achieves all that with two volume controls (on for each P-90), one of them being a push-pull. The P-90's don't need to be close to each other to make a virtual HB, in fact, it may be better if there's some space between them to prevent them from being muddy. I'd put the P-90's in the bridge and neck slots, and the Tele PU in the middle, with it's own volume control. Wire the PU's for independent volume controls, and you can blend all of them in many different increments. You'd get a bunch of sound options, and it would look much better, like Alvin Lee's 335.

BTW, I'm the first guy I know of that put an A8 and A4 in the same P-90. Really fills in the mids and takes off the excess treble.

 

[J E C]

Re: Feedback and thoughts on this P90 configuration.

Haven't heard of it being dun with P-90's, but Don Latarski had a Koa Strat years ago with 4 single coils Duncans in it. A cream colored one in the neck, middle, and bridge positions, with a black RWRP one tight to the bridge one that created a HB. From a distance it looked like a regular Strat arrangement. I believe he turned the black one on and off with a push/pull pot. Would be interested to hear how it works out.

 

[Phil Gerke]

Re: Feedback and thoughts on this P90 configuration.

I will definitely post when I get this put together. If I'm really ambitious I'll get some sound files up somewhere. I'm really curious about the "virtual" humbucker tone, I agree it could easily go to mud. Again, I think the saving grace actually may be the miss matched coils in the P90's. Probably it may end up being a dance of magnets as well. Blueman, I know I have seen your posts on mags and I'm pretty sure you sold me on trying the A8/A4 combo, really excited to hear it. As far as the 4 way goes, I had considered a push pull situation, but knowing the person who will be playing it, he'll like being able to switch from the bridge P90 to both in series with a quick switch. Quite honestly I imagine this guitar will get played mostly on the bridge pickup. I'm thinking the neck pickup will get its own output. My buddy splits his signal to an Orange and to a GK bass rig, big beefy tone is his thing. So I'm thinking being able to send the neck pickup directly to the bass amp will be quite handy. I've done the P90 in bridge and neck position before and the series tone just has not seen much use. I suppose I could use a third P90 in the neck, but honestly I like the idea of a lower profile tele neck pickup, and its only really going to get used for low frequency info. We'll see.

I have not heard Don Latarski's name in a while! I used to live in Eugene, I sold him CD jewel cases at the Pro Audio shop I worked at many years ago. Never saw his rig, that sounds pretty cool, er... geeky anyhow

Bummer is I gotta leave for two weeks for work, so I'm hoping I'll get some work in tomorrow then a little break.

Thanks for the input fellas.