Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

Chris Pile

Chris Pile

Well-known member
I bought a set of these and had them installed in my Tele.... These are supposed to have that big midrange honk we know and love from a Gibson P-90. I'm not feeling it, guys - they are nothing like the sound of P-90's that were in my '59 LP Junior or my '62 SG. Maybe it's the ash body or the ebony neck of the Tele? Any ideas?
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

I assume that "humbucking" P90 means that it's stacked. To me, I'm sure lots of you gurus will disagree, no "stacked" pickup sounds like a single. they just dont sound correct to me, whether its Seymour, Fralin, Dimarzio etc etc....."Stacked" or "noiseles" pickups just do not sound as they should to my ears. Maybe it's jut me, and I respect your opinion, but if I want a P90 or a single then I accept the hum. Otherwise I get a humbucker.
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

There is more than one way some companies use to create hum cancelling singles. Dimarzio doesn't always use a typical stacked approach like their hs line does, in some of their models the second coil is made to act more like a dummy coil than it is to influence the sound with just enough winds using a fairly thick gauge to cancel Just enough of the hum, often a thinner gauge has to be used for the dominant coil however due to space constraints, so the resulting sound isn't as typical for a single of the same dimensions. Likewise I have heard of people going to great lengths to implant a heavy gauged dummy coil within in their guitar in order to achieve more hum cancellation with singles.
 
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Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

They are sidewinders. The two coils are on their sides facing the poles. This gives you a true single coil tone.

There's two types of P-90s. The older ones before the 1970's were wound lower (about 8k) and don't have the midrange honk. I had those in my mid 60s ES-330TD. The later pickups as found in SGs were wound hotter (about 9k) and have that honk.

The Fralin set I've heard sounded like the older P-90s. I prefer that tone.

You can always use an EQ pedal to get the honk.


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Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

My untouched '59 Junior was the honkiest thing I ever heard - very close to Leslie West's tone in Mountain.

And pedals suck. If I can't get it out of the guitar or amp, forget it.
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

ICTGoober said:
My untouched '59 Junior was the honkiest thing I ever heard - very close to Leslie West's tone in Mountain.

And pedals suck. If I can't get it out of the guitar or amp, forget it.
Click to expand...

You can just shift the resonance peak down a bit to a honkier frequency. If you want both neck and bridge honky, shunt the volume pot from the top terminal to ground with a smallish cap. I would say try anything from 100pf to 470pf to see if that moves you closer.
 
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Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

From my experience, humbuckers that seek to emulate single coil tone always sound different.

Because they are different.

There's no way around it.

They're just not the same pickup.

You can either live with it or not.

If you can't live with it (I can't...) then you'll have to put up with the hum.
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

ICTGoober said:
My untouched '59 Junior was the honkiest thing I ever heard - very close to Leslie West's tone in Mountain.

And pedals suck. If I can't get it out of the guitar or amp, forget it.
Click to expand...

And how did Leslie West get that tone? Cascading two channels together on a Sunn PA head. It wasn't just the guitar. That's like having a tube powered overdrive pedal.


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Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

Lewguitar said:
From my experience, humbuckers that seek to emulate single coil tone always sound different.

Because they are different.

There's no way around it.

They're just not the same pickup.

You can either live with it or not.

If you can't live with it (I can't...) then you'll have to put up with the hum.
Click to expand...

By saying "humbucker" you are implying two coils facing the strings. They don't sound like single coils.

Sidewinders sound exactly like single coils because they are sensing one spot on the strings.

But just as there's not one single coil tone, you can get varying tones from hum canceling pickups. But they can absolutely sound like a single coil. I make them all the time.


