I want to change the pickups in my Les Paul to get a more single coil tone and I was wondering what you guys think about the P 90 and P 94T tone. Could you guys reference me any examples of the tone in rock or country? Would they be any good for jazz? I would really like a reference or two so I could determine how it sounds to me. Any help would be appreciated.
Comments
I like JG's suggestion to install a coil-tap that splits the hum
I like JG's suggestion to install a coil-tap that splits the humbucker. I have a couple guitars that have splittable humbuckers - very versatile.
Here's a link to Gibson's site with just one sample of a Paul with P-90s.
[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www2.gibson…"]Les Paul Special - dirty tone[/]="http://www2.gibson…"]Les Paul Special - dirty tone[/]
A friend of mine has one of those LP specials, pretty cool tone. Not as thin / bitey as a strat or tele. I suppose you could play jazz with the right amp.
I have a Blueshawk with the "Blues-90" soapbar pickups, which is awesome for blues. You could play rock or jazz on it-again with the right amp. But the semi-hollow body contributes a lot to the tone.
Lets be sure you understand WHY pickups sound a particular way i
Lets be sure you understand WHY pickups sound a particular way in particular guitars.
I played on a friends Tele Special the other night at a jam. It was outfitted with a new P90 style that he has recently begun to wind. ( [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.roadhous…"]Roadhouse Pickups[/]="http://www.roadhous…"]Roadhouse Pickups[/] ) It was an interesting combination. The bolt-on neck joint, a larger area single-coil wind, a slab body with the pickups sitting on the guard,....ALL of these factors are part of the response a pickup style has in a guitar.
Theres more density to a Les Paul body than a Fender and the very same pickups in a LesPaul sound entirely different in a Fender or a semi-hollow anything. The neck tenon is also a huge factor in how the p/u's react to the strings and the damping that goes on physically according to the build structure. Wood selection, mounting, type of winds and number, magnet type....ect....ALL important.
Email Ken and ask his opinion on your questions. This advice as well as that of all the other posters will give a much clearer idea than simply listening to MP3 files.
[quote=jg49, post: 298768]Probably best just to google P 90 pick
[quote=jg49, post: 298768]Probably best just to google P 90 pickup samples, there will be multiple sites all with MP3 for bridge and neck.
Yeah how come every time a "Junior Member" posts a question on here some one says "you ought to just Google it"? I wanted to know about the tone. MP3s arent going to give me that. I wanted a little bit of the good ol "Human Element".
Can anyone tell me the name of a song and the artist that recorded it, that has the Les Paul/p90 combination present so that I can listen to said song and make an opinion?
Sorry, I forget you have to idiot proof the question on this forum so that no one can take the question out of context and try to dishearten the poor sap who was dumb enough to ask such an ill conceived query.
"Another option is use a 4 conductor humbucker and DPDT switching which actually allows you to use one side of the humbucker and actually get a true single coil sound. This will not be the same as a Fender single coil sound as the pickups are different and IMO this works better with pickups that are overwound to begin with. I have a P90 in the bridge of one my Schecter guitars and while I like the sound I wouldn't describe it as single coil sound. You should visit Les Paul Forums - MyLesPaul.com it is great resource for wiring diagrams and threads covering a huge range of pickup options."
Useful info. Thank You. I have thought about that but I was more interested in keeping my Les Paul as Les Paul-y as possible hence the p90s.
Thanks Bob for the Scotty Moore reference, I have always been an admirer of his tone so it's good to know he used p90s. One question though, Didn't he play hollowbodies predominantly?
Thanks Hawk and Dave, I respect your posts on the forum and so your input is appreciated. I will be emailing the guy from Roadhouse some time in the next couple of days. Cool man
Well, I'll start by point out the it's not really bright to ask
Well, I'll start by point out the it's not really bright to ask for more information in the same post that you make snarky remarks about how your are treated on RO. Throwing insults at the people giving you free info isn't exactly idiot-proofing the post.
But if I overlook that, I'll note that Scotty did play hollow bodies - the ES-295 and L-5 if I remember correctly.
