School me on P90s

[Boudoir Guitar]

I hear so many clips of old gold tops, juniors, and some newer Collings 290s that sound GLORIUS.

But so far a whole lot of my experience with them has been a huge mid spike that extends down into the low mids to create mud city. I bought an LP Special last summer (Gibson USA, a year or two old) that played and felt fantastic, but was just mud city. Neck pickup hard to use even clean; bridge worked okay for grungy power chord rhythm, but didn’t have enough top end sizzle/bite to cut through for lead or riffing. Even trying to lean into the darkness was hard due to how much low-mid energy was there.

The Gretsch g5210t-p90 I got last week isn’t quite as bad, but is still in that territory, especially on the neck pickup.

I had a classic vibe strat with a Lollar 50s wind p90 (Collings branded) that sounded fantastic. Looking at lollar websit, looks like this is lower output with more emphasis on treble and reduced mid focus. On the one hand, tempted to try this in the Gretsch. On the other, worried that my beef may be with 8pounds of mahogany and short scale combined with p90s? Are they just too muddy in the neck on single cuts? Considering trying a TV Jones T-Armond in the neck?

Help!!!!

 

[PLX]

I had Seymour wind me a pair of custom P-90s back about 30 years ago.

I put them in a '66 Gibson Melody Maker, and it was a perfect match for that guitar !


"tone"

 

[State of Epicicity]

 

[la szum]

I hear so many clips of old gold tops, juniors, and some newer Collings 290s that sound GLORIUS.

But so far a whole lot of my experience with them has been a huge mid spike that extends down into the low mids to create mud city. I bought an LP Special last summer (Gibson USA, a year or two old) that played and felt fantastic, but was just mud city. Neck pickup hard to use even clean; bridge worked okay for grungy power chord rhythm, but didn’t have enough top end sizzle/bite to cut through for lead or riffing. Even trying to lean into the darkness was hard due to how much low-mid energy was there.

The Gretsch g5210t-p90 I got last week isn’t quite as bad, but is still in that territory, especially on the neck pickup.

I had a classic vibe strat with a Lollar 50s wind p90 (Collings branded) that sounded fantastic. Looking at lollar websit, looks like this is lower output with more emphasis on treble and reduced mid focus. On the one hand, tempted to try this in the Gretsch. On the other, worried that my beef may be with 8pounds of mahogany and short scale combined with p90s? Are they just too muddy in the neck on single cuts? Considering trying a TV Jones T-Armond in the neck?

Help!!!!

A friend purchased that same exact guitar with those pickups in it this Summer. Check that. His is the hardtail.
Otherwise, same model of Gretsch. He wanted a guitar with P90s in it.

We both kind of hate the pickups in it, too.

My hunch is that when you combine ceramic magnets with the P90 design, and a short-scale singfle-cut with a
Mahogany body then you are going to have a bit of a mess as a result.

He's not sure he wants to plunk another $200-$300 on a guitar of that value with some nice pickups.

I wonder what value the Caps in it on the Tone pot are. That could be something to look into that only costs a
little time and a few bucks.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

A friend purchased that same exact guitar with those pickups in it this Summer. Check that. His is the hardtail.
Otherwise, same model of Gretsch. He wanted a guitar with P90s in it.

We both kind of hate the pickups in it, too.

My hunch is that when you combine ceramic magnets with the P90 design, and a short-scale singfle-cut with a
Mahogany body then you are going to have a bit of a mess as a result.

He's not sure he wants to plunk another $200-$300 on a guitar of that value with some nice pickups.

I wonder what value the Caps in it on the Tone pot are. That could be something to look into that only costs a
little time and a few bucks.

Guitar plays nice etc.,

I’m well within return period and have considered returning it.

But I’m also thinking it’s not a bad platform to try a bunch of different pickups in since it’s pretty easy from a wiring/pickup install perspective. In addition to so chiller p90s, would also love to try the TV Jones T-Armond and maaaaaaaybe some tv jones soap bar filtertrons.

 

[Achilles]

Just follow Leslie's lead. One P90 just in the bridge, a stop tail bridge/set neck, and decently high action so you can really grip and rip chords.

 

[yeky83]

Just follow Leslie's lead. One P90 just in the bridge, a stop tail bridge/set neck, and decently high action so you can really grip and rip chords.

Rabea?

 

[fretworn]

You know … our buddy Ron …

Spoiler

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I think it’s Leslie West? Who is one of those guys that Inprobably should have listened to at some point but never have? Bucket him with Rory Gallagher…

Rabea?

 

[Achilles]

I think it’s Leslie West?

Mississippi Queen is a P90 in all its glory.

 

[Stone]

Love My Lindy Fralin P-90's in my Godin Summit Classic CT P-90

 

[Gearzilla]

 

[Stone]

Jared James Nichols is also a P-90 Fan
Check out his work

 

[Achilles]

Gary Clark Jr. is another one.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

...ugh, you're gonna make me take five minutes and go learn a Green Day riff aren't you...

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

Gary Clark Jr. is another one.

To be clear, I'm aware of loads of folks that sound great with P90s, just wondering why I've been struggling with them up to this point for the most part.

 

[Achilles]

To be clear, I'm aware of loads of folks that sound great with P90s, just wondering why I've been struggling with them up to this point for the most part.

This might be a stupid question but what style of music do you play? One thing you notice about most people who gravitate towards P90s are they're usually old school, rootsy type blues/hard rockers. Their nasty growl when fully open works great for those tones. You're not going to find too many metal, prog, fusion, type players using 90s.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

I took all four of my guitars and played...kind of that riff. All on bridge pickup with volume and tone pots wide open (Synergy bassman using Helix greenback 4x12 cab with 421 mic). Guitars are, in the order the sit in my stand, not order played: Gretsch w/ p90s; K-Line tele with K-line sig tele single coil pickups; Bacchus HSS Strat with what I think is a Lindy Frail HB in the bridge but wired to 250k pots; Epi SG that with stock pickups/wiring.

 

[Boudoir Guitar]

This might be a stupid question but what style of music do you play? One thing you notice about most people who gravitate towards P90s are they're usually old school, rootsy type blues/hard rockers. Their nasty growl when fully open works great for those tones. You're not going to find too many metal, prog, fusion, type players using 90s.

Rootsy blues/Americana.

 

[Stone]

Dont forget the Godfather