Guild X-175 Manhattan pickup swap or sell it?

[JWS]

Hi fellow guitar players,

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.

Thanks for all you efforts and time.

Greetings from Bavaria

[rio]

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.


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[Little Jay]

You could go for a pair of Guild humbuckers, to stay 'correct', like the Seymour Duncan SD-1:

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userp...umbucker_1.jpg

I suspect it would require routing, but it's not a vintage instrument.

As for the feedback: playing a sound post under the bridge could work wonders! (Didn't older Guilds come with that from the factory?)

[Naquat]

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.

[JWS]

Looking for a more "electrical" sound with more controlled bass response that i experienced with Humbuckers.

There is no sound post as far as i can see.

If someone knows the company that makes a P90 Cover to hold a Humbucker a link would be great. Thanks

[Little Jay]

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

[Little Jay]

Or this:
Dogbuckers - Acy's Guitar Lounge

[jorgemg1984]

I had The Creamery one on a Godin Kingpin - sounded very good but it's still a little different from a full-size PAF, as expected.

[Dhango]

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.

[Jim Soloway]

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.

[Dhango]

¿Could THIS be an alternative without the need for cutting the guitar top?
¿It's suitable for playing jazz??

TV Jones PowerTron. Sort of "Gibson'-like with Filter'Tron overtones" on a P-90 size package.

[Jimmy Mack]

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.

[Dhango]

¿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.

[Acoustotron]

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.

[zephyrregent]

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.

[gretschkvetch]

[QUOTE=JWS;762355]Hi fellow guitar players,

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!

Try it - you'll like it!
grtz, Jeroen

[Ed Monkiewicz]

That's a beautiful guitar. I own a 1962 Blond model. Not everyone likes the P=90 pick ups. They were designed by Franz. Mine was made at the original factory in Hoboken. I'm sure you've sold it by now.

[Jimmy Mack]

Also, those Franz pickups on the OP's guitar look very very tall. More to consider with new pickups! Unless "custom made"
I admire your love for the guitar, attempting to keep it while also trying to improve it. I wouldn't be overly concerned with a resale value if you like the guitar that much. A great guitar can be extremely rewarding to own, and play.

[Ed Monkiewicz]

I agree...

[2bornot2bop]

I owned one. Sold it.

[One_Note]

¿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.

The dimensions on Guild pickups, which only look superficially like P90s, are not the same as actual dogear P90s

[andrew]

I don’t have any experience with the modern Franz reissues (although I’ve heard good things about the Curtis Novak), but I have a lot of experience with the vintage ones. They make great jazz pickups. And if you need more proof, John D’Angelico used them on his electric archtops.

[Hep To The Jive]

I had X-175 Blonde with Bigsby. I found the neck to be the best I've ever played on archtops. It was like Fender, 1 5/8 nut and 9.5 radius. I loved it so much, it made playing chord solos so easy!

I loved the Franz p90, but I couldn't use it for some gigs because of the hum. If you ever gigged in NYC you'd know what I'm talking about. So I decided to swap them for humbuckers. I put in SD 59's... Well, the guitar lost its mojo after that. At the time I didn't realized that 59's are mid scooped and that guitar needed the mids. I could've changed it to other humbuckers, but I moved on and just sold it.

Later I was thinking maybe I should get a new one, but I noticed they changed the neck specs to more like Gibson. That disqualified buying it for me. Oh well, I have fond memories of that one.

[58flame]

Sell it.

[omphalopsychos]

Something tells me the OP isn't still trying to resolve his dilemma from 7 years ago.


And those aren't p90s.