Most aggressive HB-sized single coils???

[jonrpick]

Just curious as to what's out there. I dropped some GFS Mean 90's in a Les Paul. I'm not digging them at all. In fact, it's made me strongly dislike playing what was once my main and favorite guitar.

I have a P90-equipped Les Paul Special double-cutaway clone. It sounds flat-out raunchy. Much meaner than the "Mean" 90's. The Mean 90's actually sound dull, and I find it impossible or difficult to get certain tones without adding gain with a pedal.

In comparison, I don't have to add anything to the LP Special clone, my other Les Paul (with PAF clones) or my Strat with slightly hot singles.

I want the grit and clarity that come with single coils, and a slightly hotter output. It needs to fit a humbucker ring. I don't care whether it's "accurate P90 tone" or not.

Recommendations?

 

[Jakeboy]

Contact Aaron at Rumpelstiltskin pickups. He wound me an HB-sized single coil that is like a Jazzmaster meets a Strat bridge pup on mega-steroids. Tell him Mark sent you...he will remember that pickup. It is in the photo above.

 

[Zepfan]

From sound bites and video's, I've liked the Gibson P94 and the SD P Rails for P90 tones.

 

[jonrpick]

From sound bites and video's, I've liked the Gibson P94 and the SD P Rails for P90 tones.

Keep in mind that I'm not looking for P90 tone specifically. Just a hot, aggressive single coil bite.

 

[DavidP]

Consider the GFS Surf 90...

 

[bender66]

The Mean 90's were an oxymoron IMO.

SD 1/4 Pounder or one of those Fender Hwy 1 bridge pickups could fit the bill.

 

[JD0x0]

Have someone wind you something with A8 rods wrapped with ~10,000 turns of plain enamel or Poly wire

 

[Rob DiStefano]

"Most aggressive HB-sized single coils???"

i think you really meant single coil footprint humbucker.

 

[jonrpick]

"Most aggressive HB-sized single coils???"

i think you really meant single coil footprint humbucker.

Nope... it's for a Les Paul. ;-)

 

[sjruvolo]

Coil split humbucker pick ups.

 

[Rob DiStefano]

Nope... it's for a Les Paul. ;-)

AH SO! a p94! very cool!

 

[Jonzilla]

Consider the GFS Surf 90...

Do you have experience with these? I'm basically wanting to do the same thing as jonrpick with my epi LP standard, but don't want the trial and error... Basically I plugged my buddy's old MIJ Casino (with P90s) into my silverface bassman and that easy breakup (compared to tele SC's) really appealed to me.

 

[MonkeyJefferson]

I have Mean 90s in a tele, they are not P90s in any sense. They have not aged well, I never touch the guitar they're in, and I'm saving up for Lollars. The Mean90 neck has a decent clean sound, but not at all what you signed up for.

Now a SD Phat Cat is a whole different business. Traded a buddy for a bridge one, put it in an old HH route I had- MEOW! There's a cat in the name for a reason. One of my best sounds. Very, very much what I wanted in the Mean 90s.

 

[Colors]

I like Seymour Duncan Phat Cats. Brighter than a P-90, good mids, and they don't lack for punch.

 

[jvin248]

.

You gotta open up the control circuit. Measure some higher value volume pots (says 500k on the can but could be 550k measured, and you want that end of the tolerance). Try different tone caps, I start with 0.033uF in a 100-200volt package (if it's not as thick as your pinkie you want a bigger one, doesn't have to be orange color though). You might even need to put a regular green poly cap in series with the hot lead of your bridge pickup like an 0.047 one you just took out to put the 0.033 in).

The other avenue, look for those zebra cream or zebra red humbuckers on ebay in the 14-16kohm range, dismantle and split so you get single coil option. Ceramic magnet but you are searching for heat. The guitar below has one this way and it's a lot of fun both HB and SC (push/pull pot).

.

 

[Zepfan]

Keep in mind that I'm not looking for P90 tone specifically. Just a hot, aggressive single coil bite.

GFS has those HB sized-single coil Gold Foil pickups. They also sell a HB sized adapter for mounting single coil pickups in a HB pocket. Tele pups in a LP comes to mind.

 

[bender66]

Nope... it's for a Les Paul. ;-)

All the time I read it as you asked and my brain still answered you as if you were looking for a sc.

D'oh.

 

[DavidP]

Re: Surf 90s:

Do you have experience with these?

Yes, I currently have one in the neck of my main gigging tele, paired with a hot 60s alnico bridge.
This combo works for me, after a LOT of swapping in both positions. I tried GFS Dream/Mean 90s, SD Phat Cat, BK Mississippi Queen in the neck and IMHO all lacked the clarity I was looking for but found in the Surf 90. FWIW, I play mainly alt country so look for both cleans and gnarly in my tone.

 

[blowtorch]

Surf 90s to me are quite bright, and while they are strong and clear enough, I wouldn't characterize them as aggressive. I find them quite reminiscent of the Dearmond single coils which I believe they were based on

 

[blowtorch]

As long as we're talking GFS, they make goldfoil-types that I'd say are kinda "forward" sounding, but in a Jack White/Dan Auerbach kinda way. At least the single coil ferrite one I have in this is: