humbucker sized p90s for cheapish?

DarkPenguin

DarkPenguin

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I've decided that I miss my Jaguar and its lovely p90s.  So I had the thought that I'm 90% of the way to a Les Paul Special with my PRS SE Santana.  It just needs p90s wedged into its humbucker sized cavities.

Thinking mojotone or railhammer gnarlys.  I know SD makes some, too.  I'm trying to get at LP Junior/special sound out of this thing.  Ideas?  $100 or less.
 
Guitar Fetish/GFS Dream 90's or Mean 90's (hotter wind) are a very reasonably priced P90ish pup in a standard HB format.


These two links are to the chrome covered units, but there's lots of other cosmetic treatments available - all black, black with chrome ring, mother-of-toilet seat, etc.


http://www.guitarfetish.com/Mean-90-True-Alnico-P90-Pickup-in-Humbucker-Case-Our-FATTEST-Mean-90-Chrome-NECK-Pickup_p_475.html
http://www.guitarfetish.com/Dream-90-Humbucker-SIzed-P90--Chrome-Case-_c_62.html
 
90's atent humbcking. The 180's don't really try to be humbucking p90's
 
While not Cheap , I've really enjoyed both my Gibson P94 and Harmonic Designs Z90  great pair and well worth it
 
swarfrat said:
90's atent humbcking. The 180's don't really try to be humbucking p90's
Click to expand...


Agreed.  Don't go for the 180s if you're after something that approximates P90 sounds.


Also, check with Ken Calvet at Roadhouse Pickups - he's sure to be able to wind something to suit, at a very reasonable price for custom work.


PM him at troubledtreble on this board.
 
I went with the GFS Mean 90s for the neck and bridge on my Bass VI and I love them.  I've recently been considering swapping them out for a set of EMG 57/66, but only to try something different, not because of any issues with the 90s.
 
Not to derail the thread too much, but I'm really liking the GFS Memphis. It's rude and nasty, but in a lot brighter manner, where the Mean 90 is rude and nasty at a lower frequency. Makes for a killer breaking glass JCM800 tight rhythm crunch.
 
I have a GFS Mean 90 in the neck position on a Soloist.  I really really like it, just got it to do something different and now it's my go-to neck pickup.  Can't say how it compares to a real P-90 though, never had one
 
The GFS's are great pickups, just don't view/listen to the clips that they provide.

Yeah, they use an 18 watt Marshall mic'd with a 57, but that's not the ideal setup for each pickup and its intended purpose.  Plus, all the players that they use, including Earl Slick, suck!

They should have multiple setups for the different purposes, like Vox AC'30's, Blackface Twins, Bassman 4x10's, JCM800 or 2k.

I've not been dissatisfied with any of their pickups that I've owned, & currently own.  Some have fit my purpose more than others, but the quality is still top notch.  Higher prices don't always equate to higher quality, and they've done a good job of proving that point. 

Their VEH pickups are really nice, so are their Alnico Pro II's.  I love my NEOTN7 in the neck of my Bari-Tele.

I only wish that they had a stacked one for hum cancelling, or a T-90 stack, but they've been pretty creative with lots of other stuff, including the RetroTron's.
 
I'm still mentally flipping the coin between Dream 90s and Mean 90s for my Brutal Legend V. Any input as to their differences? Reading the website descriptions don't really help.
 
The difference is  politeness. Dream has it. Mean most certainly does not.
 
anorakDan said:
I'm still mentally flipping the coin between Dream 90s and Mean 90s for my Brutal Legend V. Any input as to their differences? Reading the website descriptions don't really help.
Click to expand...

As [somebody] once said "talking about tone is like dancing about architecture". Means next to nothing, and the more they want to charge the more adjectives they use. Read some of Kinman's ads. You'd swear he or his marketing weenies were audiophiles or wine tasters.

Of course, GFS is not without sin. They talk a big game too, but at least they don't try to rob you in plain sight.

There's a school of thought that says to use lower output pickups if you want superior tonal characteristics. Lot to be said for that. Look how desirable old Gibson PAF 'buckers and their clones are. The thinking is you're gonna use a half-dozen distortion/overdrive/fuzz pedals between your guitar and amp, and the amp itself is gonna have an overdrive channel from hell. Why would you need the pickup of doom? Most of those sacrifice clarity and tone in the quest for transmission line output levels. If you get a pickup that sounds nice, you always have that option along with the ability to boost it to unadulterated insanity. If the pickup is already insane, there's nowhere to go.
 
There were as many bad PAF pickups as there were good, perhaps even far more. Some were awful. This is why companies like Seymour Duncan, Bill Lawrence and Dimarzio were born, because a lot of people wanted to change them. Those who persevered and had a good one have come out best because they now own a valuable classic. The modern pickup is made with greater accuracy and consistency and many would argue with better quality materials, so it is practically impossible to own a bad modern (but good brand) pickup. I think there is occasionally a lot of tosh talked about PAFs, but if you are lucky enough to have a genuine one and it's a good one then it's no doubt one of the best there is. However, most good quality modern pickups are as good if not better. I have never heard of a bad example of SD pickup (unless it was faulty which is rare).
 
swarfrat said:
The difference is  politeness. Dream has it. Mean most certainly does not.
Click to expand...

Thank you. Politeness is not a characteristic I necessarily want for this particular project so I think I'll go with the Means.
 
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