Of course, the person most famous for playing a Les Paul with P-90s was...Les Paul. The early goldtops all had P-90s. Try to find some of his recordings with Mary Ford from the early 50's. You could google it or wait for the "Human Element" to point the way. Just remember the[[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.unc.edu/…"] old saying...[/]="http://www.unc.edu/…"] old saying...[/]
Hey I could describe tone from now until tomorrow but whatever w
Hey I could describe tone from now until tomorrow but whatever words I used you would get a different mental image than what I meant. That's the way language is which is why I suggested you listen to multiple sites re: pick up tone because as you well know the pick up, amp and strings have as much to do with tone as the next thing. You don't need to idiot proof but if you wanted examples of particular players using those pickups then ask that. Trying to "divine" what a person wants on the internet is hardly a science. Furthermore I offered an opinion, the one I used with one of my Les Pauls to the single coil question. Get off it!
Dood...No one was trying to "idiot proof" your question or overs
Dood...No one was trying to "idiot proof" your question or oversimplify it...Its just so subjective that no one can really answer it without reference to different sources where you might be able to get a clearer idea than simply having it described in words. At least with the 'google' you might run across videos on youtube or somewhere ,where a player might be playing the actual set-up you are inquiring about and possibly the similar style of music you play.
But there was no post given here trying to create a negative towards any 'junior member' or to dishearten anyone in search of information. The fact that you got as many answer to your inquiry as quickly as you did and with as much information as was given, means there was genuine interest in your question. And heartfelt answers.
Had no one cared you would have never gotten a peep out of anyone.
I dont know where you post regularly, but we dont roll like that here. Accusing this forum of banging on 'newbies' tells me that you havent read enough posts here to have that opinion and you should take a moment to reconsider your attitude towards those who truly wanted to help and support you in your quest. Having a chip on your shoulder about posting questions isnt a good way to start anywhere.......especiallly here.
Just another thought re: pick ups in general. I don't know if th
Just another thought re: pick ups in general. I don't know if this is a Gibson LP which I own one of or an Epi which is what I put the 4 conductor pups in. My thought is that pickups in general are fairly inexpensive, a set usually runs around $100- $150. That can be 25% of the cost of the Epi but is only 3% of the cost of a Gibson but can make a huge impact in how we play and enjoy our instruments. I am not certain if this is something you plan on doing yourself or having done for you. I do some work myself on my less expensive guitars but I use a tech forthe higher quality instruments. My tech has been repairing guitars for over thirty five years and has strong relationships with his suppliers and can get pups and return them if they are not what he or his customer is looking for (they can be alligator clipped into the wiring for testing), but even if you are buying pickups and find that you really don't like them they should retain at least 75% of their value on ebay. Twenty five, thirty or forty dollars is in my mind fairly inexpensive especially considering the sums I have spent over the years in guitars, amps, pedals and hair pulling in search of the ever elusive perfect tone. I guess what I am saying is in the end you might not want to overthink this and just experiment, you can always put things back the way they were.
Again, sorry about the other day. I'm a douche, I think its term
Again, sorry about the other day. I'm a douche, I think its terminal. Anyways I guess I will just throw down the money and get the pick ups and try them. next question if I'm not shunned is who makes the best p90's? Obviously Gibson did it first so they set the bar. Any others? I checked out the road house site and was kind of curious how their's sound in a gibson since they seem to be more geared towards fender type guitars. Any other manufacturers making any noteworthy? I'm just curious.
Sammy. Email Ken and ask him about the P90 style P/U. He just st
Sammy. Email Ken and ask him about the P90 style P/U. He just started them. I dont think they made the site yet. I played on the prototype a couple of weeks ago. They were unpotted and little hairy as far as the output but his winding techniques are sound, the quality is high and this looks like a great version of the P90's. He'll be cheaper than most simply because its just him in his little lab. Really. Email him.... its on the site.
The Schecter I have has a Dimarzio Tone Zone P 90 in the bridge
The Schecter I have has a Dimarzio Tone Zone P 90 in the bridge position, it was added to the guitar before I purchased it. It supposedly has a wider winding than the original Gibson design. I can't say its the only one I have played on, it doesn't have the strongest lead sound IMO its a great guitar for rhythm which is mostly what I play so... I have heard Lollar makes great P 90 pickups, the Epi I put Rio Grandes in they are awesome but not P 90s though they make them. DD knows what he's talking about I took his advice re: a practice amp and have been very happy. Let us know how you make out after you get them in, pretty curious.
Well Dave, I got in touch with Ken @ Roadhouse and he doesn't c
Well Dave,
I got in touch with Ken @ Roadhouse and he doesn't currently make humbucker sized P90s, but he said it was something he was interested in doing with me. how's that for service? So I'm not expecting to get any P90s for at least a couple of weeks, so I'll have to make due with the MIM Strat with Seymour Duncans that I just bought yesterday.
