Firebird pups versus P-90's
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rockskate4x
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minibuckers in general sound like a normal humbucker, but with less output and more "fenderish" tonality... if that makes any sense... They got a sweet sound...
rockskate4x
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The P-90 is the one that I'd call a fat single coil more than anything... I'd say that it's just short of a humbucker in sound but still rocks!!!
I used to have a guitar with Seymour minibuckers, but from what I've read, those are constructed differently than traditional Firebird pickups (IIRC, something about one magnet per pole piece in the Firebird versus just a miniaturized version of the PAF)
I was looking at Lollar Firebird pickups, and he says they sound different than his mini humbuckers.
http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LGP&Product_Code=242&Category_Code=humbucker-pickups
But if, in general, Firebird pups sound just like any other mini HB, hey, that's good info, too!
I was looking at Lollar Firebird pickups, and he says they sound different than his mini humbuckers.
http://www.lollarguitars.com/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=LGP&Product_Code=242&Category_Code=humbucker-pickups
But if, in general, Firebird pups sound just like any other mini HB, hey, that's good info, too!
Unwound G
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Firebird mini-buckers are constructed differently to Les Paul Deluxe mini-buckers.
The Deluxe mini-buckers are a smaller version of their full sized humbuckers where the bar magnet sits at the bottom of the two coils. The slugs and screw adjustable pole pieces are extensions from the bottom bar magnet. A P90 pickup is actually half of a humbucker with a bottom bar magnet and a wider coil bobbin sitting on top. The adjustable polepieces are just extensions from the bottom magnet. Because of the wider coil on top of a wider magnet and more windings, this pickup has a creamier tone with just enough spank to make it unique. The problem is that it really hums when close to an amp.
Firebird min-buckers are constructed using a U shaped magnet with 2 coil bobbins wound around each blade. The magnetic field is more focussed and thus more "Stratty" but without the hum.
Both pickups are different and each have its unique tone. To appreciate their tones, listen to some older Johnny Winter songs and then listen to Leslie West in his Mountain heydays.
The Deluxe mini-buckers are a smaller version of their full sized humbuckers where the bar magnet sits at the bottom of the two coils. The slugs and screw adjustable pole pieces are extensions from the bottom bar magnet. A P90 pickup is actually half of a humbucker with a bottom bar magnet and a wider coil bobbin sitting on top. The adjustable polepieces are just extensions from the bottom magnet. Because of the wider coil on top of a wider magnet and more windings, this pickup has a creamier tone with just enough spank to make it unique. The problem is that it really hums when close to an amp.
Firebird min-buckers are constructed using a U shaped magnet with 2 coil bobbins wound around each blade. The magnetic field is more focussed and thus more "Stratty" but without the hum.
Both pickups are different and each have its unique tone. To appreciate their tones, listen to some older Johnny Winter songs and then listen to Leslie West in his Mountain heydays.
Cool, will do!
I'll have three routs, so I was thinking about maybe P-90/Firebird/P-90.
I really like the little amount of time I've spent with a P-90 guitar, but I think the Firebird pups have something to offer me, too.
Or maybe I should build one and then the other...
I'll have three routs, so I was thinking about maybe P-90/Firebird/P-90.
I really like the little amount of time I've spent with a P-90 guitar, but I think the Firebird pups have something to offer me, too.
Or maybe I should build one and then the other...
rockskate4x
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nice, I've never heard of those pup combinations... let us know how it works out... sounds interesting...
I e-mailed the guys over at Lollar, and the sales manager had this to say:
"The Firebird sounds like a fat single coil... lots of snap and clarity. The P90 has more mids, will growl a bit more, and sound fatter when driving an amp hard.
Both are great sounding pickups... I had a player today who is using a combination of P90s and Firebirds."
I suggested the Firebird in the middle setup, and he said that's what his customer had, and apparently it worked out well. I'll definitely need to pick up some chrome covers for the P-90's though to balance things out.
"The Firebird sounds like a fat single coil... lots of snap and clarity. The P90 has more mids, will growl a bit more, and sound fatter when driving an amp hard.
Both are great sounding pickups... I had a player today who is using a combination of P90s and Firebirds."
I suggested the Firebird in the middle setup, and he said that's what his customer had, and apparently it worked out well. I'll definitely need to pick up some chrome covers for the P-90's though to balance things out.
I'm not 100% on this, but pretty much all of his solo/Crazy Horse stuff except for the 2 or 3 first ones and Tonight's the Night (Broadcaster). CSNY is mainly Gretsch hollowbodies. For Ragged Glory and Weld he uses a clone built to the same specs as Old Black ('53 LP Gold Top, FB pickup, bigsby), which had hotter output and was less microphonic (apparently you can talk through the FB pickup on Old Black...) but that newer guitar appears to have been retired. Around Greendale a few years ago Old Black was refretted - for the first time!
Keyser Soze
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Live Rust is definitive Old Black tone. But it's also Neil Young playing through a very particular tweed Deluxe.
To my ears firebird pickups tend to have a compressed bright tone - like a strat pickup set as close to the strings as possible and run into a hot amp. Strum lightly and they are nice and warm, dig hard into the strings and things thicken up quickly but perceived volume may not change drastically.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_nwbTeIN4Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KxiEjPCXA8&feature=related
P90s do tend to have more mid range fatness than other single coils (but - big caveat - there is alot more variation between makes of P90 style pickups) but also have the greater dynamics of a true single coil pickup, and the top end stays bright and punchy. Play lightly and you'll get a sweet,low volume output, dig hard into the strings and you will get alot more output - which may or may not breakup depending on the amp and how it is set up.
To my ears firebird pickups tend to have a compressed bright tone - like a strat pickup set as close to the strings as possible and run into a hot amp. Strum lightly and they are nice and warm, dig hard into the strings and things thicken up quickly but perceived volume may not change drastically.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_nwbTeIN4Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KxiEjPCXA8&feature=related
P90s do tend to have more mid range fatness than other single coils (but - big caveat - there is alot more variation between makes of P90 style pickups) but also have the greater dynamics of a true single coil pickup, and the top end stays bright and punchy. Play lightly and you'll get a sweet,low volume output, dig hard into the strings and you will get alot more output - which may or may not breakup depending on the amp and how it is set up.
rockskate4x
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I'd like to see a guitar with a firebird pup, a les paul mini-bucker, and and p-90, ALL LOLLARS!!! I think that would be the awesomest thing...
put it in a very warm body... like korina or mahogany or even rosewood...
put it in a very warm body... like korina or mahogany or even rosewood...
