Boutique quality P-90's without the boutique pricetag?

Hello everyone. For my P-90 users, what's your fave that isn't too catastrophic in price? That is to say, I'm looking for close to boutique quality/fidelity, without the crazy pricetag. Lesser known winders toiling away in their garage? Bigger brands? I'm really open to just about anything outside of ceramic or high output. This is for a '99-2000 era SG Classic who's stock 90's have simply never satisfied me, but the guitar is just so dang resonant that it's holds my #1 main woman slot(seriously, strummed unplugged it sounds like a dang hollowbody).

I'm looking for a bit more jangle and harmonics. Almost bridging the gap between an SG and a Tele. I used to have a Reverend Bluesbar in the bridge and was pretty happy with it until one day it suddenly lost about half it's output. I play moreso on my neck pu these days too, but want to replace both with similarly voiced pickups. I know that the neck pu is never quite going to sound as rich as I want it to, being that because it's a '68 styled SG, it has the longer neck tenon and thusly the neck pickup is a little south of that 2nd harmonic area, but still. I wanna get the best that I can out of it on my limited budget.

(Oh and I've searched this subject so, if there's a pertinent thread I've missed, please point me in the right direction:wink:)

Thanks in advance!

I had the same need a year ago. I went with the vintage wound Toneriders. They are scatterwound alnico 2 pickups made to vintage specs. Very sweet and jangly when needed with plenty of punch. The set went for just under a hundred bucks. Way better than the Duncans I tried before, and those plenty good. If you google search you find plenty of info, and fans out there. Got mine from RJ Halsey,at rhfactors.com (WHO IS A MEMBER HERE). Great transaction.

Check here....


http://store.guitarfetish.com/P90-Guitar-Pickups_c_83.html



.

Great question. I don't know diddly about P-90s, I just wanted to thank you for spelling 'boutique' correctly.

I'm looking for a bit more jangle and harmonics. Almost bridging the gap between an SG and a Tele

That's what I'm looking for. I have pretty much convinced myself to go with some Lindy Fralin's, for a few reasons:

- He's a joy to deal with.

- He will actually talk with you. As in, pick up the phone and speak, and listen.

- He offers a variety of P90 options, including an unusual "ALNICO pole piece version for a clearer, less distorted sound" (it says on his website).

- His prices are not out of line.

- His Tele pickups took my American Standard from "pretty nice" to "OMG!!!"

Great question. I don't know diddly about P-90s, I just wanted to thank you for spelling 'boutique' correctly.

What, it's not beauteak?

The Gotoh P90s sound good, not too expensive , especially if you can find them used. That's what came in the old USA made Firenza P90 guitars.

Jason Lollar's p-90s are $100 and sound fantastic. That doesn't seem like an insane price to me.

Jason's P90s are great. For $85 check out Manlius Pickups. Manlius seems to fly under the radar here for some reason, but the pickups are excellent. I have the overwound Hot Howling Goat P90 and it's not too dark, nice and clear. The vintage one should be even closer to what you describe.

http://www.manliusguitar.com/howlingoat.html

He also does a Jazzmaster version with magnetic polepieces instead of bar magnets, for a bit more clarity. Basically a Jazzmaster style pickup in a P90 housing:

http://www.manliusguitar.com/GoatMaster.html

David Plummer - aka Zhangliqun.

I don't have his P 90s, but I've heard good things from other forum members.

Great guy to deal with and the price / performance ratio is fantastic.

Lollars don't suck either. Or ... Lots of great options these days.

Actually, lotsa love around here for Gibbys - but I don't know where they come in on the price spectrum.

Good luck with your search!

Cheers,
Geoff

For me, a set of two great pickups with a total cost in the 200$ range is a relatively small investment with an enormous return if you keep them in your guitar for years. I spent under $200 for a set of Fralins for my tele and I know I'll play this guitar with these pickups for 20 years. We're talking pennies to the day. Beats the hell out of going to the movies.

Bill at Electric City Pickups makes some awesome P-90's that are modeled after some real vintage pickups he had in for rewinds. Check him out!

