P90's in my 97 SG special

[uOpt]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

Allot of great info here! Thanks for the add. So, Ive been doing some research on the internet and Im finding that guy @ the store was full of it. I know now that I will have to do a bit of routing. The guitar tech I trust to do the routing says he charges 35 per pickup for the routing. So, for 70 I think Im going to buy a dremel tool and attachment to route it out myself. The pickguard I ordered (and the one that comes stock on the guitar is not the batwing but the full coverage type since its an SG special and not the 61 reissue type guitar. Because of that it has a little different placement of the pickups than a standard humbucker setup. It places the bridge pickup a little closer to the bridge as well as the neck pickup to keep from having to route the neck tenon @ all. I want to keep the guitar as structurally reliable as it always has been. So, Im going to order some hot wound 90's from Zhang for it. I found a great instructional @:
http://www.everythingsg.com/howto/p90conv/1.html

I don't know whether I mentioned this in my first post, but to get soapbars (not dogears) into humbucker routes you only have to remove some minimal material around the area where the humbucker ring screws sit (of course you don't have those).

I might be doable even without any power tools. Although a dremel comes in handy everywhere and you should use the excuse to get one.

Be warned that hot soapbars can hum quite a bit.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

All soapbars hum kinda bad. The P90 is the noisiest pu there is. Dogears might hum slightly less because of the "tub" baseplate that may block some noise sources coming from the sides, but still pretty noisy.

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

Definatly. I did notice that hum with the stock gibsons P90's as well. But the fact remains that they sound awesome. I think I can live with the hum a bit for the tone trade off. I was thinking of taking the opportunity to do a nice sheilding job after i route the cavities out. I'll do the underside of the pickguard and make sure that I leave some "ears" of sheilding coming out of the cavities providing a connection to the pickguard. Then I'll make sure that is grounded to the bridge which is already grounded. I did this on the tele before I traded it and the hum difference was night and day. It really helps from my expirience.

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

Hello all--I wanted to provide a bit of an update on this. I got the P90's ordered from Zhang (about a week and a half ago) and they should be here within about 2-3 weeks hopefully! So, I got the pickguard in and I routed out the cavities with the dremel tool I bought.

Ive been pondering mounting of these pickups a bit. Whether I should buy that kit I was talking about previously ($12 per pickup) or design another method to mount them. The kit utilized mounting holed in the pickguard for screws that would go down into an aluminum bar that was secured with the screws that originally went through the center of the pickup into the wood.

The other idea was to use traditional P90 (wood) screws through the center (with springs or foam on the bottom to keep it in place) into the wood. I understand that the tone is a bit better because the vibrations arent dampened as much through the pickguard and the springs. I really wanted to stay away from the wood screws for fear of one day stripping the holes out because of adjustment.

I noticed that my Les Paul Specal with factory P90's in it have these brass gromets inserted into the wood which have a threaded center and use standard (maybe a bit longer) humbucker screws for mounting. I found some brass insrets @ my local Ace hardware store that will work perfect! I was afraid that I wouldnt be able to find any! These are brass inserts with a "wood" threaded exterior and sloted edges which allow you to use a flat head screw driver to drive them into the starter hole you drilled. It has a threaded center to fit your screws. I believe the thread was 6-32 if I remember correctly. I bought 2 inch phillips head bolts to fit them and some springs to give the pickup tension. Should work perfectly! Cant wait to get the pickups in and turn the SG into a fire breather!

Im planning on doing a You Tube video once I get them installed to compare the Gibson P90's in my Les Paul Special (standard 8K measure in the bridge and 7.9K in the neck with A5 mags) with my modded SG Special with Zhangliquins "Honk +" P90's wound to 10K in the bridge and 7.2K (smaller mags in the neck) in the neck, both with A5 mags. I'll run them through the same settings through my AC30 (just the guitar and amp with no effects). I'll let you know--

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

i say go for the adjustability kit, you get pickup height adjustability and you don't run the risk of stripping wood:smokin:

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

i say go for the adjustability kit, you get pickup height adjustability and you don't run the risk of stripping wood:smokin:

But....with those brass bushings I wont run the risk of stripping the wood because I have a metal screw (really a phillips head bolt) threading into that brass bushing. Its really the same concept gibson used on the LP Special I have. Thought that might be the best approach

 

[ES350]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I've been using guitars with the soapbar mount (sans brass insert) for around 30 years and haven't stripped one yet---but the inserts (ala 90's Specials) come out pretty easily.

 

[socalscott]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

+1, never a problem with repeated pup removals.

Nice set of wind resistance. Neck close to 7k is way better than 8k. I found A2/A5 mags in each pup more pleasing than just 5's. After all, what vintage 90 used A5's?

An alternative for those pondering this conversion. I took a HB git and a set of Jazz/JB pups to the P90 zone. There's jangle and howl in spades. I have 2 P90 gits to compare to. I use an low-watt Gilmore Jr. that I swear is made for testing pups.
All I did was remove 3 screws/slugs from each coil in a staggered format. See Fender Tele Custom pups.
I always grab this git over the 90's. The tones available are glorious. I use a treble bleeder cap on the vol pot. Really allows low gain setting(3) for spankin' SC tones.
Looks like this:

000XXX
XXX000

X=removed .

True they aren't as honky as 90's, but the 16k wind of the JB will push so hard that you can cover HB shred, yet roll off for bright, clear twang. The bass range and clarity is improved on both pups.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I think that's how the Fralin Split Singles work.

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I've been using guitars with the soapbar mount (sans brass insert) for around 30 years and haven't stripped one yet---but the inserts (ala 90's Specials) come out pretty easily.

Great info, although my fear was stripping the wood eventually by putting the adjustment screws directly into the wood. I was thinking that adjustment and removal might eventually stip those holes out. What I found was brass threaded bushings similar to the way Gibson does them. I think thse should work well. Are you saying youve had bad luck with those? They reverse thread into the wood I believe.

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

+1, never a problem with repeated pup removals.

Nice set of wind resistance. Neck close to 7k is way better than 8k. I found A2/A5 mags in each pup more pleasing than just 5's. After all, what vintage 90 used A5's?

An alternative for those pondering this conversion. I took a HB git and a set of Jazz/JB pups to the P90 zone. There's jangle and howl in spades. I have 2 P90 gits to compare to. I use an low-watt Gilmore Jr. that I swear is made for testing pups.
All I did was remove 3 screws/slugs from each coil in a staggered format. See Fender Tele Custom pups.
I always grab this git over the 90's. The tones available are glorious. I use a treble bleeder cap on the vol pot. Really allows low gain setting(3) for spankin' SC tones.
Looks like this:

000XXX
XXX000

X=removed .

True they aren't as honky as 90's, but the 16k wind of the JB will push so hard that you can cover HB shred, yet roll off for bright, clear twang. The bass range and clarity is improved on both pups.

Interesting--I might have to try that some time-

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

So! Wanted to drop everyone a note and give a quick update on the Zhang-Bucker P90's I got in the mail last night and installed in my SG. First off, I want to say that those brass threaded inserts worked incredibly well for the 4/40 stainless steel phillips head screws (inch and a half for the bridge pickup and inch and a quarter for the neck pickup). Great to have a nice smooth thread and still have a screw to wood type of resonant contact with the guitar.

I got everything put together last night and got about an hour to play on it before I needed to shut the amp off (it was 11pm in a neighborhood ). Wow!! That bridge pickup (10.3K with A5 mags called his "Honk +") is probably one of the hottest pickups Ive ever played! It ranks up there with the DiMarzio Super 3 and Duncan Distortion! Crunchy as all get-out and nice and tight and focused under gain. Jangly clean. The middle position is hum canceling and has beautiful clean tones (tight but bouncy and open @ the same time). The neck is pretty awesome! Its wound to 7.3 and has an interesting magnet configuration. It has a nice top end and an air-y-er feel to it than the Gibson one I have in the LPS. Its a really sweet blues-y tone when opened up. Nice and dynamic.

Anyway--thats my 1 hour impression so far. I plan to do a bunch more playing tonight and get some you-tube comparison video's up as well. Stay tuned

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I can't believe I missed this thread—twice! :smack: Too late for this info now, but here's what you were wondering about the SG Classic:

Glad you're having excellent luck with your axe, Micah. I can't say enough good things about P-90s.

