P-90's. Can they do heavy?

[BlueBuddha]

Originally Posted by imported_carlospresents

Not awesome for rock? I find that hard to believe.

I find a real loss of note clarity and note definition at speed with too much gain/distortion.

I think Classic Rock is as far as I'd go with P90s.

but the way they're wired in my SE, with the 3 way selector in the middle they act like one humbucker. trouble is that one humbucker has such a wide spread that its kinda a jack of all trades and a master of none.

doesn't have the grunt of a bridge bucker or the smoothness of a neck one, just a muddy uninspiring tone for heavy styles.


thats why i think that p90's, in my experience, are better suited to cleaner tones.

[stonevibe]

My Troy Van Leeuwen has three P90s and he plays in Queens Of The Stone Age and they do some heavy riffs...

[Poxican]

Well, Troy Van Leuwen get some filthy heavy sounds from his signature Yamaha, and Josh Homme plays guitars with P90's so I would say yes.

[edit] damnit, beaten by Stonevibe, and he even spelt the name right

[BlueBuddha]

i played his signature yamaha at the flagship store in london. mad switching.

[Poxican]

Yeah too much for me. I spent all my time switching switches and knobbing knobs when I tested the TVL which is the main thing that put me off. My Artcore is a nice substitute though.

[erictheweary]

Oh for God' sake - the first Black Sabbath album.All p90's.

[BlueBuddha]

compare the original black sabbath tone to modern metal tones the two are pretty far apart!


modern metal and rock is so saturated in pre-amp gain where as BS were using more power amp gain and volume, nowhere near as bone crushingly heavy as any modern metal

[erictheweary]

Originally Posted by BlueBuddha

compare the original black sabbath tone to modern metal tones the two are pretty far apart!


modern metal and rock is so saturated in pre-amp gain where as BS were using more power amp gain and volume, nowhere near as bone crushingly heavy as any modern metal

in the originl post he didn't seem to want modern metal tone?

[Racerdeth]

Indeed - P90s are sweet pickups, but with gain it is more of the classic sloppy, loose sounding drive a la sabbath that you'll end up with - which, if you're not after a toight aggressive sound'll be poyfect, especially given the really sweet mid gained and clean tones you'll get.

[SilverBurst]

If I would be getting a P-90 equipped guitar I would be using it for a Hardcore/Punk band so I was just wondering. I was interested if I could use it for other things aswell.