How To Build A P-90 Pickup

How to build a vintage, 50's style P-90 from basic parts.
For more information, visit schuylerdeanpi...
Win this pickup on 9/6/2019 by subscribing to the channel, giving it a thumbs up/down, and commenting your favorite P-90 player in the comments.

[@anthonycandell5397]

Just started a Telecaster build with P90s. Haven't been playing long but I love the sound of these pickups. Lots of versatility. I really enjoyed Wes Montgomery. He played on P90s. Keep up the great videos and thanks for doing them.

[@miguelalfonzo9873]

My favourite artist who plays p90s very often is Rhett Shull

[@ChasesWKshop]

Had a subscriber recommend your channel. I was using vintage enamel 42 gauge and he told me to watch this vid about sanding the lead ends. I was having to reheat the leads to get it to make a good connection. Nice work man! Thanks for the info. Love the channel!

[@officialclwmusic]

My favorite artist who plays with P90 pick ups is Mountain. Thank you!

[@zaxmaxlax]

I agree with you 100% P-90's are the best of both worlds. I used to be a strat guy but then I picked up a p-90 SG. I avoided SGs because I associated them with the humbucker sound but then I realized Santana, Pete townshed, Tony Iommy, Robby Krieger and even Angus Young all used SGs with p-90s at some point.

[@riaannieuwoudt1817]

Great video! To the point with just great solid conversation... I play p- 90 pick ups... Have a prosperous 2020 thanks for sharing this video!

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Thanks Riaan!

[@josepheucolono]

My favorite artist John Fogarty

[@IwoIwanov]

This is so cool. I've always wanted to know how these P90s are made. - Thanks for the video.

[@railroadofficial6569]

I'm a bit late, but Charlie Starr is playing P-90 ;-) Enjoyed this video!

[@LogicalQ]

The pickup test strat is awesome

[@BBGuitars]

Not sure if any of my favourite artists use a p90, but id still love a shot at winning so I can try one for myself!

[@scottmartinezguitarandbass]

Very informative. Making my first one right now.

[@edadpops1709]

Id say my fav p-90 players would be Bob Marley, Gary Clark Jr and John Lennon.thanks for this build 😎

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

You're the winner!! Congratulations.

[@edadpops1709]

did I win a pickup [e-mail]

[@brandonduran8217]

Paul Westerberg - The Replacements

[@johnadams4107]

Joey Landreth is my favorite p90 user !

[@johnlait1654]

I don't even care that the competitions over this video is awesome, I am going to give at a go and if a can make something David Gilmour would like.

[@MustafaBaabad]

Excellent presentation to make us understand hownour pickups are made. Thank you!

[@l5e2n9]

My favorite artist that uses P90 is Sugizo lead Guitarist of Luna Sea and X Japan. He uses them exclusively

[@Wodawic]

Outstanding video. I (sort of) appreciate you not giving links to the products you used. Better that we get to figure all that out on our own. Not being smug, that's actually true, and the only way can all figure out our own tone. Keep it up dude, great work! Cheers RC

[@joematson3873]

My favorite p90 artist is Leslie West.

[@voodoocustompickups2547]

Very nice and informative. Alot of "how tos" don't go into detail or really talk about what they are doing and why

[@elonmust7470]

I need double the juice. John Bitch magnum type stuff. Having said that. Mr. Iommi is my favorite p90 player!

[@hypnothang]

Fav P90 player - The late great - Sean Costello

[@erhulover]

Great job, eye opening detailed process!

[@theAxehound]

I want to build a humbucker out of two P90's in series! Do you think it could be done on 7 string bobbins and would two 7 string bobbins fit under a soapbar cover? That would be the greatest pickup ever!

[@ryanrobertson4001]

Best tutorial yet

[@shapeflicker1999]

One of my favorite albums ever was all played on a squier jazzmaster with P90s. It's called Languager and its by Zoo Strategies. Really cool angular melodies and syncopated rhythms on it.

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

I'll have to check that one out!

[@nathansarver]

Jazzmaster pickups are a bit different from P90s. They’re shorter and wider, with magnetized pole pieces instead of bar magnets, and P90s have more breakup. I looked Zoo Strategies up, and he really does get a great tone from that Squier.

