opinions on p-90/single coils and downtuning

[gunslinger_burrito]

SO. I've been using big ol' humbuckers for a looong ass time, but I still have the loaded pickguard of z-coils, which are kinda single-coily, but a bit thicker, etc. I have toyed with the idea of putting them back in my guitar, except that I am pretty set on using low tunings. I realize there's not actually P-90 material in here, but I figured that they were closer to the Zs than a humbucker

I don't think it should make a huge difference, but I wanted some opinions or links to bands and whatnot who use lower tunings but don't play big powerful pickups. Mostly looking for opinions. Thanks doods.

[MEC]

What kind of humbuckers do you have in the guitar now?
You may be able to coil split them and have a single coil option when you want it without getting rid of the humbuckers.

[AngryGoldfish]

Check out the band Church of Wolves on bandcamp. They're a very good, but not well-known, Doom band. The guitarist uses P90 pick-ups (I think they're the GFS Mean 90's) and a Laney GH100L with a Pharaoh. There are lots of other Doom and Stoner Rock and Sludge guys that use P90 pick-ups, but I can't think of any of them right now. Honestly, they're a perfect pick-up for those types of music, as long as you get one with plenty of balls and grunt. The softer ones, like the Seymour Duncan models, are too sweet and chimey.

[skullservant]

I had a PRS Soapbar P90 about a year ago loaded in the bridge of my Strat and tuned to AADGBE, the low E string which was tuned to A sounded massive. I've used my Jazzmaster tuned down to C with single coils with great success and clarity. I kind of like that single coils feedback more than humbuckers though....

[erector]

While I'm here...

I've been thinking of popping a humbucker-sized P90 in the bridge of my Burny LP, mostly for doomy/sludgy/etc hijinks. Any recommendations? The GFS Mean 90 is cheap enough to be worth taking a risk on (well, as long as shipping isn't too expensive) but yeah, any other humbucker-sized P90s I should check out?

I've heard good things about the Harmonic Design Z-90s?

[skullservant]

I've got a 'bucker sized Phat Cat incoming that I'll be throwing into my Telemaster. I'll report back once its in!

[sonidero]

I just put a set of Biltoft Single Coil P-90's in my Strat and it sounds so fuckin good... I've never heard P-90's in a Strat but they were on CL for cheap so I got them... They make to guitar sound so "Woody" and loud, they are awesome with Fuzz and love my tube amps... Not sure if that's what you were asking but I'm saying P-90's on a Strat RULEZZZ...

http://www.vintagevibeguitars.com/windows/sc_90Win.html

[gunslinger_burrito]

Cool. I just wanted to check before I went through the trouble of modifying the guitar again. I'll have to compare these zcoils to some p90s now...,

[benjuro]

Recently put a GFS Mean 90 back into the neck of one my Hagstroms after a less-than-overwhelming first impression. I'm a long-time humbucker user, and tune down to A for the doomz...I had felt it was a little mushy but glad I gave it another shot. I swapped the bridge for a lower-output hum that's better matched, and I definitely see why folks use them for the heaviez. It does feed back a bit too easy for my taste, but maybe I just need to turn down my dirt.

[MEC]

...but maybe I just need to turn down my dirt.

This is NEVER the answer. NEVER.

[bronzetalon]

Jarret uses a p90 and a Tele bridge in his guitar tuned to C...sounds huge

[Ancient Astronaught]

I use GFS mean90's in my epi V tuned to drop B with great success, their secret is to use 1meg pots with em It really opens them up and brings in the clarity needed to match their huge low end. I love p90's for doom, as Angry pointed out Alex in Church of Wolves uses them with great success too. p90's with drop tunings to my ears maintin string clarity in heavily fuzzed out chords, which isnt easy to do. As mentioned by Benjuro they do tend to feedback quite a bit but I havent found them to be uncontrollable, you jsut have to remember they are single coils, with alot of gain they will feedback. I use that to my advantage personally when holding out chords for a long time, but everyones playing style is different. I have no experience with those Z p/u's but if they are thick and crunchy sounding single coils you should be fine, if you find them too muddy buy a higher rating volume pot and tone pot, and if they are too bright do the opposite. Oh and speaking to alot of doomheads lately we have all started to realize that lower output pickups tend to actually work better for doom, I use low output and if i want to simulate high output pickups i just put a clean boost at the beginning of my chain, same effect. Atleast with low output pickups you have the choice of low or high output, with high output pickups its overdrive all the time.

[GardenoftheDead]

I've tuned a Telecaster and a Jazzmaster as low as Drop Bb with decent success. Aaron Turner from Isis primarily played single-coil bridge guitars in post-Oceanic Isis (even the EGCs, you can tell if you look closely).

[benjuro]

...but maybe I just need to turn down my dirt.

This is NEVER the answer. NEVER.

I was hoping someone would say this

[gunslinger_burrito]

I use GFS mean90's in my epi V tuned to drop B with great success, their secret is to use 1meg pots with em It really opens them up and brings in the clarity needed to match their huge low end. I love p90's for doom, as Angry pointed out Alex in Church of Wolves uses them with great success too. p90's with drop tunings to my ears maintin string clarity in heavily fuzzed out chords, which isnt easy to do. As mentioned by Benjuro they do tend to feedback quite a bit but I havent found them to be uncontrollable, you jsut have to remember they are single coils, with alot of gain they will feedback. I use that to my advantage personally when holding out chords for a long time, but everyones playing style is different. I have no experience with those Z p/u's but if they are thick and crunchy sounding single coils you should be fine, if you find them too muddy buy a higher rating volume pot and tone pot, and if they are too bright do the opposite. Oh and speaking to alot of doomheads lately we have all started to realize that lower output pickups tend to actually work better for doom, I use low output and if i want to simulate high output pickups i just put a clean boost at the beginning of my chain, same effect. Atleast with low output pickups you have the choice of low or high output, with high output pickups its overdrive all the time.

Awesome. This is the kind of advice I was looking for! Expect a thread sometime soon with a couple questions about what wires go where.......

Thanks again doods