What Are P90 Pickups? | Too Afraid To Ask

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What exactly are P90s? How do they differ from humbuckers? Are Soapbars and Dogears the same thing? We discover the answer in this Too Afraid To Ask episode.
P90 kits were supplied by Alegree -
www.alegree.co.uk/
Time Codes:
Introduction - 00:00
History - 00:39
Construction - 02:07
Sponsor Ad - 04:41
What I've Wound - 06:30
Sound Samples - 08:09
Tone Discussion - 09:57
Conclusion - 11:02
This video contains paid product promotion from Surfshark VPN.
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Website - www.csguitars.co.uk
Contact - [e-mail]
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[@ScienceofLoud]

Get Surfshark VPN at Surfshark.deals/CSGUITARS and enter promo code CSGUITARS for 83% off and 3 extra months for FREE! What exactly are P90s? How do they differ from humbuckers? Are Soapbars and Dogears the same thing? We discover the answer in this Too Afraid To Ask episode. P90 kits were supplied by Alegree - www.alegree.co.uk/ Time Codes: Introduction - 00:00 History - 00:39 Construction - 02:07 Sponsor Ad - 04:41 What I've Wound - 06:30 Sound Samples - 08:09 Tone Discussion - 09:57 Conclusion - 11:02 This video contains paid product promotion from Surfshark VPN. #P90 #Soapbar #sponsor More from CSGuitars: Gain access to exclusive content at: www.patreon.com/csguitars Join CSGuitars Discord - discord.gg/d7b6MY8 Buy CSGuitars Merchandise - www.csguitars.co.uk/store Website - www.csguitars.co.uk Contact - [e-mail]

[@yackohoopy]

@CSGuitars, dude, those pickups sounded AMAZING. I wish you would sell me a pair of those P90’s.

[@frankn4skeen]

P-90 pickups have a tendency to be VERY NOISY. I recently changed the P90s on my 2015 LP Less Plus (original Gibson Lead P90 860-13006-L for the Bridge, and Gibson P90 SR 860-13005-L for the Neck). I installed a pair of Lindy Fralin Hum-Cancelling P-90 Soapbar, and they're simply amazing: same P90 sensitivity response, real nice and solid P90 tone, and of course NO HUM. The 2015 LP Les Plus uses Gibson Quick Connect Plugs for to install the pickups, which in fact are "Molex PicoBlade" plugs (so you don't have to pay ridiculous prices for cheap micro plugs).

[@patrickm.4469]

I really loved this ad LMAO!

[@kapalanokenta]

You don't know how educational this is, especially for a person who's living in a Third World country like me. New day, new knowledge. Thank you, as always!

[@SethPlaysBass]

congrats 69 likes

[@waerte4t5se4rt5ert]

Third World is an illusion, and you are better off in a lot of ways.

[@RunCMD97]

You could just say P90s are spicy single coils and boneless humbuckers

[@schmoemi3386]

... that do not buck the hum...

[@aaronwebb1548]

@@schmoemi3386 Humbringers

[@fhqwhgads1670]

@@aaronwebb1548 Humbringers OF DOOM!

[@letroon4164]

To me those trendy super expensive active pickups that djenters swear by are just p90s

[@aaronwebb1548]

@@letroon4164 Pretty sure those active pickups are low-impedance pickups. I could be wrong though. In the late 60s Gibson released the Les Paul Professional and the LP Personal, both with low-impedance pickups for less frequency loss over long cable lengths. The p-90 is high-impedance, a big loud pickup but you still lose a lot of frequencies throughout signal transfer.

[@georgedeconto9599]

A topic for another TATA: treble bleeds, how do they work and what they do exactly. Are they some sort of high pass filter?

[@martinkrauser4029]

Yeah. It's basically a high pass filter towards the amp. As you lower the overall volume by directing more of the pickup output to ground on the volume control, the treble frequencies above the treble bleed cutoff point remain unaffected and stay at the same volume. The treble bleed provides a bypass for the signal to go to the amp without going through the volume pot. This makes them relatively louder compared to the rest of the signal passing through the volume pot. This counteracts how increasing the resistance on the volume pot acts as a low-pass filter.

[@valebliz]

@Nicko Lps yeah, that's bullshit.

[@bradgriffith4231]

Treble bleed caps help maintain the treble when the volume is turned down instead of losing the treble without the bleeds.

[@ibalrog]

Excellent video. Building a P90 from the baseplate up definitely helps demystify these things.