Well, if anyone cares... Ken at Roadhouse has finished the proto
Well, if anyone cares... Ken at Roadhouse has finished the prototype P90s for my LP and has shipped them. I hope to have them this week just in time for a fun weekend project. I will take pics of the process of changing out the pickups and post them if any one is interested. I hope to get some nice soundbites to post also for you guys to hear and comment on. One thing Ken really wanted when he agreed to make these pickups for me, is that he wanted players to play the guitar and give feedback. So if it's ok with you guys, any feedback you give me will be forwarded to Ken so that he can improve on the prototype. I am hoping some of you guys might even want to try it out in person at a particular studio opening down here in Sunny NC the beginning of May. I am really excited about getting these new P90s and I want to thank everyone for their input. All though I haven't heard the pickups yet, I would also like to put this out there: If you are looking for new pickups give Ken at Roadhouse a looksey b/c based on my experience with him, he goes far beyond what I would call exceptional customer service, and he REALLY takes pride in his work (I'm biased though b/c I'm now locked in to this prototype process). Stay tuned.
So here are the pics I couldnt get them to compress enough and s
So here are the pics I couldnt get them to compress enough and still look decent with the programs on my laptop so here's what I can give ya... The gold pup pic is the before, then there are after shots for the rewire and a full frontal spread. The rewire was done by myself and my friend Jim. The pups sound great IMO. I really don't think Ken will be doing much reworking before he decides on what is a finished product. I compared my LP to afterwards to a Casino with P90s that Jim had; and even though one is a solid body and one is a hollow; you could definitely tell that there were a lot of the same things going on tonally between the two. These pups are very easy on the ears, and with the rewire Jim suggested (rewired so that when blending between rhythm and treble you can't ground out when one volume nob is turned all the way down) I have found several settings that sound differently from one another. The bridge pup is hecka good for leads through a Marshall, and you can get some nice Beatle-esque sounds playing this guy through a fender. I didn't want to say this before sinceI made a complete arse of my self back when I started this thread, but I am currently helping Max out at Dark Pines. I know of several of you guys that are coming out in the next couple of weeks for the womb warming and I would really like for ya'll to pick this ol' girl up and see what you think. I don't really think I'll have to beg given what Max has told me about some of you guys, but in all honesty I would really appreciate it. I have had this guitar now for five years and for the first time I am proud to own it. I would also like to give Ken a huge shout out (this isn't spam right?) call this guy if you want some affordable, high quality, hand wound pups. Roadhouse pickups definitely have this nobodys endorsement. sorry so few pics I had grand plans to do a photo journal but I didn't plan it through. I'll post to my FB but that has its own pitfalls as far as RO is concerned. thanks for the help guys I will be forever gracious for your hospitality.
Attached files 
It was definitely worth the wait JG. These pups are nasty, if yo
It was definitely worth the wait JG. These pups are nasty, if you try to go high gain a'la Marshall cranked to eleven they have this super crunchy yet razor sharp presence about them. I'm not 100% percent satisfied with the neck p/u yet though, it just doesn't seem to cut through the mix when grouped with a bass and drums in a jam type application. I haven't recorded it yet but I assume that won't magically fix itself with a mic sitting in front of the amp. I am going to play around with the height of the pickup and see if that helps, but it is positioned pretty close to the strings as it is. (Don't want them magnets pulling my strings out of tune). As it stands right now if I want what I consider a desirable neck position tone I select the middle position and blend in a little bit of the bridge with the bridge tone at about 5 or 6 and the neck tone wide open. This gives me what I would prefer the rhythm pup to sound like, but I'm just a country bumpkin that likes a little twang peppered in here, there, and everywhere... Davedog that bass body is purty dude, you need to throw her together and get her a'singin!
Probably best just to google P 90 pickup samples, there will be
Probably best just to google P 90 pickup samples, there will be multiple sites all with MP3 for bridge and neck.
Another option is use a 4 conductor humbucker and DPDT switching which actually allows you to use one side of the humbucker and actually get a true single coil sound. This will not be the same as a Fender single coil sound as the pickups are different and IMO this works better with pickups that are overwound to begin with. I have a P90 in the bridge of one my Schecter guitars and while I like the sound I wouldn't describe it as single coil sound. You should visit [[url=http://[/URL]="http://www.mylespau…"]Les Paul Forums - MyLesPaul.com[/]="http://www.mylespau…"]Les Paul Forums - MyLesPaul.com[/] it is great resource for wiring diagrams and threads covering a huge range of pickup options.