I need advice on pickups

[hillerheilman]

So I'm building a guitar that I want to have a humbucker/p90/humbucker configuration with the triple shot switches on the humbuckers. I've already got a baby 71 from the creamery in the neck, and I thought that the jb would be good in the bridge, but I'm looking for something that might be close to a Tele bridge when split, but also be good under distortion. As for the p90 I'm completely lost. I'm going to set it a bit lower so it doesn't get in the way, so I figured something with higher output, but beyond that I'm lost. The guitar body is ash, and the neck is maple. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
~Hiller

 

[Clint 55]

Re: I need advice on pickups

Sounds like a cool guitar. The JB is a great choice for bridge position. I have it in my mustang and it sounds really good split and parallel as well as series. It will give you the authentic twang you're looking for when split. For your middle pickup, ones that I have and enjoy are the Phat Cat p90 if you have a humbucker slot, or the vintage p90 if you have a regular p90 slot. If you have to decide what kind of slot to get, I'd recommend just getting a humbucker slot to keep things easy. The Phat Cat is pretty darn good. There are several good demos of it and the JB on youtube.

 

[EDX]

Re: I need advice on pickups

well the jb is a pickup that i see working very nice on that guitar but if what you want twang in bucker shape..... you might get surprised by which pickup produces it better

as crazy as it sounds the most twangy bucker ever is the dimebucker, even on series is very twangy clean, parallel even more, split... you can put it on the deepest darkest middies heaviest mahogany slab and it will really twang

the p90 depends really on the kind of slot you have and how you expect it to sound

 

[AlexR]

Re: I need advice on pickups

The JB I think might sound quite nice in parallel.

But nothing is really going to give you tele twang. Thats part pole mags, vintage bridge and presence of baseplate.

 

[elelpe]

Re: I need advice on pickups

...but I'm looking for something that might be close to a Tele bridge when split, but also be good under distortion. As for the p90 I'm completely lost. I'm going to set it a bit lower so it doesn't get in the way, so I figured something with higher output...

I'd suggest Dimebucker in the bridge and SP90-2N in the middle.

 

[Aceman]

Re: I need advice on pickups

I'm assuming that you are drilling a standard size P-90 slot.

Obvious answer is a Vintage P-90. Duncan SP90-1 or even a plain old Gibson. As far setting low, the Duncan Custom SP90-3 would be the goto for more output, but I don't think you'll get anything close to the "twang" you seek there. I love the Custom P-90 but it is RAWK incarnate.

I think a classic P90 will have enough juice if set lower to hang with the spit buckers.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: I need advice on pickups

So I'm building a guitar that I want to have a humbucker/p90/humbucker configuration with the triple shot switches on the humbuckers. I've already got a baby 71 from the creamery in the neck, and I thought that the jb would be good in the bridge, but I'm looking for something that might be close to a Tele bridge when split, but also be good under distortion. As for the p90 I'm completely lost. I'm going to set it a bit lower so it doesn't get in the way, so I figured something with higher output, but beyond that I'm lost. The guitar body is ash, and the neck is maple. Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
~Hiller

A JB in parallel does remind me of a Tele bridge pickup.

Not that it actually sounds like one...but that it makes me think of one.

So try it. Maybe install a little 3 position mini switch somewhere for series, single and parallel.

 

[hillerheilman]

Re: I need advice on pickups

Okay, I've decided to go with the JB. Deciding factor over the dimebucker was the option for a nickel cover to match the neck pickup. And I'm pretty much sold on the custom p90, I watched a couple YouTube videos and I LOVE IT! Anyway, apart from a 6 way rotary switch and the triple shot switches, are there any other cool modifications I could do?

 

[Demanic]

Re: I need advice on pickups

Been playing through a UOA5 JB split, to the slug coil I think. Love love love it.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk

 

[Mincer]

Re: I need advice on pickups

Some people really love the sound of an A2 magnet in a JB. But if you are using Triple Shots, you pretty much have all the wiring options short of changing magnets. I think you'll like all the sounds a stock JB has with those Triple Shots.