Turning a Humbucker into a P-90?

[dnic]

I recently saw a Gibson video with there new rep Mark (from Norms guitars) saying the new Les Paul comes with hummers that can be push pulled in P-90s. Now if that's possible I'd never wire another guitar any other way. So I get how you can split to single coil or IMHO better yet series/parallel them. So how would one go about wiring that up?

[GuitarAttack Forum]

Dane -- I have not seen the video, but here are a few thoughts:

1. The "sound" of a pickup comes from a number of sources on the guitar. The physical construction of the pickup has a lot to do with the way it will sound when powered-up.
2. The humbucker and the P-90 are fundamentally different pickups with regards to coil size/number, magnets, and construction.
3. In my opinion, adding a coil tap to a regular humbucker produces a single coil tone that doesn't really equate to a Strat pickup. While it is different, it doesn't have the same mojo. This was the design goal of my AttackBucker+, and I think it got very close.
4. In the same regard, unless Gibson has added some extra electronics in the guitar or some unseen stuff in the control cavity, I will withhold judgement on the ability to recreate a P-90 tone from a humbucker until I can play one!

Here is a link to the guitar, a Les Paul Modern, and the claim about the P-90s: www.gibson.com/Guitar/USAQ17249/les-paul-modern#

By the way -- the P-90 is probably my favorite pickup.

John

[dnic]

Thanks for your thoughts John. I was also unable to come up with a way that a hummer could do a P-90. And I'm pretty sure he said turns it into a P-90 not makes it sound like a P-90. But from a non tech viewpoint it could mean the same thing to him.

My fav is also the P-90 sound although I haven't tried you classic bucker yet. And right now I'm my Strat phase. Single coils in the #2 position. Exquisite!

[antares]

P90 is my second favourite pup. For me the crown goes to the sound from a horseshoe magnet pickup that I associate with the Coodercaster. Such a thick tone that you could almost measure it with a caliper. Wouldn't work for many genres though I'll give you that.

e&oe...