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Hi everyone,
Are P90 pickups good for blues or are the pickups on a regular strat better? I have heard that P90’s have a lot of power but are they a good option to play blues? I’m a beginner as some of you may know and wondering whether to get the Epiphone with the P90 pickups that Guitar Center has on sale or whether to stick to a Squire Strat that I bought just a week or so ago from them.
Appreciate any input you can give me.
Thanks,
Tim -
P90’s, providing that they are a good quality build, are outstanding for blues, jazz and all points in between.
The biggest fault of P90’s are that they are more apt than other single coils to pick up noise from sources like fluorescent lights, computer monitors, line noise from motors like are in refrigerators and AC units.
P90’s have the ability to be sweet and clean but if you push your amp into OD, they have a growl to them that is unparalleled in tone. Personally, I don’t like them for heavy distortion but for OD, they are great.
Keep in mind that much of the recorded music prior to Leo Fender releasing the Broadcaster, Strat & Tele was recorded with guitars equipped with P90’s
Personally, if you can afford it, I’d keep your Strat and buy the Epi with the P90’s – you’d have a good arsenal for blues tones
Epiphone is also making a copy of the Blueshawk right now; it has a 3rd coil in it they term a “dummy coil” and its purpose is to reject some of the noise that P90’s typically pickup. Price isn’t too hateful for a new one either
I had a Gibson Blueshawk for a number of years that was really a good guitar and I would like to think that the Epi model would be good too. -
In a general sense, I have always thought of P90s were warmer than a single coil and not as hot as a humbucker.
You can really use any guitar or pickup setup to play any genre. I would get too wrapped up in it at this point in your Journey. Now if you like the sound of P90 over a single coil and want to play them that is a totally different discussion.
I am just saying you can tweak your amp and pedals to make a pickup sound different. I have a SSS strat and a Reverend Flatroc with Humbuckers. I have played both at the blues jam and both have sounded great. They sound different but I like the qualities of each for different things. Another guy at the jam has a guitar with P90s and it sounds great too.
Find what you like and don’t let anyone…including me…tell you otherwise. Just take it a step at a time. Things I thought I did not like (or liked) change the more I play. Some things work at home that don’t work at a venue playing a gig. It is all trial and error but you are the judge.
That is my two cents.
-Bryce
Anchorage, Alaska -
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GnLguy & Bryce,
Thanks for replying so quickly to my post. I’m still mulling it over. One concern I have with the P90’s is the hum which I’ve heard is more prevalent than say on a strat coil pickup. Also, it’s so difficult to compare the pickups when you don’t know what type of amplifier/pedals are being used. I’m trying to not let the sale price on the Epi P90’s dictate my choice.
Thanks so much.
Tim -
Yeah Tim, I have an 2001 Epiphone Casino with the dog-bone P90’s which, to my ear at least, has great blues tone. However I presume you are looking at P90’s (soap-bar) on a Les Paul.
The tone they produce in a solid-body like the Les Paul is going to be different from the tone from a full hollow-body like the Casino or Gibson ES330.Greg Hilden has u-tube demos of a number of Les Pauls with P90’s. Here’s just one which sounds great; then again a fence-post with strings would sound great in his hands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqSaRj_126I
Hope this is of helps.
Rick
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Keith, that guy playing overhand on the SG deserves another mention. You said he’d blow me away and you’re right, so very right! His name is Brock Davisson and that video is on his YouTube channel. He mentions a CD too. It’s hard to tear me away from the old-timers, but every so often someone does. Thank you!
Don D.
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Rick,
Yes, you’re right I have been looking at the soap bar P90’s on the Epi. That video from Greg is just fantastic and the tone he gets is something I can only dream at getting…..
