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P90 Parlor: Love'em or Hate'em, Let's Chat!

Gitfiddler

By Gitfiddler
in Heritage Guitars

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Gitfiddler Mentor

Gitfiddler

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I'll be the first to admit that P90 equipped guitars were not my first choice.  But considering my age, er, um, vintage, they were probably the tone I heard as a kid listening to the original blues and jazz players of the 50's.  (On record, not live, unfortunately).

 

Well this thread is dedicated to the cool tones of P90 guitars. 

 

Having just scored my first P90 H-150, I'm amazed at the cool tones it gets.  So far I've had a chance to play them through a 5 watt Gibson GA5 (schweeeet!), Fender SF Deluxe Reverb and Custom Blues Jr.  Havent' gotten a bad tone yet!  Everything from dark jazzy to snarly distortion.  These p'ups have it going on in spades.  One thing that is missing is the complex overtones and huge sustain that many high quality humbuckers can generate, but they still evoke some really great sounds. 

 

I love the clarity of each note, no matter what amp is being used.  The band I play with kept asking about those 'funny white pickups' that sounded so good.  To me P90's tend to sound the best in a slightly overdriven amp or pushed by pedals.  Now I want to check them out in an archtop (H525 or Super Eagle maybe?) :wink:  Maybe a custom ordered Heritage Switchmaster with three Lollar P90s?

 

What is your experience with these  incredible retro pickups?

 

Let's see your P90 baby.

 

Here's mine:

 

width=320 height=480http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/644/heritageh150p906hi5.jpg[/img]

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Dick Seacup Proficient

Dick Seacup

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My lone P90 isn't a Heritage and the only pictures I have are from before I put the P90s back in:

 

width=600 height=450http://www.shermonster.org/gallery/d/981-2/93hamerspecialfront.jpg[/img]

 

width=600 height=450http://www.shermonster.org/gallery/d/984-2/93hamerspecialfront2.jpg[/img]

 

I love the looks of the goldtop P90 Heritages, though. If I could get one (used) with either a bail or wrap tailpiece and a dark back...mmmmmm.

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yoslate Proficient

yoslate

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width=318 height=480http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE005.jpg[/img]

 

width=600 height=398http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE012.jpg[/img]

 

width=600 height=398http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r400/yoslate-guitars/SuperE016.jpg[/img]

 

Techno-dolt rides again!  Hope these links do it.  This is The P-90 Super.  Did a set with it Sunday night through a Deluxe RI.  As good as it gets!

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Spectrum13 Community Regular

Spectrum13

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When I got my first Goldtop in '68, I was dissapointed it didn't have buckers. Now that I have a Korina 137 with Lollars, it sounds better than the 68 and I'm thinking about a P90 Prospect or Millie. There is something about that sparkle. It made KUZ unload a coil on just about his entire H-lection. The ads from 1957 said the low hum pickups sounded "almost as good" as the P90s.    

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Kuz Experienced

Kuz

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Gee, did I ever get to post these before?  ;D

 

Gee, I did I say I might like p-90s a little?  ;D

 

width=319 height=480http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/jjkuz/MYPreciousjpg.jpg[/img]

width=600 height=450http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/jjkuz/Photo6_8dda1-Original.jpg[/img]

width=318 height=480http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/jjkuz/_DSC2129web.jpg[/img]

 

And, EXCUSE ME, P-90s look gorgeous!!!!

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y2kc Contributor

y2kc

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I recently found some old tapes of me playing from around 1980 and I was blown away with the tone I had. It was my '64 sg-jr through a 1959-60 Gibson Skyhawk. You are going to love the p-90/5 watt combo. Just remember to dime the amp.

I still have that guitar and amp, in near mint condition. $300 for the guitar and $125 for the amp. Those were the days.

 

Take care,

 

y2kc

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Gitfiddler Mentor

Gitfiddler

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width=306 height=480http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/ll185/Heritageguitarpics/2006%20H%20150GT%20P90/p90.jpg[/img]

 

I really love the sound of those pups :), but I think they look like cheap trash.  :'(

Suprisingly they are quiet like humbuckers.

 

Bombassa, I did a double-take at your Goldtop photo.  I just did not remember taking that picture.  ???

 

Your git looks exactly like mine!! 8)

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111518 Collaborator

111518

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y2kc:

Your post brought back memories.  The other guitarist in my first, high school band in the late 70's played a SG jr (with P-90 of course) through a Fender Musicmaster Bass Amp (2x6v6)  --always cranked. 

 

I, being the kid with the job at the guitar shop, played a 355 through a Musicman 2x12 65.