I'd give Dave Allen (a vendor who posts on this forum) from D.Allen pickups a call or email. I have a set of tele pups that are amazing and I when I am ready I am definitely going to get a set of his P-90s for my own SG classic.

http://www.dallenpickups.com/category_s/52.htm

I love my classic, but I also find the stock pups a bit lacking.

Leosounds in Germany makes a set of p90s for 139€. He's good to deal with too!

I had the same need a year ago. I went with the vintage wound Toneriders. They are scatterwound alnico 2 pickups made to vintage specs. Very sweet and jangly when needed with plenty of punch. The set went for just under a hundred bucks. Way better than the Duncans I tried before, and those plenty good. If you google search you find plenty of info, and fans out there. Got mine from RJ Halsey,at rhfactors.com (WHO IS A MEMBER HERE). Great transaction.

+1 very good sounding pickups indeed and my first choice .I upgraded a PRS SE Semi with them and they made the guitar sound very expensive and classy unlike the stock P90's.They do two types .The less powerful ones Ainico II are a bit more warmer and and have very subtle tones from dirt to jazz plus clarity .a great all round set .The hot ones do what they say.Hotter and more overdrive .i go for the lesser powered version but I have had both .

Hello,

Im still of the hunt for a set of used Bare Knuckles..there pricey new....

I have a question.....How do I install a new set of PU for an SG classic. The bracket is attatched to the pickup and the to the guard.....

Is the bracket easy to get off??
how do i do it??
will the same bracket fit another pickup??

so many questions??

joel

BKP does pretty good P90s as well. The Mississippi Queen set is to die for!

I had the same need a year ago. I went with the vintage wound Toneriders. They are scatterwound alnico 2 pickups made to vintage specs.

+ 1

and Tesla (with alnico 5)

Jason Lollar's p-90s are $100 and sound fantastic. That doesn't seem like an insane price to me.

This is what I was thinking.

My recommendation would be to look for used Lollar or Fralin P90s. I picked up a Lollar 5% overwound bridge pickup for $60 on TGP.

I have a few P90 guitars. I have Lollars in a Tele that are so strong the treble cuts like a knife without a hint of harshness. I also really like Fralin's Hum Cancelling P90. I have another guitar with a set of Vintage Vibe P90s that I really like too. My favorite is a set of stock ‘60s Gibsons in an LP. Klein, Rapunzel, there are dozens that make a nice product, good customer service and a decent price. That said though, KW; a little more jangle and harmonics than the stock '99 Gibson P90s? Louder? More easily broken up? Point being, there are a lot of elements that contribute to taking a good P90 design to a great one. Magnet type, number of winds etc., not to mention the guitar it goes in, weight, wood... you get the idea.
You can't go wrong with any that’ve been mentioned (and many more), but the best suggestion would be for you to call or Email Fralin or Vintage Vibe, or one of the others and tell them EXACTLY what you're looking for sound wise. They will suggest an existing unit or wind something to your spec. It'd be shame to spend $90.00 per pickup and get something very close to what you hear in your head, then find out for $10-$15 more, you could have gotten exactly what you were looking for. Most importantly, when you work with one of them and you don't like what you just mounted, they'll work with you after the sale as well to get it it just the way you want it. Try that with GC.

Hello,

Im still of the hunt for a set of used Bare Knuckles..there pricey new....

I have a question.....How do I install a new set of PU for an SG classic. The bracket is attatched to the pickup and the to the guard.....

Is the bracket easy to get off??
how do i do it??
will the same bracket fit another pickup??

so many questions??

joel
find someone that knows what they are doing to help you with that- I would want set up with new machine screws to hold the covers on to the bracket- all new hardware will make it easier and you might even get instructions with photos on how to do it if you ask the right guy

What, it's not beauteak?

