Are Harmonic Design p/u's out of fashion?

[jam]

I remember when they were the rage of the TDP. 'Course that's years ago, come to think of it. But I'm surprised to see so little mention of them anymore. Much-missed TDPer Timbo used to run a HD bridge pickup through a TBX pot with great success. Of course, he's probably gone through three or four favorites since, too.

I guess we're all just fickle!

JAM

[Roel from Holland]

I ordered a HD mini-Strat neckpickup for my Tele two weeks ago. I consider a set of Z90's for my Heritage H575 as well.

[GuitarJonz]

I think there are still plenty of guys using them, but the novelty of posting about them has worn off. I watch ebay, and rarely see any HD's offered there, so I guess that folks hang onto them. I emailed Timbo a month or so ago, ane believe he mentioned that he still uses the Super 90 bridge pickup.

[beefandbones]

I've got a Super 90 and and Humbucker in my MIJ 62 Custom. Sounds great to me!

I don't think pickups really go in or out of 'fashion' since they all pretty much look the same. It's all about the sound you prefer.

I think mine are perfect. I'd been thinking about replacing the HB with a standard Tele neck pickup, but I just can't - it sounds way too good. I'm just going to have to get another Tele for trad sounds!

[Kris]

I've got'em in both my teles.

My MIM 50s Classic has a Super 90 in the bridge and a Vintage Plus neck pickup. I use a 500k volume pot and a TBX tone pot. This is a great setup for rock, blues and jazz.

In my G&L ASAT Classic I pair an SD Alnico II bridge pickup with an Harmonic Design 54 Special neck pickup for more traditional yet smooth tones.

Kris

[BB]

With the proliferation of new pickup makers out there, some of the great sounding "older" ones get lost in the shuffle. You can only post about how much you like your pickups so many times before you start to bore yourself! I love trying new pickups and I always buy used. I see a lot of other brands for sale in the used department, but HD's do not come up very often...and when they do, they are snapped up pretty darn quick. Several people who post here on a regular basis and of whom I admire their tone, use HD's and have for quite some time. They see no reason to switch. It's just not the flavor of the day.

[Tim Bowen]

Well, they're certainly not out of vogue by me. I have HD 54's in a MIM strat; HD 54's & a "Mini-Strat" in a MIA B-bender Tele. Sounds incredible to me, my search is over for those particular guitars. I hear great things about Suhr, Wagner, Lollar, & others. I'm sure they're cool, but the days of incessant p'up swaps are basically over for me - until I find the next great playing axe with not-so-great-sounding pups (insert 'roll eyes' smiley face here).

[swijak]

It's there to stay in my telecaster. It's matched with a Gibson P-94 in the neck. I want to try the Z90 for the neck, but I'm really happy with the sound of my guitar so I'm not going to touch it.

FWIW I tried the TBX tone control, but I pretty much left it wide open. Same thing with the Fender "noload" pots. Now the guitar does not have a tone control at all. I've NEVER missed it and this is in my main gigging guitar!

[11 Gauge]

i've heard most of the different HD's, and still have a Tele S90 in my possession.

they all sound good to me, and the workmanship is really good.

the output level on them can be a tad bit high, which seems to be one of their unique qualities. either you like this or you don't. sometimes i just can't get into how hard some of them whack the front end of my amp.

but i'd have to say that the best one of them all is the Z90. i have yet to hear any pickup that sounds even remotely similar. it is quite unique, and IMO in the best ways possible. the Z90 is inarguably a pickup with huge potential for any type of playing style.

if i had the bucks i'd drop a pair of Z90s in a guitar in a heartbeat - they're that good IMO, and you won't read that coming from me too often.

[Flaxena]

Just ordered some more HD tele pups myself. Great new stuff on the way from Scott including a tele neck pickup with a chrome cover!

[Kris]

It will be interesting how he does in keeping the open character of his pickups with this chrome cover.

Kris

[Flaxena]

No doubt. My friend's HD humbuckers are plenty clear, and so I will probably take the plunge.

[brassnuts]

I tried the V+ set in a MM 50s Tele about 4 years ago and ended up not liking them. To me they sounded too dark when playing clean and at the time I was doing country stuff using a lot of clean to slightly overdriven tones. I got the Lawrence L280s after those and liked that set better althoug those went with the MM 50s when I sold it. I've got a Hwy1 Tele now and will be swapping the stock p-ups out eventually. Most likely either Duncans or Hamels.

[Kris]

To me they sounded too dark when playing clean ...

That's why most of us put in a 500k volume pot and perhaps a TBX.

Kris

[halouis]

I really like the SUper 90 i have in the bridge of my Tele. with a 4 way switch, i get a wide range of tones.
pos1: neck only.
pos2: neck and bridge (Tapped)
pos3: bridge (tapped)
pos4: bridge (full)

the tapped super90 sounds very twangy and traditional on th emost part. kicking in to the full on s90 position adds serious p90 bark and growl. less twang for sure. more rock!

[BADFISH]

I needed a single coil pickup to fit in Humbucker routes (in my archtop) I wanted HD z90's..... I ended up getting Seymour Duncan Phat cat's .... Cheaper price, two day Free shipping etc. Both seemed like great pickups... the Duncans made more sense at the time (Money/time).

[Daddy Elmis]

getting ready to do some long overdue maintenance/upgrades on some guitars, and my Z90 equipped Epi LP is near the top.

I had installed a Torres BlueBucker wiring harness when I had the SD 59/JB combo in their. Replaced them with Z90's (which just fu@king rock), but I'm not happy with the wiring.

Somewhere, at some time, somebody posted info on the vol & tone pot values they used with Z90's, and I believe a cap across the vol?

Anyway, if anyone has that info I'd love a re-post.

Thanks.

[dhdfoster]

I keep reading how different, new, "amazing", and "Fffffffffffgreat!:(Redd V.) those Z-90s are. What's so different about them? I mean, people aren't just saying they are great pups, it's some seriously enthusiastic thumbs-up. Anyone know what's inside?

[paddywhack]

...i just this week received an bridge HD S-90 to pair with the Lollar P-90 in my Tele..(on a 4 way switch)...well worth the 6 week wait, it matches up very well with the Lollar and is the very best stand alone Tele bridge sound i've heard for my style and tastes....i'm gonna have to try a Z-90 now so i guess i'll another tele...

[Daddy Elmis]

They are basically as described on the Z90 site . . . they are not "typical" P90 sound, they are "more." They've been described as a very "full" sounding single coil, between a single coil and bucker. I find humbuckers too dark in almost every case (I guess I'm just a Strat/Tele kinda guy). The Z90's give me a "bigger" sound than any of my single coils, but still aggressive and biting when driven. They really do sound just fantastic, and for me anyway, exactly what I heard in my head and wanted to duplicate on my Epi LP. The Duncan JB 'bucker is really nice, but it's, well, a humbucker -- and I finally figured out I just don't care too much for humbuckers.

I've heard the SD Phat Cats, and they sound good, but the Z90's just kill through a tube amp. They are expensive at about $100 per from HD's site (cream covers), but to me they are worth the extra $20 or so from the competitors.

They really are that good.