Humbucker to P-90 conversion.....need input....

[studio1087]

I have an idea about creating a sort of poor man's Jazzmaster.

I bought this guitar (Squier Jagmaster)........



.....and I want to install these Guitar Fetish Mean P-90's in it......



http://store.guitarfetish.com/me90tralp90p.html

I have been longing for a really hi output P-90 tone and I just sold an Eastwood that didn't quite cut it.

Question:

Will it be super simple going from humbucker wiring to P-90 wiring?

I'm assuming that this is a no-brainer.....a one hour job.

The pickups are only $35 each. I've never heard a complaint about GF pickups.

Does anyone know if there are any odd wiring issues going from humbuckers to P-90's??

Thanks Very Much,

John

[Chris Leger]

There won't be any "odd wiring issues." Should be a 1:1 swap.

[Farlsborough]

Can I jump on studio1087's bandwagon with a question?!

I recently asked about putting a humbucker in the neck of a telecaster - I want to go with a Lawrence pup, and when I phoned Becky she said an L609 would be best. I trust her... but... an L609 is a P-90 style single coil, right?

I don't have much experience of P-90s (I'm ashamed to say!) - so soundwise, is this gonna give me what I wanted the humbucker for? Or is it gonna sound like another single coil?

Cheers guys.

[Telenator]

Aaaaaaachooo (Phat Cats) aaaaaaaaaaachooooooo!

[studio1087]

P-90's sound like single coils on steroids. They have a bright bite. Listen to any recording of a Les Paul Junior on youtube and you'll hear a P-90 tone. I would say the a humbucker is a thicker tone because you are mixing the tones from two rows of magnets. The P-90 should be sharper and brighter than a humbucker.



This is the clean/dirty tone that I wish I could have.....



John

[Bob Mc]

Just swapped my two humbys to GFS P90 (dream in the neck, mean in bridge). Plugged straight into a cranked tweed Princeton I really do have to agree with the single coil on steroid analogy, esp. the mean 90.
Huge bang to the buck.

[Farlsborough]

Hmmm... that's not entirely reassuring...! Can you get any kind of sweet jazz sound from them? I asked Becky for something that would give me a smoother jazz tone and a more powerful crunch than a standard tele neck SC, but I don't want something that's gonna pierce people's ear drums - the whole point is I want to make my tele more versatile than standard as it's a bit too twangy as it stands...

[Bob Mc]

Farlsborough,
Sorry old son, I missed your thread within the thread! As for jazz, history could show the amount recorded on the early Gibsons with P90s. Early Chuck Berry, T Bone Walker, so many blues guys. I wouldn't say they were sweet tones, but I do love them. The neck is dark, punchy, smoky, blablawoofwoof...I never know the words. You do need to get yourself a few P90 guitars in your hands. Try a good Casino!
BTW, I'm not familiar with that particular Lawrence PUP, but I do like their gear and service.

[studio1087]

Here's a mellower P-90...the player with dark hair has a casino with P-90's.

The other guitar has a single P-90.



I think that P-90's can do anything.

John

[Killer Iguana]

I love P-90's. IMO they are the most versatile pickup out there. From Pete Townsend's Live at Leeds crunch to Chuck Berry's rock-n-roll to T-Bone Walker's uptown blues to Roy Lanham's uptempo jazz - P-90's answer the call.

Maybe these clips can give you a better idea of what P-90's can do in regard to cleaner tones.

You have probably heard Townsend and Berry already, but check these two clips out to get another glimpse of the P-90 sound:

T-Bone with Dizzy Gillespie and Company:



Roy Lanham on a Jazzmaster: