P90 pickups and strat single coils

[Wayne27]

Do P90 pickups hum more or less the Fender single coils? I keep hearing mix answers.

 

[Lucius Paisley]

Yes and no.

 

[Juanhanglo]

What ^ said.

It depends on the pickup

 

[Mincer]

Yes, it really depends on the pickup. I've heard loud single coils with lots of hum, more than a regular P90.

 

[Clint 55]

I'll add that you definitely shouldn't sleep on the Phat Cat or any hum sized P90 because they're completely shielded and quite quiet. The baseplate, screw poles, and cover are all grounded and completely shield the coil.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

I'll add that you definitely shouldn't sleep on the Phat Cat or any hum sized P90 because they're completely shielded and quite quiet. The baseplate, screw poles, and cover are all grounded and completely shield the coil.

I never realized that hum-sized P90s were shielded; that's good to know.
Perhaps that's also the reason many insist they don't sound exactly the same as a true P90.
Hum is sort of a fundamental element to the P90 identity.

 

[Clint 55]

Yep, hum sized P90s do sound differently than regular P90s, maybe because of the different shape and build. Although there are some good offerings. I had been wondering why the PCs were quiet and I eventually put 1 and 3 together that all the grounded metal around it acts as a shield.

 

[ErikH]

I dunno. I have a P90 that is quieter than many Strat singles I've played. I've played Strat singles quieter than some P90's. It definitely comes down to construction and the quality of the final product.

 

[GuitarDoc]

I have half a dozen brands of P-90s, some regular and some humbucker-sized, and none of them hum.

 

[uOpt]

I'd say yes, the hum is a bit worse on a P-90 than a Strat pickup.

I don't think shielding is very effective in reducing that, except for the cable connecting the pickup (which should be shielded even for standard size P-90s).

 

[idsnowdog]

When they talk about radio frequency they use the term wavelength to denote its frequency which is the distance between the peak and valley of a signal and that wavelength equates to a physical measurement. So a large coil picks up more hum than a smaller coil. That's why high frequency antennae are smaller and have closer spaced tines than low frequency antennae which are larger and have wider spaced tines.