Noiseless P90s?

[DavidE]

Who makes a noiseless pickup that sounds like a true P90?

[seeker]

If you want to run both P90s at once, then you can get a set with one that is rwrp (reverse wound, revers polarity believe), which makes them -act- like each of the two coils in a numbucker. Really works.

[hardheartedbill]

DiMarzio virtual P-90, looks like the DLX w/ the 2 rows of screws, sounds really nice and open

[Guest Mike Lee]

The general opinion is that the Duncan P90 Stack doesn't sound very authentic. The DiMarzio Virtual Vintage P90 gets better reviews, but it's really a side-by-side HB in a P90 housing with two rows of screw poles. I think Lace makes a noiseless P90 but I have't heard any comments about it. You might also check out Bill Lawrence.

Kinman might be working on a noiseless P90. I emailed him about it a couple years ago, but I don't know if and when it will ever be available.

I use P90 sets with one pickup RWRP so they hum cancel in the middle position. As long as you put the switch back in the middle whenever you stop playing, it works out OK.

[BCR Greg]

The Rio Babybuckers sound great when wired in parallel, instead of series like most humbuckers.

[Citrus]

What does wiring tham in paralell make them sound like, or how does it sound different??

[BCR Greg]

Traditional humbuckers are wired in series, the signal goes thru both coils and gets loaded down and loses high end.

By wiring them in parallel, they function as two single coils in close proximity, keeping the humbucking effect and all the highs that a single has.

[BadJaxx]

Lollar P90s get great reviews...don't know about the noise factor...

i'm gonna research them as possible replacements for my Artist Korina...

[BCR Greg]

They are not humbucking, they are single coils.

Very nice pickups.

[BadJaxx]

^^^right...i just meant low noise P90s...not buckers....surely someone makes a good actual P90 that's lower noise...?

[DavidE]

A friend asked me about noiseless P90s for the PRS SE P90 guitar he just bought. The thing is actually really a nice guitar for not much dough! Frankly, the stock guitar wasn't that noisy plugged into his Plexi, so I think he's gonna leave it stock for now.

Thanks!

[jwhitcomb3]

Kinman has been hinting at a noiseless P90 for over 5 years...I wouldn't hold my breath.

The Rio Grande P90s in my Artist Korina were giving me fits because of the noise. I finally ended up cranking up the noise reduction circuit in my Fender Cyber Deluxe and was able to get it under control without a noticable tone sacrifice. You might try a Boss NS-2 (about $100). Behringer has a $20 clone announced called the NR100 but it's been delayed twice. I'm amazed how effective Fender's noise reduction circuit is.

Yeah, it was a pain taming the noise, but the upside is that the tone with the AK and Rio P90s just kills.

-Jonathan

[Ethan]

Last night I used my Gibson Melody Maker (2003 model) at a show for the first time, going into my usual rig (Boss TU2, E-H Small Stone, Ibanez CS9, Line 6 DL4, into a Dual Rectifier) and I didn't have too many problems....if the buzz got too loud I'd just pull the volume down. Most of the time I was playing thru channel 3 on the Dual Rec set to the Modern voicing. I think having nice quiet cables helps too.

[Craig S]

Noise???? It's part of the charm for me. When I want something more Hi-Fi sounding I'll reach for something else. I would suggest if you are having to much noise with the Hamers is to swap out the ultra hot P90's they use and go to a more traditional voiced set, not a big improvement but at least you don't have a lot of output kicking your noise out there. I've never heard a noiseless version that comes close.

[ac15]

Lollar P-90's all the way. I put a set specifically designed for guitars with 3 p-90's into my Monaco III. His are reverse wound so that they don't hum in the "inbetween" positions. The Duncan P-90's that come stock in the Monaco III sounded bad to me. I've also used Lollars in a gold top Les Paul before. If you're using mega doses of distortion, I think you can expect any P-90 (including Lollars) to be noisy. But it seems to be the general consensus that noiseless P-90's just don't have the "mojo" that comes with the standard ones.

[hardheartedbill]

the VP-90 DiMarzio sounds just like a normal P-90, in fact I've ABed w/ Lollars and like the DiMarzios better

[Punkavenger]

I have the lindy fralin P-92's in my SG... very nice!

[Caddie]

Are mini-humbuckers a reasonable choice? If you've never played a guitar with them in it you might not be considering them. But they seem to be a great combo of zero-hum with plenty of the snap/snarl/twang of single coils.

Noonan

[HamerHokie]

the VP-90 DiMarzio sounds just like a normal P-90, in fact I've ABed w/ Lollars and like the DiMarzios better

Problem is, no one agrees what a 'normal' P-90 sounds like .

A lot of folks on this board told me how Phat Cats sound like the real deal, when they are actually twangmasters. If you think P-90s are supposed to sound like Tele pups, you certainly have your choice of twangy pups to choose from.

So I will qualify my response by saying - not one noiseless P-90 I have heard sounds like 'Mississippi Queen' or 'Rockin in the Free World.'