My evil plan to make my perfect semi-hollowbody guitar

[iansmitchell]

But first I need to see what kinks I may have to work out.

 

Okay, I have a epiphone dot, the proper bigsby bridge, and a stacked P-90 style pickup taken out of an older (pre 1999) Epiphone Les paul junior.

 

I'm going to put the bigsby on, I know that and I've researched all the steps for that intimately.

 

But as for the junior's pickup...

I don't really know.

 

I'm amost certain I'll have to be creative with putting a dog-ear pickup around the pickguard, but that's not a huge worry.

My concern is really A. the tone and B. the output.

 

I want to put the junior pickup in the neck position, even though it's in the brige of the junior, which is why I need to know about output, I don't want this thing to end up blowing the stop humbucker out of the water. Hopefully feedback won't be an issue.

On the other hand, since I know it's hum-canceling P-90 style, I'm not so sure how the tone will do. But I want it in so I can play around with two VERY different tones.

 

Is this a good plan, and HOW should I proceed with it?

[layboomo]

In a word .....No...it's not a good plan. There are several issues with what you want to do and the smart thing to do would be to use something like a mean 90 from GFS in the neck which is a stock humbucker size pickup voiced like a P-90. In fact it sounds more like a P-90 than the P-100 that's stock in the JR. It's a straight swap,no dog ears to deal with and the guitar can be returned to original very easily. The other thing is that when you put a bridge pickup in the neck you can get some less than desirable middle position sounds(unless you turn the pickup around) due to the coil winding directions....and you actually may lose the hum cancelling depending on the pickups. One common mistake people make IMO is using a P-90 style in the neck and a super hot humbucker in the bridge......they just dont match up very well and you get a really un-balanced sounding guitar.

[iansmitchell]

In a word .....No...it's not a good plan. There are several issues with what you want to do and the smart thing to do would be to use something like a mean 90 from GFS in the neck which is a stock humbucker size pickup voiced like a P-90. In fact it sounds more like a P-90 than the P-100 that's stock in the JR. It's a straight swap' date='no dog ears to deal with and the guitar can be returned to original very easily. The other thing is that when you put a bridge pickup in the neck you can get some less than desirable middle position sounds(unless you turn the pickup around) due to the coil winding directions....and you actually may lose the hum cancelling depending on the pickups. One common mistake people make IMO is using a P-90 style in the neck and a super hot humbucker in the bridge......they just dont match up very well and you get a really un-balanced sounding guitar.[/quote']

 

Well I'm using the stock humbucker, so that's not an issue.

 

Well, how hard is it to turn the bridge junior pickup around?

I also am less sure that I want a P90 than the P100(?) from the junior, since I do like the tones I can get out of it.

Very nice, hmmm, I guess twang, but it's a very individual sound.

 

Also, is the GFS 90 hum canceling or not?

Does it sound closer to a vintage P90 or a humbucker or a P100?

[RotcanX]

...and a stacked P-90 style pickup taken out of an older (pre 1999) Epiphone Les paul junior.?

 

Is that an aftermarket pickup that was installed in the Junior? Because AFAIK the pre-1999 Epi Juniors had regular, unstacked P-90s.

 

Whatever, I think popping that baby in the neck position is a great idea. It won't be that hot, I think it's on the order of 8K resistance so it should work well with a nice HB in the bridge. Heck, it works on the BFG...

[TWANG]

I use a p90 humbuck size with a humbuck in the bridge.. both are about the same output and balance is still kind of hard to achieve.

but it's because the p90 is not vintage.. opposite of Lays scene.. it's 9K while the humbuck is 8.4.

but, it does balance and the sound is fantastic.

I second the humbuck size p90 .. easy to fit, sounds great alone or in combination with the humbucker.

but I prefer my Kent Armstrongs. *S*

[byrds1965]

From what it sounds like you are trying to do just get one of the new Valensi guitars with the P94s and put a bigsby on it.

[layboomo]

The point I was trying to make is that you want to match the output of the neck p-90 with the bridge fairly closely for a balanced sound....also you don't have much a of a height adjustment ob n the dog ear beyound the pole pieces unless you shim it....may or may not be an issue? I was not saying the concept of a p-90 in the bridge is a bad idea....quite the opposite...I like them alot! I'm just not sure that particular pickup will be as nice as some of your other options...that's all.

[iansmitchell]

 

Is that an aftermarket pickup that was installed in the Junior? Because AFAIK the pre-1999 Epi Juniors had regular' date=' unstacked P-90s.

 

Whatever, I think popping that baby in the neck position is a great idea. It won't be that hot, I think it's on the order of 8K resistance so it should work well with a nice HB in the bridge. Heck, it works on the BFG...[/quote']

 

No it's an original, thanks for the input!

 

I think I'll do it...

[iansmitchell]

The point I was trying to make is that you want to match the output of the neck p-90 with the bridge fairly closely for a balanced sound....also you don't have much a of a height adjustment ob n the dog ear beyound the pole pieces unless you shim it....may or may not be an issue? I was not saying the concept of a p-90 in the bridge is a bad idea....quite the opposite...I like them alot! I'm just not sure that particular pickup will be as nice as some of your other options...that's all.

Well the neck and bridge on my current guitar were WAY out, the pickups are VERY close in make and model, to the point that the neck looks and pretty much sounds like a lower placed version of the bridge pickup.

Even with that, the sound is fine when I tweak the tone controls.

 

Since the dot has individual volume and tone(unlike my old guitar), it should be QUITE easy to work things out in comparison.

 

So do you suggest I switch the bridge to a P-90 rather than the neck?

[layboomo]

Well the neck and bridge on my current guitar were WAY out' date=' the pickups are VERY close in make and model, to the point that the neck looks and pretty much sounds like a lower placed version of the bridge pickup.

Even with that, the sound is fine when I tweak the tone controls.

 

Since the dot has individual volume and tone(unlike my old guitar), it should be QUITE easy to work things out in comparison.

 

So do you suggest I switch the bridge to a P-90 rather than the neck?[/quote']

 

No I really like the sound of a p-90 in the neck position....I really like p-90's period! The only point I was trying to make is a fairly close match in terms of pickup output levels would be something I would aim for. I also don't think the epiphone p-100 is a particularly good sounding pickup...but I understand you are trying to work with what you have....hey try it you never know...might be just what your looking for.

[iansmitchell]

ANybody else have input?

[iansmitchell]

Bump?

[Ricochet]

 

I want to put the junior pickup in the neck position' date=' even though it's in the brige of the junior, which is why I need to know about output, I don't want this thing to end up blowing the stop humbucker out of the water. Hopefully feedback won't be an issue.

On the other hand, since I know it's hum-canceling P-90 style, I'm not so sure how the tone will do. But I want it in so I can play around with two VERY different tones.

[/quote']

 

If it's a stacked P90(either P100 or H90) you could use a coiltap, either permanently or switched with a push/pull. You'd have another option in balancing tone and output. I think that may be the way to go since the high output H90 would be pretty hot in the neck position.

[iansmitchell]

 

If it's a stacked P90(either P100 or H90) you could use a coiltap' date=' either permanently or switched with a push/pull. You'd have another option in balancing tone and output. I think that may be the way to go since the high output H90 would be pretty hot in the neck position.[/quote']

DOn't you need 4-conductor wiring to coil tap? Because I know those pickups only have 2 conductor wring.