P90 Questions

Demina

Demina

New member
I recently got my first Les Paul. It's a 50s tribute model, bought as a project (Body and neck only). I ordered everything I figured I needed and I'm getting ready to wire it up, but I had a couple questions. The pickups I got are GFS P90s. Resitance is 8.3k for the neck and 8.5k for the bridge. Besides being my first LP, it's also the first P90 guitar I've had since 1975 when I had a P90 SG for a few months.

What is the general consensus on pot sizes for P90s? The SD diagram shows 500k, which is what I bought, but I actually got them without thinking or I probably would have gotten 250k since they are single coils, but then I looked at the SD diagram and now I don't know.

Do the generalities of the different circuit effects on humbucker sound also apply to P90s or single coils in general? I'm mainly talking about 50s wiring vs modern here, as well as the independent type.

And then capacitors? Is .047 as shown in the SD diagram the norm? I think I'm going to experiment with cap sizes on this guitar before I put any thing in permanent, but I did want to see what most folks use.

Thanks!

SD's P90 Diagram: http://www.seymourduncan.com/support/wiring-diagrams/schematics.php?schematic=p90
 
Re: P90 Questions

500K pots are good. But I would start with a lower value cap. My go-to value in any guitar is .01uF. It removes less midrange than .022 or .047 as you turn it down. It makes more of a cocked wah/distortion sound when turned all the way down, as opposed to the wet blanket you get when you turn a .022 or .047 all the way down.
 
Re: P90 Questions

Definitely 500K's on the neck for clarity. I use 250K's on bridge P-90s (except for Rio Grandes, which are pretty warm). To me, a single coil with A5's in the bridge slot has way more treble than I'd ever want. If I adjust the amp's EQ for the bridge and get it sounding nice, then the neck sounds like it's in a closet.

I also change magnets in most of my P-90's (they each have two). When the neck is too bassy/boomy from the A5's, I'll use an A5/A4 or A5/A3 pair. In the bridge, twin A5's are too bright and scooped for me, so I like to use an A8/A4, which gets the treble in a reasonable range and fills in the mids. Much fuller, warmer sound.
 
Re: P90 Questions

P90's, if they are vintage strength, are what the original PAF tone was attempting to replicate. 500k for vol pots are fine....you can always roll the tone off to counter some of the bite if necessary - in fact if you set up your controls properly and use the neck as reference you'll have to roll the tone down a bit. Blueman uses 250k as he says, but this will give you a darker tone from the get go. Unless you know what this sounds like and are happy with that then the 500k are a 'safer' bet.

GFS are a good bang for buck pickup. They sound ok, but not as dynamic as some others. If you find later that you are missing some depth, or they sound flat then a custom wind, or something nice from SD would be the way to go.
 
Re: P90 Questions

Interesting... hmm...

Can someone tell me about a 3 P90 setup? What is the main diff between this and the fender-style SC's?
 
Re: P90 Questions

Fenders have magnets as the poles, the p90 has a pair of bar magnets under the poles.
 
Re: P90 Questions

AlexR said:
Fenders have magnets as the poles, the p90 has a pair of bar magnets under the poles.
Click to expand...

Which gives Fender SC's a much brighter sound. Individual magnets also make the 'Alnico Staple' PU very bright, which is why Gibson just used it in the neck slot on LP Customs.
 
Re: P90 Questions

Gibson always used 500k pots for their P90 guitars in the old days, except for the original Juniors, which had a 500k volume pot and 250k tone pot. The 2-P90 guitars used 500k for both volume and tone. In modern times, I think they get the same 300k linear volumes and 500k audio tones on the 2-P90 guitars in most models as the 2-humbucker guitars get (on production Gibsons). Personally, I don't like linear volume pots in either position, always use audio.

Al
 
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Re: P90 Questions

Thanks for all the info guys! Should have it finished up today or tomorrow (also working on another project at the same time). I will be using the 500k pots. I had been thinking of try some smaller caps as Itsabass suggested. I'm not going to solder any caps in to begin with and will use clip leads to try different ones.
 
Re: P90 Questions

Well, I got her all together, but had a mishap so I haven't done any cap testing yet. I attempted to bend the "top" lug on the bridge tone pot a little to give me a bit more clearance for my clip lead, and the sucker broke plum off!

Broke.jpg

Sophie Anne:

SophieAnne 01.jpg

I stole the switch plate idea from SDUG Member Kam:

SophieAnne 03.jpg
 
Re: P90 Questions

I've tried 250k, 300k and 500k volume pots in my SG Jr.

I stuck with the 300k. (500k tone)
 
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