[@romantea3506]

Thanks for sharing. Nice stuff. Would you make a video of a p90 hum cancelling pickup? Would love to see that.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

I like the tone Pete Townend got using those SG special guitars.

[@kellypeterson2625]

Loving your videos The pickup test guitar is cool

[@paulcarver973]

Im late on this ,i have learned what i wanted to know about solid top humbuckers.thankyou so much,i really needed the info... :)

[@jimicrack29]

i know nothing. ex cept warm beer. super video thank you for share.

[@AmoreMusicale]

Joey Landreth! P90 in his 54 copy

Great video-I'm a fan.

[@dougreed9843]

O learned alot bro I have never seen any pickup made and today learned about the P90 I'm a atrat guy had a LP when I was a kid didn't like it was heavy and difficult at 12 to be able to stand and play it. so played strat later in life stayed with it. I have some pickups on my latest they are Duncan's with 2 rows if screws thinking I should find out what they are maybe I will I'm not digging on the sound of this Strat might be the Roland I'm not digging on anyway

[@scottmartinezguitarandbass]

I would love for you to talk about your TEST guitar, maybe give a wiring diagram/demo or something! I want to build one!

[@arthays5327]

Enjoyable and informative video.

[@mariamagdalena7147]

Hello Schuyler Dean, PLEASE, could'nt you do a p100 Pickup ??? I' need to see it be done.....Thank ya - and best regards from northern Germany, -- ..............

[@jamescopeland5358]

Cool pickups

[@HearGear]

This is quite interesting, I have a question though, what if I wind a bridge pickup P90 and I wind 12k revolutions AWG42, it will be significant darker in the tone compared to a neck pickup, what if I try compensate that 12k revolution darker pickup with a capacitor of some sort soldered on the pot, to get the high output but with clarity.. would it work ? Thanks for the video.. :D

[@fat-hand]

Thanks for the clear simple tutorial! It appears you soldered the finish pigtail to positive, and the start pigtail to the base plate (negative), correct?

[@CitizenofMelee]

Wes Montgomery was pretty awesome.

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Thanks for watching!

[@mathew2818]

When making a pair (neck/bridge) could you balance them using different magnets? Say A2 neck and A4 or 5 in the bridge. How would that compare to balancing them using different winds? Great vids!! Thanks in advance

[@raoulduke344]

I'd love to know that answer too.

[@edadpops1709]

Awesome thanks for this

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Thanks for playing

[@extramile734]

40 yrs.

[@jacobcox9437]

I have a guitar with P90's and like you said, they are pretty noisy. I want to reduce the hum if possible. I know that flipping the polarity of the magnets on different pickups cancels hum when they are both active. If I flip one magnet on one pickup so that the magnets on the same pickup are opposite (one with north up and the other south up (again, on the same pickup)) would it reduce hum?

[@stu-j]

Your pickups a relatively cheap for hand wound vintage pickups so awesome job on pricing. Next question do you ship to the UK? Definitely subbed.

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Sure do! You can order via my website and arrange shipping there.

[@stephentanner7415]

P 90 Pete townshend.thank you

[@brentstewart4360]

Pete Townshend played some P-90 SGs, but they may not have survived!

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Haha! Thanks for watching!

[@brunoCondor]

I think a P-90 really belongs in an SG guitar.. so.. i defenitly vote for Angus Young ! Thanks for clearing this up.. nice tutorial, although i will have to watch it over how to attach the leads. It's not zoomed in and a bit to far away for my older eyes. Any chance to demonstrate how to wind a coil tapped strat or humbucker coil ( not coil split ) ? This seems to be a big secret. I know you need to solder another wire, where you want it, and i suppose tape it of and drill a third eyelet ? Thanks in advance ! Greets.

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Coil-tapped pickup is a good idea! I'll zoom in more in the future. Thanks Bruno!

