P-90 vs. Fender Single Coil Difference?

[rokdog49]

Can anyone tell me the tonal difference between these two?
Is there a comparable single coil bridge that sounds like a P-90 and vice versa?

 

[zooyuka]

Don't know much about it, but this might be something you are interested in.

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[Mike Simpson]

A P-90 IS a single coil pickup....


You would be better off listening to the different pickups rather than depending on sonic descriptions which are always subjective. There are companies that market Tele shaped pickups and Humbucker shaped pickups as sounding like a P-90. A large part of each pickup designs character is rooted in the shape of the coils used. A P-90 is a wide flat coil like a Jazzmaster as compared to a Fender narrow coil or a HB with 2 narrow coils. Often the magnet type and resistance is used that is similar to a P-90 and the non P-90 is marketed as "sounds like a P-90" but one of the main sonic components is missing... the coil shape and the amount of coil area under the strings.

I really like P-90's...
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[furtherpale]

Don't know much about it, but this might be something you are interested in.

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I have that, and it's matching neck pup... Spectacular

 

[Zexcoil]

Both are single coils.

Most P90s use steel screw pole pieces and have external (typically) AlNiCo magnets.

Conventional Strat type single coils use cylindrical AlNiCo magnets for the pole piece.

The steel pole piece (steel poles are also typically used in humbuckers) lends a fatter tonal response, with a comparatively lower resonant frequency, whereas the AlNiCo pole piece yields a sharper response and a higher resonant frequency, all other things being equal.

The coil shapes are also different. The P90 is shorter and fatter, which also plays into some of the tonal differences.

There are a few makers that do screw type or steel slug poles in a Strat type format, Fralin's steel pole, Vintage Vibe makes one. There are a few others as well.

We do some stuff that is kind of in between, our SV5+ and Fat Singles are definitely fatter than a standard, but not quite P90 fat - pushing into that territory, though. We do some stuff that is fatter, too.

 

[bigmuff113]

I just want to point out that Jazzmaster pickups and P90s ARE NOT THE SAME

 

[Mike Simpson]

I just want to point out that Jazzmaster pickups and P90s ARE NOT THE SAME

A Jazzmaster coil shape is much closer to a P-90 than the other coil shapes used to supposedly emulate a P-90 but a Jazzmaster uses magnet poles instead of steel poles with a magnet on the bottom like a P-90. I wonder why no one is marketing a Tele pickup that sounds like a Jazzmaster?


These Fezz Parka FP-90 pickups are P-90 coils with magnet poles so it crosses between the Jazzmaster and a P-90

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[Zexcoil]

These Fezz Parka FP-90 pickups are P-90 coils with magnet poles so it crosses between the Jazzmaster and a P-90

And staple P90s had AlNiCo poles. Ron Thorn makes one these days.