Looking for P90 with clarity

[TeleUpNorth]

Recently purchased a Firefly Les Paul Jr. clone and looking to upgrade the dogear. The current one sounds good, but is lacking in more definition to my ears. May be part due to the fact that it’s closer to the neck than on a Gibson Jr. I’ve played with multiple shims and raising/lowering the pole pieces already. I play power-pop/indie rock music and am looking something with a bit more clarity. It’s a three piece band, and I play mostly rhythm with light drive, but occasional leads (usually with fuzz). Running through a master volume Twin Reverb or a Trainwreck style amp.

I’m currently looking at, and hoping to order one of these three:

Lollar P90
TV Jones T90
Freakin P90

Any thoughts either way from all you who have more experience with those pickups? Thanks in advance!

 

[jvin248]

.

Raise the screw poles, 1/8th in or more. Gives more clarity.

Measure and swap the pots n caps. You want higher kohms and lower uF for brighter and more clarity.

Last is swap the pickup, and if you are dilligent about the first two steps you won't need a new pickup. Otherwise you will flip through several pickups until you find one that matches the control parts better.

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[Danjabellza]

Lambertone Ristretto. It’s a p90, but sounds more like a thicker bigger strat pickup. Lots of clarity and chime while retaining that p90 bite and aggression. Check them out.

 

[kuch]

Recently purchased a Firefly Les Paul Jr. clone and looking to upgrade the dogear. The current one sounds good, but is lacking in more definition to my ears. May be part due to the fact that it’s closer to the neck than on a Gibson Jr. I’ve played with multiple shims and raising/lowering the pole pieces already. I play power-pop/indie rock music and am looking something with a bit more clarity. It’s a three piece band, and I play mostly rhythm with light drive, but occasional leads (usually with fuzz). Running through a master volume Twin Reverb or a Trainwreck style amp.

I’m currently looking at, and hoping to order one of these three:

Lollar P90
TV Jones T90
Freakin P90

Any thoughts either way from all you who have more experience with those pickups? Thanks in advance! View attachment 975935

Check out the attached video. It's the model I have:

It's plenty clean for me.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...384DB55CFFCBEA8A148B384&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

 

[Uncle Daddy]

I found Lindy fralin P90s to be quite polite.

 

[Swirling Snow]

Raise the poles. Be sure the pots are 500K. I like a .015 cap.

 

[brookdalebill]

You could also put a shim/spacer under the dogear cover to raise the pickup, if that’s an issue.
P90s are not generally clear sounding pickups, IMO.
The best I ever heard (IMO) were Rio Grande.
If you want clarity, Rio Grande, Tv Jones, and lots of other companies offer great solutions.

 

[TeleUpNorth]

You could also put a shim/spacer under the dogear cover to raise the pickup, if that’s an issue.
P90s are not generally clear sounding pickups, IMO.
The best I ever heard (IMO) were Rio Grande.
If you want clarity, Rio Grande, Tv Jones, and lots of other companies offer great solutions.

Which Rio Grande style? I see they have 3 available.

I’ve raised pole pieces and used some shims. I helped mildly, but still wasn’t getting much in the way of note clarity.

I think the pots could be swapped. Of course the previous owner nicely upgraded the wiring harness with CTS pots, but they are 250k.

 

[TeleUpNorth]

Check out the attached video. It's the model I have:

It's plenty clean for me.

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...384DB55CFFCBEA8A148B384&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

View attachment 975945

Stock Gibson? I’ve enjoyed the soapbars I had in a 50’s tribute LP!

 

[bgmacaw]

Of course the previous owner nicely upgraded the wiring harness with CTS pots, but they are 250k.

I recommend 500k pots with a no-load tone. Also, check your cap value and see if that's worth experimenting with.

 

[schmee]

Lollar makes a low wind P90 , I think it is about 6.1-6.5 k ohms.
Dont roll the tone down at all. In fact, take it out.
P90's sound best down a bit from the strings for most people compared with other pickups, but for clarity I'd adjust closer than most people do.
If the Master Volume on your Twin isn't wide open, that may be your issue. MV used any less then full volume muddy the sound a bit.

It's a amazing that anyone with a non neck pickup and a Twin wants more clarity! Many people have P90's for a bit of grit. Maybe you should consider the Gibson P100 noiseless, they are known to be cleaner.

 

[bgmacaw]

Another thing to check is the ohms on your current pickup. Sometimes Chinese P90's can be very hot, in the 14k ohms range. Epiphones are particular notorious for this. Replacing it with something in the vintage 7k ohm range, even a cheap P90, might help.

 

[darkwaters]

Stock Gibson? I’ve enjoyed the soapbars I had in a 50’s tribute LP!

I have the stock P90s in my Gibson SG. Plenty clean and clear to me. After all, they invented them.

 

[TeleUpNorth]

Another thing to check is the ohms on your current pickup. Sometimes Chinese P90's can be very hot, in the 14k ohms range. Epiphones are particular notorious for this. Replacing it with something in the vintage 7k ohm range, even a cheap P90, might help.

My guess is that is the biggest issue. I should truly own a meter for all the mods I do at home. Any recommendations on a cheap vintage style dogear? Or will there be a noticeable difference stepping up to the boutique?

 

[TeleUpNorth]

I have the stock P90s in my Gibson SG. Plenty clean and clear to me. After all, they invented them.

It’s near impossible to find a Gibson dogear second hand! I had one of the 2012 LP Tributes and the bridge P90 was killed.

 

[bgmacaw]

Any recommendations on a cheap vintage style dogear?

Guitar Madness on EBay is my recommendation for inexpensive (under $40) ones.

 

[TeleUpNorth]

Guitar Madness on EBay is my recommendation for inexpensive (under $40) ones.

I have some Surf 180’s in a Tele Deluxe build I stand behind!

 

[darkwaters]

It’s near impossible to find a Gibson dogear second hand! I had one of the 2012 LP Tributes and the bridge P90 was killed.

Bummer. Well then, if it were me I’d order one from Vineham Pickups. He’ll wind them however you want for $80Can.

P90_Pickups

 

[Si G X]

I think you are on to something @TeleUpNorth that pickup really needs to be back almost against the bridge for that biting jr sound. I think that will make a big difference tonally.

 

[brookdalebill]

Which Rio Grande style? I see they have 3 available.

I’ve raised pole pieces and used some shims. I helped mildly, but still wasn’t getting much in the way of note clarity.

I think the pots could be swapped. Of course the previous owner nicely upgraded the wiring harness with CTS pots, but they are 250k.

I’m sorry I don’t know.
They were installed in a LP Special, and it was close to 20 years ago.
Several then co-workers and I noticed they sounded great.
They were not noisy, and were fairly low output.
I don’t know if RG offered as many oltions back then.
As an aside, I put a bridge position Babybucker with a dogear mount in an Epi Wildkat.
It’s obviously not a P90, but it sounded great, and didn’t hum.
Good luck in your quest!