Anyone performing with P90-equipped guitar in the current day?

[guavajelly]

I gig my ES 330 all the time. Sometimes there's hum, sometimes there's none. If it hums I pull back the volume control between songs.

[gggguitar]

I had my 330 with stock Gibson P90s wired so that they were hum cancelling with both pickups in the middle position. This was the solution for when the noise was too much for whatever reason.

I have since installed a pair of MojoTone '56 Quiet Coil P90 noiseless pickups and have been very happy with them.

[Mark M.]

No one has mentioned Pat Metheny yet:


https://twitter.com/milesokazaki/status/1596663467658051584?s=12

[Little Jay]

No one has mentioned Pat Metheny yet:

Pat’s Slaman has an adjustable CC pickup, not a P90
(Although that would encounter the same difficulties with buzz of course….)

[Little Jay]

I had my 330 with stock Gibson P90s wired so that they were hum cancelling with both pickups in the middle position. This was the solution for when the noise was too much for whatever reason.

I have since installed a pair of MojoTone '56 Quiet Coil P90 noiseless pickups and have been very happy with them.

I looked at the Mojotone website but they don’t reveal what technology they use to get their Quiet Coil noiseless, other than “ ‘56 “Quiet Coil” P-90 pickups are passive and only use the parts and materials found in original vintage ‘56 P-90 pickups. Vintage spec 42 gauge coil wire, lower Gauss Alnico magnets, adjustable polepieces, and vintage braided leads. No PC boards, batteries, stacked coils, or anything else associated with other hum-canceling pickups were used in our design.”

How are these noise cancelling then?

[gggguitar]

I looked at the Mojotone website but they don’t reveal what technology they use to get their Quiet Coil noiseless, other than “ ‘56 “Quiet Coil” P-90 pickups are passive and only use the parts and materials found in original vintage ‘56 P-90 pickups. Vintage spec 42 gauge coil wire, lower Gauss Alnico magnets, adjustable polepieces, and vintage braided leads. No PC boards, batteries, stacked coils, or anything else associated with other hum-canceling pickups were used in our design.”

How are these noise cancelling then?

That's a really good question.

I have no idea how they do it but I can tell you that they actually are noiseless pickups.

They also sound great!

[D.G.]

I looked at the Mojotone website but they don’t reveal what technology they use to get their Quiet Coil noiseless, other than “ ‘56 “Quiet Coil” P-90 pickups are passive and only use the parts and materials found in original vintage ‘56 P-90 pickups. Vintage spec 42 gauge coil wire, lower Gauss Alnico magnets, adjustable polepieces, and vintage braided leads. No PC boards, batteries, stacked coils, or anything else associated with other hum-canceling pickups were used in our design.”

How are these noise cancelling then?

Probably side-winders. The Fralin noiseless p90s are built that way.

[Little Jay]

Probably side-winders. The Fralin noiseless p90s are built that way.

Thanks…. But was does that mean exactly? An extra coil on the side that is reversed wound reversed polarity?

[reventlov]

The newer ones are not as strong. While not a true P90 I have TV Jones Supertrons in 3 guitars and it's my favorite neck pickup.

The TV Jones Supertron is a humbucker, and is basically a hotter version of the Gretsch Filtertron. Great pickups for sure, but not any kind of P90 at all.

[D.G.]

Thanks…. But was does that mean exactly? An extra coil on the side that is reversed wound reversed polarity?

What Are Sidewinders? — Orpheus Pickups

[Marinero]

So, if a musician is truly looking for a vintage sound on his instrument, does he play the vintage P90 pickup on his instrument or a newer, modified version that has removed its nature/quirks? Part of the problem is that musicians today are playing at louder decibels than in the past. Ninety percent of my early live Jazz listening experiences were in small bars, clubs, and restaurant lounges where max volume was neither needed nor wanted.
Marinero

[Degranulator]

My main goto instrument these days is a Reverend PA-1 with 2 P90s, and for about ten years before that I primarily played my Slaman with Lollar CC for pretty near everything with my cheapo tele occasionally subbing in. I don't care much about noise, that's just something you have to work with/around. But I keep a Washburn J3 with SD '59 humbucker neck for any polite/uptight gigs,or for when I just want that sound and the large body (it's set up really well and plays great). But I have always played single coils, mainly P90s and seldom found any significant noise issues. I think for that tone you have to accept what the pickup is. The only guitar I have owned that actually had enough noise to be a problem was a 1979 Gibson 175/CC. The 60cycle hum from that pickup was so strong when I played a low B you could hear it beat against the hum. It was nuts. Something was messed up there, not normal.

When thinking about noise and pickups I always think of Hendrix standing in front of those Marshalls with the Strat buzzing and sizzling, that was some exciting shit I think. Or I imagine Charlie Christian at Minton's with the ES150 and EH150 or 185, and the anticipation when he turned up the volume knob and gave the horns something to talk about.