Mojotone '56 Quietcoil vs Gibson Historic P90 | Pickup Shootout

[@aj81ds]

Great info on this video. I was researching for a noiseless P90 and loved what I read about the '56 Quiet coil on the mojotone site. I was hoping to find one that I didn't have to cut into the body too. So next, I started looking on YT to hear how the pup sounded. I love that this pup drops right in the cavity and the significant drop in noise without sacrificing the tone is great.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Thanks so much for leaving a comment 🙏🏻 I had a lot of fun making this and learned a lot myself. Working on bunch of videos currently showing off a bunch of other noiseless P90 Bridge options. Stay tuned.

[@tomw9875]

@@TheSoundCoop "low noise" is a good, general way, to describe pickups like these. Lace Sensors are "low noise" too. Great video, thank you.

[@larrybethune3909]

Thanks. Guitar sounds great! For reference, the QQ's I have in my gold top are more quite than my les pauls with humbuckers.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Thanks so much for the suggestion. I'm in the process of doing a P90 pickup shootout for one pickup guitars, and I will add one of these pic-ups to the list. Is there a specific Q pickup you recommend or do you just recommend their plain old Q P90?

[@elynnshiflett]

Thanks for the comparison. Surprisingly, I prefer the mojotone. I like having you talking about the tone in the room and the differences you are hearing. That is something we cannot reference on the video.

[@TheSoundCoop]

I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I tried to be as thorough as possible and give plenty of audio examples to support what I'm hearing. It was a fun test to run! Thanks for watching 🙌🏻

[@Myself6M]

Actually Faraday Cages improve noise when the noise source is at the same side of the barrier. In that case, the Faraday Cage makes the noise worse because it forces the noise to stay in the same room with yourself instead of dispersing in free space. Which ends up amplifying it.

[@TheSoundCoop]

It was just an analogy. My room isn't really a Faraday Cage. But, ya, all the noise IS on my side of the wall barrier 🤣 Buzzzzz

[@RichardSchumann-d6k]

I have a '61 Gibson Melody Maker I'm in the process of up grading and the side by side comparison was very helpful. I try to be a purest in older projects, but this time I may change to non-traditional pick ups as long as they look original. Am converting from a 1 p/u to a 2 p/u on this project and the mojotone is now in the running as the replacement. Thanks for the comprehensive comparison.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Thanks for watching. And I'm so glad it helped ya out. Would love to see pics in that Melody Marker if you happen to have an IG? Regardless, the '56 Mojotone is still an absolute joy. I recently got another Junior just to try out some other noiseless P90 options. But I think the Mojotone is gonna stay in this Murphy Lab forever. Please let me know how the Mojotone two pickup set works out for ya. I'd love to know how that '56 neck pup sounds. Cheers!!

[@HeathAllyn]

Very helpful. I have 2 guitars with P90s and I love the tone but cannot STAND how noisy they are. I was going to go with Kinman noiseless P90s as I've used their single coils and love them, but decided to give the Mojotone a try. I've ordered the 56 QC pickups for both (one set of soapbar and one set of dogear). I hope I made the right choice!

[@TheSoundCoop]

If it makes you feel any better, I'm playing this Junior more with this Mojotone than I was without it. And that's really saying something because I've been pretty much addicted to this Junior since I got it. I've got Fralin P90s in two other guitars and have always loved them. Haven't done a proper shootout. But I'm not feeling like the Fralin is any better.

[@GabeHelma]

Ive had a project in my brain for a few years now. A precision guitar kits D.C. Jr with a music city bridge and a mojotone quiet coil P90. I keep pushing it back due to other priorities in life but man i cant wait to get started!