 

Wanta guess who kicked whose a** tone wise in the rooms where we actually played? 

 

(If gear was about tone and not fashion, none of us would have ever sold those little tube amps that so many of us first owned!)  With 'buckers, those little amps could become mud, but with single coils, they sang. 

 

I now own two P-90 guitars: an es-135 with a gibson p-90 and a duncan antiquity p-90 in place of the original p-100s, and a LP jr.  I lust after an archtop with a P-90, and a maple capped solid body with them.

 

017-1.jpg 

 

018-1.jpg

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Bombassa Apprentice

Bombassa

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Bombassa, I did a double-take at your Goldtop photo.  I just did not remember taking that picture.  ???

 

Your git looks exactly like mine!! 8)

 

It is easy to forget ;D

......forgot to mention ...your gitar looks just like mine....

Congratulations.

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golferwave Rising Star

golferwave

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 My first P-90 equipped guitar was also a 1968 LP goldtop and the tone was superb!  Most of the guys back then including myself were playing strats and the P-90's gave such a sweet tone..especially through the super reverb.  I have a newer gbrand LP now that came with the crappy H-90's and I switched them out for a set of Sheptone alnico 2 P-90's and it's one of the guitars now that's hard to put down.  I'm still on the hunt for an H-150 with the lollars at a price I can afford.  I'm sure one will come along.

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Bombassa Apprentice

Bombassa

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Gee, did I ever get to post these before?  ;D

 

Gee, I did I say I might like p-90s a little?  ;D

 

width=319 height=480http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/jjkuz/MYPreciousjpg.jpg[/img]

width=600 height=450http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/jjkuz/Photo6_8dda1-Original.jpg[/img]

width=318 height=480http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff205/jjkuz/_DSC2129web.jpg[/img]

 

And, EXCUSE ME, P-90s look gorgeous!!!!

 

.....no need for excuse....but compared to the minihumbuckers....... ;D

I think I have to buy one more Goldtop, .....one with those minibuckers.... :wink:

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Gitfiddler Mentor

Gitfiddler

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This is my only P90 guitar and I kind of like it.

 

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g170/win...arwallpaper.jpg

 

Wingnut, that is a painfully pretty instrument, but did that chunky middle pickup get in your way?

 

width=600 height=450http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g170/wingnut318/Guitars/CustomTripleSoapbarwallpaper.jpg[/img]

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High Flying Bird Experienced

High Flying Bird

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In this guitar I hated the P-90.  It was too hot and a tad muddy.  Joe's SG has P-90s in it and it sounds good.  Maybe I blend pickups to much to live with a single pup stick.  I wouldn't trade the 475 back to Buffalo Bros. for it. 

 

I had an old firebird when I was a kid that had 3 P-90s on it.  I wish I had it today.  Heck I wished i had pictures of it today.

 

Guit, very good pic of the Goldtop above.  Great presentation and great lighting.  Slate I know damn well you didn't take the photos of the Super.  Busted!  Send her down here for the holidays and all will be forgiven. 

 

width=600 height=399http://www.ronwarren.com/trio/img_4283_std.jpg[/img]

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OldCrow Apprentice

OldCrow

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I recently found some old tapes of me playing from around 1980 and I was blown away with the tone I had. It was my '64 sg-jr through a 1959-60 Gibson Skyhawk. You are going to love the p-90/5 watt combo. Just remember to dime the amp.

I still have that guitar and amp, in near mint condition. $300 for the guitar and $125 for the amp. Those were the days.

 

Take care,

 

y2kc

 

I'm going to second this, the Blues 90 into the old Gibson Skylark I have is just an awesome tone, cranked with the tremolo going nice and slow, it's so swampy!

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yoslate Proficient

yoslate

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A)  In this guitar I hated the P-90.  It was too hot and a tad muddy. 

 

B)  Guit, very good pic of the Goldtop above.  Great presentation and great lighting. 

 

C)  Slate I know damn well you didn't take the photos of the Super.  Busted!  Send her down here for the holidays and all will be forgiven. 

 

width=600 height=399http://www.ronwarren.com/trio/img_4283_std.jpg[/img]

 

A:  Of all the guitars posted on this site since I joined, THAT, Bird, is the one I wish I could have snatched!!!  And, yes, the photo is terrific!  You're very talented in that, my friend!

 

B:  'fiddler is almost as adept with a lens as you, Bird....

 

C:  "Busted"...absolutely!  The only thing Alex does better than photography is live recording and mixing....  And I, like Eastwood, will have to remain Unforgiven!  That box is otherwise engaged!      :wink:

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