LP Custom Recommendation - P90s

[aaron]

Just picked up a Les Paul Custom 68 Reissue. Comes stock with the Gibson 57 pickups but I will be looking to swap them out. I have looked at the juggernaut but also have really been interested in HSP90s. I'm looking to see if anyone here can make some suggestions on neck/bridge combo pickups that might deliver the sound I'm after.

I'd like some variety between both positions, allowing myself to clean up or get bluesy while still being able to pump the gain and let'er rock. I don't know how 'gainy' of a pickup I want as sometimes it's nicer to hit the amp hard.

For reference I dig the tone this guy is getting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h6osukUtKQ

He's got a variety of videos with P90s and has that great crunchy/gainy yet clear type tone. I would also describe the type of sound at the beginning of 'You really got me' by Van Halen. Maybe not quite as gainy but that same sort of distorted yet clear sound, lots of note definition and pick attack, very mid-rangey. I realize that amp plays a factor in all this but I'm looking to see if humbucker sized P90s are indeed what I'm looking for.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[Telerocker]

That's a classic LP Junior P90-tone, so Nantuckets will do this in spades. I wouldn't go hotter, especially not with a an amp that has a lof of gain on tap.
In the past I played a Yamaha Troy van Leeuwen signature (3xP90) through a Rockerverb 50 head/cab. All the tones you're after were in that combo.

[aaron]

Thanks for the response.

They seem pretty low gain in terms of pickups.

I need to be able to also get something similar to this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSzvPXP5DaA

So tight on this type of palm mute riffing but doesn't have to be as compressed. That nice big open, harmonic filled sound. If that makes sense.

[Telerocker]

Don't misread dc-resistance for output. And remember the big coil of a P90 makes your sound bold. I would stick to Nantuckets. Even with Mules you can play metal.

[Kiichi]

Yep, I agree with my mates here. Nantuckets are the best ticket. Because they are so open and defined they can handle a sh*tload of gain really well, especially fuzz. Muse use a lot of them for a reason. A P90 kinda takes the midrange of a humbucker and stretches it out into the low and high end, making it less cramped and dense, thus enabling a great roar, plus getting a super natural and defined low and an airy seperated, not shrill highend. The perfect middleground between single coil and humbucker.

And in less salesmen words: I had a MQ, which is basecally a humbuckersized nantucket, paired with an Aftermath bridge for a while. Trust me, it could keep up. Donīt underestimate the raw power of P90s.

[Dave Sloven]

I don't think you would need something as high output as my Stockholm to get that sound like in the the Maylene clip.

Where you might find the Nantucket lacks a bit is in the bottom end of the EQ, but I'm not sure on that.  I don't hear a huge amount of bottom end in that clip, even in the chuggier moment.  I think it is a toss up between the Nantucket and the Supermassive as to which would be better for you.

Nantucket: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-Pj4M2DfQ

Supermassive: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6pG2Rg4duI

Be careful not to judge the clips on the basis of the sound quality.  The Nantucket clip should have used a better microphone.

The first clip you posted of the TV Yellow Junior is definitely a Nantucket type of sound.

[aaron]

Gotta confess, I'm kinda new to the whole p90s thing. (granted I need humbucker sized ones).

My fave humbucker for what I normally do is the JB, so I think the p90 equivalent (if you could even say that is what interests me). Reason I look at the 90s is that every time I see a clip of someone using them they seem to have beautiful bite, great with gain buy hold their note definition, whereas the buckers would typically compress up but lose that open bite.

I'd be using a Bogner Helios or Orange TH30 so there is more than enough gain on the amp, but I just want to avoid having what would sound like a strat in the amp where it lacks that dirty aggressiveness to clips like the maylene stuff.

[Dave Sloven]

Most of the P-90s you have heard would be similar to the Nantucket.  Alnico V magnet and based on the late '50s Gibson pickups.

The Supermassive and Stockholm are considerably more modern sounding and while they still sound like P-90s in some sense in other ways they don't sound like P-90s you would be familiar with.  The Nantucket is probably what you want.  It's very difficult to compare humbuckers and P-90s.  There is at least one thread in the archives of this forum where someone found the Supermassive to have more output than a Nailbomb ...

[aaron]

Looking more and more like I will be heading down this route. Nantucket is higher output than the MQ correct? The fact that they are listed out of order on the site throws me off a bit.

I may also consider the Supermassive for the bridge position for some extra bark (provided it cleans up nicely).

I'm also interested in what might pair well in the neck, I'd be mainly looking to get those lovely gilmourish driven lead tones (in some form of p90)

[Telerocker]

Mind you that the voicing of the Supermassive is different, way more low(mids). Yes, the Nantucket is slightly hotter than the MQ. I wonder if you (blindfolded) could tell the difference.

[aaron]

Any insight in neck pairing given the type of sound id be after? Something balanced?

[PhilKing]

If you really want the chugging sound, I have a Pig 90 in an LP junior which has more bass than the regular P-90.  Just not sure if the new one is different to mine, as I have the Allen bolts that the Warpig has, but the illustration on the web page shows standard screw heads.  I have Nantuckets in my 55 LP special and they are great sounding, they stand up against my 60 LP Junior with it's original P-90, so would definitely get the sound from your original link.

[Telerocker]

Best is a calibrated set. BKP offers those set with good reason. They spend a lot of R&D on that. That doesn't mean you can't mismatch. A Nantucket-bridge and a Bluenote-neck won't be total disbalanced. They work fine together.

[aaron]

If you really want the chugging sound, I have a Pig 90 in an LP junior which has more bass than the regular P-90.  Just not sure if the new one is different to mine, as I have the Allen bolts that the Warpig has, but the illustration on the web page shows standard screw heads.  I have Nantuckets in my 55 LP special and they are great sounding, they stand up against my 60 LP Junior with it's original P-90, so would definitely get the sound from your original link.

I feel like the Pig 90 might be a bit of overkill. I would definitely like to to hold up to some chugging on the mutes but not be overly saturated in gain. I'd love it to remain tight on mute especially if I was in drop D or something like that which requires some agressive riffing with chording. Forgive me, P90s are new to me as I've never really considered them before.

What I love about the orginal clip posted of the guy in his bedroom with the Jr is that playing through the orange he has MORE than enough gain via the amp but it retains that barking clarity. It's still super agressive however, doesn't sound like a stock strat plugged in which doesn't have that beef.

I feel like I might do good to listen to some new Green Day or something because I believe Billie relies heavily on the P90 type stuff now but still has some great muting/rocking chords.