Don't be silly - it's "booteek". Everybody here spells it that way, so it must be right.

http://www.manliusguitar.com/

I have a few P90 guitars. I have Lollars in a Tele that are so strong the treble cuts like a knife without a hint of harshness. I also really like Fralin's Hum Cancelling P90. I have another guitar with a set of Vintage Vibe P90s that I really like too. My favorite is a set of stock ‘60s Gibsons in an LP. Klein, Rapunzel, there are dozens that make a nice product, good customer service and a decent price. That said though, KW; a little more jangle and harmonics than the stock '99 Gibson P90s? Louder? More easily broken up? Point being, there are a lot of elements that contribute to taking a good P90 design to a great one. Magnet type, number of winds etc., not to mention the guitar it goes in, weight, wood... you get the idea.
You can't go wrong with any that’ve been mentioned (and many more), but the best suggestion would be for you to call or Email Fralin or Vintage Vibe, or one of the others and tell them EXACTLY what you're looking for sound wise. They will suggest an existing unit or wind something to your spec. It'd be shame to spend $90.00 per pickup and get something very close to what you hear in your head, then find out for $10-$15 more, you could have gotten exactly what you were looking for. Most importantly, when you work with one of them and you don't like what you just mounted, they'll work with you after the sale as well to get it it just the way you want it. Try that with GC.

Not trying to flame here, this is an honest question. If the weight and wood of the guitar contribute to making a P90's design great, how can a manufacturer make a pickup that will give you exactly what you want without testing it in the guitar first?

Again, I'm not trying to stir up any trouble here. :grin:

Parson's Street from Stew-Mac are remarkably good.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_P-90_Pickups.html

But IMO the magic of a P90 is the utter simplicity of the recipe. Make it like an original (i.e. dont overwind it) and anyone can make a 'boutique' quality p90..

Obviously they can't Ed, but those elements, along with his expectations would certainly help one of the winders make the best recommendation(s) to the OP to help him with his decision. Coincidently, seeing Jason's post reminded me how helpful he and his staff were when I needed a set for one of my Teles - outstanding products and even more outstanding customer service there.
Keen eye though, Ed, especially considering the rest of my post clearly indicates my inability to differentiate which factors would have an impact. My intent; to help the OP to avail himself to something no one else had mentioned, using my experiences with a few different winders, not to hijack the thread. I didn't realize it'd be graded for grammar, proper syntax and effective writing style. My apologies to English Professors everywhere.
I forgot why I stopped posting, thanks for the reminder.
Oh and... No flame intended.
Frank

Obviously they can't Ed, but those elements, along with his expectations would certainly help one of the winders make the best recommendation(s) to the OP to help him with his decision. Coincidently, seeing Jason's post reminded me how helpful he and his staff were when I needed a set for one of my Teles - outstanding products and even more outstanding customer service there.
Keen eye though, Ed, especially considering the rest of my post clearly indicates my inability to differentiate which factors would have an impact. My intent; to help the OP to avail himself to something no one else had mentioned, using my experiences with a few different winders, not to hijack the thread. I didn't realize it'd be graded for grammar, proper syntax and effective writing style. My apologies to English Professors everywhere.
I forgot why I stopped posting, thanks for the reminder.
Oh and... No flame intended.
Frank

Hey Frank, thanks for the clarification; your post makes more sense to me now.

By the way, I really appreciate your willingness to respond to questions with respect and kindness. It's very refreshing, and helps to keep TDPRI one of the best places on the net to visit.

http://www.bg-pups.com/p90.html - great price for 100% hand wound !


I dont think there is a single member over at Harmony Central Forums that does not own atleast one set of his pick ups !

Brian WILL customize any of his pick ups to suit YOUR needs.
Top bloke, very friendly and super easy to work with !

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!

http://www.bg-pups.com/p90.html - great price for 100% hand wound !


I dont think there is a single member over at Harmony Central Forums that does not own atleast one set of his pick ups !

Brian WILL customize any of his pick ups to suit YOUR needs.
Top bloke, very friendly and super easy to work with !

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED !!!

Before i forget :

. . . i am about to contact him, so that we can work on a single coil & full size humbucker [neck] for a PHATT TELE poject of mine, ala Keef :twisted:

My experience with boutique P90s is limited to 2 guitars I currently own, a Nathan Sheppard NSG25 with 3 Bare Knuckle P90s, and a John Mayes Bombshell Jr. with a Lollar.

They're both absolutely brilliant in their own way. The BKs are very hi-fi sounding, with a nice bark to them when wound up and working hard.

