P90's for Jazz...??

[progrmr]

I've never had a P90 guitar and am looking for next purchase which will mostly likely take the form of a semi-hollow or a les paul type.

So if P90's are single coils - I associate single coils with a bright tone. I've also associated Jazz guitar as a thick, smooth tone. Yet in the research I've been doing there are more than a few semi-hollows that I've seen using P90's and getting a solid Jazz tone.

So my question is: P90's for Jazz?? I know an LP won't be an ultimate jazz machine but I'm sure it would sound fine with the right settings and I don't want to rule out P90's if they're a good option for that warm heavy tone I'm looking for.

[Heywood Jablomie]

I've never had a P90 guitar and am looking for next purchase which will mostly likely take the form of a semi-hollow or a les paul type.

So if P90's are single coils - I associate single coils with a bright tone. I've also associated Jazz guitar as a thick, smooth tone. Yet in the research I've been doing there are more than a few semi-hollows that I've seen using P90's and getting a solid Jazz tone.

So my question is: P90's for Jazz?? I know an LP won't be an ultimate jazz machine but I'm sure it would sound fine with the right settings and I don't want to rule out P90's if they're a good option for that warm heavy tone I'm looking for.
P90s don't sound as different from humbuckers as, say, Fender single coils. Not nearly as bright. Remember that before humbuckers were invented, P90s were Gibson's premier pickup, with many jazz greats playing their wares. As always, ya gotta play to find out for yourself.

[FrankenFretter]

The P90s are a single coil, true; that said, they have a unique sound to them, and they do sound "thicker" than your standard single coil. Under the cover, you'll find two bar magnets, whereas humbuckers and ceramic single coils have one. That's probably a big part of why they sound fuller than a standard single. I could be wrong about this, but I believe that most are wound hotter than a standard single, as well.

I would look at Alnico P90s, not ceramic if you're looking for that sweet jazz sound. I know I sound like the spokesperson for Alnico magnets lately, but that doesn't make it not true. ;-) *(Checks to see how his shares in Alnico Magnets Inc are doing...)

[t_ross33]

I know an LP won't be an ultimate jazz machine

Tell that to Lester Polfsfuss ;)

[progrmr]

Tell that to Lester Polfsfuss ;)

Everytime I say that a particular guitar isn't good for a certain genre, there is always some superstar I have missed that uses the exact guitar for what I said its not suited too!! :)

Thanks for the info on the P90 - looking at the Agile AL-3000 and the Agile Harm guitars for my next purchase. Saw a Harm 1 video on youtube that had a pretty sweet sound - it was mini humbuckers but they do have a P90 version as well.

[t_ross33]

Everytime I say that a particular guitar isn't good for a certain genre, there is always some superstar I have missed that uses the exact guitar for what I said its not suited too!! :)

Yeah, we had a discussion here a while back about telecasters for heavier genres and came up with many examples (John 5, Richie Kotzen etc).

I was just poking a bit of fun at your comment, as Lester Polsfuss (aka Les Paul) is a noted and accomplished jazz player. We often forget that his signature model Gibson is more than a body style and prior to Jimmy Page making the model popular with the hard rock crowd it was recognized as a jazz instrument. Before Jimi Hendrix, Strat's were identified with the "surf" crowd.

And so it goes...

[Katastrophe]

Yep, P90s would be great for jazz, as they have a rounder, fatter tone than Fender style single coils. An LP would be perfect, too! Put that sucker on the neck pickup, and go to town!

[Jimi75]

...and don't forget to change to 100k pots if you go P-90.
P-90 in the neck pos of a LP with backed tone pot = great Jazz sound.

[Tig]

My P90 equipped Reverend Club King plays jazz nicely. Normally I play the guitar in the middle noise canceling position, but with lower gain jazz, the neck pickup sounds very warm and sweet by itself.