[@TheSoundCoop]

I think you're in for a treat when the timing is right for you. I've always wanted a Junior because of so many hero's who've played them. But it was always kind of more of an aesthetic love. I've never been a bridge pickup guy and I always was concerned it had a limited tone set. This Murphy came up super cheap and I pulled the trigger fast. It already has the Music City bridge and the intonation is stellar. This Mojotone really sealed the deal. I'm extremely impressed with the Junior as a whole. Extremely flexible despite the limited pickup options. It's just inspirational as can be. Cheers Sir 🙌🏻

[@PaulOnGuitar]

Thanks a lot for a super-informative video. I am planning to use Mojotone Hot Quiet P90 in my next build and this is the only video that provided measurements and COLD HARD EVIDENCE instead of the deeply edited demos praising Hot Quiet Coils as the be-all and end-all product. Not that there is anything wrong with them but learning about some drawbacks such as higher noise levels in comparison with Fralins/Kinmans is extremely beneficial. Instant subscribe and thanks a lot for a fantastic and honest review.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Thanks so much for leaving feedback. I'm really glad you enjoyed this video. I get a few people complaining about all the extra details and clinical approach. But for me, I want a sound comparison as scientific as possible. And I want the audio clips back to back with no pauses or talking, so I can actually hear any difference. If you end up liking that Mojotone Hot Quiet, please report back and let me know. I'm in the process of shooting out a whole bunch of noiseless P90s for use in a single pickup guitar. Curious to see what the tonal differences are, as well as any differences in noise. Next week I should have a comparison video shooting this Mojotone Quiet Coil against the Lollar DC90 noiseless P90 they just came out with. Once I've run through a half dozen noiseless P90s, I want to try a couple of the hotter noiseless p90s. Mojotone Hot Quiet is top of the list.

[@thedauntlessone]

​@@TheSoundCoop Thank you for doing this comparison and possible future noiseless P90 shootouts. I was pretty dead set on getting a Mojotone Quietcoil P90 for my next noiseless but I probably look elsewhere now. They still have a bit more noise than I would like.

[@TheSoundCoop]

This is totally valid. The Fralin Noiseless 90 has WAY less noise than the Mojotone. So if you want it as quiet as possible, Mojotone Quietcoils probably won't cut it. I was mainly reading the Mojotone Quietcoil P90 sounds closer to a typical non noiseless P90 than a stacked noiseless. And it definitely sounded pretty darn identical to the stock Gibson P90, but less noise. Regardless, looking forward to finding the ultimate noiseless P90 for a 1 pickup guitar 🙌🏻

[@craftwiser]

Thanks for the detailed review. It was very helpful.

[@TheSoundCoop]

I appreciate you leaving a comment. I had a lot of fun doing all this testing, and my love for this guitar has only grown since the pickup swap. Killer guitar, killer pickup. I got lucky. Happy New Year 🙌🏻

[@averagejer]

Great videos man. Quality content.

[@TheSoundCoop]

This is a legit compliment coming from you. I watch your channel from my personal YT account. The drum video you did doing a before and after watching KZbin tutorials was super cool. I was extremely impressed with the sounds. 🙌🏻

[@patrickimel3075]

🎉❤ thank you so much you have no idea how much time you just saved me

[@TheSoundCoop]

You're very welcome. So glad to have helped out 🙌🏻 You gonna pick up one of those Mojotone Quiet Coils?

[@patrickimel3075]

@@TheSoundCoop Yeah , this P90 sound thing is crazy!!!!

[@staggs5034]

I would try a ISP Decimator. It will help a little. I prefer the Mojotone over the Gibson. I would replace the wiring harness with a RS Guitar works Modern Harness.

[@TheSoundCoop]

I'll check out the ISP Dominator for sure. Never heard of this before so thanks for the recommendation 🙌🏻

[@pharmerdavid1432]

