Well done ! Heck of a job with all the adjustments to have the right angles and strings lineup. The aesthetic end result is much better than I thought it would be when I clicked on the video. 👍🏻
What a fantastic video. Everything I need to know that I'm not altering my guitar that much to try P90s. I'll go for a set that's humbucker-sized, even though I like the soapbar look better. Great audio on the voice, really clear.
That came out good! I've been using humbucker P90s to try to get a similar tone. They usually sound a bit different but in the same ballpark (if they are wound hot enough). The custom pickup manufacturers have different tricks for this like custom bobbins, making the coil taller, stretching wire, using thinner 43 gauge wire instead of 42, using some 42 and finishing it with 43, etc. At the end of the day I still wish I had this setup with actual P90s so it doesn't feel like a compromise!
So true, the actual size and height of the P90's bobbin really does influence that pickup's tone and feel. I also have struggled with the whole humbucker sized P90 pickups. In a mix I find the humbucker-sized P90s do well enough, however I'm finding that I'll just not be happy until I have an actual P90 Les Paul. I figure when I do finally get a LP w/P90s I'll make sure it is an early '54 configuration with the wrap tailpiece. If I'm gonna have yet another Les Paul it should be as different from the others as possible.
Great job. You are a very excellent luthier. I wish I could bring my LP Jr to you. It now has a split coil Humbucker and I would love to put a dog ear style P90. I might just call you and ship it to you! Thanks, you really know your stuff!
Why not just buy a LP Special with P90's? A used LPS in good condition can be picked up for about $800 or less. I'll wager that a custom job like this performed by a skilled luthier such as this man would cost close to that, hardware included.
People get bonded to their instruments sometimes. I don't remember the specific situation, but I think the owner got a really good deal for it in a barter. Plus the Antiquity pickups were a must have for him
this is exactly the video i was looking for. thanks! also.. anyone know what material that is that was used to cover the gap between the p90 and the guitar? is it plastic?
I have a Benji Madden signature OLP model. It comes stock with just a bridge humbucker. I got it second hand and the old owner has fitted a Cream colour P90 at the neck. It`s well done and you`d think it was meant to be there. Question: Is this a good thing or will it lower the resale value?
Both dog ear and non dog ear leave gap from the humbucker routes visible. Plus the dog ear would leave the pick up angled in relation to the strings. This mod was to avoid filling the routes with wood and doing finish touch up. And the rings are to resemble what Gibson did back on the early 70's deluxes.
Nice work. Humbucker sized P90's aren't P90's so I've held off buying any. This is an ACTUAL solution to the dilemma of whether to fit humbucker sized P90's (and not really getting the desired outcome) and trading in for a Les Paul Special.
Very nice and interesting technique showed here! I just don't understand what kind of plastic did you use to keep the template at the right angle. Plus, how did you route the neck pickup cavity? ... because it's too close to the fretboard edge.
The edge of the pickup cavity up against the fingerboard doesn't need to be touched because the cavities themselves don't need to be widened. It's the cutout along the short edge of the cavity that needs to be widened.
I had a cheap Peavey flat top to simply route out the bridge pickup cavity and a new one for the neck pickup... both P90s. The wiring it up is simple enough, but I have trouble keeping it straight and doing it well. So I will turn that part over to an experienced guy who did stuff like this for 30 years. Some things I am not good at and am not going to try... so I pay for his work and expertise and do everything else and get a pro to wire it up. Accept that you are not going to be good at everything as you get older and pay the man for his work.
Hello and thank you for this video. What i find interesting about your method is, if i'm not wrong, it uses the same holes for the humbucker mounting ring, so the modification is reversible isn't it? Thanks in advance.
Hello! I’ve changed my humbuckers pickups for p90s humbucker sized pickups on my gibson sg, but now my volume on both pick ups starts cutting at 7/6 and the tone knobs are barelly changing the tone, is that a wiring problem? I live in peru and there not that many good luthiers here, specially in the city where i live
What you are describing it typically the pots and capacitors. Gibson doesn't always use very good stuff. The parts do not cost all that much, but you need to be able to swap them out. CTS potentiometers, and paper in oil or Orange drop capacitors would make a noticeable difference. There are pre-wired sets you could order, but make sure they are using good parts.
I know you won't answer because very few want to give up their secrets but I'll ask anyway. Where did you source the ring material and the heat softened plastic?
I wonder if there could be a one piece ring/cover piece made to simulate what you did here.... Kinda like a dog ear cover. You could patent it and become rich (just kidding). Job looks very neat and clean. Good work !
The one thing you missed, I think, is that when you don't fill in the old holes for the humbucker, that means they can still put humbuckers back in it with stock mounting rings and no one will ever know it had P90s in it.
