Anyone playing P90's in church?

I'm considering rebuilding one of my guitars using P90 pickups. I love the raunchy sound but I'm not sure they would be good for the stuff we play at church. Who's doing it?

Although I'm not currently using P90's myself, I think that they would work well in worship music. They would help you cut through the mix and be a little thicker. Sounds like it would be great!

I find that I can get a good mellow, dark, and full sound out of them, particularly on hollow bodied guitars.

I agree that using them with an overdrive might sound a little aggressive but they are great for clean sounds!

Why not?
Go for something different!

I find that I can get a good mellow, dark, and full sound out of them, particularly on hollow bodied guitars.

I agree that using them with an overdrive might sound a little aggressive but they are great for clean sounds!

I'll have to look into that. While I am very familiar with how they sound with overdrive, I'm not so familiar with how they sound clean.

These would be going into a Telecaster. My other thought is to just use humbuckers but I think some day I'd like to own an ES-335 for that sound.

Hell, yeh... ooops sorry...:twisted:..

Damn.. I'm always being sacreligous... ooo geez...

best thing I ever did to this ole Tele... was P90 it...:wink:

Man! they never had rock bands in any church I went to as a kid...
so, it's kinda weird hearing about all this Church band GAS for gear.....:rolleyes:

we just had an organ thingy.. the player didn't seem to have to beat it as hard as a piano... to get the volume... :?:.. electricity, I believe..

These would be going into a Telecaster. My other thought is to just use humbuckers but I think some day I'd like to own an ES-335 for that sound.

Sorry to go a bit off-topic... I play a 335 into an overdriven Fender voiced amp (Tone King Imperial) with a full band. It sounds great for both rhythm and lead.

A P90 through a clean setting is really wonderful.

I think P90s are considered sinful. I could be wrong about that.

Ive seen jazzmasters used in a worship environment... Pretty sick...

I play a Sheraton in my church band, which has B90's by Mick Brierley … P90's in hb size.

Clean or dirty, they sound great.

I think P90s are considered sinful. I could be wrong about that.

How does a pickup create sin?

I find that I can get a good mellow, dark, and full sound out of them, particularly on hollow bodied guitars.

My Squier BSB Affinity has a GFS P-90 neck pickup and I played it in church for years. I'm not into heavy distortion, but it offers a thickness and edginess that I like.

My Squier BSB Affinity has a GFS P-90 neck pickup and I played it in church for years. I'm not into heavy distortion, but it offers a thickness and edginess that I like.

How well does the P90 in the neck go with the single coil in the bridge? Do you play with both pickups on at the same time (position 2)?

How does a pickup create sin?

Hey, no theological discussion allowed! :mrgreen:

How does a pickup create sin?

I'm lusting for one.
The gluttony of its tone?
My greed for adding to my stables.
Haven't gotten around to sloth.
My wrath agin 60 cycle hum.
I envy yours.
Pride in what I make when I turn around and sell it on CL.

I'm lusting for one.
The gluttony of its tone?
My greed for adding to my stables.
Haven't gotten around to sloth.
My wrath agin 60 cycle hum.
I envy yours.
Pride in what I make when I turn around and sell it on CL.

I'm guilty of most of those too! ...But it's not the pickup's fault.:smile:

I play a FMT HH Tele at my church, I have 3 over drive settings and a clean.... I think the 90 would be great.

I play a FMT HH Tele at my church, I have 3 over drive settings and a clean.... I think the 90 would be great.

This is my exact setup.

I find that I can get a good mellow, dark, and full sound out of them, particularly on hollow bodied guitars.

I agree that using them with an overdrive might sound a little aggressive but they are great for clean sounds!

A P90 through a clean setting is really wonderful.

I agree with both of these statements. Not sure that OD pick ups have a place in any worship or church setting but a clean P90 sounds fabulous.

:smile: Peter

#11...thou shalt not covet thy bandmembers gear... whether thee be a listener or a player...

Consider the faithful gathered to hear your music... should they be distracted by GASing over the lead guitarists new guitar/PU's or pedal board, or flash Orange amp. trying to gauge your previous sound over your new sound... was that a touch of reverb on the last hymn?.. or chorus?..

in church?.. (shakes head)... with respect..

I agree with both of these statements. Not sure that OD pick ups have a place in any worship or church setting but a clean P90 sounds fabulous.

:smile: Peter

I guess your mileage may vary. What about a special heavy metal worship service?

aCX5eXo-4jk

Not sure that OD pick ups have a place in any worship or church setting

Really? I think it would be safe to say that most of us playing contemporary Christian rock in our worship services use OD/distortion to some degree.

a clean P90 sounds fabulous.

:smile: Peter

More encouragement for me to go for it!

Do you guys find that you use your neck or your bridge P90 more often?

P90s are a secular pickup.
This is why there were no Gibsons in church until the late 50's when humbuckers came out.
This is why PAFs are, to this day, known as "The Lord's Pickup."

P90s are a secular pickup.
This is why there were no Gibsons in church until the late 50's when humbuckers came out.
This is why PAFs are, to this day, known as "The Lord's Pickup."

In some faiths, you can use indulgences to get to play P90s in church.

How well does the P90 in the neck go with the single coil in the bridge? Do you play with both pickups on at the same time (position 2)?

I confess that I don't use the middle position very often. I don't even use the bridge all that often! On my Affinity, I had to work with pickup heights a lot to balance my vintage-strength bridge pickup and my neck P-90. The P-90 is much more powerful.

I brought the bridge pickup as close to the strings as it would reasonably go (pretty normal height, I guess, a couple of dimes' thickness). Then I backed the P-90 down until they were close in output.

Search the forum for threads on P-90 height. A lot of folks think they really shine when backed away from the strings quite a bit. I like the sound of mine, but I kept the neck a bit hot (compared to the bridge) so that it breaks up a bit when I hit it hard.

In some faiths, you can use indulgences to get to play P90s in church.

You win.

I use a casino quite a bit. Very versatile and nasty!

I've been leading with a P90s equipped T style guitar for awhile now & really love the tone! You get the clarity of single coils with a little more bite & growl. (I "lead" & also play "lead"...life can be confusing sometimes)