I'm late to this party now, but I replaced the Gibson P-100 in a 1992 ES-135 with a (SDpickups) P-90, which sounded much better. When I sold the guitar the P-100 went back in, and I saved the P-90 for my next guitar a 2000 Les Paul Special, which also had a P-100, so I replaced it with the P-90 which again sounded better. I still have the P-100, maybe I'll try it again 20 years later, because my ears have changed since then. I like the idea Mojotone had for the 3x3 reversed polarity for hum-cancelling without a dummy coil, brilliant - why didn't anybody else do that? The Brian Ray Gibson Les Paul Junior has a hum-cancelling P-90 which achieves it in yet another way - they use.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Unfortunately, I didn't describe the noise canceling wiring from the Mojotone accurately in this video. They don't actually use a three/three method like I had described. Rather, Mojotone winds one set of coils above the 6 pole pieces, and a second set of coils below the 6 pole pieces. The individual coils don't get wrapped around the pole pieces themselves like a traditional pickup. Each wrap sits above or below the poles. I hope that makes more sense. Lollar is actually using the 3/3 method for his noiseless P90. You can literally see it in the pole piece pattern of his pickups. They're offset like a P Bass. The Mojotone isn't like this and my video description is incorrect. I don't know why no one has previously thought of wrapping the coils above and/or below the pole pieces. I don't know enough about electronics to even begin to speculate. But it is an interesting idea. It does seem this is how Mojotone also achieves noiseless from their Strat style pickups. Eventually I want to get around to trying a set of those out. Thanks for watching 🙌🏻

[@muffinman1978]

Hi! Will do the same. My guitar is cherry red CS LP DC VOS. Will upgrade also with Music City Studfinder and their locking posts.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Do you have an IG account where I can see some pics of your Junior? Regardless the Mojotone and MC Bridge are must have upgrades. Enjoy!

[@muffinman1978]

@@TheSoundCoop Unfortunately i don't have any social media or anything, but here is a small demo i made to illustrate this difference in noise. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rZ-4YqKvhJWKrdU I record very close to tram lines and they create quite a lot of noise especially when the tram passes by (which is very often).

[@oldasrocks9121]

Wow, Lollar just dropped a new noiseless one this week, speaking of the wide range, its got those same staggered 3&3 screw poles.

[@TheSoundCoop]

You had me worried for a minute there. A couple people have pointed out that Lollar just put out a noiseless P90. I haden't had an opportunity to look it up yet. But when you said it was staggered like the wide range I got nervous and thought there was no way he could fit it in a P90 size. Sure enough, the man did it. Meanwhile, this alleviates my need to even try it in this guitar. As much as I love Lollar, the staggered pickups are going to throw off the classic aesthetic of this '58 Murphy. I guess the staggered Lollar P90 will have to wait for another project 🤷

[@mikehoehn1475]

LollAr just came out with a noiseless p90. It's worth a listen. The MOJO tone sounds great.

[@TheSoundCoop]

You had to go and do that, didn't ya?!? 🤣 Jason Lollar is the MAN. I'm gonna have to go check this out. If I release a comparison video in a few weeks, just know it's all your fault 😂😜

[@TheSoundCoop]

Turns out the Lollar is an offset pole design. As much as I'd love to try it in this guitar, I don't want to mess with the vintage aesthetics. Also worth noting. The route in my Junior has a channel down the middle to accommodate the poll pieces. I'd bet the offset pole pieces in the Lollar would require some routing in this Gibson. Since the poles aren't straight down the middle of the pup, they likely won't fit in the channel in the middle of the pickup route. I guess the Lollar will have to wait for a different project.

[@mikehoehn1475]

@@TheSoundCoop thanks 4 sharing

[@TheSoundCoop]

@mikehoehn1475 no worries. Just putting this here for a future reader who might get something out of it 🙌🏻

[@Les537]

Can't beat a p90. One of my guitars came with p100 back in the 90s. That's the gibson noiseless p90 with the dummy coil on the bottom. That one sounds very different than a p90 - not really in a good way unless you like to play only clean tones. This mojotone is interesting, but it's a double coil and like all double coils you lose some definition along with the noise. Rock on.

[@christianboddum8783]

You can experiment with a controlled split to get some of the single coil character back while still keeping hum under some control. Where you normally split a humbucker put a resistor before ground, around 15 k. Ohm, maybe use a trim pot (50k linear) to find the sweet spot. FWIW

[@TheSoundCoop]

@Les537 if the Mojotone is losing definition compared to the Gibson pickup, you're gonna have to point me towards what you're hearing in these audio comparisons. If anything, I was feeling like the Gibson has just a touch more low mids. Just a hint. The Mojo felt slightly tighter. Maybe we mean different things when saying "definition". To my ear the Mojotone is slightly more clear and articulate. With slightly less mud and flub. And again, it's extremely minor.

