Eric,
I can't comment from direct experience on the Rebel 90's, but the reviews and posts on other music forums I've read have been very positive. Many of the comments about them are about how much
better they actually sound compared to Duncans, DiMarzios, etc. Some even claim that they sound as good as or close to some custom winds. That may or may not be, but they certainly seem worth trying. One comment I see a lot is that they are punchier than regular sized P90's. I believe they're made more as a rock/electric blues kind of P90 tone than a softer jazzy tone. For the money the Toneriders are certainly worth trying. If I had a need for a humbucker sized P90 I'd give them a shot, without reservation. Check out some of the You Tube videos on the Rebel 90.
I have a set of the Tonerider Pure Vintage single coils in a Strat clone and they are pretty spot on with their claim of 'vintage' tone. They're clear, sparkly, and balanced, and even the bridge pickup sounds good - no spikey harshness like a lot of Strat bridge pickups. They're made with a mix of Alnico III and V magnets.
Generally speaking, the Alnico II P90's will have a cleaner, clearer tone - particularly at higher volume/gain settings. The Alnico V sets are usually a little less clear although not that much when comparing clean volume settings. The Alnico V's get a richer, snarling tone in higher gain modes though which make them a little better for rock. That having been said, I've played/heard many Alnico II P90's that sound nice and rich, fat and snarly through a good tube amp. I like P90's for that biting, snarly tone that's sort of like a nuanced humbucker with some of the single coil tone/clarity mixed in. So for me I prefer the Alnico V's. But as with all opinions, they vary depending on the individual.
As to the custom wounds, they bring another dimension to any pickup, whether they are humbuckers, P90's or regular single coils. The
good custom winder will listen to what his customer describes as his ideal tone and then he'll wind a pickup to capture that for him. There's a certain quality in the tone of a good custom wound pickup that's hard to define. It's that tone that just says "that's it, that's the tone I'm looking for". I have a set of Vintage Vibe Alnico V P90's that do this (along with a VV Tele neck pu), three sets of different humbuckers from two different winders, and three sets of custom wound Strat single coils from three different winders. I was fortunate to have found each of these winders when they were first starting out and trying to make a name for themselves, so I got them for less money than Duncans or DiMarzios would have cost.
BG's and Duncans are in roughly the same price range in which case I'd opt for the BG's. The Toneriders are the best value of the bunch with great tone at a really reasonable price. The Rebel 90's are $98.00 a set delivered from RH Factor guitars. Not a bad price for someone who's experimenting with P90 tone...
Originally Posted by Bloozcat
Eric,
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