Best P90 Pickups Currently on Market?

[Chrismo]

Anyone have experience with the Lollar 50's Wind P-90's?

I've been looking into these pickups and received an e-mail about them.

My original e-mail:

Hi,

I’m thinking of using 2 P-90s in a Tele build with an alder body and maple neck. What set of your P-90s would retain a spanky quality but keeping a warm fatter tone? The underwound 50s set?

Please let me know. Thank you!

Greg from Lollar Pickups replied:

Hey Chris,

Thanks for checking with us.

Yes, our ‘50s set would be a great choice:
(link removed)

They have a nice top-end sparkle, but stay sweet and clear.

Regards,
GT

 

[Teleholder]

Thanks, Chrismo. That's great information. Mine would be going into a Squier Tele Custom. I've heard a few clips, all in Goldtops, but I love the vintage sound. Now it's just the price tag holding me back for now.

 

[mark norwine]

Speaking of P90's, has anyone tried the Fralin humbucking P90? Bill

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

I put a "5% under" in my '54 ES-175. WOW!

The world has been waiting for this pickup since 1946. Honestly, these are the best thing to happen in a very long time..... 100% P90 tone, but dead quiet. Quieter than some PAF-style pickups I own.

image removed

image removed

image removed

 

[ac15]

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

I put a "5% under" in my '54 ES-175. WOW!

Thanks for the detailed photos. That's a pretty slick design he came up with.

 

[mark norwine]

I *think* (could be wrong) that the old Gibson EBO pickup was similar...

 

[ac15]

To further throw a wrench in things (just another option), I recently put a TV Jones Filtertron in one of my P90 guitars. It sounds fantastic, as I do love the Filtertron tone. The example shown here is a "Powertron," but mine is the standard "TV Classic" Filtertron. Here it is. :

https://tvjones.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=0102-062

 

[mad dog]

Just put a set of the Harmonic Designs VP-90s in my Orville LP Special. This was already a damn nice guitar, now it's somewhere else altogether. I've heard plenty of nice P-90s ... these HDs are right up there with the best of them.

 

[TELE_BLUES]

'56 goldtop r.i.The goldtop w/p-90s imo the best of the best in les pauls.I have aset of rio grandes in a guitar right now and love 'em.I also have a set of MANLIUS "howlin goat" p-90's in a mahogany body les paul jr. type guitar.Vintage specs a very nice set of p-90's.I'll be contacting him for another set soon.He has a few set of p.u.'s on ebay right now.Plus he's only 1-1/2 hr away from me i'll have to stop in some time and check him out in person.

 

[Zhangliqun]

Well crap on a stick! Why didn't I think of that???

YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES! YES!

I put a "5% under" in my '54 ES-175. WOW!

The world has been waiting for this pickup since 1946. Honestly, these are the best thing to happen in a very long time..... 100% P90 tone, but dead quiet. Quieter than some PAF-style pickups I own.

image removed

image removed

image removed

 

[Jason Lollar]

I made something like that ten years ago but it sounded too much like a humbucker to my ear. Anyone seen soundfiles posted anywhere?

 

[garymaddox]

I made something like that ten years ago but it sounded too much like a humbucker to my ear. Anyone seen soundfiles posted anywhere?

My problem is ALL P90's sound like a humbucker to me. I guess I don't know how to listen right!

What's the secret?

 

[Zhangliqun]

I made something like that ten years ago but it sounded too much like a humbucker to my ear. Anyone seen soundfiles posted anywhere?

I take it the design is not patented then?

 

[Zhangliqun]

P90s are hard to mess up. I have played anything from the gibsons, duncans, dimarzios, and lollars. I love the lollars because I could switch magnet type.

You should be able to swap mags easily on any P90, especially soapbars. Easiest mag swap there is.

 

[Roli]

My problem is ALL P90's sound like a humbucker to me. I guess I don't know how to listen right!

What's the secret?

Haha, you're so right! They must sound similar, it's steel poles and lots of wire taking up a somewhat large, wide space in both cases. lol That means the aperture and the magnetic field is similar, so the sound is pretty similar too. Only the 2nd one is humbucking.

 

[Chrismo]

My problem is ALL P90's sound like a humbucker to me. I guess I don't know how to listen right!

What's the secret?

See, that's the beauty of a P-90. It's all in how you approach it.

If you play 'em as if they were a set of Tele pickups, they have a crystal clean spank, especially if they're a lower wind.

If you play 'em as a humbucker, really needing that extra crunch, you get it.

They are by far some of the most versatile pickups ever.

 

[david henman]

...i have a musicman albert lee with three p90s.

its hard to imagine a better sounding p90, but i'm curious to know how they compare to the ones touted here.

anyone?

-dh

 

[Arthur Dent]

Anyone tried these from Shed Pickups?

 

[Sollophonic]

I really like the second hand Kent Armstrong I put in this little thing

 

[valiant]

Bare Knuckle pickups in the U.K. are very highly rated and make a P90.....

 

[Steve McGinnis]

Fralin Hum Cancelling P-90's

I just put a set in my Les Paul Special (96). They sound fantastic! I originally liked the gibson bridge but the neck was too woofy. I got the Fralins for a good deal on ebay (170 for the pair) and put them in. Both the neck and bridge position improved dramatically.