- Keith

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I can't believe I missed this thread—twice! :smack: Too late for this info now, but here's what you were wondering about the SG Classic:

Glad you're having excellent luck with your axe, Micah. I can't say enough good things about P-90s.

- Keith

Sweet mayn! Thanks for the add! I friggin love dem 90's It looks like on the classics they are using some sort of mount that attaches to the bottom of the pick up held on by the screws in the center (by the look of the adjusting screws on the sides and the standard soap screws in the center of the bobbin). The custom Pick Guard I ordered has the side adjusting holes in it but they arent that noticable really. I love this guitar way more than I ever have

I think an SG looks so sick with those big fat black bars in the center as well To me the sound is to die for as well.

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

This guitar is my #1, with my G&L ASAT a very close #2.

You know, I never noticed that about the adjustment screws—probably since I've never bothered to adjust the height on either pickup. Really, I just use the bridge pickup on this guitar.

 

[Micah]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

This guitar is my #1, with my G&L ASAT a very close #2.

You know, I never noticed that about the adjustment screws—probably since I've never bothered to adjust the height on either pickup. Really, I just use the bridge pickup on this guitar.

Definatly!! You really cant beat them-they are so hot when you want them to be and so single coil clean. It seems like they are crunchier than most humbuckers and stay tight under gain the way I want them to. So what if they hum with allot of gain.... The only time you hear it is when you stop playing, so just get good @ covering you volume knob in between songs or durring dead spots in the song. Its worth the issue for the tone you get out of them. They are soooo "rock and roll".

I traded that tele for the LPS with P90's, now I converted the SG to them, and I just have the Epiphone SG to route out for them. Then I'll be an all P90 guy. I think I'd like to get one of those VOS 56' Gold Top LP's one day and I'd be set

 

[Pink Unicorn Horsey]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I think I'd like to get one of those VOS 56' Gold Top LP's one day and I'd be set

That's a dream guitar, too.

 

[blueman335]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

here's what you were wondering about the SG Classic:

Glad you're having excellent luck with your axe, Micah. I can't say enough good things about P-90s. Keith

+1. Beautiful guitar.

 

[The Usual]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

So! Wanted to drop everyone a note and give a quick update on the Zhang-Bucker P90's I got in the mail last night and installed in my SG. First off, I want to say that those brass threaded inserts worked incredibly well for the 4/40 stainless steel phillips head screws (inch and a half for the bridge pickup and inch and a quarter for the neck pickup). Great to have a nice smooth thread and still have a screw to wood type of resonant contact with the guitar.

I got everything put together last night and got about an hour to play on it before I needed to shut the amp off (it was 11pm in a neighborhood ). Wow!! That bridge pickup (10.3K with A5 mags called his "Honk +") is probably one of the hottest pickups Ive ever played! It ranks up there with the DiMarzio Super 3 and Duncan Distortion! Crunchy as all get-out and nice and tight and focused under gain. Jangly clean. The middle position is hum canceling and has beautiful clean tones (tight but bouncy and open @ the same time). The neck is pretty awesome! Its wound to 7.3 and has an interesting magnet configuration. It has a nice top end and an air-y-er feel to it than the Gibson one I have in the LPS. Its a really sweet blues-y tone when opened up. Nice and dynamic.

Anyway--thats my 1 hour impression so far. I plan to do a bunch more playing tonight and get some you-tube comparison video's up as well. Stay tuned

Do you have a pic of the bushings you bought for the p-90s. I just bought a p-90 for the bridge of my SG and I am in the same predicement. I need some way to attach it. I was thinking of inserting a block of wood in the cavity and just going right into that, but if your bushings are that good, they sound easier to work with.

 

[blueman335]

Re: P90's in my 97 SG special

I traded that tele for the LPS with P90's, now I converted the SG to them, and I just have the Epiphone SG to route out for them. Then I'll be an all P90 guy. I think I'd like to get one of those VOS 56' Gold Top LP's one day and I'd be set

+1. I've recently picked up a couple more P-90 guitars myself. The majority of mine are HH, but P-90's & Phat Cats are getting a decent representation. Let's hope P-90's are beginning to have a resurgence in popularity. Pass the word.