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

I realize this is a little bit older video but I’ve noticed that when guys spec out vintage P90’s especially when you look at the older AlNiCo V Gibson pickups the neck pickup is often a few tenths of an ohm higher resistance (hotter) than the bridge pickup. So is that just a relic of the AlNiCo V being in the neck and needing different winding specs or what? Not trying to point fingers and say you’re incorrect or anything, just curios because I want to build some pickups of my own and you definitely have me beat in experience. I just know what I’ve read and it tends to show these older P90 “sets” having a slightly hotter neck pickup. Usually these measurements are taken at the output jack so could the extra resistance be a result of the extra wire required to reach from the neck area to where the controls are typically mounted? Great video! Thanks!!!

[@viktorpetrenko5361]

Resistance has nothing to do with hotness, at least not directly. DC resistance depends not only on amount of wraps but also on wire gauge. Which means pickup with lower resistance can still be hotter (to have more wraps or more powerful magnet). By changing gauge they usually control bass amount you get from the pickup while keeping amount of wraps around the same for both neck and bridge pickups. But in case if pickups are identical, even if they do exactly the same amount of wraps wire is still not ideal, so there is always difference, e.g. they were pulling wire harder when producing second pickup and it became thinner. Wires that connect pickups are thick as hell compared to copper wire in the pickup itself. piece that connects pickups to switch and jack has resistance close to 0.

[@vtwinbuilder3129]

Victor Petrenko I’m not Seth Lover but I would agree with most of what you said. Where I disagree is when you say that resistance doesn’t effect “hotness” of a pickup. Maybe I need to define “hotness”, when I use the term I mean to say high output. While number of turns and wire gauge will effect/vary the sound and resistance pickup, I know enough about electricity to know that the amount of resistance in the pickup does have an effect on pickup output. Generally speaking a pickup with 15 ohms of resistance is going to produce a “hotter” or higher output signal to the amp when compared to a pickup with 9 ohms or resistance. A pickup is just a very simple generator and increasing winding and thus resistance will have an effect on output. If this wasn’t the case so called “overwound” pickups wouldn’t exist. Of course the wire gauge and type and magnet type as well as construction have an effect as well but the windings and the magnet are the heart of the sound as I understand it. I appreciate your point of view and the information you’ve provided me but my original question still remains to be answered if anyone knows.

[@smokepeddler]

Output. (Volume)has more to do with magnet strength than windings. When I think of hotness I think of how fast a pickup starts to clip the signal., which has more to do with the coil windings.

[@ronmyers8282]

Pete Townshend for starters

[@leoleorueras904]

If I remove 4 poles and replace it with plastic ones, will the pickup just absorb the tone from the strings relative to the remaining 2 poles? Thanks in advance for the answer. :)

[@ryanrobertson4001]

Helpful, but the details were hidden by your hands. The missing information for me.

[@roscius6204]

Putting a different base plate on a Seymour Duncan SP90 and noticed the magnets are offset quite dramatically. Is this a thing? they're equally offset

[@therockandrollcreeps9398]

waht happens if you reverse teh pole of the magnet.

[@docsiltanen]

Great video !!!... where do you buy the Elektrisola wire ??? seems hard to source in the US or Canada ???

[@jeffreypinnow]

Overall player has to be Gary Clark Jr., but if I could pick and choose songs from someone's catalog the list would be endless. Also, important to note P90s not Jazzmaster pickups.

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Yes, P-90s are not Jazzmaster pickups. Very different.

[@bobless5517]

Did you use as a "hot" coil start? Thanks!

[@smokepeddler]

Alnico 3. Interesting.

[@AmIonArock]

without sounding gay, I love your channel, the mentality and your insight. Its just and dirty garage work. wish I could hang out and work for you making pickups, what could be better. [This could>>>] Playing your guitar with a pickup that you just made.. I dig your experimental strat with the p-90's. I own a Epiphone LQ Les Paul jr. Nitro 17 degree headstock set in neck MIJ its badass. it has a P-90 wonder can there be improvement?

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

Thanks, man!

[@versechorusverse2470]

I just want to build a p90 pickup without a kit. Could you do one of those?

[@ryanrobertson4001]

So start goes to ground?

[@Andluth]

What brand model of gauss meter are you using? Thanks

[@mgtgaming6810]

how many turns

[@marcuslacovara6982]

Glassjaw, Daryl Palumbo

[@noreaction1]

Chris Buck

[@dankingsleyyyy]

What differentiates a regular p90 from like a porter t90 other than size? Because it’s done in a tele format but has a thicker sound

[@therockandrollcreeps9398]

if you have a two p90 pickup guitar, and both pickups are wound same direction but magnets are reveresed one pic causing it to go to go out of phase like you said , would that cancel hum? or does it require a reverse wind?

