Next Level Mini Humbucker Upgrade! 🎸 Squier Paranormal Stratosonic Goes Stratospheric! 🔥

[@richardswinscoe5764]

Ben Murray about to be swamped with orders

[@Stutterin-Bob]

Mini humbucker in the bridge also....yes please 👍

[@thewhiskyscout1238]

This is a long comment so please bear with me! Years ago like 1988, I replaced a pickup on a guitar (which I still have) and in series it didn’t sound right but liked the unusualness of it so I left it alone but never thought about attempting anything like that again and always used a guitar tech for repairs. Since watching your videos I finally bought an SG from a fella who upgraded from Epiphone to Gibson. One of the pots was bad and watching you inspired me to replace the whole electronics myself. I put Seymour Duncan Vintage pickups in it. I ordered a pre wired set of pots, jack, and switch for American standard that required a small bit of drilling and routing. The neck pot was wired wrong according to the schematic he sent me. I tackled all that the whole time saying, “Colin does it and says I can too”. It worked, thank you for that bit of inspiration now I have a messed up Korean Hamer I picked up for next to nothing at a garage sale and it is my new project. Thank You Sir for that inspiration to try.

[@bulico06]

Definitely an improvement, clearer and buttery smooth. Mini humbuckers are often overlooked, but they are my second favorite pickup behind the P-90.

[@DjOps01]

Ben's an old friend - we grew up jamming together and he has *always* chased tone. He used to carefully craft it when we played and recorded in the past, and he's always been an amazing craftsman. I'm so glad you showed exactly how good his pickups can be - and that people will only truly hear it when they play it themselves, in their room! Bravo. Good video and entertaining. (And to Muzz! 🙌)

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

Thanks mate. In a way this all started when I played your Yamaha SG200 back in high school, remember that Les Paul Deluxe I had? Thats started my love of mini humbuckers.

[@Idontlikethisever]

Old friends. Awesome Thanks for sharing you guys.

[@jrchanning]

That mini Humbucker was a great upgrade, the neck pup now sounds bright and clear and not muddy like the previous one, great work Colin 👍🎸😄

[@enfieldhbs2204]

Well done,you make my Fridays.Rock on

[@bedroomstudios205]

The pickup change gave that guitar a real voice. 👍

[@wesmclaughlin9369]

Definitely a difference and I think it is a big improvement. Really sounds great!

[@txkflier]

Excellent timing! Over the past couple of weeks, I've been watching tons of videos on how pickups work and how to wind them. Even though I've been a lifelong electronics technician, it never dawned on me that a pickup coil isn't just an inductor. The windings also can also act as a capacitor. The thinner the insulation and the more parallel the windings are, the more capacitance. The inductance of the coil and its distributed capacitance are in parallel. This forms what is called a "tank circuit" and it will have a resonant frequency that's determined by the coil's inductance and capacitance values. The resistance of the wire, tone and volume pots along with the capacitance of the tone capacitor and the cable between the guitar and the amp will also affect the resonant frequency and the slope of the output on either side. Very interesting stuff. Now if I could just play a guitar.. 😎

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

Well, you said it better than I can! I don't have an electronics background, in fact I figured that out only after making a few pickups and recording all my readings. I slowly started to understand how the numbers related to each other. At the end of the day, your ears are your most valuable measuring tool so let them guide you, don't just mindlessly chase numbers.

[@txkflier]

@@murrayguitarpickups9545Yes, there are many variables and the sound is what matters..

[@johnulrich5572]

Usually I can't hear much difference in pickup comparisons but the mini-humbucker has a lot more clarity and definition than the P90. It has a very mellow but clear jazzy tone. SOunds like a valuable upgrade.

[@kevinfitzpatrick9537]

Quite a nice upgrade, I love the middle position sound, well done!

[@BinaryDad]

Mis-matched pickups on any guitar are always cool. Don't know why. But they just are.

[@chancemiller9340]

I'm glad that you pointed out that when the series (volume) pot is UP, that putting it on the bridge pickup only is basically a KILL SWITCH. I bought my online from Fender and thought that I was going to have to send it back or take it to a shop that maybe could look at it and figure out why the bridge cut off all volume when the pot was up. Thanks for that.

[@QuantumGamingUploads]

Really like that new mini Humbucker. Very nice tone to it and I must say it suits the guitar visually so much better as well.

