Humbucker vs. P-90 neck

[DigBallance]

Okay, I put a Rio Grande Muy Grande humbucker in the bridge, and it flat out KILLS, tapped or full on. To go with it, I'm either getting a Rio Genuine Texas humbucker or a Rio Bastard (humbucker-sized P-90) for the neck. I want your opinions on this, gang! What would the pro's and con's be?

Using a 5-way selector switch, here's how each choice would be wired:

Genuine Texas neck-
Position 1: Neck humbucker
Position 2: Neck coil tapped
Position 3: Bridge single coil + neck single coil
Position 4: Bridge coil tapped
Position 5: Bridge humbucker

Bastard neck-
Position 1: Bridge 'bucker + P-90
Position 2: P-90
Position 3: Bridge single + P-90
Position 4: Bridge coil tapped
Position 5: Bridge 'bucker

 

[joelap]

Re: Humbucker vs. P-90 neck

what style of music do you play?

 

[DigBallance]

Re: Humbucker vs. P-90 neck

All-original, classic rock style. Think "Zeppelin meets Beatles" (Or just listen to the sound clips). I just installed a Duncan Alnico Pro II yesterday, and I'm starting to dig the combination - so much versatility! All 5 sounds have distinct character, but are way different.

Position 1: Neck humbucker = Like buttah! Really breathes - you can hear the wood, and it sustains forever. I've always used a '59 or a Jazz in the neck, but I now see what all the fuss is about with the APII. It's more graceful.

Position 2: Neck coil tapped = Kind of like a "toned-down" Strat sound - almost plays like a rich acoustic guitar. I can lay into it, and it never gets harsh or muddy. Again, that APII is a wonderous thing.

Position 3: Bridge single coil + neck single coil = Articulate. Funky. Not your usual in-between Strat "quack", but it snaps, boings and bounces quite nicely. Great for playing fast and ballsy chord progressions, too.

Position 4: Bridge coil tapped = One of the fullest, best single coil sounds I've ever played. This sound alone is worth getting a Muy Grande hummer. It just sings.

Position 5: Bridge humbucker = Position 4 squared. Corpulent, over the-top, and a bit compressed. AWESOME for Pagey-type riffing. Gets thinner above the 12th fret, but that's where the Duncan really takes off, so that's when I usually switch to the neck.

For years, I've searched for that elusive balance between the snarky punch of a Fender and the fat sweetness of a Gibson. This combo hits it in a way that even my PRS never could - uncompromisingly. I would highly reccomend this setup to anyone, because it covers so much dang ground. Maybe someday I'll try that P-90 combo in another axe, but for right now, my GAS has escaped me!