So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

Powdered Toast Man

Powdered Toast Man

New member
I recently purchased a new LP Jr DC with a stock Gibson P90. It's my first experience with P90's and I really have no basis for comparison. I've found that the Gibson sounds great with OD, but doesn't sound great clean (too dark). How does the Gibson compare to say, an SD or Fralin P90?
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

I honestly like Gibson's P90s better than Duncans overall but I have complaints on both of them. Duncans pickups sound too smooth in the neck and too rough in the bridge. Gibson's P90 is great in the bridge (Tattooed Carrot said it was the only pup he doesn't replace and Sosomething recorded an album with a Gibson P90 set) but IMO the neck is too dark. The Gibson P90s also don't balance well (weak bridge, strong neck)

Ive heard lots of great things about Fralins, many say they are the best P90 but I have no experience.

That said, the best P90s I have ever played were SD Antqs. They didn't balance up perfectly but they were closer than the Gibsons. But OH!.... the tone! :naughty:

Seriously if you could get a bridge Antq wound a bit hotter they would be perfect.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

Never had the privilege of trying Lollars.

I agree with Andrew and Hamer about Gibson P90s - unbalanced.

SD Antiquities are annoyingly true to the vintage formula - weak bridge/treble position.

I find the single coil Duncan Designed P90s very enjoyable on my Squier VM Tele Custom II. These are hotter than standard and all the better for it. Nice pair.

Right now, my absolute favourites are the Lindy Fralin +5% single coils on my single cutaway PRS SE Soapbar.

For the OP Gibson, my recommendation is the Seymour Duncan SP90-3n. I have this neck position PU in the bridge position of my Gibson LP Junior Special. It rocks.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

The Gibson P90s are lame. The regular Duncans are too harsh.

I think P90s are the one area where getting boutique pickups (Antiquity, Lollar, whatever) pays off most. Best part, they are also cheaper then humbuckers.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

Ive head excellent reults with overwound hotter P90's. More "WHOMP", still a lot of bite..
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

Andrew Lamprecht said:
I honestly like Gibson's P90s better than Duncans overall but I have complaints on both of them. Duncans pickups sound too smooth in the neck and too rough in the bridge. Gibson's P90 is great in the bridge (Tattooed Carrot said it was the only pup he doesn't replace and Sosomething recorded an album with a Gibson P90 set) but IMO the neck is too dark. The Gibson P90s also don't balance well (weak bridge, strong neck)

Ive heard lots of great things about Fralins, many say they are the best P90 but I have no experience.

That said, the best P90s I have ever played were SD Antqs. They didn't balance up perfectly but they were closer than the Gibsons. But OH!.... the tone! :naughty:

Seriously if you could get a bridge Antq wound a bit hotter they would be perfect.
Click to expand...

How many different Gibson P-90's have you tried and what model SD's have you used?
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

I don't have the breadth of experience to speak in generalities, but I do have one anecdote: When I ordered by P-90 LP, I planned to swap out the pickups as soon as I got it. I even started a thread here asking for advice on what to get.

That plan didn't survive 30 minutes, once I actually got the thing. It's true that the balance isn't perfect -- though jacking the bridge pup up and lowering the neck pup helps -- but all three sounds are, despite their differing volumes, exactly what I would want them to be. I'm not crazy about the fact that Gibson decided to use non-RWRP pickups, but there's no way I'm swapping them because I'm too afraid that I will lose what I love about the sound I have right now.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

MetalManiac said:
Ive head excellent reults with overwound hotter P90's. More "WHOMP", still a lot of bite..
Click to expand...

Yeah, Andrew sold me one that I put in a 1968 Epiphone Casino bridge. I've got the original in the neck but this one is close to 10k and humbucker sized. Since it is in humbucker configuration, I was able to play with it a LOT to get the sound, but what a sound. I've got the pickup set below the pickup ring--and I'm using the LP neck short ring--and I've got the bass poles set low and the treble up high. It looks weird, but that guitar is a full hollowbody and it feedsback like nuts. When I first got the pickup I thought it was a dog, but after spending time with it, it is a very, very stellar pickup. Lots of growl and bite. In this guitar, it gets that wonderful "boxy" type sound that's perfect for stuff like George Thorogood and vintage blues rock like that. I forget who wound it. Maybe Andrew can fill us in.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

My dad's old SG with P-90's was great! Maybe his was an anomaly, but the bridge pup was a lot louder than the neck. Both were smooth and through his cranked HiWatt, it was PETE TOWNSEND CITY!!!!

I recently jammed with a guy who's Les Paul was fitted with a Mean 90 in the neck from GFS. Believe the hype! It was great! Very crisp character and didn't mush up under gain. The string clarity was awesome no matter how you played.

Honestly it's really hard to screw up a P-90. It's just a matter of taste.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

Stratman said:
Jason Lollar are the best!
Click to expand...
Only if you like mild-mannered and tame piano like tones.

IMO Gibsons are the best for the bridge for the reasons the OP mentioned - dark and great with gain. They are hot, aggressive, and nasty as a P90 should be. However, I don't like that in the neck. My personal preference is a Gibson P90 bridge with something milder, like a Lollar, in the neck.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

I've been thinking about getting a Stew-Mac P-90 kit and building/winding one myself. Might be a good start to learn how to wind. Less time consuming than a humbucker, if you're doing it by hand and you can get any set of magnets in combination.
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

If you're gonna do it by hand, just be prepared for it to take a long long long LONG time :) I got a pair of humbucker kits from them a while back and have a long way to go to finish the second bucker. I'm not sure that you'll find a big difference in time between the P90 and humbuckers either as IIRC a P90 has a lot more winds than a bucker bobbin.j

Don't let that put you off though. ultimately, having a pup you've completely assembled yourself is a cool feeling :)
 
Re: So really, how good is the Gibson p-90?

TattooedCarrot said:
Only if you like mild-mannered and tame piano like tones.

IMO Gibsons are the best for the bridge for the reasons the OP mentioned - dark and great with gain. They are hot, aggressive, and nasty as a P90 should be. However, I don't like that in the neck. My personal preference is a Gibson P90 bridge with something milder, like a Lollar, in the neck.
Click to expand...

I've heard that piano thing mentioned too. It's the only complaint I think I've ever heard about them, they are too tame. :dunno:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

B
Retrospec'd Antiquity P-90
Replies
7
Views
475
badraven
B
G
Gibson custombuckers
Replies
9
Views
1K
jeremy
jeremy
belensky
The Humbucker Archive: DiMarzio, EMG, BKP, Suhr & Duncan Tested – My Notes & Comparison Samples (Long Read)
2
Replies
35
Views
2K
Artie
Artie
B
P-Rails and Tonewoods
Replies
12
Views
873
Mincer
Mincer
Rex_Rocker
What is IYO the best Tune-O-Matic?
2
Replies
22
Views
539
Rex_Rocker
Rex_Rocker
Back
Top