[@JensHeidenstecker]

Hi Folks, nice mini humbucker you got there. An improvement in my opinion. I love mini humbuckers. Unfortunately these pickups are rare in Germany. Used ones are rarely sold and new ones are often expensive. I only found one shop in Germany selling these pickup-rings and the needed spacers. I figured out, if I screw down the top of the neck P90 in my Gibson SG Special it clears up a lot not loosing much sustain. I tried to better the woolly tone without a mod. I don‘t want to mod my SG and keep it original. Greetings Jens.

[@ericfultz9429]

Colin! hey boss, your videos dont seem long. i like listening to you. keep it up!

[@davidkay3443]

When you're having one of your clear outs I'll take this off your hands .. that Murray pickup so articulate.. love it

[@davidhamilton7780]

Just don't get into home dentistry, and all will be good. Thanks Colin!

[@johntaylor8829]

It's very nice how the mini humbucker just seemed to fit so well into place! Great pickup, and it looks super cool, too.

[@dantaylor1724]

Sounds great, Col, and a definite improvement !

[@thomashall2418]

Nice job Collin. That's just what the doctor ordered. You've peaked my interest in those mini hums. Thomas from Idaho

[@markpell8979]

Oh yes, I could hear that difference right away. It was okay before but now it's got a nice clean snarl in 'neck' position while still having some P90 bottom. Murray does good things. Sounds nice Colin, Cheers from Dallas!

[@pinkiewerewolf]

Fun modification Colin. Great transformation, Ben’s PU sounds fantastic! You’ve created a totally jammable/gig worthy guitar. 🎸

[@Ukedc259]

Another Friday saved from the precipice of oblivion. Cheers Colin. 👍🏻

[@whittlad]

to my ears it has added more clarity, punch, bass and more woody - no where near as wooly as the P90 and I love it!

[@bradyazell]

I bought one of these after your last video on them. Put a pair of used Gibson P-90s in it, a black Tonepros wrapover adjustable bridge and some black vintage Kluson fender tuners as well. It looks and sounds fantastic. All for around $600.

[@HenrySchecker]

that mini hum sounds smoother than glass. Amazing

[@TheRealChetManley]

I always watch to the end. This show is weekly must see TV for me. It’s the only guitar channel I watch regularly. That guitar sound and style fit you well.

[@zandig666]

I love my dimarzio minis gonna buy a set of firebird minis now deciding between the reissue and the plus now

[@bryonmartin9221]

Thank you! That mini humbucker made a world of difference - we can hear it like you can in your room. I can't wait to trade mine out like you've done.

[@redlespaul8139]

Of course we all watch to the end Col ! Great job 👏🏻 I’ve fancied a mini humbucker swap for my p90 on my double cut Les Paul. This has peaked my interest even more .

[@theguitaristas]

That would look really cool too! 🔥

[@MrBiggordy]

"You might not be able to hear much of a difference.." WHAT??! Night and day - the mini-humbucker is clean, distinct and articulate, the clarity is fantastic. A major improvement on the P90 neck p'up before. In fact, I'd say the neck mini-humbucker is the only p'up that makes a bridge P90 sound woolly! Great upgrade, great video and great content, as per.

[@tmacey1345]

I heard a huge difference with the mini humbucker. Definitely unique and if I may say, pleasantly refreshing tones. WOW! 👍

[@jonathanhudak2059]

Colin wow a part 3 with the Stratosonic Strat! When I saw what I was in store for tonight I was literally in "oh wow" mode! Love the sound of that mini humbucker neck pickup! Great choice! AND yes I watched it all the way through from beginning to end! Great stuff! 😊

[@waynewagner395]

The Mini HB sounds great, not so wooly. Mini HBs are my favorite neck pickup in Teles too. Great video!

[@cageliner]

It was easy to hear the difference between the two. Putting Gibson minis into my '50s Tribute was easy as Gibson installs the plate in a lot of their P-90 guitars. I had to trim a wee bit of wood for the mini's mounting screws. It was the only way for me to afford a "Deluxe" but I got a fat necked one in the process haha. Firebird pickups are (more or less) mini lipstick pickups side by side, hence their bright, loud output.

[@Idontlikethisever]

Awesome Colin always good to hear you. Cheers

[@timdowling8902]

Nice work Colin absolutely loved this one well done

[@randrothify]

Brilliant Colin! I just got a Strat-o-sonic in the blue shade and I was contemplating throwing in a Minibucker or Firebird pickup but keeping one of the Fender soap bars to get both Fender and Gibson type tones. It’s as if you read my mind 😮!!

[@cantfindamerica877]

Good call on the mini bucker, definite improvement.

[@evanharnett]

I like your loop you're doing. It has that McCartney and Wings vibe.

