Who makes the best P-90?

[ac15]

The Lollars I have on my Monaco Elite kill. They are pretty rude and nasty but to me that is what P-90's are all about. Not for the faint of heart imho.

I've got the Lollars in my Monaco III and I agree they're awesome as described above. That being said, they also have a stellar, crystal clear, big, clean sound.

Steve

[jwhitcomb3]

I have Rio Grandes, Haussel and Duncan Phat Cats. I like 'em all, but they are all different. The stock hot Duncan P90s on my Archtop GT were fun, but not very versatile...I just wanted to play Leslie West licks all day. I replaced 'em with Gibson reissue minibuckers.

I think the Rios cover the most ground, but they are also the noisiest of my P90 equipped guitars.

-Jonathan

[HamerHokie]

As BadgerDave says, there are several different signature P-90 tones, and different models have different strengths and weaknesses.

My bias is against any P-90 that sounds twangy or doesn't have a resonant peak in the midrange.  That eliminates a lot of them right there, because I prefer the 'bad to the bone' fatness that you'd get from Leslie West/Neil Young/George Thorogood.  Unfortunately, though, that has limited my options to Seymour Duncans, as they are the only ones who are winding them hot and fat enough for me.  I would like a less hot, less muddy alternative but it seems there's a big gap between, say, 8.5 kohms and 14 kohms in the market.  I tried the Harmonic Designs and they were too hi-fi, and I tried the Rio Grandes but they didn't have enough midrange waaaaah for me.

That's all you had to say, Sandy.

Thanks, I think?

[mrmojorising]

Here are links to a clips of Lollar P90's in a black Limba McNaught Single Cut through a Blockhead First Born 18.

http://tone-doctor-llc.com/media/clips/gea..._BH_FB_18_1.mp3

http://tone-doctor-llc.com/media/clips/gea..._BH_FB_18_2.mp3

Personally, I've tried every P90 under the sun and have settled on the Lollars. The key is to set them as close to the strings as possible...they don't pull on the string at all, so don't worry about putting them too close.

[HamerHokie]

Unless you have something in mind, then, I don't think anyone can answer your question.

Nope, didn't have anything in mind. I've got a Lollar in my BCR Jr. Just curious as to what different people's opinions are about whose the best. It doesn't have to be the best, just interested in the opinion.

Based on what I've read here the traditional vintage P-90 tone preferences seem to lie with Lollars. If you read the Harmony Central reviews, you'll see over and over again people say that they sound like 'very fat telecaster pickups.'

No one has spoken up for Fralins in this thread but I know some folks use and like them too.

[Jack C]

I've got Fralins in my Duotone. Stock in the bridge and 15% underwound in the neck. They sound fantastic, but anything would in that guitar.

I've tried several brands of P90s and I've never noticed as much difference between them as between different types of humbuckers. Maybe that's just the nature of single coil pickups - that they let more of the natural guitar tone through. Or something. I don't know, I'm just a hack.

[Guest Mike Lee]

Harmonic Design.

Roll off the tone a little and the sound is vintage P90 with more fattness at the bridge. Max the tone and roll down the volume and it turns into a Tele.

[JohnnyThunders]

old gibson dogears are the best for that fat tone, next up are Wolftones, he can wind anything you want and you can keep sending it back till you get it were you want it, at least that what he says he got mine right first time. Lollars are nice but too mild for me. Stock Duncans are well they just suck. But of course what the f do I know?

[NewAKowner]

I have only been playing a new Artist Korina for less than 3 weeks, but I am very pleased and impressed with the sound, power, and versatility of the SD P-90's it came with. My other electrics are humbucker equipped, and I did not know what to expect, but when I run the Artist thru my Peavey Studio Pro 112, I get a great clear tone with plenty of power. I also like the way they respond to every adjustment of the volume and tone controls on the guitar.

[phoenix]

Alnico neck Pu. the only solid body Givson ever put them in.

[tomteriffic]

Alnico neck Pu. the only solid body Givson ever put them in.

Steve, my second-ever eee-lectric git-tar was one of those right there. But 'cept some mo-ron at the factory put a PAF in the bridge position. $150 in 1969 or '70.

[phoenix]

pafs? omg. Tom? .

I forgot about the dog ears. they are the best vintage I have heard. Harmonic design or Lollars are some of the new ones that rip. (duh, thanks mike)

[RobB]

Stock Duncans are well they just suck. But of course what the f do I know?

You know the f-enough that stock Duncans suck!

Hey, I 'yos keedin', amigos...

[Disturber]

He, he. Ran in to this old thread

from a year ago regarding the same thing.

P90 information on Hamers

[Chollie]

I love the Voodoo in my Jr. Great recommendation Poe.

[tomteriffic]

Steve, mine had the Alnico in the neck but a PAF in the bridge and it all looked original back then. Loved that neck PU sound.

[HamerHokie]

Alnico neck Pu. the only solid body Givson ever put them in.

THAT'S the Neil Young pickup I was talking about. What is it? Alnico what? 2? 5?

[Guest Mike Lee]

I don't remember which type of Alnico, but those pickups have magnets for the polepieces, like Fender pickups, not bar magnets and steel poles like most P90's. So they sound a bit more "Fendery". Fralin makes an alnico pole P90 in various windings which can probably get close in sound to the originals.

[Zoner]

How about low-noise options as compared to a stock O.E.M. type from a Japanese import (I think it's a Gotoh pickup)? Are all the upscale replacements quieter or can someone recommend a rude but quiet P-90? Z