Casino4Life Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I've been wanting to upgrade the pick ups on my 2005 MIK Casino with a pair of Gibson P-90s. The problem I keep running into is that I cannot find chrome pick up covers that will fit Gibson pick ups to fit on the Casino. I don't want to put black ones on there. I could go the Lollar route, anybody know of where I can find any or had any experience? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony_J Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I've actually modified the chrome pickup covers to fit Gibson P-90s. The spacing is different between the covers and the pole pieces, what I did was widened the last two holes on the cover and voila! It fit. That's what I did and it works for me. It's not perfect. The spacing is still different but when you widen the holes on the cover you seem to give the pole piece more room to fit. I have no problems adjusting the polepieces and you can't tell when looking at it. If you're feeling bold, you might want to try it. HOWEVER! Getting them to fit, isn't the problem. It's actually removing the OLD pickups from the chrome covers. I don't know WHAT the hell they use overseas but they seem to be WELDED on and not SOLDERED to the cover. Took a Dremel to cut the pickup from the cover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino4Life Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 Anthony_J good to know that it can be done, i might give it a try Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 There are several people, includung Jason Lollar, that will rewind your pickup. Not sure what you're looking for beyond your stock pickups, maybe hotter winding or different magnets? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino4Life Posted August 9, 2011 Author Share Posted August 9, 2011 tweed2- Basically I am looking for a more vintage rewind. I have Lollar in mind, who says the stock covers can be used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzoboy Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 The only mod that I would ever consider doing to my MIC Casino is adding the chrome P-90s like those on my '65 John Lennon model but the availability of a chrome covered pup is what's keeping me from doing it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 tweed2- Basically I am looking for a more vintage rewind. I have Lollar in mind, who says the stock covers can be used I've always found it curious that Lollar, Vintage Vibe, etc, charge more to rewind the stock pickups than building new. Doing that, however, eliminates dealing with mounting a flat, aftermarket pickup on a curved guitar top. I found that the alNico 2 and 3 magnets got me closer to a vintage sound than the alNico 5 in most present day PUs. Not sure what Jason uses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Upiory Posted August 9, 2011 Share Posted August 9, 2011 I'm really glad someone brought this up. I always feel so stupid regarding hardware, so please excuse my admitted ignorance. I've wanted to make similar upgrades on my Casino, but my inability to find the chrome covers prevented the switcharoo. So, you guys are confirming that we can't find covers to fit quality after-market pups--is that right? I've actually considered doing the upgrade anyway, despite the cosmetic alteration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino4Life Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 I've also considered just changing out the switch, input, pots and wiring and see if that makes a difference? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I've also considered just changing out the switch, input, pots and wiring and see if that makes a difference? I noticed a difference changing those out. I know that I've said this several times, if I were to do it all over again, I'd probably not change my stock pickups out, as much as I love my Vintage Vibe PUs. I'd raise the stock ones, change out the electronics and save the rest of the money (maybe for some good tubes for my amp). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 If you decide that you still want to change PUs, and are looking for "a more vintage" sound, ask about AlNiCo II and III magnets. They have less output than the V and ceramic but are much warmer. When I got my VV PUs, I got all 4 magnet types and switched them around in different combinations. I ended upwith the A-II at the neck and the A-V at the bridge. How your pickups are wound will affect the sound a little (mine was 5% under-neck/5% over-bridge). I did keep the A-2 for the neck becuase the sound was very mellow and jazzy and it only takes a few minutes to swap out if I want that sound to record. The ceramic magnet, I sold with another pickup as it was just too harsh for the music I play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casino4Life Posted August 10, 2011 Author Share Posted August 10, 2011 I think for now I will skip the pick up swap, and just replaced the rest of the electronics. Swapping pick ups seems a bit drastic at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 After you change out your electrics, contact Jason lollar and order up a set of p-90 shims. Raising you PUs may really surprise you. A $5-10 upgrade that probably makes the biggest difference in a Casino's sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olaka Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I just got the 1961 Casino reissue, and I always intended to replace the black pickguard covers with chrome pickguard covers. But it has Gibson P90s, which means the pickguard covers are bigger. So my question: There's absolutely no place that sells chrome pickguard covers for these P90s? