Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

[jonnymangia]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

That goes without saying ANYWHERE on the net. Even here..where there def is a bias as well (though not annoyingly so)

I agree HC reviews are for the most part crap, but when it comes to tone, everyone is different. There are some Duncans I think sound absolutely horrid, but get great reviews/recommendations here all the time :shrug:

Point well-taken. You will find alot of crap out there, but I do feel that this board fosters a more intelligent dialogue...until we start 50 post threads about Fernando Von Arb's gear:laugh2:

The bottom line is that I am listening to the outro solo on Mountain's version of "Roll Over Beethoven" and Leslie is just going sick. That's the tone I want. Aside from "my hands" and a cranked amp, I need a vintage humbucker-sized P90 for the SG to nail that . It's going to be a Phat Cat, Kent Armstrong or Gibby P94. The Rio Grande's are too hot. Anyone want to vote for one of the above 3?

 

[JeffB]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Point well-taken. You will find alot of crap out there, but I do feel that this board fosters a more intelligent dialogue...until we start 50 post threads about Fernando Von Arb's gear:laugh2:

The bottom line is that I am listening to the outro solo on Mountain's version of "Roll Over Beethoven" and Leslie is just going sick. That's the tone I want. Aside from "my hands" and a cranked amp, I need a vintage humbucker-sized P90 for the SG to nail that . It's going to be a Phat Cat, Kent Armstrong or Gibby P94. The Rio Grande's are too hot. Anyone want to vote for one of the above 3?

Gibby...or a Dimarzio DLX Plus...

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

It was always my impression that the original P-90's had a2 magnets. Like the humbuckers there were some years where the magnets were just about anything -- a3,a4 or a5. Most players are probably familiar with the a5 P-90's (and my guess is that when they went to a5 with the humbuckers they also did with P-90's), and that is why they don't like the Phat Cats. I'd bet that Seymour is emulating the early P-90's

Consider the Duncan Vintage P-90... it has A5 magnets and was designed to be a replica of the originals... the Phat Cat was designed for Hamer guitars for a specific instrument and not as a vintage replica... it is essentially a vintage wind though.

Changing the magnets to A5 would give them a stonger bass and more distinct attack which is probably the aggressiveness that some players are missing with the A2.

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Gibby...or a Dimarzio DLX Plus...

The DiMarzio DLX Plus fits in a humbucker slot?

I'd recommend the Gibson P-94. I've heard it, and it's got that vintage P-90 tone and A5 magnets, I believe.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

How do I go about changing magnets? And I did love the Rio Grande sound clips, but I'm thinking the Fat Bastard may be toooo hot. I want a vintage bridge pup so I can lock in those "Live at Leeds" and Leslie West Mountain tones.

To change the magnets you will have to remove the covers swap magnets and then re-set the potting by heating it up with a powerful hairdryer.
If you haven't purchased a set yet, I may have a pair to do this procedure for you...

 

[JeffB]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

The DiMarzio DLX Plus fits in a humbucker slot?

I'd recommend the Gibson P-94. I've heard it, and it's got that vintage P-90 tone and A5 magnets, I believe.

Doh my bad.... :smack: it does not...I meant the bluesbucker

 

[sufferinrewind]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Doh my bad.... :smack: it does not...I meant the bluesbucker

Those really sound like P-90s? I've heard that they kinda do, kinda don't, and I've also heard that they sound like a Tele. I haven't actually heard them myself, though.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Those really sound like P-90s? I've heard that they kinda do, kinda don't, and I've also heard that they sound like a Tele. I haven't actually heard them myself, though.

I thought the BB and the Gibbys were decent approximations...they don't quite have the "snarl" of the real thing. Then again, nothing does.

I've not heard the Phat-Cats myself...but the description you just posted is pretty much dead on what a guy I work with says the PhatCats sound like. He's comparing them in his R9 to to the "real deal" in his R6. This is the fellow with the BluesB and the Gibbys I've heard (he's a P90 freak, FWIW)

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I wouldn't trust a toilet paper review from Harmony Central.

