Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

they sound pretty different. the one in the picture is a mini humbucker than will fit in a dog ear p90 hole
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

OK, lemme try !

Mini Hums were made, because, at the time, there were only P90 pick ups (on the Gibson side of things)
Then, when the full size Humbucker came out, everyone wanted one, and all of a sudden, Gibson had all these P90 routed bodies that might not sell.
So, the clever folks at Gibson, made a 'smaller' version of the Humbucker, (and named it the Mini-Humbucker), so that this new version can slot into the P90 cavity.
So, that it the reason why the Mini Humbucker exists.

In a very crude nut shell :

A P90 sounds 'kinda' between a single coil (strat) and a full size Humbucker. (...to my ears)

A Mini Humbucker sounds much more like a full size Humbucker, but ever so much 'thinner'. (just listen to Johnny Winter)


johnny_winter%20900x607.jpg




 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

I think of the P-90 as sounding somewhate between a Strat single coil and a full sized humbucker...lots of muscle and plenty of bite.

I think of the mini as between the P-90 and full bucker...plenty of muscle but not quite as full as a full-sized bucker, and with a little more bite than a full-sized bucker.

I love minis especially Firebirds (a little brighter than other minis), but my favorite tone is a P-90.
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

Thanks for the detailed responses, but I asked the difference between a mini humbucker and a dual coil P-90 HUMBUCKER as per the link I gave.

I assume seymour makes these as some are convinced that mini hums can't be dropped into p-90 routes, but does anyone know the tonal difference? thanks
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

Oops, sorry. I haven't tried the dual coil P-90. Not even interested in taking for a spin.
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

Actually, Gibson already had a mini-humbucker, as they had formerly acquired Epiphone, which designed the mini-humbucker and had put them in many of their guitars. They just adapted the Epi mini to the P90-routed bodies. They at first mounted the minis in cut-out P90 covers that fit right in the P90 routs.
Al


SirJackdeFuzz said:
OK, lemme try !

Mini Hums were made, because, at the time, there were only P90 pick ups (on the Gibson side of things)
Then, when the full size Humbucker came out, everyone wanted one, and all of a sudden, Gibson had all these P90 routed bodies that might not sell.
So, the clever folks at Gibson, made a 'smaller' version of the Humbucker, (and named it the Mini-Humbucker), so that this new version can slot into the P90 cavity.
So, that it the reason why the Mini Humbucker exists.

In a very crude nut shell :

A P90 sounds 'kinda' between a single coil (strat) and a full size Humbucker. (...to my ears)

A Mini Humbucker sounds much more like a full size Humbucker, but ever so much 'thinner'. (just listen to Johnny Winter)


johnny_winter%20900x607.jpg




Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

To me, mini-humbuckers were a big discovering I had this year, while working on a Firebird for a friend of mine.
I've thrown there a couple of SM-1 in neck and middle positions and felt in love!.
To me, for 3-pickups Gibby-alike guitars, they are the natural election for neck and middle positions.

To me, they have all the good from humbuckers and all the good from single coils and, no drawbacks.
Neck in parallel with Middle sounds so straty that I couldn't believe it. Tone was ala "Dire Straits". Just incredible.

They are hum cancelling and have HOT output but, they have the attack, bite, chime and bell very close to singles.
A neck pickup that never goes muddy, with lot of balls and awesome definition note to note. Kicks and bites.
I think there are two different kind of minis and, I've tested the firebird type and, loved so much.
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

the firebird pups and real mini humbuckers are two different designs. the firebird pups have two bar magnets with a coil around each one. mini humbuckers are just that, build just like a paf but smaller. both are cool but they do sound different. duncans sm1, sm2 and sm3 are firebird style
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

I associate the mini-humbucker with Epiphone jazz guitars. The Firebird pickup is a wholly different animal.

mountain2012 said:
I asked the difference between a mini humbucker and a dual coil P-90 HUMBUCKER as per the link I gave.
Click to expand...

In my opinion, all stacked-coil recreations of classic single coil pickup designs fail. In cancelling the interference, they cancel some of what was special about the sound of the original design. Gibson (and other) noise-cancelling P-90 replacement pickups lose some of the rudeness of the original.

mountain2012 said:
I assume seymour makes these as some are convinced that mini hums can't be dropped into p-90 routs but does anyone know the tonal difference? thanks
Click to expand...

On the Gibson Les Paul Deluxe, the mini-HB is mounted via a cut-up P-90 cover. It fits the rout. The issue is disguising the gap between the edges of the pickup and the rout.

IMO, the regular mini is a clear sounding 'bucker. I like it in the neck position of a Telecaster. To my ears, stacked coil P-90 imitations sound kinda vague. (P-90 with a cold, perhaps?) The touch sensitive response through overdriven valve amplification just isn't there.

Unlike Artie, I have taken both Gibson P-100s and SD P-90 Stacks for a spin. I kinda wish that I had not. File under: educational in a negative way. Obviously, now would not be a good time to attempt to sell you my surplus pickups.
 
Re: Mini humbucker / P-90 humbucker difference?

jeremy said:
the firebird pups and real mini humbuckers are two different designs. the firebird pups have two bar magnets with a coil around each one. mini humbuckers are just that, build just like a paf but smaller. both are cool but they do sound different. duncans sm1, sm2 and sm3 are firebird style
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarify it, Jeremy.
So, I love to dead firebird ones!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top