i recently bought a Guild X-175 Manhattan from the actual production series.
I love the neck and all the other specs, but i can't get along with P-90s. Thats the hard lesson that I learned with this baby.
Now I have the question should i sell it or switch the pickups to Humbuckers. I know there are only a view manufactures out there who have a exactly fitting pickup of the type P-90s with dog Ears but Humbucker inside.
One more thing that could be better is the feedback. But I think thats just with what you have to live if you love bigger jazz boxes.
What is it about the p-90 pickups that you don't like? Some day I would like to get a p-90 equipped archtop. Every one that I have tried I have liked - very cool sounds.
I always look at playability and the acoustic sound of a guitar first because if I like those the electronics can always be changed/upgraded. So if the guitar pleases you unplugged I'd keep it and explore the options for pups. I believe there's a company that makes a P90 cover to hold a humbucker but I'm not sure if it's just their humbucker or not.
Your guitar does not have P90s, but Guild's own version of them. Soundwise perhaps very close, but I think dimensions are different, so a humbucker-in-P90-cover might not fit without modification.
But the Creamery makes P90-sized humbuckers: The Creamery
Last edited by Little Jay; 04-15-2017 at 11:55 AM.
P-90 pickups are allright for me, but I wish the covers were black instead of cream white. They don't merge quite well with the guitar, they look like an afterthought...and still, humbuckers would be a better choice, IMHO.
Sell it and get the guitar that works for you. Better than guessing how the other solutions might sound and then spending the money to find out if you were right.
All these options, but you will probably need to modify something to get them to fit. If it's just drilling new screw holes, you'll be OK, but be careful and do it correctly. You may also have to enlarge the opening for different p/ups. Again, use care. Maybe a custom made unit? is what's needed, as the photo above shows, there are no "dog ears", tabs for mounting the P/up.
Last edited by Jimmy Mack; 06-18-2017 at 10:01 PM.
¿Maybe the same pickup in different configuration and mounting system?
Mounting ring screwed directly to the body and then the pickup screwed to the ring.
Just be sure and consider resale before you start modifying the top. A lot of "upgrades" on less expensive guitars will reduce resale value. I tend to agree with Jim Soloway. If you're not just completely enamored with everything else about the guitar, I'd consider cutting your losses and trying something else.
Another option might be to have someone install new insides to the pickups that are on the guitar now. When the Tone Spectrum pickup died on my 1951 Epiphone Zephyr Regent, Lindy Fralin installed a new pickup inside it.
i recently bought a Guild X-175 Manhattan from the actual production series.
I love the neck and all the other specs, but i can't get along with P-90s. Thats the hard lesson that I learned with this baby.
Now I have the question should i sell it or switch the pickups to Humbuckers. I know there are only a view manufactures out there who have a exactly fitting pickup of the type P-90s with dog Ears but Humbucker inside.
One more thing that could be better is the feedback. But I think thats just with what you have to live if you love bigger jazz boxes.
2 things: The pickups are not exactly shaped like p-90's so I don't think you can retrofit without some work. Also: I have the same guitar, and in the beginning I had some feedback problems. Here's how I fixed them: I took off the covers and unscrewed the 4 screws that mount the coil to the top. Then I added about 2mm of rubber hose (like the kind used for bike valves) to the screws so the pickup is now no longer mounted directly to the top. Put the covers back on - no more feedback!
Not sure if it the mindset of those that have a strong opinion,
Does color play into the perception
of value…?? it seems that the standard “Authentic” color is the Autumn Burst (?) followed by...
That's awesome. 3 is the max for me right now. For my keys playing If I can get command of improv where I can control the bass, melody, and an inner part, that's advanced enough for me. Obviously...
Oh, I thought you said you wanted the new neck pup to match the look of the existing bridge pup.
Anyways, do you want the new pup to have more body than the Seth, or about the same? That could...
Bobby Stern is a sax player who has many improv lessons for sale on his site.
the thing about his approach is that it is harmonic..and explores his lines in all 12 keys..usually in the cycle of...
^ I'm a fan.
I thought so! My lil $600 Yamaha CP-125 digital piano is a good instrument apparently. Better watch it or I'm gonna buy a vibraphone. I think I would do a good job on focusing on...
Not the power amp stage. That’s an analog class d amplifier
The amps we’re talking about have physical knobs that lower the output of an analog amp. There may a DSP aspect of how it does that...
I lack experience with a wide range of amplifiers, so making a comparison wouldn't be fair. However, I've been using the Blue 6 in both quartet and big band setups, and it performs well (IMHO) in...
I toyed with that this evening. I kind of like how light the maj7 makes it sound, but I put a Dom 7 in there around bar 7-8.
It might be too noodly now.
...
Thanks very much. I actually use quite a bit of mic’d amp and DI in my mix for the body of the sound with the mike on the guitar mostly addi mg the stringy tizz and acoustic realism. Glad you like...
Yes, it's boxy compared to a Fender. I've done side-by-side comparisons with a friends amp and my Princeton TM, tweaking the tone stack this way and that, and without some sort of assistance from a...
Figured I'd post this here. This is my blonde '89 Emperor that I have modified to be more like a Harmony H-62/Espanada. Since it's a cross between an Emperor and an Espanada, I call it the Empanada...
Pickup Suggestions For Blonde 89 Emperor
Yesterday, 07:27 PM in Guitar, Amps & Gizmos