[@John-hi2yi]

Great mod, beautiful pickup. Another great video Colin.

[@davidpaul6656]

I love it! I've been thinking about putting either p90s or mini humbuckers in my mahogany strat and this combo sounds great!!

[@johnladdsmusic]

Nice job Colin! I know for many the P90 is the perfect balance between single coils and humbuckers, but for me the mini humbuckers are where it’s at! I love my Epi Firebird for this reason. A buddy of mine has a gorgeous ‘73 Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe. I got completely lost in those minis playing for over 3 hours one day! That guitar would look killer if you put another mini in the bridge🤔😀

[@DaVinci0963]

Thanks for the video and the lesson Colin! As always, Thanks again!

[@rustyrig2764]

your playing made it sound spectacular. I couldn't tell you what the p90 sounded like after that, great sound, great vid!

[@theguitaristas]

Cheers man!

[@ditchgator1]

Well worth the effort eh...?😉👍👍 This is but one of the reasons that your channel is a "Must Subscribe". BRILLIANT 😁 So many great pup geniuses... However, the cream of the crop stand out don't they😃 Two come out of Australia. Murray and JJs. Great video...as usual. Just a bit of tape to guage depth of drill bit keeps from...😊 Thanks Colin😎👍👍 😎✌👍❤🖖 Love Brother

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

Me and JJs are from the same town actually, people get us mixed up a lot because JJs is run by Ben Bailey

[@ditchgator1]

@@murrayguitarpickups9545 Must be something in the water eh...?😉👍 You folks definitely have it going on, and word is out😎👍👍 😎✌👍❤🖖

[@stevenpotter-en2me]

Oh how cool! This is one of those upgrades I've always thought about but haven't tried yet.

[@mortonwilson795]

Clear difference on the neck (and middle). Nice one - the earlier P90 was a bit on the sheepish side. Tried the new Gibson 70s Deluxe last week with mini-humbuckers and very impressed. Apparently there are a couple of older Epi Rivieras w minis in floating around here - keen to try . . . the brightness appeals to me as an option. Great to see another Oz pick-up doing its thing. Off back to NZ next week - first time in 40 years . . . trying to contact Mr. Glyns there - big range of homemade pick-ups but email perhaps not a thing . . . no reply yet! 🙄 P.S. Got a great reply from Glyn, hoping I can connect on this trip!

[@baabaabaa-El]

Mr Glynns make great Filtertrons that drop straight into Gretsch's (they're the only pickups of his lve heard in person). My mates got 3 6120s (l know!!).. 2 stock & 1 the Setzer Hot Rod... he bought a set of vintage (like the Ray Butts, TV Jones make) great for rockabilly & luv a bit of dirt. Murray's Pickups in Adelaide make some great gear too..& like JJs very reasonably priced. Have a great time in NZ mate, beware of the sheep!! Edit: He is hard to get hold of, Brett Kingman (l think) said either Glynn or a family member had been ill.. maybe why?

[@mortonwilson795]

@@baabaabaa-El Thanks for that - I hope all is well, would love to connect with him!

[@MyDrugHell]

All the new Epi Rivieras now have mini humbuckers.

[@baabaabaa-El]

@@mortonwilson795 Mr Glynns have a website.. JJs pickups are on fakebook (my daughter got in contact) but may have a site by now also, my p90s were $270AU the pr. Murrays guitar pickups: If you go further in the comments, you'll see mine... Murray answered my comment, l rekn if you press on his pfp all his details will be there (he's got well priced pickups) as you can see from the mini humbucker Colin installed, they're gd quality, handmade etc Best of luck mate.

[@txkflier]

I really like the looks of that guitar. Now it has the sound to go with it. Well done!

[@chrishenderson9130]

Nice work, Colin! Cheers from America!

[@ernieb3626]

Man, I could tell the moment you hit that bridge pick up at the demo. That new pick up sounds fantastic. Very full.

[@tmac3975]

Great video as always, sounded really good, nice playing.

[@jaypeterson7637]

I really liked the p.u. addition! A definite upgrade. It may be just me...but your playing style/tone is akin to Stephen Stills. 🎶🎵🎶🎵

[@lasombra_br]

That's a worthy upgrade. Sounds night and day.

[@feastofsiaynoq]

Nice work, I think the new pick up sounds amazing

[@craigbrown9987]

Always enjoy your long-form videos and an interesting, punter-friendly take on the guitar world.

[@RobCrawford23]

Teles with a mini humbucker in the neck position are great (extra fun and confusion to the public if you hide it under the scratchplate) Also have you considered adding a tone pot bypass switch to the bridge pickup t(Esquire mode) to see what a P90 does?

