Phat Cat first impression...

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I picked up a Phat Cat today after finding one used for $25.00
I didn't know what to expect since I haven't owned one previously; or any other guitar loaded with p90 flavored pickups.

I landed it in the neck of my walnut SG and was pleasantly surprised at the results. First off, there was no excessive hum or buzz which I expected. The pickup was nice & punchy, good low end and chimey mids. It wasn't as creamy as a '59, but I found it to be a bit more articulate and not as boomy so it's a good tradeoff.

This pickup will stay installed for a while. It sounds great by itself, blends well with the Screamin' Demon I have in the bridge, and matches the output well of the Demon when bouncing from neck to bridge.

Great pickup that I may have put off trying had it not been for a great price.

 

[bluesbend]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

Cool! Alot of folks here recomend putting Alnico V magnets in Phat Cats. The only humbucker size P-90 that I have experience with is the GFS Mean 90 which is Alnico V. A P-90 at the neck is one flavorfull sound .

 

[blueman335]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

Super price! Better than I've ever gotten them for.

Some of us question the wisdom of the stock A2's in Phat Cats, they make it so dark in the neck. I swap them out in all my Phat Cats and they really open it up and sound much more like single coils. Here's what 've tried in the neck:

A5/A2 - Brighter with better definition than two A2's, but still a little on the dark side unless you have a bright wood.

A5/A3 - Brighter still, with less low end. Great in an LP, was a little chimey in an SG.

A5/A4 - Bright, clear, and well-defined. Compared to an A5/A3: more mids and a little less treble. Nice full sound. I use this pair a lot.

A5/A5 - The classic Gibson P-90 pairing. Hard to beat.



To swap magnets in a Phat Cat:

- Cut the two solder blobs on the bottom (knide, flathead screwdriver, dremel, etc).
- The cover will lift from one end only, the other end is attached to the ground wire & you can't lift it up.
- The magnets slide right out. Pull an old one out halfway, hold the new one next to it to orient it (ends repel, sides attract). In case you get confused, the magnets in all P-90's are positioned side-by-side, repelling each other.
- Put the cover down again & re-solder.
It takes more time to loosen the strings & retune, than it does to actually change out the magnets.

 

[tab]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

Magnets are cheap enough, and my price was good on this pickup so I'm up for the test. Worst case is I end up where I'm at not and so far it's a good place to be

Thanks for the directions & suggestion. Always up to try new things.
Next string change I'll have the magnets ready & waiting to test this out.

 

[claydots]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

I just dropped two Phat Cats in my Epi SG and I am really happy with the results.

They don't have the snarl and growl of a real P-90... sounds more like a humbucker if you ask me. Maybe somewhere in between.... at any rate, I'm thrilled..

Bottom line, I'm really happy with the set I bought (did you check to see if it's a bridge or neck PUP ??) and I'm leaving well enough alone.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

I just dropped two Phat Cats in my Epi SG and I am really happy with the results.

They don't have the snarl and growl of a real P-90.

I've put Phat Cats in SG's, LP's, and 335's, and the stock A2's were overly dark in the neck (common complaint here), and 'weak & thin' in the bridge (to quote Zhang). But thru different rigs & to different ears they may be fine. Personally I don't like twin A2's in soap bar & dog ear P-90's either; it just seems to kill that P-90 'snarl and growl.' P-90's should have that open single coil sound, and shouldn't sound like HB's.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

They just can't get enough 42 wire on the bridge, which I think has more to do with why it sounds a bit thin. It really needs at least 9k, but with the sawed off bobbin ends, it's hard to do. 9.5k or so with A2 mags would sound pretty growly and snarly. Maybe some 42.5 gauge would do the trick.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

They just can't get enough 42 wire on the bridge, which I think has more to do with why it sounds a bit thin. It really needs at least 9k, but with the sawed off bobbin ends, it's hard to do. 9.5k or so with A2 mags would sound pretty growly and snarly. Maybe some 42.5 gauge would do the trick.

Knowing that, why spec it with A2's? Since many will be used in mahogany, especially LP's and SG's, a dark neck PU is a problem.

I think Phat Cats have tremendous potential (I have 9), but there some easy-to-fix shortcomings that should be addressed:
1) A5's would solve most of the tone issues. An A8/A5 pair would be a wonderful bridge option.
2) The base plate should be held to the coils by screws (like every other P-90) so the cover isn't the only thing holding the whole PU together.
3) There should be three wires (a separate grounding wire).
4) The neck PC is wound too hot.

Fix those, and offer more magnet combinations for different genres of music. Phat Cats can do many things. Make a line of them. Duncan's come this far, why not take a couple more steps & fully develop the concept?

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

Knowing that, why spec it with A2's?

Because A5's would make it even more thin and shrill. They just need about 1200 more turns of wire. But since that won't quite fit, they need to go to a smaller gauge with more turns.

 

[hamerfan]

Re: Phat Cat first impression...

I think the problem is the over wound neck pu with A2. The resonance frq in the neck with 6.3k says it all. The change to A5 is certainly helpfull