software

Here's my confession: With the exception of Strat pickups, I don't find neck pickups very useful. Don't get me wrong, I love the sound of a nice fat neck humbucker for single-note legato solos and the like, but it's just not something that I need very often. For the stuff that I usually do, I tend to find most neck pickups too undefined.

With that in mind, but still trying to think of something cool to add to a bridge pickup, I came up with this:

Two P90s right next to each other, one in the traditional bridge position and the other in (more or less) the sweet-spot middleground between midddle position and bridge position that you see on LPJrs and the like. Throw a four-way switch on there to allow for both series and parallel combination and I think you might have something kinda nifty. Or possibly terrible...

Hmmmm. 25 views and no responses. Perhaps the idea holds no merit after all.

I was thinking that, in series mode that close togehter, the two pickups would function quite similarly to a really big humbucker. In parallel, they might be somewhere between a HB in parallel mode and a neck-middle combo. I'm not sure, however, how the two pickups might affect each other when only one was being used, though. Would the magnetic field of one do wonky things to the other?

I just now saw this thread, and I think its an interesting idea.

Either a 4-way, or two mini-toggles would both achieve the same thing. Front, back, both in parallel, or both in series. The only potential problem I can see is if the close proximity of the two magnets would change the overall quot;characterquot; of both pickups. It could still be good . . . it would just be different.

Artie

I wonder about that as well. Any ideas what affect that proximity might have? I've heard of people putting two SCs or two SC-sized HBs in a normal HB route before, but I've never heard anyone talk about what effect on the sound of those pickups was effected by doing so.Originally Posted by ArtieTooThe only potential problem I can see is if the close proximity of the two magnets would change the overall quot;characterquot; of both pickups. Artie
Great idea, I'd love to hear/play it, but pickup placement seems really important. It's possible the quot;bridgequot; one would be just too bright and weak that far down. It seems awefully expensive for an idea that might be cool and sound good. But hey, maybe it's the next best thing and we're all stuck in the dark ages?


Originally Posted by PFDarksideGreat idea, I'd love to hear/play it, but pickup placement seems really important. It's possible the quot;bridgequot; one would be just too bright and weak that far down. It seems awefully expensive for an idea that might be cool and sound good. But hey, maybe it's the next best thing and we're all stuck in the dark ages?I had an Axis with P-90s, Strat-style bridge like that- basically a Tele with P-90s. The bridge pickup will sound just fine

Hmmm, I wouldn't try it on an expensive custom body. It'd be cool to try on a cheap, swimming pool rout body to find out what it sounds like.

It does raise the question: are so many guitars fitted with pickups in their traditional positions because guitarists are pretty conservative and unwilling to experiment, or is it because those standard spots just sound the best?

-my experiences with squashed neck pickups on 24 fret guitars suggests it's the latter...

There's nothing particularly unorthodox about the placement, just hte combination. The bridge pup there is (meant to be...) about where a P90 bridge pup would be on a Tele. And the...other one...is about where the single P90 on an LPJr would be (give or take, and accounting for diffence of scale). And there's no reason the entire assembly couldn't be shifted slightly one direction or the other.

Maybe I'll grab one of those $109 SX Teles and do some damage to it...Originally Posted by Hot _GritsIt does raise the question: are so many guitars fitted with pickups in their traditional positions because guitarists are pretty conservative and unwilling to experiment, or is it because those standard spots just sound the best?..
I have found that putting pups in those in-between posistions ( not Factoy ) have not sounded good.. it won't sound like what your used to guitars sounding like. therefore it becomes usless fast-- and adding them in Parallel and Series will not change the fact much thats its out of posistion and its introducing an quot;out of the normalquot; tone..

If ya do it anyway's--- get one a RW/RP-- pehaps the foward posistion pup


Originally Posted by St_GenesiusHmmmm. 25 views and no responses.

I saw it right after you posted it, and I didn't want to pee in your Coke. An LP Jr's or Special's bridge pickup is right in the same neighborhood as any ordinary bridge pickup. The only post war, single pickup Gibson guitar that doesn't have that pickup at right at the bridge or neck, that I know of, is the original ES-330.

Looking at a pic of a LP Jr. it does look like the single pup is further back than I was picturing it. I suppose I was influenced by my memory of the placement of the Hb on Music Man basses, which is a bit forward of traditional bridge position. Oh well. Fsck normal, but oh well.

And yes, the RWRP thing had occured to me. I get weird ideas; I'm not a mouth breathing idiot.

I think the combination would sound better if you had the second P90 more towards the middle rather than right next to the bridge p90. Pick where your bridge pickup is and then pick towards where the neck pickup is, there is a difference in sound and the placement of that second p90 is crucial. You don't want 2 positions that are in practically the same area because then it won't matter how you wire them series/parallel, it still won't give you 2 distinct, nice tones. Just my .02, but it does look like a cool idea (and definitely look into a RWRP P90 model if you're going that route).

If you have access to one, the original ES-5 Switchmasters have 3 P-90s.

It sounds like you're confusing two issues. The close placement *might* lead to nearly identical sounds from each individually, but the combination of the two -- in series or paralllel -- would certainly sound different than either by itself.
Originally Posted by the_Chris

You don't want 2 positions that are in practically the same area because then it won't matter how you wire them series/parallel, it still won't give you 2 distinct, nice tones. Just my .02, but it does look like a cool idea (and definitely look into a RWRP P90 model if you're going that route).
i'd say put the 2nd one dead center

the traditional p-90 guitar middle position is usually really really cool sounding, so i think you'd wanna keep that, or get it as close as possible with only 1 pickup

then the middle position on that guitar would still sound pretty effin sweet

The two concerns I have are proximity (mentioned above) and the position of the bridge pickup. The bridge pickup looks awefully close to the bridge -- I would think it would sound better if it was scooted closer to the neck (5mm or so).