Notes_Norton Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 This is probably a stupid question, but I don't know the answer so I'll ask it anyway. As you know, I love P90 pups. I might have to do some flying, and I don't want to put my Casino on an airplane. I have an LTD guitar with humbuckers that I never, ever play. I'm also thinking about getting a cheap Agile (since they have a nice reputation). The LTD and the Agile I'm interested in both have humbucker pickups. So my question is: Can I simply swap the Humbuckers for P90 soapbars? Will I need to re-rout or re-wire anything? Nothing is definite, an agent called with what he termed a "very iffy" offer, it won't be until the summer, so I'll have a couple of months to get ready IF it goes through, and that's a big IF -- but I want to know what I'll have to do if it happens. Thanks, Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Notes, try Gibson P-94's. They'll drop right in. Or, GFS has some replacement P-90's ("Mean 90's") that should do the trick, as well as Seymour Duncan's varieties. "Soap Bar," or even "Dog Ear" P-90's have a different size and/or mounting configuration...so they are NOT direct replacements...except in the case of soap-bar to mini-humbucker. That would not require (usually) any routing, but a different mounting system (which would be hidden), only. Hope that's of some use? CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
antwhi2001 Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Charlies' right, P90s won't fit in a humbucker cavity; P90s need a longer thinner hole. Gibsons' answer is the P94, a humbucker-shaped P90 with the same sound that drops straight in. There are alternative versions by GFS, Seymour Duncan, and Kent Armstrong. I can vouch for the KAs' but plenty of guys here speak well of the others too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TWANG Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I used kent armstrong humbuck size p90s in both my epis. I love 'em. I quit doing business with WD though.. so I can't get you those. But for me, that's the way to go.. they fit perfect.. tone is great.. TWANG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Seymour Ducan Phat Cats (HB sized P-90s). Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I'm not sure if this helps, but I recall a comment about the "Mean 90" here and how it wasn't good at all. I don't know, never tried them. However, GFS does have another HB size P90 if memory serves me right, "dream 90"or something. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Lister Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Will I need to re-rout or re-wire anything? Yes (but maybe not). Pot and cap values differ from 'buckers to P90 type pickups. For example' date=' GFS recommends 250k pots and .047uf caps for their Dream/Mean 90 but 500k pots and .022/.033 caps for 'buckers. But, specs are one thing, what you hear is another: If I was doing the swap, I would wire in the P90 & plug it in for a sound test. Then decide if I liked it or wanted to go spec instead. [i'](The wiring paths/connects are the same, but the leads colors are likely different but instructions and a color key for the leads will come with your new pups)[/i] Break a leg on the new gig Notes! Hit every BLUE NOTE baaaby..., I'm going to play on:-" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wastra Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I'm not sure if this helps' date=' but I recall a comment about the "Mean 90" here and how it wasn't good at all. I don't know, never tried them. However, GFS does have another HB size P90 if memory serves me right, "dream 90"or something. [/quote'] the mean 90 is a great pickup. the dream 90 is a little tougher to love. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Seems to me that most of the comments I recall about the Mean 90's was on the positive side. If I remember correctly, Layboomo had Mean 90's in one of his fiddles and really liked them. I believe he had some Dream series in another and wasn't to crazy about them, although I think he had the 180's instead of the 90's. Anyway, The point is: there are a lot of good humbucker size 90's out there. Add all that to what Lester pointed out and you should be able to get the sound you want. I guess the main question is how much to you want to pay? The solder and wire costs the same no matter what. The food chain on pickups seem to commenserate with price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
generation zero Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 +1 for the mean 90. I've heard mixed results at best on the dream 90, but I have a mean 90 in my samick and it's awesome. The 335 copy I'm buying in a month or two has a dream 90 in it, so once I get that I can give you a comparison review... But bang for the buck, the dream 90 is untouchable. Sure, a Gibson P94 or a Duncan whatever model might sound a little better, but I seriously doubt the difference is worth paying over twice the price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I've got Mean 90's in my Dot Studio and am blown away by them. To be honest I wasn't expecting much when I bought them (bought them plus a pair of Vintage 59's at the same time to cheaply A/B as I hadn't decided which way to go i.e P90 or H? and was fully expecting (nay planning) to fork out for a pair of Bare Knuckles. The humbuckers never even made it out of their boxes - OK Gibson vintage P90's they're not but they are exceptionally good and, for the money, probably unbeatable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiggy Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Just noticed - That was my 100th post 8-[/ :-s/ 8-[/ :D/ :D/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whitmore Willy Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 Gen Zero Couldn't agree more.......I have a couple of pups I need to replace in the near future and I guarantee I am not going to spend $200 to do it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canine Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 I haven't tried either one, the mean or the dream 90, but I was making a reference to a comment I recall reading here. That's all. I'd like to actually find out which one works best, I'm interested in a set myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted January 3, 2009 Author Share Posted January 3, 2009 How about dog ear P90s, would they work? Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lostindesert Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 How about dog ear P90s' date=' would they work? Notes[/quote'] I don't think they fit the humbucker routed holes. Humbucker sized P-90s is the best option. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookelputz Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Different bobbin size and shape, different case, different routing. Phatcats are gorgeous, but NOT P-90 tone -- not humbucker either. Maybe closer to P-90. Very bright, near crystal clarity, extremely articulate. Voices each string separately, even through pedals!, so you can hear each note of the chord as well as the gestalt. Mean90s, less bright, more midbass, less articulate. Closer to P-90 tone, not slurring but softening everything, from attack through decay. Call it the perverbial 90% of the tone for about 1/3 the price. There are a whole raft of this type of pickup these days. In the past 2 or 3 years, it has become extremely popular to saw that the windings are the "same as a P-90". Some seem to have just trimmed the bobbin and stuffed it into a humbucker case. If they got even in the same ballpark, it will probably sound decent, though I expect outstanding will be as elusive as ever. This is probably the closest to your Casino/ES-330 sound, from Agile, based just on design and implementation. http://www.rondomusic.com/harm1semisb.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookelputz Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Different bobbin size and shape, different case, different routing. Phatcats are gorgeous, but NOT P-90 tone -- not humbucker either. Maybe closer to P-90. Very bright, near crystal clarity, extremely articulate. Voices each string separately, even through pedals!, so you can hear each note of the chord as well as the gestalt. Mean90s, less bright, more midbass, less articulate. Closer to P-90 tone, not slurring but softening everything, from attack through decay. Call it the perverbial 90% of the tone for about 1/3 the price. There are a whole raft of this type of pickup these days. In the past 2 or 3 years, it has become extremely popular to saw that the windings are the "same as a P-90". Some seem to have just trimmed the bobbin and stuffed it into a humbucker case. If they got even in the same ballpark, it will probably sound decent, though I expect outstanding will be as elusive as ever. This is probably the closest to your Casino/ES-330 sound, from Agile, based just on design and implementation. http://www.rondomusic.com/harm1semisb.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Notes_Norton Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 Different bobbin size and shape' date=' different case, different routing.<...> This is probably the closest to your Casino/ES-330 sound, from Agile, based just on design and implementation. http://www.rondomusic.com/harm1semisb.html[/quote'] That is one beautiful guitar -- and it only weighs 7 pounds!!! I wonder if I can get an ATA flight case for it. Rondo has some LP-ish guitars with P90s but I like lighter guitars because I might pick it up and put it down up to 40 times per night and I don't want my right arm to get bigger than my left :- Too bad Epiphone doesn't make an SG guitar with P90s. I'm sure I could find and ATA flight case for the SG shape. I've seem some Gibson P90 SGs on fleabay but if I am going to spend that much on a SG guitar, I'd really want humbuckers in it and use it in conjunction with my Casino instead of a flight-worthy replacement. Has anyone ever played this Jay Turser? or have any comments on Turser quality in general? I suppose I'd have to replace the pups with Duncans to make it sound more like my Casino with Duncans. But I'd really rather play my Casino, it's a honey of a guitar. I've heard some horror stories about shipping hollow guitars, even if they were in flight cases, so I'm very reluctant to ship my Casino, but really, I'd rather have nothing else on stage. Another choice would be a Fender single-coil sound. But I don't like the longer scale and shorter radius of Fender Guitars. I suppose a Jaguar would be an option since they have a 24" scale, but again, they are heavy guitars. Of course, this is all speculation since the agent called the job "iffy" in the first place. But knowing my options will help me make the decision quicker if the gig comes through. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie brown Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Bob, why don't you just get a new "Chinese" Epi Casino? You'd be used to it's weight, sound, playability, and it's inexpensive enough, that if it was stolen or damaged, you wouldn't be out all that much. And you can get flight cases for 335 type guitars, all day long. As to hollow bodies being damaged by airlines... no more so, than solid bodies...most of it is headstock breaks, anyway. The few "crush" breaks, would probably tear up a solid body enough (bridge, tailpiece, maybe even pickups) that it wouldn't matter if it was "solid body," per se. Anyway, just my 2-cent's worth. CB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snookelputz Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Ron, you're mumbling again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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