I don´t see a point of making a hum to p90 conversion on a budget with rings to mount and cover, better glue a block of wood and carve to fit the p90 and refinish
Your customer is daft. If I were you, I’d have walked him out. Geezus, just purchase a new guitar rather than maim a Gibson. Purchase a used Epiphone LP with P90’s and do a test run with new Duncan’s. You may not like it. Expectations are often not met on these desecrations. Some poor grandson down the road • “Well, it’s not a Custom, Standard, or Deluxe and it’s been hacked so, I can’t give you your asking price.” The kid won’t have a leg to stand on.
The use of moldable platic is quite ingenious!
Well done ! Heck of a job with all the adjustments to have the right angles and strings lineup. The aesthetic end result is much better than I thought it would be when I clicked on the video. 👍🏻
What a fantastic video. Everything I need to know that I'm not altering my guitar that much to try P90s. I'll go for a set that's humbucker-sized, even though I like the soapbar look better. Great audio on the voice, really clear.
Super job! Learnt quite a few things here. Thanks mate.
This is some fantastic work! P90's absolutely rock!!
I think i would have wanted to round the corners of the decorative rings to match the aesthetic of the the p-90's
Great work, and I really have been wanting to explore this option with an older LP Studio. Thanks for sharing
Wow, outstanding job. Thanks for showing all of this. You just talked me out of it. Time to buy a guitar with P90s in it already! :-)
homeboy did what other luthiers across the globe thought was impossible.
Swear I'm gonna do this to one of my explorers
Who said what was impossible?
No luthier worth a damn thinks anything is impossible 😎
That came out good!
I've been using humbucker P90s to try to get a similar tone. They usually sound a bit different but in the same ballpark (if they are wound hot enough). The custom pickup manufacturers have different tricks for this like custom bobbins, making the coil taller, stretching wire, using thinner 43 gauge wire instead of 42, using some 42 and finishing it with 43, etc. At the end of the day I still wish I had this setup with actual P90s so it doesn't feel like a compromise!
So true, the actual size and height of the P90's bobbin really does influence that pickup's tone and feel. I also have struggled with the whole humbucker sized P90 pickups. In a mix I find the humbucker-sized P90s do well enough, however I'm finding that I'll just not be happy until I have an actual P90 Les Paul. I figure when I do finally get a LP w/P90s I'll make sure it is an early '54 configuration with the wrap tailpiece. If I'm gonna have yet another Les Paul it should be as different from the others as possible.
Great job. You are a very excellent luthier. I wish I could bring my LP Jr to you. It now has a split coil Humbucker and I would love to put a dog ear style P90. I might just call you and ship it to you! Thanks, you really know your stuff!
Excellent work!!!
Great work!
They sound great, good job.
Excellent and extremely informative video! Thank you.
Great work. Thanks for sharing.
Wow, awesome work! I wish you worked in my town!
THANK YOU FOR MAKING THIS VIDEO, IT REALLY HELP ME A LOT. SUBSCRIBED
Ditto!!!
For some reason those decorative rings make the guitar seem a lot smaller than a Les Paul usually looks. Still an awesome job though.
I did this to a LP standard. Got the same result with a bit different method.
Wow that’s really impressive
Looks awesome!! Nice job 👍🏻
Very clean job!
SWEEEEEETTT Job !! And it sounds fantastic !!!
Great job. Looks really nice
Very cool, essentially you built P90 Soapbar Pickup Rings.
Very nice job dude, mayb the corners rounded … should be perfect
Nice work
that is wildly impressive. i also love the p90 antiquities. would the same conversion be possible on an es 335?
Yes. But consider the other options first, phat cats and dog ears.
This is what i needed!
Why not just buy a LP Special with P90's? A used LPS in good condition can be picked up for about $800 or less. I'll wager that a custom job like this performed by a skilled luthier such as this man would cost close to that, hardware included.
People get bonded to their instruments sometimes. I don't remember the specific situation, but I think the owner got a really good deal for it in a barter. Plus the Antiquity pickups were a must have for him
@@MillCityLutherie If he's happy, that's all that matters. But, he could've had two really great guitars for the cost of this pickup swap.
I knew you were going to do goof hiders before I clicked on this. 😆 Nice job👍
this is exactly the video i was looking for. thanks! also.. anyone know what material that is that was used to cover the gap between the p90 and the guitar? is it plastic?
If you are asking about the pickup rings that is regular pick guard plastic.
I have a Benji Madden signature OLP model. It comes stock with just a bridge humbucker. I got it second hand and the old owner has fitted a Cream colour P90 at the neck. It`s well done and you`d think it was meant to be there. Question: Is this a good thing or will it lower the resale value?
Not too shabby!
This is amazing.
Nice job!
Could the dogear -style P90 take less time to modify?
Both dog ear and non dog ear leave gap from the humbucker routes visible. Plus the dog ear would leave the pick up angled in relation to the strings. This mod was to avoid filling the routes with wood and doing finish touch up. And the rings are to resemble what Gibson did back on the early 70's deluxes.
