P-90's for 1972 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe?

[TonyGibson]

I just found a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe circa 1972 that I may buy. It comes stock with mini-humbuckers. Could Bare Knuckle P-90's fit in those pickup cavities? Are the pickups worth replacing? Were 70's Gibson pickups actually good?

Thanks in advance to all that reply...

[Philly Q]

Yes, P-90s will definitely fit.

I don't know what those particular Gibson mini-humbuckers will sound like, but they were good enough for Scott Gorham.  You never know, you might like 'em.

[PhilKing]

They sound a lot like the Firebird pickup, very like a fatter strat sound.  P-90's will fit but you have to  take out the mounting bar for the mini-HB.  I like the sound of them, though BK used to make a set of mini-mules as replacements for them, but I'm not sure that they are available any more.

[Philly Q]

Mini-humbuckers are great, especially in the neck position.  I've got one that will be going in my Tele, if I ever get it fixed up.

Presumably it'd be possible to get the Gibson pups rewound, even if the Mini-Mule's no longer available?

[Mr Ed]

Minibuckers = FITNESS.

 :D

[jpfamps]

If the guitar is all stock DON'T fit replacement pickups (you will need to route the body to fit P90s).

Early 70s mahogany neck  Les Pauls (went to maple nexh around 1974) are becoming quite collectable, and are only going up in value. If you route the body you will at least halve the value of the guitar. Any guitar repairer who is prepared to do this without telling you the consequences doesn't know enough about guitars to do a decent job.

The mini humbuckers on the Les Paul Deluxe sound fine anyway.

DON'T ROUTE VINTAGE GUITARS

[jpfamps]

If the guitar is all stock DON'T fit replacement pickups (you will need to route the body to fit P90s).

Early 70s mahogany neck  Les Pauls (went to maple necks around 1974) are becoming quite collectable, and are only going up in value. If you route the body you will at least halve the value of the guitar. Any guitar repairer who is prepared to do this without telling you the consequences doesn't know enough about guitars to do a decent job.

The mini humbuckers on the Les Paul Deluxe sound fine anyway.

DON'T ROUTE VINTAGE GUITARS

[Philly Q]

Why would you need to rout the body?  :?

The minibucker mounting ring is just a modified P-90 cover.

[jpfamps]

Yes you are correct. I have consulted a higher authority.

I was under the inpression there was a slight length issue, but that is wrong, P90s will fit.

Although I really like P90s, I still wouldn't fit them to a 1972 Les Paul Deluxe. Why do uneccessary work on a valuable vintage guitar even if it is reversible?

[Twinfan]

Why do uneccessary work on a valuable vintage guitar even if it is reversible?

Because it sounds pants?

[jpfamps]

If its doesn't sound great why buy it?

It doesn't make sense to me to spend money devaluing your guitar.

[Philly Q]

If its doesn't sound great why buy it?

It doesn't make sense to me to spend money devaluing your guitar.

Conversely, if it does sound great, why sell it?  And that being the case, why worry about the value?  Ultimately a guitar's value is irrelevant unless/until you decide to sell it.  They're supposed to be musical instruments after all, not investments.

I must agree, though, that I personally would be reluctant to change anything on a vintage guitar - not because of the value, but simply because I think it's somehow "wrong" to mess with something that's been left unchanged for a long time.  Which is one of the reasons I don't buy vintage guitars.  Then again, some of our new guitars are the vintage guitars of the future, so should we be concerned about devaluing them too?

But we're only talking about changing pickups, and this is the Bare Knuckle Pickups forum, so I guess most of us aren't opposed to pickup changes.  Lots of guitars feel and play great, but don't sound as good as they might, and a pickup change is a very good non-destructive way of solving that problem.

[Twinfan]

Just for a change  ;)  I'm with Phil here.  If you're buying it to enjoy it, then a pickup change is a good idea.  You can tailor the guitar to suit you.

If you're buying the guitar as a collectible, then originality is obviously best.  But then TonyGibson wouldn't be here if that was the case with this guitar, would he?

[jpfamps]

Well I can see your point, but presumably there must be a limit.

If you say routed your 1961 slab board Strat for humbuckers you would drop its value by at least £5,000. Would you do this if you didn't like single coils?  

A "straight" 1972 Les Paul Deluxe is probably worth from £1,500 to £2,000, perhaps even more. As 50s Les Pauls are effectively unaffordable, early 70's Les Pauls are now becoming more sought after and are likely to increase in value further.

I recently saw a 50's Les Paul junior that someone had decided to add a second pickup to. Unfortunately this compromised the neck joint to such an extent that a metal plate had to be bolted to the body to hold the neck on. Suffice to say the guitar was a virtual right off — virtually worthless.

Now I expect when this was done a 50s Junior was a cheap guitar, probably cheaper than a 1972 Les Paul Deluxe is now. "Straight" 50's juniors start at £5,000.

My advice would be: if you really ike the guitar buy it , play it and enjoy it for what it is. If you don't like the guitar, but it is too cheap to pass up, buy and see if you get to like it. If you don't you will always be able to sell it trade it.

Incidentally, I really like the sound of Les Paul Deluxes; even the weight lifter 70's one I have played soounded great.

[Tarzan]

We're not talking about routing anything here, or altering the guitar in any un-reversible way, so why not change?