HamerHokie Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 My current rig likes my two humbucker equipped guitars a lot better than my Artist Korina P-90. Or rather, I think I finally have the right humbuckers in those guitars, and the SD Custom P-90 doesn't align well with the others.I'd like to try a humbucker in the bridge P-90 slot of the Artist Korina. My goal is a sort of Firebird-y tone - strong mids, good highs. The options I'm aware of that don't require modification are the DiMarzio Virtual P-90, and TV Jones pickups, all of which can be ordered in a soapbar configuration. The TV Jones Powertron+ seems like a good fit.What else should I consider? Is there someone who makes a Firebird pickup in a soapbar package?
murkat Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 there are some nice ones out there...Rio GrandeTV JonesDiMarzioBill Lawrence(edit to add) gibson mini types
Caddie Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 is the PhatCat considered a type of P-90? PhatCats fit perfectly in Seth Lover holes. Noooooooo, not that way you perverts!Cheerscaddie
Guest gearwhore Posted May 30, 2014 Posted May 30, 2014 SD makes every humbucker pretty much in a mini/p90 sized humbucker I have a jb right next to the laptop here...I would sell it but it wasnt cheap.
kanegon Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 You could also try these Mini Retrotrons. Silly I even worried about them being too cheap, they sound great! Not quite PAF though, more flat than fat. You could just get Firebird pups if you're looking for that curve, don't they drop in with a bezel?
tomteriffic Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 Can be done without a lot of pain and foolishness. The rings (P-90 covers cut out for Firebird/mini-hums) are available and it's a matter of giving the height adjusting screws something to work against. BCR Greg has this part down. Makes for a great grab and go ready for anything guitar. With no buzz.
Biz Prof Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 Didn't Maiden's Adrian Smith have a Dimarzio P-90 sized Super Distortion humbucker, complete with two rows of pole pieces, in his old gold top LP? That might do the trick.
atquinn Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 Manlius offers all of his humbuckers in P90 mounts as well as offering more traditional minihumbuckers. Seems like it would be worth checking out.http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1054968&page=6http://www.manliusguitar.com/-Austin
hamerhead Posted May 31, 2014 Posted May 31, 2014 Just remember that Firdbird pickups are separate animals from mini-hums. Same size and shape, but internally special. This diagram always helps: GFS makes a good Firebird pickup, so you could give it a whirl on the cheap.
HamerHokie Posted June 2, 2014 Author Posted June 2, 2014 Can be done without a lot of pain and foolishness. The rings (P-90 covers cut out for Firebird/mini-hums) are available and it's a matter of giving the height adjusting screws something to work against. BCR Greg has this part down. Makes for a great grab and go ready for anything guitar. With no buzz. Thanks to everyone. This looks interesting. I think I've seen a bracket you can screw into the bottom of the holes that has the mounting screw holes in just the right place for this alteration. But I'm still leaning towards the TV Jones direct drop-ins. Manilus looks interesting as well but I don't know a lot about their pickups, tonewise. Also, Caddie - if I ever want to add P-90s to a humbucker guitar, I'll consider your advice. I think you read my original post backwards .
burningyen Posted June 3, 2014 Posted June 3, 2014 Manlius offers all of his humbuckers in P90 mounts as well as offering more traditional minihumbuckers. Seems like it would be worth checking out. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=1054968&page=6 http://www.manliusguitar.com/ - Austin Haeussel's been offering that form factor for years: http://www.haeussel.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=2&Itemid=13&lang=en
SouthpawGuy Posted June 3, 2014 Posted June 3, 2014 Fralin noise free P90s ? They do sound more like a mini humbucker than a vintage P90, and they are totally hum free. I have them in a Heritage 137 in dog ear mount but they're also made in soap bar format. They sound best adjusted near to the strings. .
murkat Posted June 3, 2014 Posted June 3, 2014 " But I'm still leaning towards the TV Jones direct drop-ins."that is a very good choice.TV Jones has its "own thing" happening.I do fancy the classic plus's. nice girthy growl to them.
Bloozguy Posted June 3, 2014 Posted June 3, 2014 I think I've seen a bracket you can screw into the bottom of the holes that has the mounting screw holes in just the right place for this alteration. You need a set of these:
atquinn Posted June 3, 2014 Posted June 3, 2014 Brackets shmackets. Just use wood screws just for the P90s. Couple extra holes in the guitar no one will ever know are there. Big deal. IMO/E.-Austin
serial Posted June 4, 2014 Posted June 4, 2014 I like these-Bill Lawrence (not the new ones). This was NOS from the 80s-picked up a few. Aerosmith for days.
serial Posted June 4, 2014 Posted June 4, 2014 I like these-Bill Lawrence (not the new ones). This was NOS from the 80s-picked up a few. Aerosmith for days.
kanegon Posted June 4, 2014 Posted June 4, 2014 I like these-Bill Lawrence (not the new ones). This was NOS from the 80s-picked up a few. Aerosmith for days. sweet little hot rod!
HamerHokie Posted July 3, 2014 Author Posted July 3, 2014 " But I'm still leaning towards the TV Jones direct drop-ins."that is a very good choice.TV Jones has its "own thing" happening.I do fancy the classic plus's. nice girthy growl to them.Ugh - the TV Jones model did NOT work out well. Just not enough oomph. Plus, didn't mix well with the neck pickup.Anyone want it?
HamerHokie Posted July 3, 2014 Author Posted July 3, 2014 did you get a classic, or a classic plus?It was the Powertron Plus. It was weak in comparison to the other ~9kohm humbuckers I use.
HamerHokie Posted July 3, 2014 Author Posted July 3, 2014 I like these-Bill Lawrence (not the new ones). This was NOS from the 80s-picked up a few. Aerosmith for days. What model is that?
JohnnyB Posted July 3, 2014 Posted July 3, 2014 " But I'm still leaning towards the TV Jones direct drop-ins." that is a very good choice. TV Jones has its "own thing" happening. I do fancy the classic plus's. nice girthy growl to them. Ugh - the TV Jones model did NOT work out well. Just not enough oomph. Plus, didn't mix well with the neck pickup. Anyone want it? Do you want the pickup to sound like a humbucker or just be a noiseless P90? Various products strive to be one or the other. Fralin makes a noiseless P90 claimed to be voiced like a '50s vintage P90. I played a '90s-era boltneck PRS factory-equipped with Fralin noiseless P90-sized pickups and it sounded really good--and authentic. Scroll down to Fralin hum-cancelling P90s. DiMarzio has a Tone Zone P90-sized (drop-in) humbucker. I doubt you'd have output issues with a DiMarzio. Seymour Duncan has a P90 Stack pickup where the coils are stacked for hum-canceling instead of lying side-by-side as in a traditional humbucker. You'll find demo videos of many of these pickups to get a sense of their tonal balance and ability to drive an amp.
Jakeboy Posted July 4, 2014 Posted July 4, 2014 +1 on the Lawrence NOS or used minibuckers. Serial is quite correct. If you dug the late 70s Aerosmith sound, it is in those old BLs.No output issues there either. BLs are the loudest, yet clearest pickups I have ever heard. Not everyone's cup of tea,though.
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