Nice work. Humbucker sized P90's aren't P90's so I've held off buying any. This is an ACTUAL solution to the dilemma of whether to fit humbucker sized P90's (and not really getting the desired outcome) and trading in for a Les Paul Special.
Really nice job!!
What kind of plastic did you use? For the deco rings.
Pickguard material or something. What thickness?
It was just a sheet of pick guard material from I think WD. Thin so it would flex.
I'm putting a dog ear in my Jr now, is black on black so easier than this. I would've thought black rings would look nicer here?
Nice job
How high / low did you adjust them? :)
Great video!
I adjust pickup height mostly by ear. Not close enough for the strings to hit either.
how much does something like this cost if i didn't want to do it myself?
Very nice and interesting technique showed here! I just don't understand what kind of plastic did you use to keep the template at the right angle.
Plus, how did you route the neck pickup cavity? ... because it's too close to the fretboard edge.
The edge of the pickup cavity up against the fingerboard doesn't need to be touched because the cavities themselves don't need to be widened. It's the cutout along the short edge of the cavity that needs to be widened.
I’d really like to get this done for the neck pickup in my LP. How can we get started?
Use my contact information in the about section of my page.
Nice cat!
And nice work!
Hey dude, wich material that you use to make the rings ?
I had a cheap Peavey flat top to simply route out the bridge pickup cavity and a new one for the neck pickup... both P90s. The wiring it up is simple enough, but I have trouble keeping it straight and doing it well. So I will turn that part over to an experienced guy who did stuff like this for 30 years. Some things I am not good at and am not going to try... so I pay for his work and expertise and do everything else and get a pro to wire it up. Accept that you are not going to be good at everything as you get older and pay the man for his work.
For the price of the alteration you could of just bought another guitar with P-90s.
Hello and thank you for this video.
What i find interesting about your method is, if i'm not wrong, it uses the same holes for the humbucker mounting ring, so the modification is reversible isn't it?
Thanks in advance.
You would need to knock the mounting blocks the P-90s screw into, out of the routes. Otherwise yes.
Hello! I’ve changed my humbuckers pickups for p90s humbucker sized pickups on my gibson sg, but now my volume on both pick ups starts cutting at 7/6 and the tone knobs are barelly changing the tone, is that a wiring problem? I live in peru and there not that many good luthiers here, specially in the city where i live
What you are describing it typically the pots and capacitors. Gibson doesn't always use very good stuff. The parts do not cost all that much, but you need to be able to swap them out. CTS potentiometers, and paper in oil or Orange drop capacitors would make a noticeable difference. There are pre-wired sets you could order, but make sure they are using good parts.
@@MillCityLutherie thank you very much for sharing this!
what is the moldable plastic and where do you get it? also, what kind of tape did you use to stick it all together for routing?
Probably got it off Amazon, or just search mold-able plastic. I like using SpecTape. Woodturners use it.
are these vintage or reissue p90 pickups?
I know you won't answer because very few want to give up their secrets but I'll ask anyway. Where did you source the ring material and the heat softened plastic?
It's just basic pickguard plastic.
@@MillCityLutherie Oh okay, thanks.
I wonder if there could be a one piece ring/cover piece made to simulate what you did here.... Kinda like a dog ear cover. You could patent it and become rich (just kidding). Job looks very neat and clean. Good work !
It would be cheaper and less damage to the guitar by special order the pickups from Seymour
😃👍👍
P-90 conversion kit
The one thing you missed, I think, is that when you don't fill in the old holes for the humbucker, that means they can still put humbuckers back in it with stock mounting rings and no one will ever know it had P90s in it.
Should have made them black not white. And did you change the bridge hardware. It’s not gold anymore?
Just instal H90's, sounds the same as the soapbars and a crapload easier...
Nice, hitting the high points. Think I need to find a more boring in depth video.
Hola se podría instalar en una epiphone Sg ?
I don´t see a point of making a hum to p90 conversion on a budget with rings to mount and cover, better glue a block of wood and carve to fit the p90 and refinish
If you watched the video before commenting, you would know why this was done.
@@MillCityLutherie I did, still makes no sense
nope, looks terrible with those rings
Tony Stark without testosterone
Nop
So...goof hiders. Cool.
Your customer is daft. If I were you, I’d have walked him out.
Geezus, just purchase a new guitar rather than maim a Gibson.
Purchase a used Epiphone LP with P90’s and do a test run with new Duncan’s.
You may not like it.
Expectations are often not met on these desecrations.
Some poor grandson down the road • “Well, it’s not a Custom, Standard, or Deluxe and it’s been hacked so, I can’t give you your asking price.”
The kid won’t have a leg to stand on.
Wow, excellent work.