k-dub Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 since i started playing guitar, i've only had squier or fender single coils and epiphone or schecter humbuckers. i'm very interested in switching up my tone. i'm looking into either a 60's tribute les paul or a les paul jr. i've been faithful to my vox ac30 thru the years and i dont feel it is a problem, but i want a guitar with a little more punch and midrange. i've read that is what p90's do, but i want to hear from you guys, the ppl who actually play p90's, what do you have to say about them? noisy? too much treble? too much bass? not enough of either? how does palm muting sound? how are the open chords? how are open chords with a lot of drive? are they really as clear and articulate as all the reviews say the are? drop some knowledge on me! KC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpanda Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 P90s are a little noisy, but full of tone and can handle tons of different genres and still sound kickass! Bass and treble are pretty equal. it really just takes tweaking with the amp to a get a good sound. I say go to your nearest store and try a P90 guitar out yourself! and I would say yes, P90s ARE as good as the reviews say. Beast Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-dub Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 i forgot to add in my original post that Guitar Center in Overland Park, KS (basically Kansas City) is about 100+ miles from here. Kutz Music is the only local store and they're a Fender dealer. I love my 09 Am.Std. Strat, but i need more of something that Fenders just can't give me. thanks for the info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fl00dsm0k3 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 p 90 have great sound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-dub Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 i don't play lead guitar much, so i mostly stick to strumming or easy rhythm parts in a band setting. strat-->808-->ac30. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 i forgot to add in my original post that Guitar Center in Overland Park, KS (basically Kansas City) is about 100+ miles from here. Kutz Music is the only local store and they're a Fender dealer. I love my 09 Am.Std. Strat, but i need more of something that Fenders just can't give me. thanks for the info! Kutz sucks, and I had to buy my SG from the OP GC. Your other options are KC, Fayetteville AR, Wichita KS, and Springfield MO. Even Joplin doesn't have a Gibson dealer anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k-dub Posted July 22, 2011 Author Share Posted July 22, 2011 Kutz sucks, and I had to buy my SG from the OP GC. Your other options are KC, Fayetteville AR, Wichita KS, and Springfield MO. Even Joplin doesn't have a Gibson dealer anymore. i just moved in from Lawrence, they dont even have a Gibson dealer up there! however, Mass. St. Music is pretty freaking awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff-7 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 i just moved in from Lawrence, they dont even have a Gibson dealer up there! however, Mass. St. Music is pretty freaking awesome. Never been to MSM, I'll have to stop in when I go back to the luthier to pick up the LG1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris. Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 i forgot to add in my original post that Guitar Center in Overland Park, KS (basically Kansas City) is about 100+ miles from here. Kutz Music is the only local store and they're a Fender dealer. I love my 09 Am.Std. Strat, but i need more of something that Fenders just can't give me. thanks for the info! their are several fender models that have p90s or at least the fender equivalent to p90s you could check those out at you local store :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 P-90s are popular on this forum..........This says a lot................. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 P-90's have more mids than anything I think, and they do have "punch" if that is what you are after. I would say about as much punch as a humbucker, but with more mids and growl. Compared to a strat pup, they are much fatter and "meaner", and can be hard to tame in the mids if you are used to a strat. Played clean, they can have a LOT of color to them, and lots of different harmonics. They can be easier to play in that they can have a full sound which makes everything sound full and fat, or they can be harder if you can't handle the mids and need more dynamics. Dirty, forget about it. There is nothing that will give you more dirt and crunch and grind. But here again, it is the same story in that a humbucker might be easier to deal with as far as pedals and/or amps go. They are also about twice as noisy as a fender pup (but they are twice as hot too). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparky scott 29 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I love them! I have the 50's Les Paul Tribute, and the sound is very sweet indeed.. I wouldn't worry about NOT liking them.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub-T-123 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I've got a p90 here that's waiting to go in my SG. I have to get a pickguard first. Waiting sucks. P90s are awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Versatile Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I like P90's as part of a collection....they compliment Stratesque S/C's, H/B's etc.... As mentioned, working with the amp settings, gain, EQ, FX is important P90's can be set for punch a la Pete Townsend, or more compressed sustain A very interesting option from Fender is the Jazzmaster...originally intended as a topline Gibson archtop competitor Possessing great 'P90' type tones with character and great looks.... V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EVOL! Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 Just piling on to what has been already said; P90s are killer pickups that I highly recommend. They are very rich in the pleasant mids and have a nice growl to them. A P90 equipped Gibson and your AC30 will be tonal nirvana. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 After listening to them and then playing a couple guitars with them I was hooked. Metal and Hard Rock are the life of my music the Explorer does the Metal just beautifully now I need a P90 equipped guitar for my Hard Rock, I know a lot of bands didnt use P90 equipped guitars through the rock era but I find the sound in general from P90s are nice and snarly and growly, perfect for rock. I personally like the soap bar P90s more then the dogear ones, and a punchier output. I played the Worn SG Special with P90s and it snarled and growled with its high output P90s but I also played a PRS SE with low output P90s and it sounded nice and clean and was twangy but even cranking the gain and turning up the volume on the guitar did not produce any snarly distortion which was a shame because the guitar was drastically marked down I think the tag was like $400 and it was pretty nice for cheap. Would have been nice for a $400 guitar eh, too bad it wasnt agressive enough :( I really want to try the new Townshend SG see if its nice and mean sounding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lespaulj45 Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I went to see a old friend sit in with a local band and the 2nd guitar player had a old Super 400 with P90's-played thru a really old H&K tube amp-small venue but the tone out of that 400 was awesome-I was so impressed with it I asked if he would ever consider selling it-he told me that in 1968 he had to make a choice between his wife and that guitar-he kept the guitar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsyseven Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 I went to see a old friend sit in with a local band and the 2nd guitar player had a old Super 400 with P90's-played thru a really old H&K tube amp-small venue but the tone out of that 400 was awesome-I was so impressed with it I asked if he would ever consider selling it-he told me that in 1968 he had to make a choice between his wife and that guitar-he kept the guitar Great story ! But anyway, my "inspired by" casino with its P90´s gives me everything i need.Best ever!Open chords clean or overdriven,palm muted and everything you´ve asked for.Hard to beat a good P90´s equipped guitar....especially a Casino or other semi/hollow body guitars.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riptide Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 To me they really aren't too noisy. They have good midrange punch and they don't have too much treble or bass for me... they're just that warm sweet tone... but they're still bright. Their break-up is really really smooth. Palm muting is the best part of P-90s to me it sounds so glorious! Although you aren't going to get the gain that a humbucker would get. I'd say the second best thing about them are there ringing open chords... even with some decent gain you don't get that muddyness of humbuckers. All this is my personal opinion... obviously no one else has the same ears as me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gypsyseven Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 To me they really aren't too noisy. They have good midrange punch and they don't have too much treble or bass for me... they're just that warm sweet tone... but they're still bright. Their break-up is really really smooth. Palm muting is the best part of P-90s to me it sounds so glorious! Although you aren't going to get the gain that a humbucker would get. I'd say the second best thing about them are there ringing open chords... even with some decent gain you don't get that muddyness of humbuckers. All this is my personal opinion... obviously no one else has the same ears as me. Exactly...what i wanted to say...but my English isn´t that good... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ne14t? Posted July 22, 2011 Share Posted July 22, 2011 http://www.ehx.com/products/hum-debugger This is some P90 and Single Coil love right here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I have 2 Epi Casinos-a 1965 John Lennon model and a MIC natural and I love the sound of p-90s especially through an AC 30 or Fender Blues Jr.Granted the 1965 P-90s have more sparkle and chime than the MIC but that doesn't mean that the MICs are poor pickups-they are quite good but the John Lennon model's P-90s are just over the top for sound clarity.I do a lot of palm muting and it comes through loud and clear through the P-90s.I think that no guitar arsenal is complete without a P-90 equipped guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
damian Posted July 23, 2011 Share Posted July 23, 2011 I have 2 Epi Casinos-a 1965 John Lennon model and a MIC natural and I love the sound of p-90s especially through an AC 30 or Fender Blues Jr.Granted the 1965 P-90s have more sparkle and chime than the MIC but that doesn't mean that the MICs are poor pickups-they are quite good but the John Lennon model's P-90s are just over the top for sound clarity.I do a lot of palm muting and it comes through loud and clear through the P-90s.I think that no guitar arsenal is complete without a P-90 equipped guitar. I'm not old, not young......However, I ignored what P-90s were for years, out of ignorance, and being a Les Paul guy... However, I always wondered how the Beatles electric sound was so amazing.......I was an HB and SC player for years... I " discovered " P-90s once I retired from music and work in 2006......Dang, much of the Beatle's sound is from P-90s.... I now own several P-90 equiped guitars.......Love them all....As far as " noise " goes, do you hear ANY noise on P-90 guitars used by the Beatles on their recordings ????? No...............Just sayin'.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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