using 2 P90 as bass guitar pickups

[Mathieugr]

I pretty much like the idea of using a guitar P90 as a bass guitar pickup, which users on Talkbass.con have reported works fine.

Would it be a good idea to route 2 P90 by-by-side to get a beefy humbucker tone in addition to the single coil P90 sound?

 

[BroccoliRob]

Now THAT'S the kinda thinkin outside the bun I come here for. Aces, mates, aces. I vote get two bodies and try it both ways.  :headbang1:

 

[mayfly]

This idea is killer.  No matter what you do it should sound great.

However,

IMHO the P90 bobbin width is to large to create a proper 'humbucking' combination with to P90's side by side.  That is, I don't think it would work that well.  For noise reduction that is.  Probably would sound killer.

 

[bagman67]

But if you have a pair of P90's that are RWRP with respect to each other shouldn't that give you hum cancellation?  Or does that depend on physical proximity of the coils as well as opposed current?  Must the two coils,  in addition to be being RWRP, also be as close to the same spot as possible under the vibrating string?

 

[Cagey]

Coil proximity to each other isn't important outside of what they're exposed to. For a practical example, the noise reduction system I can never remember the name of puts a large coil on the back of the guitar to cancel the noise of single coil pickup(s) on the front.

 

[AirCap]

Coil proximity to each other isn't important outside of what they're exposed to. For a practical example, the noise reduction system I can never remember the name of puts a large coil on the back of the guitar to cancel the noise of single coil pickup(s) on the front.

Fender Elites were done this way in the 80's - both Strats and Teles.

 

[swarfrat]

Let's not forget the bazillions of RW/RP strats out there. Or this thing for that matter:

 

[Cagey]

The Suhr unit is not it, but it's very similar to what I'm thinking of. I think somebody used the system here not long ago. Supposed to work pretty well, albeit not perfectly. I suspect all noise reduction/elimination schemes (outside of gates) based on filtering suffer the same side effect, where the lack of interference actually changes the original "tone" enough that it can be heard, since the noise itself changes the original signal due to interacting augmentation/cancellation.

 

[Fat Pete]

No reason why P90s wouldn't work well for bass, go for it. Hum cancellation will work as long as one is RW/RP relative to the other - both in parallel and series, with the latter mode probably making for a something of a 'mudbucker' - not necessarily undesirable, but bear it in mind when you're working out how to wire it.

@Cagey I think you're thinking of Ilitch's systems.

 

[Cagey]

That's it.

 

[Mathieugr]

Thanks guys for the feedback! Now to the question of where to get a P90-routed T-bass (as in telecaster-guitar shaped) body...