P90 for HARDWOOD body

[ShredFetus]

Howdy gang been quite some time but there's no better place to ask a question like this...

I'm building a guitar with timber from my grandfather's old workbench. So the damn thing is going to be heavy-ass hardwood but I'm determined to make it work!

I'm really set on putting P90's in this thing. I've played them in a couple guitars/Les Paul and ES175 hollowbody and am in LOVE with the grit they produce.

This leads me to which version to get?! We have:
Antiquity A2
Vintage A5
Hot Ceramic
Custom Mega Ceramic!

Will the different versions change the overall tone, or do they more effect the dynamics? E.g. I know ceramic will tighten up the low end.

I just know this timber will probably be quite BRIGHT being hardwood and I don't want the sound to end up too harsh. But I don't want to miss out on the grit that I've loved about P90s.

What do you guys think?

 

[ShredFetus]

Here are some renders I've done of what it will look like...

 

[ShredFetus]

And some extra background info:

Normally I'm a rock/metal player but this guitar will be more for blues style stuff. I doubt it will get used on stage, it's more of a tribute piece to my grandfather that I'll enjoy at home and hopfefully pass down through the family eventually.

I'll be playing through a Fender Deluxe Reverb. To get a bit more gain I have an attenuator that I use to control the overall loudness, giving me a chance to pump the saturation using the power tubes in the amp.

Notes on my SD pickup tastes and experiences for reference - I have a Duncan Custom/'59 set in an alder Jackson Kelly that I LOVE for rock/metal.
I had a PATB distortion and Jazz in another alder Jackson Rhoads that was also fantastic. Between the two guitars I like the '59/Custom combo more overall but the PATB Distortion was better for tight metal.
I have tried the Custom 5 Alnico 5 and Custom Custom Alnico 2 in that same guitar and thought they were too flubby in the lows but that was for metal stuff. My goal here will be different.
​

 

[beaubrummels]

Welcome back. I'd also consider the new P90 Silencer series. Supposed to keep the real P90 sound and eliminate hum better than stacks and other technologies.

Otherwise, for more bluesy vintage stuff, I'd be looking at maybe the Antiquity A2 or Vintage A5 versions.

My experience with Duncan A2 P90s is they sound like a quintessential P.A.F. type 50's tone, (except with some hum obviously). I don't have experience with A5 versions, but it's worth noting the earliest P90s (used in Jazz and early rock and roll from 1952-53) were A3, while after that P90s were spec'd to use A5 but used A5, A4 and A2, quite often A4 in bridges and A2 in necks, but more driven by available stock (same problem P.A.F.s had at the time). So you could consider a Vintage A5 in the bridge and an Antiquity A2 in the neck?

 

[jeremy]

the new silencers seem cool, but i havent tried them so cant directly comment. im looking forward to first hand reviews coming in once there are more out in the wild.

i LOVE the wind of the antiquity p90. everything i want from a vintage type p90. the aged a2 magnets are very sweet sounding. these also take magnet swaps very well. a5 is what i think of as the traditional p90 tone, but that can be pretty bitey in the bridge and might not suit a super bright guitar. if you are playing blues into a delxue reverb, i would start with a pair of antiquitys and mag swap if you find you need something different. im primarily a blues/rock player and my main gigging amp is a '66 deluxe reverb. a good guitar loaded with those pups would do anything i need and sound great doing it

 

[Clint 55]

If you don't want the sound to be harsh, simply place the bridge pickup slightly forward. It's your custom guitar. Standard placement usually is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches from the bridge. For a small change, you could do 1 3/8 from the bridge or for more substantial warmth 1 1/2.

Like in back to the future when Marty said I wish I had more time. Wait, I have a time machine, I got all the time I want. I can just go back early and warn him. Duh.

 

[ICTGoober]

So OP hasn't mentioned WHICH hardwood he'll be using.

 

[Masta' C]

Here are some renders I've done of what it will look like...

Just needs a forearm bevel...LOL!

 

[beaubrummels]

So OP hasn't mentioned WHICH hardwood he'll be using.

It's that old species called "workbench"

 

[ShredFetus]

So OP hasn't mentioned WHICH hardwood he'll be using.

It's that old species called "workbench"

​
Haha yep the timber is probably 80 years old... any ideas how I could identify? Make a clean cut and look at the end grain?

 

[ShredFetus]

If you don't want the sound to be harsh, simply place the bridge pickup slightly forward. It's your custom guitar. Standard placement usually is about 1 to 1 1/4 inches from the bridge. For a small change, you could do 1 3/8 from the bridge or for more substantial warmth 1 1/2.

Like in back to the future when Marty said I wish I had more time. Wait, I have a time machine, I got all the time I want. I can just go back early and warn him. Duh.

i LOVE the wind of the antiquity p90. everything i want from a vintage type p90. the aged a2 magnets are very sweet sounding. these also take magnet swaps very well

Great advice guys I didn't even think about magnet swaps and position will also play an important part. Thanks!

Coil windings seem different between the models, I'm gunna dig through the SD resources to see what the magnet/winding relationship is with the tone. Who knows maybe some weird combo like on overwound 'hot' or Custom p90 with an A2 magnet swapped in might do the trick... or the opposite?!

At this stage it's looking like an Antiquity A2 in the neck... watch this space for my bridge findings...

 

[RanchManSandy]

I thought Pine was the only commonly used softwood in guitars.

 

[ICTGoober]

I thought Pine was the only commonly used softwood in guitars.

Heard of spruce? Cedar?