[@baabaabaa-El]

I've got a no load bypass on pos 10 on tone pot on an Eastman with a Lollar, it's like like lifting a blanket off the amp! Not that the other tones are shit, but it makes a difference!

[@RobCrawford23]

@@baabaabaa-El Well it does such a good job on the Esquire I can't fail to see it doing something good with a P90 ;) Even humbuckers benefit a lot in the Peavey Wolfgang I used to have and miss hugely (I gifted it to my son for his birthday and he sold it within a year )

[@baabaabaa-El]

@@RobCrawford23 Oh, he sold it! Little bugga! I bought a mid priced Yamaha BB (with P & J pickups) wanted her to learn on something better than I did... She was just getting the hang of it...& sold it too!! That's a pity mate, Peavey & Eddie parted ways (did he go to Musicman or his own EvH brand?).. so there wdnt be a hell of a lot of em around, esp in Australia. Bloody kids!! Edit: Yeah on a Tele/Esq a tone bypass wd sound great...nasty, but great!!

[@DesertScorpionKSA]

That mini humbucker sounds very good. You should put a mini humbucker in the bridge too.

[@TheClassicQ]

Now I have another project to play with. Perfect!

[@victorbeebe8372]

Aloha Colin! The. Neil Young Les Paul I know of has chrome plated P 90 in the neck and a Firebird pickup in the bridge.

[@victorbeebe8372]

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[@victorbeebe8372]

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[@victorbeebe8372]

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[@victorbeebe8372]

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[@victorbeebe8372]

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[@keymaker_coils686]

I had tons of fun developing my own mini a few months back for my epi nighthawk. Running asymmetrical coils with taps.

[@jonathan24791]

Cheers Col. Sounded great. 👍

[@ToddTheJoker]

Made a huge difference! Sounds alot better, no wool anymore!

[@flight2q275]

First time I heard "Big Pond" was on the Flintstones, describing the Atlantic Ocean (the scouting jamboree was an international event)

[@Nif339]

That mini humbucker sounds great, to my ear it gives that guitar a really nice Tele twang 👍

[@jmartini8875]

Sounds better yes. The guitar also looks stunning. 😊 Thx Colin. Very cool. 😎

[@Jacobus-or6vf]

GREAT VID/CLIP . . . i LOVE the whole S/H idea on a guitar !!! I always wanted (still do) a ''reversed'' Gibson BFG. They come stock in an H/P90 configuration. *I* want a P90/H BFG Les Paul.

[@buddhamus]

I love the look and the sound of that mini-humbucker in combination with the P-90. I know it's just a visual thing, but the lightly aged cover of the mini fits perfectly with the rest of the guitar. You've definitely moved the Squire to the next level. Now I want one just like it. 😊

[@spdaltid]

I actually appreciate the iconic Strat single coil sound. But your meddling, Colin, is fun to watch and has launched that guitar beyond the Stratosphere. To Magnetospheric levels and beyond!

[@ewetoo]

that's a great humbucker, great work.

[@allenleitch1783]

Really classy playing sir

[@graemero5532]

A good mod well done Colin. 👍🏻

[@MalisaDonnelly]

Great show, never to long, have a great weekend, and as always looking forward to next week

[@polyphonicgroove]

I'm digging it!! I think that mini-hum sounds great.

[@70bluesville]

Good morning Colin, 🙏 🌄 ☺️ God bless you brother

[@inphatmoi]

Nice. Another option would be to swap in a filtertron - TV Jones and Mojo both do soap-bar versions which should be a drop-in replacement. I used the TV Jones one in an LP junior double-cut kit recently - a Classic in the neck and Classic Plus in the bridge. The neck in particular sounds great though ironically I'm less keen on the bridge and have been thinking of swapping it for a P90 :)

[@madnobby8301]

Hi Colin, great modification, clear improvement to my ears and it looks great too! Mini's humbuckers are the only thing missing from my collection, I think I'll give it a try! Cheers Nobby

[@stevenhorton7457]

Good work Colin 👍

[@jwilder2251]

I usually don’t like the middle position but this was a perfect balance

[@carlosdeno]

Driller Killer! Sounds so much better Colin, nice work! Great video as always and enjoy your weekend. 🤘💜

[@rauldubois3910]

Hermoso trabajo. Adoro el sonido del mini Humbucker. Tengo una Les Paul de Luxe . Es increible su sonido

[@victoresarey4036]

signal chain and mic placement matters more than the room sound, especially since you want us to hear the differences via speakers lol frequency response graphs would show i guarantee very little difference when in a higher gain setting...mostly pickups are a waste of money. learned that one the expensive way...good playing helps too haha but as guitarists we tend to shop with eyes not ears...