[@blazer6248]

A good follow-up would be Gibson mini humbuckers since Gibson developed theirs specifically to be able to put humbuckers into bodies that had already been routed for P90's. The mini humbucker was the result of that. They fit perfectly in a P90 routing b/c that's what they were made to fit. That year, that was Gibsons solution to be able to offer hb's on a guitar model that otherwise would've been available only with P90's.

[@schmoemi3386]

But only with that plastic ring. The mini humbucker itself has no way the outline of a (soapbar) P-90... 🤔

[@maxpeck4154]

I believe mini humbuckers were originally an Epiphone design for jazz guitars. If I recall, the mounting ring that houses the mini in a LP Deluxe is just a soapbar p90 cover with a hole cut in it.

[@norfy]

9:26 that tone is delicious

[@jonathanwapner6262]

I like the cream covers

[@stoneybrotherbass]

I love when folks play White Room with a P-90 equipped guitar.

[@Magoosle]

The old UK black/white rotating thing to highlight the incoming ad was a nice touch ;)

[@benraimonde1191]

Three or four years ago you made a 7 minute video for the shred guitar build on pickup winding which got me interested in the subject. After trying my hand at it I found It is kind of tricky to make a GOOD pickup winder from scratch and requires a little bit of engineering prowess and creative thinking. After attempting to use an electric drill, hand cranked drill, and an electric motor with a superglued plate on the driveshaft, I finally settled on an old Industrial transformer winder from the 50's. After printing a 3d printed a plate for the bobbin at my school, and just kind of jumped into it. I was able to wind a few single coil pickups, but the motor inside produces enough torque to snap 42 AWG if you are not careful. It took me 7 tries to produce 3 pickups, and my final pickups ended up having a slightly looser coil than usual. I couldn't do more than 7800 turns (I know that's more than most single coils) which from my calculations at the time should have been around 7 k-ohms but only produced a 6.2 k-ohm coil. The pickups don't have that signature Stratocaster sound with my setup but at least they don't buzz! I ended up consulting two electrical engineers and learned that transformer winders are geared for winding thicker wire, usually 38 AWG or thicker, and due to the wider and more uniform coil experiences a lower shear force on the wire due to the more consistent winding pattern which spreads the tension on the wire reducing the chance that the wire will shear. But one of the engineers proposed an interesting idea to me. Why not use a lower gauge of wire, like 38-41 AWG? Sure, you may not be able put as many winds on the coil, and the coil density would be a little lower, which would reduce the area for skin effect in the wire, but the increased thickness of the wire would make for a more reliable wind, and would be a bit cheaper in an industrial setting. Maybe that could be an interesting experiment, testing lower wire gauges to see if their is a noticeable difference?

[@DeekJohnson]

Ooooh ooooh the sound....!!! Cannot get tired of that sound...great sound balance. Thx!

[@robinleebraun7739]

The best description and details about P-90’s. Thanks.

[@scguitars]

Despite knowing what a P90 is I come for the entertainment value 😆 "it's one of these things!" 😅

[@Carphunter1970]

A really informative video, I have gained a much greater understanding of what these pickups are all about, many thanks. They sound awesome as well

[@Vrdavila67]

That pretty much covered every aspect of the P90 great vide as always Colin.👍🏾🔥👏🏾

[@Nomad_za]

Awesome video. I really wish that you could play the P90's and give a comparison between a standard single coil and humbuckers as well. I have only ever played on single coil and humbuckers in my life. I like the way you made your P90's have a humbucker mode. The rest of the P90 you answered a ton of questions I could have. So a P90 is basically an over wound single coil.

[@michaelleyba5396]

Another awesome video Colin! Thank you for doing these!

[@dumbamerica]

The content has become exceptionally good on this channel. I just subscribed.

[@michaellittlewood3032]

I've never meet a Scotsman I didn't like. Bravo Sir.

[@thethingthatshouldnotbe3035]

I really love the sound of the neck pickup!

[@wildswan6735]

Holy fuck! I'm late to the party here, but Colin has a decent haircut finally.

[@opthCR]

That was some serious tone out of those! Rock on!

[@Chimp_No_1]

Incredibly interesting and helpful ! Thanks Colin

[@scouser2230]

Colin is the most knowledgeable person on KZbin regarding the electronics surrounding electric guitars and accompanying equipment. We are very lucky to have him available for free to help us guitarists understand our instruments and accompanying equipment. Thank you Colin.

