have i just been 'had' on ebay? [p90 pickups w/ pics]

[rml]

hey guys

 

a little while back i was considering getting some mini humbuckers to put in my casino. everyone told me this was a really bad idea and that i should just get p90's with a lower reading. my pickups read 12-13k. i was looking for 6-7k.

 

i didnt like that all of the available after market pickups had modified casings to i decided to hunt around on ebay for some used p90's from a casino around the same era as mine (2001). eventually some came up. they were from a sorrento casino 1999 measuring 7.76k and 7.92k.

 

well they arrived today and im not sure if they have been treated really badly or if they are fake pickups in epiphone p90 dogear casings.

 

the first most obvious thing that stood out was that the screws had been raised right up out of the pickup. ive never seen this before. every other pickup ive even seen has never had them stick out like this.

 

when i turned them over thats when i was really disappointed. the pickup had been unsoldered. really badly. the resolder job was disgracefull. in fact it was so bad that the pickup literally falls out of the casing. there is evidence that instead of using desolder, whoever did it has used a tool (probably a screw driver) to scrape away the old solder. the resolder job is even worse, whoever did it has probably never heard of flux and literally reminds me of the first time i tried to use a soldering iron when i was 7. One pickup has a worse soldering job than the other, but they are both pretty bad. i fail to believe the better is the original solder job from the factory. the pickups in my unmodified casino have a considerably better solder job.

 

what is interesting is that the ground wire actually on the bottom part of the casing does not appear to have been desoldered and the screws on the underside of the pickup have wax in 3 of the 4 screws.

 

what is also interesting is that the screws are NOT the same as the ones in my casino of similar era.

 

has someone done a dodgy switch on these? are they orginal and just suffered abuse?

 

if they are original epiphone p90's should i just fix up the dreadful solder job and use them? or should i send them back for a refund?

 

if anyone has experience with "real epiphone p90's" from 1999 era casinos and can shead some light on the issue i would appreciate it.

 

cheers- billybob

 

[antwhi2001]

I had a Sorrento from that period, they do look like genuine Epiphone P90s but someone has messed with them. As long as they work, I wouldn't worry.

 

They probably raised the poles because dog-ears are not height adjustable and they were trying to maximise the output. They also removed the covers, either for the same reason, or to try to avoid microphonic feedback (the reason I sold mine).

[Ricochet]

Those look original to me. I can't see much of a problem. Raised polepieces? So screw them down. The bad resoldering job? I think the previous owner removed the covers and made bit of a mess soldering them back on. Nothing to worry about. IMO

[smips65]

I raise and lower the screws on mine a lot, depending on what I'm doing.

 

 

I wanted to break the covers on my sorento pups too, but resisted the urge. quick re-soldering job would be in order.

 

 

Just my 2 cents worth.....

[SamBooka]

Those look original to me. I can't see much of a problem. Raised polepieces? So screw them down. The bad resoldering job? I think the previous owner removed the covers and made bit of a mess soldering them back on. Nothing to worry about. IMO

 

+1

Do you have a decent soldering iron? 35W for the wiring but you MUST work fast. Otherwise a 20W is the safer route.

 

I WOULD use a 35W to solder the casing again.

 

If you dont know how to solder maybe take it to a tech. I dont think you will F!IO&* it up to badly.. but consider yourself warned.

 

If I got those pickpus at a good price I wouldnt be worried at all.

 

Cheese

 

Drew