In addition to being the first word in humbucking pickups ever since the introduction of the hallowed PAF in 1957, Gibson is also the name behind one of the most legendary singlecoil pickups in tone history, the P-90. Introduced in 1946, the P-90 was the first production pickup available with adjustable pole pieces, and was used on every Gibson electric guitar until the birth of the humbucker (the exception being the Alnico pickup that was used on some archtops in the mid 1950s, best known for its appearance in the neck position of the original Les Paul Custom). So enamored are some players of the P-90 tone, in fact, that they want to achieve it in guitars that were built with full-sized humbuckers, an eventuality that Gibson now caters for, too, with the P-94.
The other Gibson classic not yet accounted for in this series is the Mini-Humbucker, best known for its appearance on the Les Paul Deluxe. While it takes the principles of the full-sized PAF humbucker and shrinks them down into a more compact unit, there’s plenty more to it besides, with some sonic alchemy that goes hand in hand with the physical transmogrification.
The P-90
Rather than being consigned to the parts bins of posterity when the humbucker came along in 1957, the tough, toneful P-90 held its ground and has remained the favorite pickup of many thousands of players for more than 60 years. This massive following for such an ancient design is inspired largely by the fat, aggressive, yet sweet and musical performance that a good, vintage-styled P-90 can yield. This pickup offers punchy yet slightly raw mids, and a girthy low end, but with smooth, slightly silky highs that are very different from the treble “spike” that characterizes some other singlecoil pickups. All of this is packaged in an edgy, slightly gritty voice that countless players find entirely addictive. It’s worth noting, too, that the average P-90 has an output roughly equivalent to that of the average PAF-style humbucker, so these singlecoils can really drive amps, too.
Wound with enamel-coated wire, and featuring Alnico V magnets, Gibson’s current P-90 is the best reproduction of the most beloved P-90s of the 1950s that the company has ever produced. Dubbed the P-90 “Super Vintage,” this pickup offers the sound of the original Les Paul Goldtop, the Les Paul and SG Junior and Special, and beloved thinline archtops such as the ES-330 and Epiphone Casino. A lean, mean tone machine, and a genuine singlecoil classic. Available in either “dog-ear” or “soapbar” style cover/mounting, in black or creme.
The P-94
As good as a humbucker sounds in many situations, sometimes you just need to get that aggressive, biting, singlecoil sound. For players of beloved guitars with full-size humbuckers who want to achieve P-90 tone without routing out or otherwise damaging their instruments, Gibson offers the P-94. Mounted in a cover that drops into a standard humbucker routing without any modification whatsoever, the P-94 is the answer to many players’ singlecoil dreams. It is wound with the same enamel-coated wire and uses the same Alnico V magnets as the P-90, and is the closest thing to bagging that “soapbar” sound without swapping guitars entirely. It is available in calibrated neck and bridge sets for balanced output from both positions, or can be paired with a standard humbucker to create more individual tonal combinations.
The Mini-Humbucker
When Gibson introduced the Les Paul Deluxe in 1969 it borrowed a pickup that had been acquired from Epiphone (which had been purchased by Gibson in the 1950s). The “Mini-Humbucker,” so-called for obvious reasons, is designed along the same principles as the full-sized humbucker and possesses similar hum-cancelling properties, but its smaller size necessitates using coils with somewhat fewer windings, and also presents a narrower magnetic window to sense the strings’ vibrations. These two factors combine for a brighter performance with a little more clarity and definition than that of the full-sized humbucker, along with a slightly lower output, characteristics that many players appreciate.
Gibson’s current mini-humbucker is an accurate recreation of the original, and features enamel-coated wire, Alnico II magnets, maple spacers, and braided two-conductor leads. Like the original, it is also mounted in a plastic “ring” derived from the cover of the “soapbar” version of the P-90 pickup. Therefore, with slight modification to the mounting screw holes (a job for a qualified guitar repairman), the mini-humbucker can be mounted in many guitars carrying P-90 pickups, where the player desires a smoother, hum-cancelling performance.
Pickups for All Seasons
Between its vintage humbuckers, modern high-output humbuckers, mini-humbuckers, and singlecoil P-90 and P-94 pickups, Gibson offers something for virtually every sound and style a player might want to achieve. Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this series for detailed examinations of the full-sized PAF-styled and modern humbucker options respectively, all of which—along with the pickups discussed in this installment—are available as replacement parts to fit a wide range of guitar makes and models.