How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

Mantic

New member
I'm looking for a p90 sized bridge pickup that will allow me to get as close to a humbucker sound as possible. I hope i'm not shooting in the dark.
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

welcome to the forum!

Try the Seymourized minihumbucker or Custom mini. Those should get you more into humbucker territory
 
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Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

Thanks, i'll check it out.. I have a 89 AM Stand Strat with a hotrail in the bridge and it's still not quite the sound i'm looking for. Do you think these are hotter then the hotrails?
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

No Minihumbuckers arenowhere near as hot as a HR. When I say minihumbuckers, I mean Firebird and LP Deluxe type pickups, not rails or the Lil/Jr series. Those are single coil sized humbuckers, two very different beasties.
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

HMMM... So it seem I won't be able to get a heavy modern sound out of it?
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

That depends more on your amp than the pickups in your guitar, IMO.
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

But remember that part of the sound of the standard humbucker is a result of the spacing between the pole pieces of the two coils (separation along the length of the string). A mini-humbucker cannot duplicate that exactly. You will be happy if you allow for that!
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

I don't understand your situation entirely Mantic. You have a Strat with a Hot Rails which is a normal sized single coil pickup, and yet you want a higher output P-90 pickup which is a completely different routing. Are you prepared to route out the bridge for a soapbar or minibucker? If you have a p-90 cutout there are a couple of pickups that are humbuckers, but the spacing is narrower so not 100% the sound of a full humbucker like San Rafael mentioned. Dimarzio makes a P-90 version of their Super Distortion and Tone Zone which might be what you are looking for. Thats the best advice I can give based on the uncertain situation you have.
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

fusion. he has both the strat with the hotrails AND this P90 guitar........ and he was stating that the hot rails is not doing it for him, so hes wanted to know which P90 will get him the humbucker sound

but it seems strange that he has 2 guitar with no humbucker routings and wants the humbucker sound lol

as far as the question, i dont know
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

OK guys here is the deal :) Basically I'm in love with the PRS SE Soapbar in black burst. I'm going to buy this guitar tomorrow if I can know for sure or be pretty sure i'll be able to get a somewhat humbucker sound out of it. I know i know.... I need a true humbucker guitar but i've got a craving for this guitar for some reason and it's enough for me to go through all this :)
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

The amp i'm useing is a Fender Super Amp. It's a 4x10 60watt all tube amp. I have a cheap Ibanez with a HSS configuration and it sounds pretty good through it so I know it's capable of what I want.
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

Has anyone heard the pups mentioned above ( seymorized mini, custom mini, super distortion, and tone zone)?
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

I just checked out the Dimarzio Super Distortion and think that might be what i'm looking for. I'm a little confused as to how it mounts in the guitar though looks like you have to modify the guitar. Can anyone comment?
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

Why not get the Tremonti SE model instead of the Soapbar SE? It's an amazing guitar for the money, and it has two humbuckers. If you really want a true humbucker tone, don't go with a P-90 guitar. If you want to try P-90's later on, you can always put a set of Duncan Phat Cats in a humbucker guitar.

Ryan
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

rspst14 said:
Why not get the Tremonti SE model instead of the Soapbar SE? It's an amazing guitar for the money, and it has two humbuckers. If you really want a true humbucker tone, don't go with a P-90 guitar. If you want to try P-90's later on, you can always put a set of Duncan Phat Cats in a humbucker guitar.

Ryan

Well this may sound silly to you but i don't like the fact that it has someone elses name on it. It also doesn't come in burst black. I really like the cosmetic side of the Soapbar and i think it a more unique guitar. I agree with you and even said so above that i should get a humbucker guitar but something about this guitar keeps me fixed on it.

I'm thinking the "mini" P-90 humbuckers come pretty close to the real thing. Much more so then the Hotrail in my strat. Am i thinking correctly that the poles will me spaced farther apart on the P-90 humbucker then they are on the hotrails?
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

Mantic I did just buy a Peavey guitar with soapbars and before I got that guitar I bought a P90 super distortion and have yet to install it. I have been enjoying the sounds on the stock p-90s, but they don't really have the crunch of normal humbuckers but more floatey or fizzy distortion. The Super Distortion should clear that up and I am anxious to hear it, I just wantwed my ears to get attuned to this guitar with the stock p-90 before I swap it.

Also Manic, yes you are correct the mounting holes are on the ends and not in the middle like on most soapbars. Seems Dimarzio is the only one making mounting screws for the ends for whatever reason I don't know.

In theory this Peavey guitar of mine will cover more ground than my Les Paul. I want it to do nice jazz and heavy brutal stuff at the flick of a switch and with a super disrtion p-90 that will happen, and the stock neck p-90 does jazz exceptionally well which the Les Paul can't come close imo.
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

You can consider the stack P-90. I don't think they will have a modern humbucker tone but being a stack pickup probabely the tone will resemble the bucker tone a bit more than a standar p-90 (long phrase!!).
 
Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

Also Manic, yes you are correct the mounting holes are on the ends and not in the middle like on most soapbars. Seems Dimarzio is the only one making mounting screws for the ends for whatever reason I don't know.

So you just have to drill two more holes right? Doesn't seem too complicated if that's all there is to it.

Here are a few pics for anyone else who may be interested in this guitar
prs_se_p90blkk.jpg
 
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Re: How to get a humbucker sound out of a p90 guitar?

I have to say that I understand that you like the P-90 look, I do like it too. But I just can stand the P90-humbucker mix from Dimarzio. They are awfull!!! :smack:
 
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