[@victorbeebe8372]

I liked the mini humbuckers in LP Deluxe

[@Chimp_No_1]

Very nice improvement ! Really love your playing !

[@clivebonehill3348]

Nice a real improvement, recommend you should try my personal favourite a "Firebird " pick up ( mini humbucker but with bar magnets in the center of the coils ) very different pick up but sounds great in the neck particularly if you play finger style without a pick .

[@jamesmarcin4787]

Love it. Looks and sounds fantastic 👍

[@davew8542]

Great video as ever Col. The pickup sounded great. Love the look too. Funny when you got the drill out, the Kenny Everett character Reg Prescott came to mind (probably dating myself there!) 😂

[@nieko3038]

Nice. Love minibuckers. Made myself a Les Paul Deluxe some weeks ago doing this with a cheap ‘goldtop’ p90 Eko Les Paul I bought just for that. Had a set of minihumbuckers from ebay I got atleast 12 years ago for €23,-. Fully waxed and 4 lead wire. They sound great for the cheap pickups they are. Still need to install those plates. Got a set from a guy selling them from a Gibson Tribute. It is now holding by friction with a little piece of wood veneer. Budget Deluxe. Think it sounds good on your guitar. Wise from Ben to warn for drilling through the body😅 those things do happen. Interesting film Colin.

[@guitartim2128]

I love Gibson P 90s but I agree with decision to put a mini humbucker in the neck because it sounds so much better. I love mini humbuckers-- to me that's an underrated pickup. Great video👍

[@gearmeister]

That middle sound is so full range now with that mini bucker! Crystalline clear & very unique!

[@spacepodi]

It sounds like you have a little too much compression going on to me, from my sofa, sat on my behind. Non the less you can tell it’s a good PU. and it looks and sounds good, so the right move to make. I’m surprised the P90 was muddy though, as I always thought they were relatively bright. Anyway, a fun episode, and look forward to next weeks.

[@biffabacon1203]

Love humbucker pickups very versatile but my 80s vox has 3 di marzio pickups in and it rocks.

[@joeymcmanus448]

Team no sleep. 4am. Always a good Friday with a new video. Always a pleasure to get stuck in. Was it just me but with that set up I was getting some allman brothers vibes. Great video. Cheers

[@S-T-E-V-E]

I prefer Mini-Humbuckers to Humbuckers to be honest, they are a nice step between a Single Coil and a Humbucker although they manage to sound more Single coil than Humbucker!

[@NoCoverCharge]

I love the lollar mini humbuckers

[@JanLawicki]

Cool, something to watch later this evening with a nice brewage

[@patrickaquilina8654]

That's absolutely fantastic! Well done!! Sounds great!

[@baabaabaa-El]

Huge difference dropping the mini humbucker, sounded brilliant! No wool, nice grunt (burnt fingers!). I live the other side of Adelaide to Ben, my daughter bought me a set of J90s from JJs for my Special. Transformed the guitar Col! I can't sing their praises high enough. Great review as always Col.👍

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

I think you're mixing me up with Ben Bailey...if I had a dollar for everytime that happened. We are both from the same town Gawler actually Ben has helped me out a few times when I run out of stuff 😂 he's 10 minutes away. Nice fella, long career as an electrical engineer I believe.

[@baabaabaa-El]

​@@murrayguitarpickups9545 Hahahaha! Naa Murray..my daughter got me a pair of JJs J90s..it even had a letter inside.."Hope you enjoy the pickups ******* all the best.. Ben!" I actually got in touch with you about 3yrs ago wanting some buckets for a broken neck Epi Custom l was given, you offered me a great price too mate, but l still haven't got around to changing all the gold hardware off the thing yet (I'll call it a work in progress!!). Unless lve got it completely arse about (for which I apologise) but the box had JJs on it etc. I'll be in touch with you down the track, once lve got the hardware, pots etc sorted Murray. I've actually recommended you to a bloke in the threads.👍 Edit: l missed the bit where Colin said they were your mini humbuckers mate, so got mixed with p90s & Adelaide made pickups... sorry mate..they're great sounding units!

[@murrayguitarpickups9545]

@@baabaabaa-El thats ok mate it happens all the time, wish I could take credit for his work too...haha

[@Microphones_Matter]

Very nice mini humbucker change. Looks the part and sounds great as well. Definetly like it was made for that guitar.