[@phatcataudio5958]

Great job Collin, I absolutely love you videos! Keep up the good work 🤩

[@blazer6248]

Hey Colin. Can you do a TATA on covered vs uncovered humbuckers and show their Sonic differences on your oscilloscope? Would that be possible? It'd be pretty sweet if ya could! 🙏🤞👍 Edit: frequency analyzer, not o-scope, as pointed out below 👍

[@arsenicjones9125]

That’s beyond the capabilities of an oscope. What you want to use is a frequency analyzer in your DAW 👍🏻

[@blazer6248]

@@arsenicjones9125 that's what I meant! I just couldn't think of the name. 👍 Thank you!

[@skarfie123]

@@arsenicjones9125 modern digital scopes can do FFT too

[@arsenicjones9125]

@@skarfie123 that’s neat, still the wrong tool.

[@blazer6248]

Ok so I used a crappy FFT on my phone to look at the difference between just my neck & bridge pickups. Neck is the stock Alnico 5 humbucker and bridge is Seymour Duncan Alnico 5 '59 Model hb. The difference audibly is pretty stark so when I looked at them on the FFT, you really could see a pretty big difference in which frequencies stood out on the 59 vs the stock with had a lot less. So now I'm really curious to see what it would show with and without a cover on a single pickup.

[@frankwhite2072]

You made some rock and roll P90s, and that tone made my day.

[@freddieellis8449]

I used to be a P90 naysayer but I have seen the light. Now I am fully convinced that the holy grail of tonal variety can be achieved with a P90 at the neck and a hum at the bridge.

[@kurtshervinski836]

Completely agreed! I did a mod with my hum bridge/Humsized P90 neck similar to a 4 way tele mod but with a 5 way switch. Seperated the coil lead from the base plate and gave it it's own lead before attaching a lead to the baseplate/cover for grounding. POS 1 is the bridge, which can be split. POS 2 is bridge and neck in parallel, POS 3 is neck, then POS 4 is useless, While POS 5 (When the bridge is split) puts the bridge and neck in series. I plan on switching to a 4 way switch eventually to get rid of the useless 4th position but it works super well for now.

[@Barcarus]

sounds awesome, what guitar is that? i am currently looking for this combination because of your comment here :D tell me more please! @Freddie Ellis

[@freddieellis8449]

@@Barcarus I have a les Paul that I changed out the pickups on. In the neck is a Bare Knuckle “Mississippi Queen” hum-sized P90 and a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the bridge. I can tell you, it is FANTASTIC! Some amazing tones can be had.

[@willcresson8776]

Agreed! If you're going for variety, the combo cannot be beat. It's what I have in my "jack of all trades" telecaster, with a coil split on the bridge humbucker and a phase swift switch. On my main guitars, I tend to run P90s in the neck position and a strat style single coil in the middle position angled like a strat bridge single coil and out of phase to the neck (and bridge if I'm using a single coil in that position). For bridge pickups, it can vary depending on what I'm shooting for tonally, but it's usually a hot P90 or a slightly cooler humbucker. I firmly believe not having middle pickup is wasted real estate.

[@BlueCloverChannel]

My favorite too ... Eddie Cochrane btw ...

[@aureliusandthespiral]

Thanks for adressing questions i wasn't aware i had

[@eliwebster509]

I always explain P-90's to folks by telling them "It's basically what happens when you wind a single coil pickup like a humbucker." But there's much more to it than that. This video really lays it all out there. Thanks man.

[@dahmc59]

helluva great video, nice pickups, love that sound

[@valerie98]

Awesome video! Great information!

[@IwoIwanov]

Superb content right here. - Thanks a lot. Keep it up.

[@ronboff3461]

clean clear concise...same as always!

[@grene1955]

P-90's have become my faves... love the tones!

[@ascendtranscend3812]

hellz yeah! great video man! you rock!

[@NACHTEULE13X]

I just recently installed bare knuckle warpig humbucker sized p90s and absolutely love the tone it gives me

[@ericgiova1663]

Thanks for aclarations. Inspiring.

[@lc8361]

This was ace. Glad I found the channel mate. I'm getting into playing and need as much education as possible. Cheers

[@danielhumphrey5231]

Great video. I learned so much. I have one guitar that has a P-90 and a PAF (Seymore Duncan): a Yamaha PAC 611. Now I have a little more knowledge of how to use the volume and tone pots.

[@enkiabzu5792]

Really great informal video thanks so much! So neat you build your own pickups, wish I was smart and handy like that lol! Cheers!