I may work with the Squier Strat that I have and the Fender Mustang amp that my wife just bought me and see what tones I can get with it. Should have some guitar sales coming up for Thanksgiving here in the U.S. in a few months so will see what prices and guitars are for sale and then revisit the Epi P90 guitar. My playing is still at beginner level so don’t want to get too ahead of myself. Guitar Center in the U.S. has the Epi with the P90’s for sale @ $99 which is why I was tempted by it…….( just got the Squier Strat & the amp so don’t want to push it with my better half…..I could trade out the Squier Strat for the Epi P90 but I think I may just keep the Strat as I say and try it with the Fender Mustang amp. Guitar Center has a 45 day return policy so if things don’t work out so well with the Strat I could always switch it out for the Epi )
Don & Keith, agree that the guy playing the SG is some player for sure.
Thanks again for posting a reply. Much appreciated.
Tim -
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My Epi WildKat has 2 Alnico V P-90s and I love the sound of them. But, yes, they hum when the amp over drives. That made me get a noise gate and that problem is more or less solved. I could’t be more happy with that guitar..
Don't practice till you get it right, practice till you can't get it wrong.
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I think it depends on who you will be playing for, and where you will be playing. My primary audience (my family) is absolutely intolerant of single coil buzz/hum. A noise gate turned out to be a fairly unsatisfactory solution for me. Humbucker pickups were designed to buck the hum, and they do. So, in the not too distant future I plan to get a Fender Strat with humbuckers to help alleviate the auditory stress my family is experiencing.
Sunjamr Steve
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I have 2 strats with noiseless PUPS and they sound wonderful…strat-like and no noise….a Deluxe and a Clapton signature. Try them out.
Roberto
Roberto
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BluGenes & Sunjamr Steve,
I think that the hum would frustrate me so for the time being I’m going to stick with the Strat. I only play for myself & my wife so as you say Steve to keep the family harmony going I’ll stay hum free for now.
I may revisit things over the holidays when the same Epi I was looking at sells for around $99 again so it won’t break the bank. I have looked at some youtube videos and they play loud enough that you can’t hear any hum from the P90’s but I’m playing in the house so I never crank it up too much as I would disturb the neighbors & more importantly my wife.
Thanks so much for your input. It really helps to have your firsthand experience.
Tim-
BluGenes & Sunjamr Steve,
I think that the hum would frustrate me so for the time being I’m going to stick with the Strat. I only play for myself & my wife so as you say Steve to keep the family harmony going I’ll stay hum free for now.
I may revisit things over the holidays when the same Epi I was looking at sells for around $99 again so it won’t break the bank. I have looked at some youtube videos and they play loud enough that you can’t hear any hum from the P90’s but I’m playing in the house so I never crank it up too much as I would disturb the neighbors & more importantly my wife.
Thanks so much for your input. It really helps to have your firsthand experience.
TimTim
I know that you aren’t wanting to buy right now but see if you can find a store with an Epi Blueshawk in stock
That guitar is equipped with P90’s but has a dummy coil installed between the 2 pickups that absorbs much of the noise that would otherwise the transferred to your amp.It cost more than the $99 model that you are looking at but it will give you a good idea of P90 tone when the hum is controlled
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@Maradonagol, my strat is an American Standard, and supposedly it came with Custom Shop Fat ’50s pickups. Thanks to your lead, I read up on the Deluxe model and the various pickups available. First, I was interested to see that they now make a Deluxe Plus model, with solderless pickups, so you can just easily unplug them and swap them out for several different kinds of pickups. I also read that my Custom Shop Fat ’50s (if that’s what I really have) supposedly include a double-wound (noise cancelling) middle pickup. However, I can’t really tell any difference in noise from the center pickup vs the bridge and neck pickups. Thanks for the tip. It gave me food for thought.
Sunjamr Steve
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You re welcome Steve…..I also have an american std but from 1996…..and the in-between positions make no noise….interesting stuff. Enjoy the search…
Roberto
Roberto
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I’ll definitely check it out and see who may have one locally. I think once we get into the holiday season the prices will come down so perhaps I may be able to get something better than the $99 Epi. I love the sound of the P90’s when blues are being played. They sound super warm and bluesy. Just what I am looking for.
Thanks so much.
Tim -
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