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Obscure Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 I just got the 1961 Casino reissue, and I always intended to replace the black pickguard covers with chrome pickguard covers. But it has Gibson P90s, which means the pickguard covers are bigger. So my question: There's absolutely no place that sells chrome pickguard covers for these P90s? Maybe here? Greasy Groove Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olaka Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 Maybe here? Greasy Groove When I first saw that 2 days ago, I e-mailed to ask if it fits a standard Epi Casino (not realizing who non-standard my Casino was). A few hours later, after actually removing the pickguard cover and realizing it's too big, I e-mailed them again about possibly making/selling a bigger one (which they do with custom pickguards). They responded to the first e-mail. They didn't respond to the 2nd. So I e-mailed again last night. So far, no response. (Would painting the pickguard cover be too drastic? Will it affect tone? -- But then again, I don't want to mess with the original parts.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Obscure Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 When I first saw that 2 days ago, I e-mailed to ask if it fits a standard Epi Casino (not realizing who non-standard my Casino was). A few hours later, after actually removing the pickguard cover and realizing it's too big, I e-mailed them again about possibly making/selling a bigger one (which they do with custom pickguards). They responded to the first e-mail. They didn't respond to the 2nd. So I e-mailed again last night. So far, no response. (Would painting the pickguard cover be too drastic? Will it affect tone? -- But then again, I don't want to mess with the original parts.) You're talking about chrome pickup covers, correct? Not a chrome Pickguard? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olaka Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 You're talking about chrome pickup covers, correct? Not a chrome Pickguard? :unsure: Oops - yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkinhead Posted August 10, 2011 Share Posted August 10, 2011 After you change out your electrics, contact Jason lollar and order up a set of p-90 shims. Raising you PUs may really surprise you. A $5-10 upgrade that probably makes the biggest difference in a Casino's sound. Out of interest - does anybody have any measurements how far they have their Casino pickups from the strings? I got mine rewound by a pickup builder here in the UK. The stock units (Korean Peerless) were wound to about 11.2k and they sounded very hot, dark and dull. I asked the builder for a lower output, more "vintage" sound. They came back at about 8.2k bridge (10,000 winds) and 6.7k neck (80000) winds. The bridge now uses a polished A5 magnet, the neck a rough-cast A3. Here's the rub - I still think it sounds "woofy" and dull. I have two other P90 guitars (LP Historic 56 reissue and Yamaha SA503 TVL) and they both share a sweet, chiming, jangly clean and do the dirty thing nicely. The Casino is just an ill-defined mess compared to these! Maybe I'm just fighting some inherent property of the hollow Casino but I struggle to dial it in. My first step is to completely remove all the bass on the amp/POD! I've tried raising the neck pickup polepieces and this has helped a bit and the pickups are now almost identical in volume. Someone suggested raising the bridge pickup but I imagine this would just make things even worse? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Out of interest - does anybody have any measurements how far they have their Casino pickups from the strings? I got mine rewound by a pickup builder here in the UK. The stock units (Korean Peerless) were wound to about 11.2k and they sounded very hot, dark and dull. I asked the builder for a lower output, more "vintage" sound. They came back at about 8.2k bridge (10,000 winds) and 6.7k neck (80000) winds. The bridge now uses a polished A5 magnet, the neck a rough-cast A3. Here's the rub - I still think it sounds "woofy" and dull. I have two other P90 guitars (LP Historic 56 reissue and Yamaha SA503 TVL) and they both share a sweet, chiming, jangly clean and do the dirty thing nicely. The Casino is just an ill-defined mess compared to these! Maybe I'm just fighting some inherent property of the hollow Casino but I struggle to dial it in. My first step is to completely remove all the bass on the amp/POD! I've tried raising the neck pickup polepieces and this has helped a bit and the pickups are now almost identical in volume. Someone suggested raising the bridge pickup but I imagine this would just make things even worse? Well, here's what mine is set at: neck- 3/16" and bridge- 5/32". I recall somebody posting the Gibson recommended heights and mine were pretty close to those, can't find the post though. I measure at the D and G strings. The E's are slightly closer (1/32"?). Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olaka Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Stupid question: I was wondering if these Gibson brand pickup covers will fit the bigger Gibson P90s in my 1961 Casino reissue? http://www.musiciansfriend.com/accessories/gibson-p-90-p-100-pickup-dog-ear-cover Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pumpkinhead Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Well, here's what mine is set at: neck- 3/16" and bridge- 5/32". I recall somebody posting the Gibson recommended heights and mine were pretty close to those, can't find the post though. I measure at the D and G strings. The E's are slightly closer (1/32"?). Hope that helps. Cheers Tweed. I've just checked and mine are very close to those measurements so I know that raising anything isn't really going to help too much. I've also been messing about with the Casino for the first time in a few weeks and it's probably not as bad sounding as I made out. I think part of it is that I have limited experience of "full" hollowbodies and I was just surprised that the Casino sounded a bit "flabby", compared to a solid. I had expected something a bit more "airy" and "jangly". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tweed2 Posted August 11, 2011 Share Posted August 11, 2011 Are you getting those dimensions in the middle or at the Es? Believe it or not, it may make a dfference. All I know is that when I raised my stock PUs, and then adjusted the individual poles, it really made them pop. Not like a Ric (I have one to compare it to), but brighter than stock. Also, what are you using for strings? I use 11's with a wound G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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