Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

[frankfalbo]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

P90 magnets oppose. That means generally over time, there is some natural "Dun-Aging" to one of the two magnets anyway. I imagine if you went with an A5 and A2 combo, your A2 would be losing by far. That could cause it to become far more demagnetized over time, and you'd have more of a single magnet, non-focused pickup sound, which is not really P90 anymore.

In working with P90's & Phat Cat style pickups a lot recently, I've come to the conclusion that you may want to "Dun-Age" one of the two A5's in order to encourage a dominant/recessive relationship between the two magnets. But using two different magnet types isn't going to yield long-term success. IMO it doesn't even give you long term consistency, since you clearly have a stronger magnet attempting to re-magnetize the weaker one. You're just asking for one to re-polarize the other. After all, we re-magnetize and re-polarize Alnicos with stronger magnets, and they are more subject to demagnetization and re-polarization than a Ceramic for example.

In Zhang's illustration of the A3+A2, 2 and 3 have a closer relationship than between the A2 and A5, so I imagine that's why it worked okay for him, but still wasn't as desirable as the two A2's. If anyone wants to mod the Phat Cat I'd suggest two equally charged Alnico 5's.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

The A3 thinned it out just a touch, and I had it on the bridge side.

The P90's I have made, I used Alnico 5's but aged one of the magnets a bit.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

This may be the best P-90 thread I've seen. headed for the vault soon perhaps?

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Perhaps Ace, but I think the "proof is in the pudding", so to speak. Unless someone tries A5's in the Phat Cat, much of this is pure conjecture IMHO. Maybe I need to call up (shut up) the Custom Shop, and have one made.

I may need to buy another guitar for a "Phat Five" to go into, as I am satisfied with the pickup combos in my gear already. I can't go expensive, but something along the lines of the Epi G-400 Vintage in brown ($300 US) or another Epi LP, but I need to play it first. If I wasn't such a nut for having two pickups, I would just settle for the Epi LP Junior with a P-90 and set neck ($300 US).

Can someone here could try an A5/Phat Cat combo before I do something stupid, like spend more money!? :smack: I would be seriously indebted and mucho appreciative, if I knew the A5/Phat Cat was more on the agreessive side than the regular production Phat Cat...and MORE like a P-90.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Maybe I'll rewind mine up to bridge spec and try it out when I get back from vacation...

 

[Wattage]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Anyone of you try a ceramic PC yet? I always loved the Custom P-90 and I'd be curious to try one.

 

[gripweed]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Anyone of you try a ceramic PC yet? I always loved the Custom P-90 and I'd be curious to try one.

I would think that that would be painfully bright unless it were overwound like the Duncan Custom or Hot P90's.

On the other hand, I would think that a *Phat Five* (love the name Sludge!) *could* be ordered as a shop floor custom. Anyone wanna try it?

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Never use ceramic with anything under about 11k (42 wire) or 13k (43 wire).

 

[Aceman]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Never use ceramic with anything under about 11k (42 wire) or 13k (43 wire).

And verily so thus it was spoken and hereby forthwith forsaken for all time!

Someone get that Phat Five workin' !!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

My off-topic hyperbolic hyperbolic statement:

Oh Yeah, I'm gonna top all you muthas, and make a Phat Neo-Blade. It will have one 20K coil, neodymium magnets, and a blade polepiece. All of this housed in a standard humbucker housing! It is going to be so hot, Pluto's gonna get sucked toward Earth!

----------------------------------------------------

Interestingly enough, I am using the Neos in my Gibson. The Anderson HN2+ is very hot but conventional sounding with neo wafer magnets...and has the least string pull of any of my pickups...even the stock Epi Alnicos. Neo's are getting cheap. They are in all dvd players for optical tracking (but they are too small), and even 99 cent stores (?) are stocking them:


I got these from my pops:

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

I've got the bigger versions from Stew Mac in a vise that I use to charge magnets. They can just about bend a tire iron.

 

[twoheadedboy]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

I had a PC for a while, and my best description was that if you took some of the midrange punch and snap of a p-90 and mixed it with the classic smooth, balanced response of a '59 humbucker, you'd get a PC. Nice pickup, but I actually found it a little too hi-fi for me. I like p90s to sound sort of lo-fi and midrangey with rounded off top and bottom. The PC is more top & bottom and less mids to my ears.

 

[Sludgenutz]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Maybe I'll rewind mine up to bridge spec and try it out when I get back from vacation...

That would be righteous, Zhang!

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Flat out: Does the Phat Cat sound Like a Gibson P-90?

Stay tuned...