Stevie Nazarenie Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 what's better if you had to choose one. a p90 at the bridge or at the neck? or are both completely essential. i am thinking of putting just one on a guitar but which is more p90-ish for a p90 newbie? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Now, I don't know much, but of the guitars I have seen with a "mix"...all of them having been made by companies *other* than our Overlords' here, so they shall remain nameless - I always seem to see them in the neck PU slot. That just seems like convention. I have recently played a very nice non Epi with a humbucker in the bridge and a P90 at the neck-the whole guitar being planned that way from the start so windings were well balanced. It was a very dynamic guitar due to this PU config. I'll probably get one someday rigged like that, or perhaps customize one of my existing guitars that way...my Telecaster, built by a company that I shan't mention would really benefiet from that set up I think. P90's are great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I have an epi sheraton and an epi lp studio. in the sheri are two p90s. kent armstrongs and one KA in the neck position on the lp, with a KA humbuck in the bridge. I love the neck position ... I like the depth, without the mud, and I like the clear and clean mids and highs.. for me, the neck position isn't particularly better than the bridge except when I compare it to a humbuck or small single coil. then it's completely better for me. You do find the neck pos, used quite a bit in blues and jazzier blues. but the bridge p90 is a thing of wonder. big fat huge tone..plenty of highs and plenty of fullness at the same time. It's a great pickup to mix with humbucks in either position.. the KAs are 9K ohms.. which keeps up with humbucks.. but wont outrun a single coil unless you want it to If I were talking to someone first trying them out.. I'd probably recommend neck first. But, I don't think you can miss! TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fadedepi Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I have a G-400 that I modified with a GFS Mean 90 in the bridge position. Leaving the stock '57 HB in the neck. My plans are to remove the '57 and replace it with a GFS '59. I believe that would be better combo. Faded Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennW Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Gibson made two guitars that I know of that had one P-90. The early LP Custom and the LP Jr., at the bridge in both cases. That's my preference too, if I could only have one guitar with one pickup it would be a P-90 at the bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabar Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Guitars that are designed as jazz guitars with one pickup almost always use the neck position (Wes Montgomery L-5, f'rinstance, or the late Epi Zephyr Regent); rock guitars (LP and SG juniors) almost always use the bridge. Some early Casinos and Sorrentos had only one pickup in the mid-position, which might be a good compromise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 I'd stick to the principle you want a higher output pup at the bridge position on a solid body guitar. Most P90s are around 8k so best positioned at neck. You can get some nice jazzy clean tones there, and if you put the Gain up to 11 you get the early Santana sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gashole Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 but the bridge p90 is a thing of wonder. big fat huge tone..plenty of highs and plenty of fullness at the same time. TWANG No doubt about that. I love that sound! And the versatility! I can sound like a Telecaster or a humbucking Gibson with the bridge P90 in either my SG or Wildkat. Just a little roll off of the tone and wala! Easy to go from faux-jazz to Black Sabbath in just a parsec. :D P90's are the bomb. Or something like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Nazarenie Posted September 23, 2008 Author Share Posted September 23, 2008 well i have just made my decision by the hardware i have. i think knowing the nature of p90's i will be wanting both but on a budget i've had to decide on one for now. i've never even played a guitar with them but i'm sure they'll suit my style. i can make up some gain with a pickup booster if needed. i have a place in a guitar for either humbucker but i've just noticed i have space in a strat copy for one at the bridge too. so i'll go for the bridge for now. i was after a strat with p90's too so i can try it in that guitar and see if i like the sound on that one.:D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GlennW Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Come to think of it, Gibson also had some single pickup ES-330s with one P-90 in the middle. I've had (and will again) a Strat copy with a P-90 at the bridge. That with the middle pickup was one of the best sounds I ever got out of a guitar. Seems like it had a series/parallel switch...maybe those two in series is the sound I was thinking about. If you're interested in that you could just twist the leads of those two pickups together in different ways to see which sounds you want to use before soldering anything. It's worth investigating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 Here's one on Ebay Item number: 270278943404 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 It's funny, I keep going back to the Goldtop, even though I love the sound of the SD Pearlies in my other Epi LP. The bridge is crystal clear and can go from Tele to Rock growl with picking techniques and a roll off on the tone. The neck is a ZZ Top sound that's great for blues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 I'm in the Neck camp, on this one. In a guitar with both hummer and P-90, for me (personally) I prefer the P-90 to be at the neck, because being in the rhythm or "bass" pickup position, it's less prone to being "muddy," than a Humbucker. More articulate, and a bit "rounder" in tone, too. P-90's work well in both positions, obviously...but, If I had to choose only one, that's where I'd put it. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fcal124 Posted September 26, 2008 Share Posted September 26, 2008 Hey Dave, nice Goldtop. Mine will be here Tuesday. I needed something different, and not a big fan of Fender. I already have a set of Duncan replacement P90's on order. I wanted something with a little more "Bite" for my blues leads, but didn't want to go for the $$$ for a Gibson. Besides, it was hard enough finding an Epi 56. Back to the subject, I'd also vote for the P90 in the Neck. Blues just seem to sound better coming from the Neck position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevie Nazarenie Posted October 1, 2008 Author Share Posted October 1, 2008 oh my i never thought it could be said but i just got my mean 90 bridge gold pickup and i'm luke warm on it. not remarkable clean and ok dirty. but nothing super special! i prefer the dream 180 i just wired in at the neck. it's a bit p90-ish anyway but a little more what i wanted. it's splittable so it's on a par with it tone wise although the dream is louder than the p90 when in humm mode and too quiet when spilt. i can't think what i need to do there. i think i need a sit down as i've inhailed some solder fumes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tintin Posted October 1, 2008 Share Posted October 1, 2008 Just get a coupla P rails and have it all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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