P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

[John Wymore]

Has anybody A/B'd these pickups? I have an Epi Dot that I want to upgrade but I'm unsure what pickups I want to go with. It's currently all stock.

I am thinking Seths, Phat Cats or possibly P-Rails. This guitar will be more of a Blues guitar but I also need some warmer jazzy tones at times. It won't ever be pushed hard but I will need gritty blues tones using low to medium overdrive. Current amp is a Tech-21 Trademark 60 although I am thinking about picking a lower wattage Fender tube amp soon.

Give me some ideas ....

 

[blueman335]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

I'm a 335 kind of guy, and will go with twin Phat Ctas on my next one. Currently I have a Dot Deluxe with a 490T (A4) and Phat CatN (A5/A4) that sounds great. Warm bridge with bite; the neck is similar but with more mids & lows. Great for gritty overdriven Chicago blues tones. Rich & raw.

 

[John Wymore]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

Yeah, I like the Phat Cat neck idea but I was reading in some other threads where many feel the bridge is a bit wimpy. Maybe a Phat Cat neck with a Seth bridge. I already know I love the tone of the Seth bridge.

 

[Mark Cearlock]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

Yeah, I like the Phat Cat neck idea but I was reading in some other threads where many feel the bridge is a bit wimpy. Maybe a Phat Cat neck with a Seth bridge. I already know I love the tone of the Seth bridge.

There are always the magnet swaps, and the good thing is, you have them all to try!!

 

[John Wymore]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

There are always the magnet swaps, and the good thing is, you have them all to try!!

Hmmm .... now that I think of it I do have a Phat Cat bridge torn apart on my bench right now. :cool3:

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

what're you waiting fer then

 

[orpheo]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

I have, and I found that the p90 of the prails is much more dirty, bit more output, bit more 'nasty' sounding, than the phat cats. the pc's are imho a bit 'dull' and 'reserved' sounding, not so the take no prisoners no bull****ting around sound of a p90, whilst the prails do have that.

PS: I dont understand why SD still carries the phat cat when you can have prails instead...same thing for the stag mag.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

because the phat cat is a great pickup none the less

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

I have, and I found that the p90 of the prails is much more dirty, bit more output, bit more 'nasty' sounding, than the phat cats. the pc's are imho a bit 'dull' and 'reserved' sounding, not so the take no prisoners no bull****ting around sound of a p90, whilst the prails do have that.

PS: I dont understand why SD still carries the phat cat when you can have prails instead...same thing for the stag mag.

They're so different. I guess that's why they still make other buckers, too.
Stag Mag is quite different from a single rail + P-90 combo, you know...

 

[LtKojak]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

Hmmm .... now that I think of it I do have a Phat Cat bridge torn apart on my bench right now. :cool3:

OK, so you wanna put two A8s in it... excellent combo with an A5/A4 PC neck.

Oh, BTW, I've received my pack from you yesterday. Thank you again, John.

Greetings from Italy,

Edit: my take on a 335 type is the following:

'59b in neck position
C5 on the bridge position.

My next try will be a Les Paul with a Jazz set that I'll change the A5 with an A8 in the bridge p'up.

I'll keep you posted!

 

[uOpt]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

The P-Rails P90 sound is certainly the best part of it. It sounds substantially smoother and to my ears colder than a real soapbar.

The Phat Cat is very rude.

Compared to my R4/R6 soapbars they are on the opposite ends with the real soapbar in the middle.

 

[orpheo]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

They're so different. I guess that's why they still make other buckers, too.
Stag Mag is quite different from a single rail + P-90 combo, you know...

true, true. but for the stagmag, the difference in tone of the 2 coils isnt so huge as with the prails. that makes it for me kinda usless for many applications.

 

[blueman335]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

Yeah, I like the Phat Cat neck idea but I was reading in some other threads where many feel the bridge is a bit wimpy.

Yes, with the stock A2's. But I use an A8/A4 on my bridge PC's, and it totally different PU. Wimpyness is gone!

 

[blueman335]

Re: P-Rail P-90 Tone vs Phat Cat

Edit: my take on a 335 type is the following:

'59b in neck position
C5 on the bridge position.

I was a big C5 fan, but am converting mine over to C8's. Even better!