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Wiring two P90s like P Bass pickups?

Hey guys, I am starting to get my hands dirty in making my own homegrown pickups. I figured a custom CBG should have custom pickups.

I decided to tackle the P90 design because thats my favorite sound thanks to Jimi Hendrix ;)

Anyway, I been searching for answers but the info is kind of vague. I would like to know if two P90s can be paired in a series like the P Bass pickups? Also, will this transform the P90s to a regular humbucker that will kill the P90 mojo?

I have seen reversed polarity P90s but don't want to rid the 60 cycle hum (because I love it!).

Will PBass wiring will make two P90s into one super P90?

Excuse my noobiness, I've just began building guitars and I really would like a clearer view of building pickups. So far, I bought the parts from Stewmac, Mojotone and eBay, I do need wooden shims. I want to build a pair of P90s in a humbucker casing so I can swap without routing.

Thanks in advance.

The revolution will not be commercialized.

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Skeesix on January 21, 2019 at 9:03am

Here is some info about how P Bass pickups are wired: http://www.tdpri.com/threads/are-p-bass-pickups-actually-two-pickup...

So P Bass pickups are similar to a humbucker, except each coil is in a separate housing.

To make a humbucker, you need both reverse wound coils and reverse polarity magnets.

So for your project, my suggestion would be to leave the magnets alone, and experiment with series and parallel wiring, and see what you like the best.

Permalink Reply by ILL GREEN on January 21, 2019 at 11:06am

Thank you Skeesix for your reply.

Yes, that what I thought, thanks for confirming. I was looking at a P Bass pickup and wondered if P90s could be wired the same because I would like to make a gitty without a 3 way switch and figured that will be the path to take.

Permalink Reply by ILL GREEN on January 23, 2019 at 2:07pm

Ok, update on this project.

Decided to keep the 3way switch in the mix. Waiting on a couple parts and then I can begin. Should be a good learning process. I'm not gonna wire them Pbass style but I'll figure something out in the future.

For now, its gonna be 2 P90s, 3 way switch, vol. and tone pots and jack. Hopefully soon I can make my own pickups from scratch.

I will post pics soon of the process is coming along.

Permalink Reply by ILL GREEN on February 14, 2019 at 11:26am

Ok, I'm back. It was a ride to Hell and back but I finally got the formula down.

Brief breakdown; my first winding was a disaster. While 1,478 winds in, the coil snapped and got lost within the spool. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Spent 9 hours trying to find the broken coil but in the process, I was lifting other layers of coil so it was a never ending search and waste of time. I had to dispose of the 4oz coil roll.

That dilemma caused me to rethink my diy winder, for I suspected the coil snapping was due to too much friction in my old system. So I ordered a handcranked coil winder from US Solid for $40, took a lazy susan off a broken chair, replaced all the wooden dowels for aluminum rods and oiled every moving part. It was a success! I managed to wind 2 pickups in an hour.

Success is an understatement though. After winding, I had to assemble it all. Unaware, I was putting in a screw to hold the baseplate to the bobbins. I ended up setting that screw through the wound coil, probably breaking and ripping coils.

I did not give up though. I ended making my own bobbins out of wood and used the old bobbins as templates. So now, its my 3rd attempt. The charm huh.

Anyway, through this experience, I managed to build a better pickup. Its a 4 pole P90 that I call the G60.