P-90

The P -90 is an electromagnetic pickup type of single-coil design ( Einzelspuler ) for electric guitars. P -90 pickups are manufactured by the U.S. musical instrument manufacturer Gibson since 1946. Since P -90 pickups have a larger housing than other single-coil types ( such as the manufacturer Fender ) and because it produces a somewhat more voluminous sound than this, he is sometimes incorrectly referred to as a humbucker ( a doppelspuliger cartridge type ).

History

The P -90 was built in 1946 by Gibson for the first time (after the resumption of production after the Second World War) in an electric guitar. The first so -equipped guitar was the 1936 first presented model Gibson ES- 150th The P -90 was built as a successor to the "Charlie Christian pickup " previously used in the ES-150. Widespread availability of P-90 pickups was short-lived as it was in the late 1950s, largely from the twin-coil, hum- free " PAF " humbucker model was replaced. The P -90 was built only in models such as the Gibson ES -330, with the Gibson Les Paul Junior models, TV and Special, as well as the Gibson SG Junior and Special models. In the 1970s, the P-90 was (ie without housing caps Pickup) replaced with guitars from Gibson's lower -priced largely of single coils, of mini - humbuckers and " unmet " ( open-coil ) humbuckers. In later years, reprints of some models have been introduced that are again equipped with P-90 pickups. Today, Gibson used the P-90 at only some Les Paul and SG editions and special signature models, but we find the type of pickup on electric guitars several other companies and brands, including Epiphone ( a Gibson subsidiary ) and Yamaha, as well as on some archtop guitars from smaller manufacturers.

Form of construction

The core of P -90 pickups make one or two permanent magnets in bar form, with only the oldest P-90 are equipped with only one magnet. The magnets are made of different alloys of aluminum, nickel, cobalt and iron ( AlNiCo ); a long time been used by some manufacturers instead be ceramic magnets. The magnets carry six rod-shaped pole pieces, which are wound with a coil of very thin copper wire. The wire thickness is 0.056 to 0.062 mm, the coil of a classic P -90 pickup has about 10,000 windings. In the manufacture of the coils of wire, either by machine or manually performed; the leadership of the wire by hand to give the pickup by small irregularities in the windings of a particularly dynamic sound. The design of magnets, pole heads and the coil is mounted on a metal plate and is screwed to a housing made of plastic. To avoid microphonic the winding is fixed by soaking in paraffin.

Housing types

Soap Bar

In this case the pickups are like all P -90 plastic housing, rectangular and carry six adjustable pole pieces. Between the 2nd and 3rd and the 4th and 5th pole head two screw holes are recessed into the case to fasten the pickups on the guitar can. The term " soap bar" ( German: " soap bar " ) probably comes from the fact that the first P -90 to a Gibson Les Paul 1952 were white or cream colored and so the association with a bar of soap aroused. While a particular form of "Soap Bar" -P -90 has the soap bar casing, but the frame or the base of the " Dog Ear " ( see below).

Dog Ear

Dog Ear ( German: "dog ear" ) is a rectangular enclosure with two eponymous, triangular shaped extensions left and right, each carrying a screw for mounting the pickup to the instrument's top. This type is mainly built in electric guitar models with a hollow body such as the Gibson ES -330, but also in solid body guitars like the Gibson Les Paul Junior. The same pickups also be installed on the Epiphone guitars, but this only since Gibson had in 1957 bought the company Epiphone. On the guitars of this brand you can see P-90 pickups, especially on the model Epiphone Casino ( a copy of Gibson Model ES -330 ).

Humbucker housing - P- 94

Mid -1990s, Gibson introduced the P-90 in a humbucker housing under the designation P - 94, as a P- 94R for the neck position and a P- 94T for the bridge position. The model was developed by the then Product Manager Gibsons, the German Wolfgang Damm and licensed to Gibson USA. The larger cabinet it was possible to provide tools which are equipped with humbuckers in PAF format without milling to single coil pickups. Of course, this modification can just as easily be undone.

Dieter Gölsdorf, founder of Rockinger Guitars and inventor of Guitar Duesenberg had first analyzed old P- 90 pickups and rebuilt in 1980 and is also a version in Humbucker format available. Even today, the Domino is at Duesenberg in the program.

Sound

The sound of P-90 pickups is a bit richer than the height of a humbucker and simultaneously full and "warmer" than the single coils of the Fender type. Since the copper wire coil wound around the magnet at some P-90 pickups by hand, the physical specifications may vary slightly.