 

[Kelsey]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I have only one Phat Cat neck pickup, and it's in an ash Tele. I think it's close to P90 territory -- perhaps somewhere between a P90 and a Strat SC on steroids. Somedays I love it, and other days I think I should swap it for a '59 HB instead. In a 24.75" scale instrument, I think the PC could clear out the mud if that's an issue, but I don't know whether it will have that P90 snarl as I haven't tried that setup myself.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I've got an underwound neck Phat Cat. Super-woody smooth at 7.0k.

The bridge isn't quite strong enough for me. Maybe a 9.5 to 10k version with Alnico 3's in it...

 

[DracoAran]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I'll throw the plug for Vintage Vibe humbucker sized P90's, again. Great great pickups. Guaranteed work. Boutique pickups at mass produced prices.

I had Pete Biltoft (Vintage Vibe) build me a set of his humbucker sized P90's, with Alnico 5 magnets, and slightly underwound, and he didn't charge me a cent extra. And he was very specific about reworking them for free if I wasn't satisfied with the end result. And they're guaranteed for 10 years.

http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com

http://stores.ebay.com/Vintage-Vibe-Guitars




Otherwise, definitely go for the Gibson P94's.

 

[neosadist]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Oh man, Harmony Central. There are 3 crowds. The great majority are Turd Polishing Fanboys, with their <$200 guitar collection reaching the double digits. Always "amazing". Anything made in asia gives USA stuff a run for its money. Specially when it's all going straight into an Ibanez 1x10" SS combo which has this spectacular clean tone, and gets pushed with a Zoom pedal. Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, EMG, Rio Grande....all non sense. Give them Mighty Mite, Kent Armstrong, GFS. Then we have the Cork Sniffing Boutique fanboys. If it costs less than $4000, and it's mass produced, it's garbage. Including USA made pickups. They have to be obscure, people. And then there's the rest. People who are too irritated with the non sense, to bother trying to partake in the discussion.

Yeah.
Granted, I'll have a $300 and $100 guitar that I'm "tooling" with because I'm waiting for an opportunity to buy something really nice. Saving up. Not everyone is rich. The sad thing is that rarely does a great guitar come with the pickups I want. I want to honestly get a luthier to create me some LP-ish / strat-ish blanks that I can tool with, since (once again) they don't come with the set I want.
I had the thought to get one "blank" guitar per each "matched set" Seymour Duncan makes, but I don't know if my wallet can take that!

 

[Majestic]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Changing the magnets to A5 would give them a stonger bass and more distinct attack which is probably the aggressiveness that some players are missing with the A2.

I know you're huge into the Hybrids, but can Phat Cats (or even a Bluesbucker) do early Van Halen? Is it passable?

 

[Corbic]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I know you're huge into the Hybrids, but can Phat Cats (or even a Bluesbucker) do early Van Halen? Is it passable?

I dunno, his tone was all PAF humbuckers. They do sound different. But anything's possible and I haven't tried the Phat Cats to know.

 

[Stratman]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I have both Phat Cats, P-94's, and Hamonic Design Z-90's in separate guitars that are identical except for the pups.

I actually like the P-94 better than the Phat Cats, but only because the P-94's are easier todrive into a distorted sound. When I am playing for a clean "P-90" sound, then I use the Phat Cats.

BTW - HD's Z-90 are wound too hot to do much, except turn down the guitar pot's to about 2~3, so that kills their usefulness.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Oh man, Harmony Central.

There are 3 crowds.


The great majority are Turd Polishing Fanboys, with their <$200 guitar collection reaching the double digits. Always "amazing". Anything made in asia gives USA stuff a run for its money. Specially when it's all going straight into an Ibanez 1x10" SS combo which has this spectacular clean tone, and gets pushed with a Zoom pedal. Seymour Duncan, Dimarzio, EMG, Rio Grande....all non sense. Give them Mighty Mite, Kent Armstrong, GFS.

Then we have the Cork Sniffing Boutique fanboys. If it costs less than $4000, and it's mass produced, it's garbage. Including USA made pickups. They have to be obscure, people.

And then there's the rest. People who are too irritated with the non sense, to bother trying to partake in the discussion.

^^ Flies a Raptor and knows BS when he sees it, I think I´m really gonna like this guy :beerchug:

 

[CCC]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

I have Phatcats in the guitar for wich they were designed (Hamer Newport)and I love them...

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Hackmoney Central

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: Phat Cats - Pretty Bad reviews on HC

Weird place at best, and not a very good reflection on most players.