Okay, everybody calm down

Quantum Strummer

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PAFs are brighter than P90s, and also lower in output, but it's an extended & dynamic high end airiness rather than anything shrill or harsh. It's not 'til you get to late 1965 (or so) patent number pickups that the darker HB sound with higher output (yet fewer winds) gets standardized. Lower-wind P90s are clearer sounding with less midrange grit than the higher wind examples. SG Jrs. tend to get pretty barky P90s, not to everyone's taste. My SG Special's P90s are both ~7.5K, on the cleaner & clearer end of the spectrum. An SG Jr. with an 8.75K p'up sounds quite different. I like the hotter sound too…but into a more mid-scooped amp.

-Dave-
 

txbumper57

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SFIII-90 been on my list for a while, but pretty hard to find.

That they are, It took me over a year searching for the right SFIII-90 to find what I was looking for. Then within a few months a Guild SFIV-3 P90 with a Guildsby from the Nashville Custom Shop popped up and I had to grab that one too to make a set! There was an Extremely small batch of those made (Less than 10 IIRC) in Nashville. Just for giggles here are a few pics of the two together.

DrDghw.jpg
srmKDb.jpg
LjsOSn.jpg
6aEB3o.jpg


TX
 

chazmo

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Hey, TX, school me a little (I'm an electric moron): Those two guitars both have P-90s? Why do the pole pieces and mounting hardware look very different on those two sets of pickups on the two guitars? What am I seeing?
 

AcornHouse

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Hey, TX, school me a little (I'm an electric moron): Those two guitars both have P-90s? Why do the pole pieces and mounting hardware look very different on those two sets of pickups on the two guitars? What am I seeing?
I’ll chime in.
The one on the right has “dogear” P90s, which means the mounting screws are on tabs. The one on the left has “soap bar” P90s, which has the mounting screws in between the 2nd and 3rd (and 4th and 5th) polepieces. What you’re seeing are the mounting screw heads in between.

Dogears are used on full hollowbodies since they don’t need a block underneath. Soap bars need a block underneath to mount the spring adjustable screws.
 
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txbumper57

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Hey, TX, school me a little (I'm an electric moron): Those two guitars both have P-90s? Why do the pole pieces and mounting hardware look very different on those two sets of pickups on the two guitars? What am I seeing?

What Acorn said above Chazmo. There are two different mounting styles for P90's, The "Soapbar" and the "Dog Ear". Same P90 Pickup just different mounting options. The "Soapbar" Style allows for a more low profile mount as they are recessed into cavities routed in the body itself. These are used on Solidbody guitars or in this case since the SFIV has a center block and is semi hollow, the "Soapbar" P90's are mounted directly to the centerblock in the guitar.

The "Dogear" versions are for surface mount on Full Hollowbody applications where there is no block underneath to mount the pickups to like the SFIII-P90. The SFIV in the photos with 3 P90's are the "Soapbar" Style while the SFIII-90 has the "Dogear" Style mounts. Hope that helps Amigo!

TX
 
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Quantum Strummer

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Just to note, even the soapbar P90s are non-adjustable for height (unless you use shims) into the mid 1960s. When Gibson switched to the "batwing" SG pickguard they started mounting Special & Junior P90s directly to it with a screw/spring/bracket setup that allows height adjustment.

-Dave-
 

mavuser

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I have 2009 Gibson LP JR and 2003 Gibson LP JR Melody Maker. Both have the single dog ear P-90 in the bridge. both sound incredible and will never be changed. the 2009 is a little hotter, and that guitar in particular sounds a lot like a “short scale tele” thru most amps. hard to explain (but no explanation is needed)
 

mavuser

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also the guy on FB just asking for it w that post!! they obviously knew the answer already. basically just walking directly into a mass assault, knowingly.
 

Guildedagain

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At the time, I wasn't smart enough to know the P90 was a great p'up, it just didn't sound right and the Duncan went in. As mentioned, on the pre batwing SG, the p'up screws directly to wood. I went to the Gibson store and got a replacement dogear cover so I wouldn't mess with the original, dremeled it out and basically made a decorative ring for the HB out of it. Looked great, sounded... well I'd have to say that my setup at the time was probably the baddest in town. I roadied for the biggest band in town, the lead guitarist played a '61 or so LP SG (to die for) into a 100W Boogie, into an old Marshall 4x12, and he said that his setup would blow mine away...