[@guitarsfunmods3986]

I think you can lessen more noise by applying conductive paint in the pickup route...

[@TheSoundCoop]

Totally valid point 🙌🏻

[@seanzinger]

Man, just another problem with the Jr for me besides how uncomfortable it is. What a freaking cool looking thing though.

[@TheSoundCoop]

If you can't stand the comfort, maybe it's a waste. But it might be worth a pickup swap. Everyone is raving about the new Lollar noiseless. Just saying 😉

[@NoCoverCharge]

I have mojos in my jazzmaster love thwm

[@TheSoundCoop]

Right on!! Did you go with the '56 Quietcoils? Or did you try something else from Mojotone?

[@Botscarblues]

I’d love to buy the Gibson pick up off you, interested in selling it? It will go str8 into my LPJ and I think I’ll find it very inspirational.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Sorry brother. I can't sell it. As much as I'd love to think this guitar will never leave me, I always keep stock pickups if I change them out. It's not worth selling it for $100 if I end up losing several hundred off the valve of an original guitar. But if you're interested, the branding on the pickup is 'Gibson Heritage Reissue'. There's no year or date range attached to it. And there's no added Murphy Lab branding on the pickup. You may be able to source a similar pup if you look for one using those keywords.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Sorry. I didn't get the branding exactly right. On the back of the Gibson pickup it says 'P90 Dogear Reissue 104543 3/14/22' Hopefully that will help you source one if you're interested.

[@Botscarblues]

@@TheSoundCoop totally understand. Thanks mate appreciate the info. Keep up the good work.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

The Lavalamp is jealous of the attention the new guitar is getting so it is doing it's best to get you to notice it the only way it can..by creating it's own noise.

[@TheSoundCoop]

Blahaha. Great comment 🙌🏻 The real issue with these damn lava lamps is the heat. I have to turn them on right before the cameras go on and turn them off between takes. Otherwise I'm sweating in about 5 minutes 🤣 I recently got all these new LEDs and the lava lamps are being super neglected right now. I should probably just get rid of them 🤷

[@paulmapp8306]

Interesting - BUT Id have LOVED to hear the difference between the Mojo and the Fralin. I have Tom Anderson P90s - both his standard and his noiseless PQs. im fighting lol. The Standards have a littl emroe grit but the noise, the PQs have NO noise as]t all, but loose a little attack in those upper Freq. the Fralins are on my Radar to try, but Id be happy with the Mojoton enoise levels, and the clarity might be what Im after. Cant compare to the Tom Andersons I have of course, but a toneal reference of Fralins v Mojotones would have been extremely useful - and i do get one is a neck and the other a bridge... its the neck im struggling with most. the Silent TAs are fine in the bridge actually.

[@TheSoundCoop]

I can confirm the Fralin Noiseless in my Novo is an A+ pup. It's probably my desert Island pickup. If you're considering a Fralin, I can highly recommend it. Lindy is a genius. You just gotta make sure you can accommodate a stacked pup. But ya, it's just a bad comparison doing the Novo vs the Junior. And not just cause of the neck vs bridge position. The Junior is a 24.75" scale. The Novo is a 25.5". The Junior is a wrap tail. The Novo is a string thru body 3 saddle Tele. Mahogany vs Pine. Rosewood vs Maple. There's not a single thing that's the same between these two guitars 🤣 I'd get publicly eaten alive trying to pass that off as a comparison.

[@paulmapp8306]

@@TheSoundCoop I was thinking of loading them in the same guitar at the same position actually, the only difference being strength/DC wind at that point- but I totally get it

[@TheSoundCoop]

I can't put the Fralin in the Junior because it's a stacked noiseless and it won't fit without routing the cavity. I cannot bring myself to route a Murphy Lab. And I'd be using a neck pickup for the bridge position. Also, the pole piece spacing is different. Maybe I need to find an inexpensive guitar that I can swap P90s in. There's so many noiseless P90s I wanna try. I just don't wanna be swapping pups in my favorite guitars just to make comparison videos. I'll have to look into some inexpensive options. I really wanna try the new Lollar noiseless.