[@attilathehun0]

Great job! Those pups sound way better than my og p90's set on my lp.

[@andyt5559]

i started on single coils an soon switched to buckers, and was sold for years! was buying strings at local shop a a p90 equipped guitar hanging there, and thought why not! wasn't expensive! well made though! i had a gibson standard, a PRS! So How's about something different! i couldn't put the thing down! i loved the sound! set at 8 starts breaking up, roll it back plays clean with a richness lacking in strat single coil's! not as loud as a bucker but harmonically, so much fuller! crank it to 10 and it gritty and raw! I LOVE THEM!

[@Furtheronmusic]

Really liked the bridge one sounded.

[@JohnnyReading]

I love p-90s, especially in the neck. They have a bit of bandpass in them and just have that vibe.....

[@Yats6417]

Perhaps a video about how string gauges and looseness (due to downtuning) of the strings change the sound of the guitar from a science-y and music-y perspective could be some nice infotainment :D

[@voxdude26]

I didn’t know I wanted a telecaster with dual P90’s until now

[@ronboff3461]

love the headstock! i like the one on the Fender Fire Bird also....

[@timmotel5804]

Sounds excellent. Best Regards and Thanks

[@ALTDOK667]

Great show! Thanks! ⚡

[@jesselovett4934]

Love your TATA's. Can't wait to see more TATA's in the future.

[@billlogan9396]

Your advertising and acting abilities are really good. Also your ability to explain and communicate technical detail. Not bad for a "soap shy weegie".

[@PebloNemo]

Hi Collin! Great video as always. Here's a specific question for you: What tools and and knowledge (books, courses...) would you recommend to be a guitar tech? Basically, I was on my way to become a luthier / pedal builder guy, but I had to drop out of uni years ago. Lately your videos and some other stuff are reigniting that spark once again, so I was wondering if there was a DIY way to continue that path.

[@ArtAlienTV]

I can honestly recommend Alegree Noiseless P90's - just fitted a pair on my 80's Greco guitar an they sound great. Both coil split with 3 way switches. Loads of tones and 3 gain levels to choose from. And only £40. Insane.

[@humann0x]

Awesome and informative video! Could you cover the pickups of a telecaster in a similar fashion? Specifically, how do they differ from strat single coils and why is the neck one covered?

[@madgeniusmusic]

Nicely done.

[@ritupabankotoky]

Thanks for this video.

[@PooNinja]

Nice wind on those very precise job Sir

[@luisenriquemunoz8793]

I think those cream p90s look very beautiful on that black shield! Keep them on!

[@Bond-uh6yj]

That grungy sound gave me goosebumps ❤

[@AHGrayLensman]

TATA idea: "Out of phase pickups -- huh? how? and why?" (Bonus points if you use the keywords "Peter Green" and "Brian May"!)

[@schmoemi3386]

I wonder if there's really an out-of-phase pickup out there... 🤔😏

[@OyvindBjorgo]

I like this idea. Isn't a phase difference between the coils what makes humbuckers (somewhat) noise cancelling? If so, most humbuckers would technically be out of phase.

[@OyvindBjorgo]

I just realised that my statement is inaccurate. The polarity of the magnets are reversed. The phase is probably the same. If it was opposed, the signal coming from them would start cancelling itself out - possibly causing the Peter Green tone.

[@schmoemi3386]

Within the pickup it would be even worse. More cancelling out of the signal than with neck & brigde PU signals...

[@MartinBlyberg]

@@schmoemi3386 there isn't a single out of phase pickup however two pickups could be wired out of phase to eliminate Hum this is how humbuckers are made so the outside noise that will be the same for both coils will get cancelled and the normal signal even stronger.

[@VanXHydrA]

Man that set of ALnico 2 abdd 4 P-90s souded AMAZING!! Well done!!! I want a set!!

[@HollywoodRecordingStudio]

This is a great explanation of P90 pickups.

[@zackarysmith2222]

Can you do a TATA on Mini Humbuckers and TV Jones style, and compare them tonally to a PAF or High Gain pickup in a metal context?

[@whiskeymike8010]

Brilliant Channel! I greatly appreciate your explanation and delivery! Awesome Content! Blessings! 🤘🏻😎🖤💯

[@robt5818]

Thanks Colin; yes, I was too afraid to ask!

[@dyarstaxsteam6472]

Amazing video bro ;), learning a lot Owo

[@Sevetamryn]

Great video, thanks ... and b.t.w. Laphroaig - exactly my taste

[@toms5951]

Great video, my favorite pickups. My Epi '56 Reissue has been my baby for 10 years now, along with a P93 Riviera I bought last year. Unfortunately the P93 is being repaired, haven't been able to play it for a little while now.