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Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

*Almost* went with Lindy Fralins "noisless" P-90s. Glad I went with his regular Ol' P-90s in my Gold top Les Paul. Could not be happier. Ill take the buzzing. Part of the charm :-)
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

Ash body & ebony neck are definitely factors. PU's are going to sound different in that than they do in a mahogany body with a rosewood neck, both of which add fullness & midrange. I wouldn't expect you to get that classic P-90 sound with noiseless P-90's in a Tele.
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

DavidRavenMoon -
What does a sidewinder look like? 2 coils facing the poles is hard for me to imagine, like 2 bobbin on their side? How do they connect with the poles? I don't see it or get it. Best google it I suppose. Sounds interesting. And no, I could never find any type of quiet P-90 or s.coil that didn't sound dull and lifeless.
Oh, you are correct, Leslie West's sound was indeed no different than a giant gain pedal. I saw him a 2 times with Mountain, both times with the Sunn 3 head, 6 cab set up, just a wonderful sound, and once with Jack Bruce. By then he had painted his Les Paul Jr. white, and dressed like a circus barker, with Stacks of Marshalls. I liked the softer crunch of the Sunns better than the brashness of the Marshalls.
With Jack Bruce so loud, he had 3 Marshall heads, 3 stacks, and he brought something new to the party - huge horns, giant PA horns the size of a narrow half stacks, and with everything else he was so loud, it was the first time I ever left because the volume was too loud! I did want to stay, but he was so loud my feet hurt. NO JOKE!
Steve Buffington
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

DavidRavenMoon,
Just googled a sidewinder, so now I see what and how they work. Do you like them, or not. Do they come close, or just another type of "better" lifelessness?
SJB
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

Finally got out the good amp instead of the little Marshall.... I am even more disappointed by these pickups. Not only do they lack that midrange roar, they are noisy. These things are not truly humbucking. This is not to say they sound bad - they do have a good sound. But it's not what I wanted, and the noise factor is a definite problem. Maybe the stacked Duncan P-90's would be better....
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

Talked to Lindy on Monday afternoon - he said send them to me, and I'll take a look!
Now that is service! Boxed up and ready to mail on Tuesday.
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

I called Lindy once with a question about a PU of his I have, and ended up talking to him for a half hour about PU's and guitars. Nice guy.
 
Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

blueman335 said:
I called Lindy once with a question about a PU of his I have, and ended up talking to him for a half hour about PU's and guitars. Nice guy.
Click to expand...

Yeah, he definitely likes to chat!!! I was on the phone with him for almost 45 minutes when I had him build my Split Coils for my Strat. He definitely treats everyone like they're his best/only customer & he's very down to earth...



Personally I've found that the Fralin hum-canceling P-90's get closer to the sound of a actual S.C. P-90 than any others on the market but that doesn't mean they're the same or really even close by any means!!! There's always some trade off when trying to make a single coil noiseless but this effect seems to be especially relevant when talking about pickups of the Soapbar & Dogear verity?

Unfortunately P-90's are just noisy but in that noise lays all the beautiful overtones that make them so special!!! I'm not saying stacked or side-wound P-90's don't have a place, but if I'm not playing loudly though a large wattage amplifier I'd rather just deal with the hum....

Of course it wouldn't sound like a P-90 anymore but I think if I were ever to go noiseless with any of my P-90 guitars I'd just go with a humbucker in a P-90 cover like the Duncan Custom Shop offers??? A friend of mine has one of the Duncan Custom Shop Pearly Gates Dogear's in his 03 Melody Maker Jr. & it sounds bloody fantastic!!! That thing is easily one of the most versatile single pickup guitar I've ever played but it doesn't have much in the way of P-90 flavor anymore....
 
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Re: Lindy Fralin Hum-Canceling P-90's

ICTGoober said:
I bought a set of these and had them installed in my Tele.... These are supposed to have that big midrange honk we know and love from a Gibson P-90. I'm not feeling it, guys - they are nothing like the sound of P-90's that were in my '59 LP Junior or my '62 SG. Maybe it's the ash body or the ebony neck of the Tele? Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Nothing beats the tone of a real P90. Might as well put some mini humbuckers....
 
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