[@paulmapp8306]

@@TheSoundCoop As I said, I do get it.

[@TheSoundCoop]

I had another person recommend those Tribute Juniors. I might have to get one and then do a proper noiseless P90 shootout with a bunch of the new options. Your comment really peaked my interest considering how much I've loved the Fralins. Starting to wonder if there's a better option 🤷

[@oldasrocks9121]

Wound like a PBass split coil

[@TheSoundCoop]

Exactly. Except not offset. Each coil is separate and reverse wound. Another example would be the Fender Wide range pickups. They look like a Humbucker but it's an offset splitcoil. Really cool design to get away from using a dummy coil and all that extra copper.

[@oldasrocks9121]

@@TheSoundCoop Agreed. They surely need to use at least 43 gauge magnet wire rather than 42, maybe even 44. Sonically using the thinner wire is a tricky balancing act because it raises the capacitance and therefore peels high frequency response off. But I'm sure they have because there's no way they can get those two coils snugged up against one another in the middle and still have the magnets spaced the right way. I have an HSS Strat shaped object with the 58 quiet coils in the neck in the middle, they are great and as you've discovered really great for recording but they do lack a certain liveliness and finger response you get from pushed single coils.

[@oldasrocks9121]

@@TheSoundCoop Googled it, saw one with the cover off, it's a sidewinder, like the Strat coils. Similar to a dual blade humbucker, like Strat blade pickups, but your coils are laid over so the magnets are flat. It's a pretty genius-y design, it exposes almost as much wire below the cover as the shallow flat wound bobbin and if your pole screws are actual metal screws you can still adjust them for individual string response. Cool. Haven't seen the anatomy of the Collar.

[@TheSoundCoop]

So by "sidewinder", you mean the coils are on each side of the magnets, instead of around them? I just looked at the pics myself and that's what it looks like. Like it's a Humbucker, but with one set of pole pieces down the middle instead of a set of down each set of coils. If this is the case then I guess it's not much like a P Bass or a Wide Range at all. It's a nifty new thing. Which I guess explains the Patent and proprietary nature of their design. I guess this also explains why Lollar could release a staggered design without infringing on the patent. All in all, it makes my description of how the pickup works in the video incorrect. I'll have to come up with some sort of a correction in the video description 🙌🏻

[@johncarlo7395]

Boring, just get to the point, and try to slow you're taking down a bit, take a breath between sentences.

[@TheSoundCoop]

@@johncarlo7395 awwww..buddy. Did somebody go and eat your last sandwich? kzbin.info/www/bejne/qaaap4t4irKad6ssi=G7j4XjvGsEzwyg89 😂🤣😭😅

[@davedeville6540]

Interesting comparison. But way too much talking. 🥱

[@TheSoundCoop]

Added chapters for this exact reason. Mainly just wanted to make sure I covered as much as possible for the people like me who want as much information as possible. Apologies that it was too long for ya.

[@ferox965]

​@@TheSoundCoopIgnore OP. The video was very informative.

[@slimturnpike]

I prefer the tone of the Gibson here. Sounds thicker. I don't mind hum so much but I'm able to eliminate most of it by using a wireless rig. If going through a pedalboard, I power the board with a rechargeable power bank rather than powering from the wall. These two technologies make a huge difference.

[@TheSoundCoop]

This is an interesting idea. Any idea how much noise reduction you get? What wireless rig are you using? Any idea how many milliseconds of delay it induces? Probably not optimal for a studio setup like mine. But you definitely have me curious. Minimally, I suppose this would mean the guitar cable is actually the weakest link. Can this really be true? That's really all the wireless rig would replace. I'd still be using every other piece of gear in my signal chain Guitar, Preamp & A/D Converter.