[@riverbard8287]

Nice sound 👍

[@albertomunoz4867]

Great tone! Did you use 500k pots?

[@nanordstrom]

Ha, ha always informative and fun. The production is top class, do you have a team producing this?

[@ScienceofLoud]

Just me, I do all my own stunts

[@mnajle]

Nice and clean explanation! Pd: where can I listen to the theme you use at the end of your videos?

[@ScienceofLoud]

It was specifically written as the intro/outro theme, so that's the only place it exists.

[@rayh966]

This is literally the second one of your videos I've watched, and the instant I saw you "hand" winding the P-90 I was like "Oh shit, this just got really real, lemme sub real quick...."

[@b.c.2281]

A few years back I found a Gibson 120th anniversary LP Melody Maker brand new for $375 because the store just couldn't sell it, so I bought it on a whim. I'd never used p90s before and they're probabily my favourite pickup now.

[@johnmerrill4717]

Great video

[@NathanOakley1980]

These sound ace!

[@amandabear64]

Worth mentioning that P90s are NOT the same as Jazzmaster pickups, I think it's a somewhat common mistake, I used to think they were the same

[@thiagovidal8972]

nice merch, bro!

[@ellsworth1956]

Love the P90 sound! TY for showing how they are made. For those wanting to tryout P90s but are worried about reworking their guitar to get them to fit they make humbucker sized P90s.

[@RookCity94]

This SurfShark ad was so good, I actually watched it XD

[@kennethluebberke8216]

Damn! Those sound very good!

[@msmoniz]

My favorite pickups! No other pickup has that growl when pushed.

[@gehennamoon7776]

00:16 "o doont nooo"😁

[@hello55125]

Thanks for this video. What winder are you using please?

[@famitory]

would love to see an episode on Low-Z pickups. as far as I can tell they're the only option that can "hear" frequencies above around 12kHz

[@andresvelazquez2360]

Awesome video! TATA: How are analog cab sims designed/made?

[@sauce_aux]

This is great!!!

[@DMSProduktions]

Aye! Ye did a good job lad! \m/

[@GabrielGranitz]

That ad is amazing 👌

[@emptyMan0]

I wasn't still sure I got it until the outro explained everything.

[@randyvann3272]

I've always preferred the sound of single coils over humbuckers because of the brighter tone, but humbuckers suit the higher gain hard rock that i play. I have a '72 tele deluxe reissue and the "wide range humbuckers" were too muddy, so i swapped them out for seymour duncan sp90's. Best music gear decision i've ever made. Still have the sound of single coils but enough output to play with the amount of distortion that i use and not have to change settings when i switch to another guitar with humbuckers. It's my go to guitar now.

[@mistreated]

You and Barry make a great team

[@raymondnitz4417]

Morning discord lord and master Colin.

[@calvinbass1839]

Thank you.

[@alessiograziani6355]

Your videos are very weel done, full of precious infos, many thanks for sharing wit us. One question, Fender Jazzmaster guitars are provided with pickups that look like a P90, but that are not built like a classic Gibson P90. They have magnetized poles like a classic single coil and do not have screws with an underlying magnet like a real P90. I tried them and I have to admiti that the neck pickup is awesome, it sounds like a really fat single coil, keeping the tonal characteristics of a single coil, but with a fatter tone (but not muddy), while the humbucker does not sound at all like a real P90, and in my opinion it is too thin even if it is a 9K 6H pickup. Are these fendere pickups considered P90s or not? Thanks

[@AlanShortySwanson]

You're the best, Colin

[@zootallure4819]

What are the advantages to winding your own pick up? Would pedals or amp settings do the same thing as number of winds or magnet strength ? This video was awesome. Thanks.

[@grayaj23]

I had a Tajima with P90s last year. I miss them.

[@b.rodclark7349]

I ordered a P90 neck pickup from Bootstrap called the Screwdriver with Alnico 2 magnets for my Tele and it's also above 9K... actually 9.4K; it totally kills the previous Strat and Tele PU's! P90s paved the way for humbuckers and can make any guitar sound fat and I'm looking forward to swapping out a humbucker for one in an entry-level Maestro Les Paul Junior!

[@1972LittleC]

Pure ecstatically the cream boys look great in the friedman. The tone is your thing (but I like it also)