[@JodyParsons]

How would one go about building a P94?

[@roelschouten8834]

Hi. can you please tell me where you got your gauss meter from. thanks

[@furkanaydin1977]

Jared James Nichols

[@edadpops1709]

How much start lead do you tape to the bobbin ,doesnt it get in the way

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

about 4 inches at least. I tape it to the metal winder arm and then take the tape off once the coil is complete.

[@mikki9644]

Hey where to find a winder like that?

[@alajadarrenflores1550]

billie joe armstrong

[@hansonigor]

If the pickups components are standard, 42 awg copper wire - too, and it’s carefully wounded 9000-10000+.... why are custom build cost $100+ and chinese ones $10? Where’s the magic happens?

[@pubworx]

One obvious factor is manufacturing cost. Hand made in America of course will cost more than machine made in China. Another factor is the quality of the parts. $10 won’t even buy you 6 high quality Alnico rods.

[@FrioGamingOverwatch]

I've been trying to build a Multiscale (like Ormsby or Strandberg) guitar with angled P90 pickups but a lot of builders say that it isn't possible because of the way these particular pickups are built, but I don't they're telling the truth. Is it possible to make it work?

[@damienalvarez2957]

Danelectro has a guitar with an angled P90 neck pickup so whoever said it can’t be done lacks imagination.

[@506Blues]

Do you make gluten free pickups?

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

No but they are cage free

[@wmw0702]

@@SchuylerDeanPickups At least you do care for the welfare of the pick-ups that you make and sell

[@terryjohinke8065]

Not clear as the camera seems too far away.

[@kiyanharchegani2588]

make me a set of p90s but in 8 string

[@brucemaushart2100]

Just want to win it..lol

[@xylonguitars]

Ry Cooder

[@davimikifferdacosta9019]

What is the MASCHINE MODEL?

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

It's an old Schatten

[@dalgguitars]

why didn't you use a black and a white lead wire so someone else would know start finish?

[@iridios6127]

DALG Guitars It doesn’t matter. There no such things like "start" or "finish". If you don’t know the basics, do not poke hot iron in guitar guts.

[@dalgguitars]

@@iridios6127 One lead from the pickup is the start of the wind, the other is the finish of the wind. It matters when you are wiring more than one pickup on a guitar.

[@iridios6127]

+@@dalgguitars What kind of catastrophic disaster would happen if "wrong" were to connect the ends of the wires ?

[@axelmorisson]

@@iridios6127 it does not matter for a single pickup ( SG Juniors and the like) but it means the world when there's two or more- you see, you want to know what ends are what so you can wire them in phase for stronger sounds and out of phase for shimmery weak but interesting, hollow sounds. Or if you go for simple mods, you must put them all in phase.. same as speakers.. the reason why speaker wires are colored are for you to know what goes where so the sound is what you expect not out-of phase artifacts...

[@iridios6127]

@@axelmorisson Almost all modern circuits contain 1 pickup out of phase for the humbucking effect.

[@lastra1987]

I wanna win!!! Please!!!!!

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

who is your favorite artist who plays P-90s?

[@lastra1987]

@@SchuylerDeanPickups Charlie Christian and Carlos Santana 👐😍

[@Thoracius]

The P-90s in my Casino have way too high impedance -- 11.9k neck and 11.6k bridge. Really unbalanced volumes too. They have no twang or character really -- lack clarity, punch, tightness, and definition. Muddy, indistinct. Definitely not woody sounding, unfortunately. It's a shame. The guitar is otherwise fun the play. Tone is useable, but in some contexts kind of ruins the mix with its mud.

[@johnford8591]

John Lennon

[@thefatcat1895]

What s the wire gauge sir?

[@SchuylerDeanPickups]

42 AWG

[@thefatcat1895]

@@SchuylerDeanPickups Thank u sir 👍

[@soapboxearth2]

When you soldered the enamel wire all you old see was the back of your hand. So unless you already know how to make a p90, this video is pointless