Some P90 Help Please

D

DinoTrousers

New member
Hello there!

I am needing some pickup advice. I just acquired an AXL Marquee with the intent of overhauling it. It's a killer guitar and super cheap, so plenty of room for mods! I've been looking at various pickups, mainly Duncans but some others.

The set needs to handle overdrive and fuzztones well, but at least the neck needs to clean up well. I find myself mostly playing with the neck pickups or middle positions with my guitars mainly because I am super picky about my bridge pickup sound. I almost always find my bridge pickup to have too much treble and not enough body, so if you have a recommendation on that, please share!

Basically, almost always play with overdrive, but want a decent sounding clean with the neck position. And I want a darker sounding bridge pickup with a good thick tone.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

Duncan SP-90-2's are what you want.

The SP-1 is classic P-90, so maybe a bit mellow. The SP-3 is a ceramic magnet a very bright 9IMO). I have it in the bridge and love it, but that's me. Think serious George Thorougood.

Try the SP-2's, Hot P-90. But not too hot. It will roll down with the volume knob.*


* Haven't played these for years - I prefer the extremes of the Vintage and the Custom. But for what you want, I think they will be great.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

Thanks! I was between the SP-2 and SP-3 for my bridge, but if the SP-3 is kind of bright, it probably won't mesh with my rig.

How do you like the SP-1 in the neck? I've considered going with the SP-1 for the neck and the SP-2 for the bridge.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

I use the neck for jazz/blues only. SO I think it is fantastic. I could be just as happy with a Gibson P-90. The Duncan is very classic as P-90's go, at least the SP-1.

I use a bridge SP-1 in the neck, actually, and a neck SP3 in the bridge. You probably want the neck model for the neck.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

You can do a lot to change a P-90's EQ with replacement magnets. You probably don't need to be buying more PU's, which still may not give you the tones you're after. Each P-90 has two bar magnets (exact same kind as HB's), laying side by side, repelling. Most P-90's (including Gibson's) use A5's; a few use A2's, and Duncan makes a couple with ceramics. I don't care for ceramic mags, and don't think they're a particularly good idea in P-90's, considering the kinds of guys that like P-90's (who usually play more traditional music). I have sets of Duncan SP90-2 and SP90-3, and replaced the ceramics with alnico magnets, and got tones I like much better.

I use my bridge PU's a lot, and P-90 bridges are often bright and thin (unless you EQ the amp specifically for them, and then the neck is usually too dark). Easily fixed by swapping a magnet or two. A5's have a lot of treble and bass, with scooped mids. You can shave off some treble and beef up the midrange by changing out one magnet with an A8. I have A8/A4 mag pairs in several of my bridge P-90's: warm, rich, full, and hard-hitting. An A8/A5 pair would be a little brighter. You can use any two magnets to dial in what you want. Mix and match for the desired EQ.

If your neck P-90 is too thin or bassy (probably has A5's), replace one mag with an A3 or A4.

To swap mag(s) in a P-90:
- Loosen the strings
- Unscrew the two large screws holding the PU to the guitar body
- Lift PU's and turn upside down
- Unscrew the two small screws that hold the baseplate to the coil
- Push one magnet out halfway, and hold the new magnet against it, so the ends repel and sides attract. There's your orientation
- Slide the old mag out all the way and slide the new one in

With replacement mags, you can the tones you want in BOTH neck and bridge.

You can get a wide assortment of mags from Addiction FX, several dollars each.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

I compromise between the SP90-2 and -3 by using a -3n in the bridge position. I freely admit stealing this idea from the PRS McCarty Soapbar model.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

Funkfingers said:
I compromise between the SP90-2 and -3 by using a -3n in the bridge position. I freely admit stealing this idea from the PRS McCarty Soapbar model.
Click to expand...

That's where I got the idea. I still think it's pretty mean sounding….
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

SP90-3b sounds dark and thick for a P-90 bridge which is great for me but sometimes I find it too hot for my application (paired with SM-1n Vintage). Wonder how SP90-3n would sound in the bridge. If it's still mean sounding like the bridge version with tolerable high/enough body, that would be perfect.
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

The absolute only time you will ever see me post in a Seymour Duncan thread and mention recommend another companies pickups is when we are talking about P-90s.


The Fralin Noisless P-90s are beyond sick and are the same depth as regular p-90s so there is no need for routing. I realize you are not asking about noise cancelling p-90s but if you are going to play with overdrive all the time, you might as well look into them.


Having said that, the regular Duncan p-90s are wonderful pickups. Their noiseless models are deeper than regular ones though.

Either way, enjoy.


~LD
 
Re: Some P90 Help Please

Thanks for the input, guys!

The Noiseless Fralins had caught my eye, but I'm not sure $260 for the set is quite doable at the moment.

I'm leaning toward either the SP90-2 or SP903n for the bridge, and probably the SP90-1 or 2 in the neck.

I think I might try magnet swapping with my other P90 guitar. It's got some no-name ebay P90's that actually sounded decent, but the bridge isn't quite right again.
 
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