The Lollar in the Bombshell Jr. is spectacular - very vintage-sounding to my ears. It displays lots of power, a broad frequency range, snarls yet cleans up beautifully when wound down, and is very responsive to pick attack through all of my amps.

How much is attributable to the pickup, and how much to John Mayes' choice of wood, hardware and superb craftsmanship , I cannot tell, but the overall package is perfect.

I'd really recommend that you explore getting used boutique pickups as a means of getting the best of both worlds. There's plenty of information on the various builders websites and user comments out there, and plenty of tone hounds who are swapping pickups in and out and selling what they cannot transplant at the moment.

Everything effects everything when it comes to guitars, and pickups shouldn't be a compromise for a few more dollars...

P90 comparison (http://www.gitarrebass.musikmachen.de/Magazine/GITARRE-BASS/2011/5/Testbericht-P-90-Vergleich-Zubehoer).

David Plummer - aka Zhangliqun.

I don't have his P 90s, but I've heard good things from other forum members.

Great guy to deal with and the price / performance ratio is fantastic.
Same here. Hands down the finest set of P-90's I've ever played. I had the Cherrick set in an R4 I once owned. When I sold the guitar, I tried to keep the Zhangbuckers but the prospective buyer insisted on keeping them in the guitar. They were loud and warm. Extremely fat but with incredible definition and articulation. The bridge was very snappy with a light touch and when you dug in, it would growl and spit. The neck pickup was like listening to a killer, vintage blues album on vinyl. I will have another set one day.

Same here. Hands down the finest set of P-90's I've ever played. I had the Cherrick set in an R4 I once owned. When I sold the guitar, I tried to keep the Zhangbuckers but the prospective buyer insisted on keeping them in the guitar. They were loud and warm. Extremely fat but with incredible definition and articulation. The bridge was very snappy with a light touch and when you dug in, it would growl and spit. The neck pickup was like listening to a killer, vintage blues album on vinyl. I will have another set one day.

Yep! Zhangbucker Cherrick set.

I've been dealing with Tilson pickups lately ( I've bought 2 tele sets off him). He built them to my specs and i was very impressed with his work. He responds quickly to emails and his prices are really good as well. He is working off his facebook site for the moment. it seems he is a new comer to the business but I took a chance with him and could not be happier. Here is his email. tilsonpickups@gmail.com

Hello,

Im still of the hunt for a set of used Bare Knuckles..there pricey new....

joel


They may be pricey in themselves, but I just put some Blue Notes in my Peerless instead of the stock Epi/BHK P90s and the difference is night/day. Turned a dull guitar into something quite special. Well worth the outlay.

A while ago someone posted an audio comparison of about a dozen P90's. To my ears the Fralin's were head and shoulders above most of the other US made ones. One other that sounded pretty good to me was an SD Antiquity. Probably a little less pricey than the Fralin.

A while ago someone posted an audio comparison of about a dozen P90's. To my ears the Fralin's were head and shoulders above most of the other US made ones. One other that sounded pretty good to me was an SD Antiquity. Probably a little less pricey than the Fralin.

P90 comparison (http://www.gitarrebass.musikmachen.de/Magazine/GITARRE-BASS/2011/5/Testbericht-P-90-Vergleich-Zubehoer).

^This

To me, none of the pickups sound good in that Gitarre&Bass comparison, so it's not all that useful.

Honestly, I don't think you can go too wrong with any offerings from Lollar, Fralin, Bare Kuckle, et al. I've used P90s from those 3 companies and they all sounded great. I like Blue 90 (BK) the best. The key is to match the pickups to your guitar.

These are not low priced, but I can recommend Wolfetone P-90s. Just put two in an Epiphone ES-295. These things are the real deal. Sounds like the oldies.
MD

Parson's Street from Stew-Mac are remarkably good.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Pickups:_Guitar,_electric/Golden_Age_P-90_Pickups.html

But IMO the magic of a P90 is the utter simplicity of the recipe. Make it like an original (i.e. dont overwind it) and anyone can make a 'boutique' quality p90..

+1

I have a Parson's in the neck position, I'm really happy with it.