He came over to pick up a snake I'd gone through and resoldered, and I was like "Hey John, listen to this and tell if you think your amp still blows mine away". Previously mentioned SG Jr. into small box 50W Plexi "owned by the guy in Black Oak Arkansas" according to Westbury in NY who handled Marshall at that time, into a 60's and rare Marshall 8x10 cab with metal handles. I barely got through a salvo of A D A G D A chords, and he ran (he ran so far away... ;-), literally, ran out of the house. Outside, he says "that's fng insanely loud... it is louder than the Boogie" ;)

Those guys did an AC/DC show that was just so killer (all pre 1980 songs) and he knew loud. They were so loud you could hear them rehearsing for blocks, in fact, that's how I met them. Riding my bicycle home one night, I heard a rendition of Touch too Much that was like listening to the record but better, found them rehearsing in an old gym, ended up working with them for years, had my own band with the drum roadie, his cousin was Chris De Garmo from Queensryche, and he was so freakin loud... that I took the 50W Plexi to the music store and traded it for a 100W Sound City, and they made me give them cash to boot... probably my dumbest gear move ever.

In all fairness to the P90, Townshend's tone on Live at Leeds is probably as good as it get, especially the way it cleans up.

Interesting story about Martin Barre, he didn't want the gig with Tull, too much competition... He auditioned, but didn't get the gig on account of a Gibson 330 that squealed like a pig... Tony Iomni (This is Birmingham) got the gig, "but didn't work out" lolol...

So Barre got a second audition, but this time with a buddy's old LP Jr. and got the gig.

Then he got his own LP Jr. and the rest is history.

On Aqualung, it was the Jr. straight into the Marshall. Reverb etc were added later.

For a few years after, he played a Les Paul Standard, as seen here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCMS-NJ7VxU

I love this band.
 
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That they are, It took me over a year searching for the right SFIII-90 to find what I was looking for. Then within a few months a Guild SFIV-3 P90 with a Guildsby from the Nashville Custom Shop popped up and I had to grab that one too to make a set! There was an Extremely small batch of those made (Less than 10 IIRC) in Nashville. Just for giggles here are a few pics of the two together.

DrDghw.jpg

srmKDb.jpg
LjsOSn.jpg
6aEB3o.jpg


TX

AWESOME! Guild SFlll P90 is on my list. I hope I can find one one day that nice. Congrats
 

drlucky

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At the risk of having the torches and pitchforks raised against me, has anybody tried putting dogear P-90's on either a late 90's or NS Starfire II/III?
 

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I was toying with putting Seymour Duncan Phat Cats in my SF3, because they would drop right into the Fenderbucker routes, but I have not yet. The idea of trying Franzes in a NS SFIII intrigues, but I am not sure how much room there is under the strings for it.
 

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At the risk of having the torches and pitchforks raised against me, has anybody tried putting dogear P-90's on either a late 90's or NS Starfire II/III?

Dogears are wider but narrower than humbuckers, so you would see the edge of the humbucker hole around the pickup, hence the market for bucker size P90s like the Phat Cat. A cheap and very option is the Kent Armstrong.
 

parker_knoll

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That they are, It took me over a year searching for the right SFIII-90 to find what I was looking for. Then within a few months a Guild SFIV-3 P90 with a Guildsby from the Nashville Custom Shop popped up and I had to grab that one too to make a set! There was an Extremely small batch of those made (Less than 10 IIRC) in Nashville. Just for giggles here are a few pics of the two together.

DrDghw.jpg
srmKDb.jpg
LjsOSn.jpg
6aEB3o.jpg


TX

Wow, never seen anything like that SFIV before. When was it made? Looks like it shares the pickguard with the other GSR models.
 

txbumper57

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Wow, never seen anything like that SFIV before. When was it made? Looks like it shares the pickguard with the other GSR models.

Hans sent me the info on it when I got it. Construction began in the Fall of 2001 and it was completed on January 31, 2002 at the Nashville Custom Shop. The GSR Series was made much later on in New Hartford over a period of a few years with some of the electrics being completed all the way up into 2014 before the plant shut down.

TX
 
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txbumper57

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At the risk of having the torches and pitchforks raised against me, has anybody tried putting dogear P-90's on either a late 90's or NS Starfire II/III?

The Dogear P90s might cover the routing holes for the LB1 remakes in the Newark Street Starfire II/III as they are smaller than normal humbuckers but a Late 90's model would definitely show the edges of the rout. If I am not mistaken I have seen P90 Dogear mounting rings that mount in the place of a normal size Humbucker ring mount using the Humbucker ring screws (Like a late 90's SF) and then the P90 mounts to it. That way you wouldn't have to drill holes and the mod could be reversible.

Just a Suggestion

TX
 

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Wouldn't be surprised if the pickguards on the SF6 weren't spare parts too. The bodies were, why not use up stock parts?
It's the Guild Way (tm).
 

parker_knoll

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Wouldn't be surprised if the pickguards on the SF6 weren't spare parts too. The bodies were, why not use up stock parts?
It's the Guild Way (tm).

not sure about that. that's the same shape of guard they used for the later GSR models, so perhaps they just decided to develop them at that point
 
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