56 reissue pickup help!!!!

[msak24cardss]

Hi,

New to the forum here and would like to ask for some help with picking new pickups for my 56 reissue.

I've heard that its better to get hotter pickups for this model. Any suggestions would be greatly apprciated.

 

Thanks Mike

[epilover9568]

mmmmmmmm....... First off, very nice guitar..... I have heard many epi p-90's... and all of them sound very good to me... Its very strange how epiphone make great mini buckers and p-90's but they can't seem to make a good humbucker...

 

So, I would recommend putting off your change for now and play it for a while... It may be Good the way it is....Epi p-90's IMHO are great pickups...

 

But if you must change, Gibson P-90's or P-100's are a great replacement... And I have heard Duncan Antiquity's are outstanding pickups also... If I had to pick, I would go with the Duncan Antiquity... But I have never played one before... I have just heard the feedback on them (no pun intended)

[Ricochet]

Hi' date='

I've heard that its better to get hotter pickups for this model. Any suggestions would be greatly apprciated.

[/quote']

 

As said the P90 on the Epi are not that bad. However you could opt for a hotter model in the bridge for more tonal variation.

The original Gibson P90 is still one the best but it doesn't come in a hotter version. Lollars are highly rated alltho I have no hands-on experience with them. I like Seymour Duncans myself, mainly 'cause I can't afford the Lollar... I recommend the Hot soapbar SP90-2 in the bridge first. See if you like it.

If you're on a budget GuitarFetish may have a suitable replacement. Not sure tho.

[ButchCassidy]

mmmmmmmm....... First off' date=' very nice guitar..... I have heard many epi p-90's... and all of them sound very good to me... Its very strange how epiphone make great mini buckers and p-90's but they can't seem to make a good humbucker...

 

So, I would recommend putting off your change for now and play it for a while... It may be Good the way it is....Epi p-90's IMHO are great pickups...

 

But if you must change, Gibson P-90's or P-100's are a great replacement... And I have heard Duncan Antiquity's are outstanding pickups also... If I had to pick, I would go with the Duncan Antiquity... But I have never played one before... I have just heard the feedback on them (no pun intended)[/quote']

 

I have an Epiphone Firebird IV with mini-humbuckers and they don't sound that great.... Maybe something is wrong with the guitar but it sounds super weak. Or maybe it's just weak compared to my Sheraton idk.

[antwhi2001]

I agree that Epi P90s are generally not bad, better than their humbuckers.

 

I'd be inclined to leave the neck one as it is and perhaps put something a little hotter at the bridge. I don't know what output the Epis have (7.5 - 8k?). Kent Armstrong P90s are good and they do a 10 - 10.5k hot version.

[msak24cardss]

Thanks to all for the advice. Guess the right thing to do is leave them alone for now and give them a trial run this weekend with my Laney amp with a band. I've just been playing at home at low volume, but the pickups seemed to lack that punch I expected. I'll have a better idea of how they sound after cranking them up this weekend.

 

 

Peace out MadMike

[GlennW]

IME, these are "the" caps for HB's and P-90s. Inexpensive and they help a lot.

 

http://www.mouser.com/Search/Refine.aspx?Ntt=75-225P200V0.022

[Ricochet]

the pickups seemed to lack that punch I expected. I'll have a better idea of how they sound after cranking them up this weekend.

 

Don't expect them to have the lows a humbucker. A P90 is basically a single-coil.

You may want to check the height of the pickups. If they're too low they will lack 'punch'.

[scrivens]

I've been playing P90s for 30 years plus - mainly Gibsons - and the ones in the Epi 56 and the Casino are good. I've used vintage and modern Gibsons and a range of Duncan and Dimarzio P90s and the Epis are on par. (Mind you, it's hard to make a bad P90 as they are just a huge single coil.) I'd leave them in for the time being until you get the hang of them; my 56 still has the factory ones and I won't replace them. When you are using the 56 keep the volume around 7-8, just where the "hump" is in the sound as you turn the vol knob - it will give a nice throaty tone and cut the 60 cycle hum. You will probably have to dial in your amp again too as they have a different tone palette to humbuckers and with a good tube amp they will certainly "punch" when set up properly. As to heights, I usually set mine to 3/32" from the pole top to string bottom (fretted on last fret) or very slightly lower. Don't put them any higher or your tone will fuzz and die at gigging vols.

 

D.

[Goldie]

I have Lollar's in mine, and the difference is like night and day. A bit hotter, but the overtones and controlable(is that even a word?) attack put this pickup(IMO, natch) heads above the gibson P90. They really brought this guitar to life.

[msak24cardss]

After plugging the 56 into my Bassman Ten amp I happy with the sound just the way it is. I was playing it through a Laney Tube Fusion amp and the punch was missing. I'm going to leave the pickups alone, they are much richer then I thought they would be. After playing the guitar for a couple weeks now I like it stock.

[shartom]

I wouldn't think of changing out the P90's on my 56 Reissue. You can't compare them to humbuckers as they are a different breed altogether.

These pickups were developed back in the 50's so don't expect any head banging crunch.

I read that Epiphone has discontinued the 56 Goldtop with it's P90's. Sure glad I got mine when I did.