P90's are way warmer. The Jazzmaster is very glassy. I think the P90 sound is more my taste but both clearly have a place. The leads sounded fantastic on both. Great comparison.
Yes, I did just do a series of pinched harmonics on a Jazzmaster...hahaha! I don't even feel bad about it! Which guitar did you guys like the best? For me, the Jazzmaster which was much lower output and much brighter than the P90s really came alive in the solo section where the brightness and note articulation really became an asset! Overall though the P90s ruled the day for me :)
The jazzmasters definitely have a unique vibe. I wonder what it would sound like if you wired a P90 in the bridge, JM in the neck, and a strat pickup in the middle, with a 5 way switch.
A Gibson scale, set neck thinline tele with P90’s? OMG GAS! Love it! Didn’t really care for the Jag until the mix; just seemed to come alive with the other instruments. You seriously need to record an album of this more high energy guitar. The Celtic album is beautiful, but when working, I need something more high energy as a background. (I also tend to find myself listening rather than working, but that may be unavoidable.)
I think it depends on what you play. For me, I play in a surf band and I need the sound as clean as possible. I don’t own a Jazzmaster and never thought I needed one, but now I understand why many surf guitarists use them. For me - the jazzmaster was a much more usable sound. This also confirmed what I already suspected about my Wilson Bros Mosrite with P90s - it’s just not the right sound. Much too hot. I will have to swap them out!
P-90s to me, have always been a halfway point between a single coil and a humbucker. They are throaty and definitely have a place in Blues. The Jazzmasters are that classic Ventures, Surf guitar sound. I really like your playing style. Very nice combination of technique and melody. Great video.
@@blik6704 jazzmasters and jaguars are pretty similar besides the pickups.. some jaguars have fixed bridges but besides that and the rhythm circuits on the older ones theyre pretty much same thing
@@blik6704 JAG has some extra Tone circuits/switches..Shorter scale length... and came with several PU options... Jazzmaster, has normal Fender scale length, and "jazzmaster" (only guitar that uses em) pickups. one of a kind deal. And BOTH normally have a 1 MEG pots, making it sound much brighter/more trebly... so similar in some respects but deff NOT the "same"
Was not that impressed with the Jazzmaster by itself until you played it with the background track. Wow!!!! Loved that sound, really stood out and made that song rock!
The Les Paul sounded "muddy" compared to the crispness from the other two when all 3 were being compared in all of the pickup combinations. The spankiness of the Jazzmaster was the most unique sounding.
Thanks for breaking down the construction differences in these pickups. I was always a little curious about them. I really liked the way Jazzmaster sounded playing that lead in the mix. The P-90s were just great at everything all around. Those P-Rails though, really did do a good job of sounding like a credible P-90. I was really impressed. Great video as always!
Thanks for showing the construction of both pick ups along with the explanation of how they are made . I recently bought a Jaguar and enjoy the variety of sounds I can get from this guitar after years of playing with single coil and humbucker pick ups .
For me the Jazzmaster was the best in mix and clean. Thought I liked P90-s better, but this video proved me wrong. Thank you for the awesome vid Darrell!
Never knew the specific build differences between the two of these. Great video and comparison! And wow that Jazzmaster just cuts right through that backing track.
When you think of the mellowish guitar tones of Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian and several of their contemporaries, you have to wonder why Fender marketed a chimey pickup as a Jazzmaster?? Thanks for another great demo.
Hmm, the Epi sounds more like the Jazz master dirty, and more like the P90 tele clean. Interesting...all sound awesome but I love the jazz master tone though!
Another interesting video and I was convinced both pickups were the same. All 3 pickups sounded great, but my Seymour Duncan preference won out again...that Tele sounds amazing.
Great comparison, I like things about all three guitars but the jazz master stands out a little more on the clarity, and for me and the way I play that’s better
Wow, I didn't realize how different the P90s and the Jazzmaster pickups are. Of the 3 I liked the Tele best, but I can see where the Jazzmaster has its place. For years I've had just humbucker guitars, and for the last 12 years Strat and Tele single-coils. I just recently (past 6 months) got 2 P90 equipped guitars, and I'm still getting used to them. A solid-body Reverend Sensei 290, and an archtop Godin 5th Ave CW Kingpin II, both using the makers' own designed versions of P90s. Though I like them both I am struggling to learn how to hear to P90 character in these guitars. My ears are still learning to "hear" them. Your demos are helping me along the way.
I always find that your videos are interesting, diverse and concise. I don't have any other choice than hit the like button! By the way, i'm a jazzmaster and telecaster fan, so I think these are a couple of gorgeous guitars. Good videos and nice playing!
The Jazzmaster is such a specific sounds. And no other pickups can do what it does. If you're looking for that sound, nothing beats it. But for the vast majority of other styles or sounds, the p90's are the better pickup, at least in my opinion. Always loving the videos Darrell puts out!
nice !! Both pickups sound fantastic and this videos is really informative, I have a Jazzmaster 62 and now i'm going to have to get me something with P90's
GREAT video - I've been looking at the Jim Adkins tele and I LOVE my Jazzmaster. P90's sound fantastic and so do the Jazzmaster pickups. Really cool test!
Terrific comparison, Darrell! The music style that you’ve chosen put the P90 pickups in a small advantage. Its growl turned out being more “appropriate”! But, as always, your videos are incredible! Greetings from Brazil 🇧🇷!!
Thanks Darrell for that really useful video: just to confuse things I have P90s on a Jazzmaster body - love the P90 sound and the Jazzmaster body shape...but that Fender/Gibson hybrid Tele took my fancy too...and I have to agree with Bill Miller too: the JM in the mix worked really well. Fun video, good on yer! :-)
Thanks for the video. I have a cheap epiphone with p90s and I have a vintage Jazzmaster with original pickups. I love them both for different reasons. The P90s clean up well when you turn them down but get knarly when turned up. A virtue I like very much. I've had my Jazzmaster for close to 40 years, and well, I love it. No redundancy between the two guitar sounds.
First time I've had a chance to compare P-90s and Jazzmaster pickups -- thanks for the opportunity! I can honestly say that I rather expected things to come out the way they did. I read somewhere that Leo Fender wanted the Jazzmaster's pickups to have a "Fender-y" sound. To me, that means a chimey high end, which is what we heard. I'll also say that I enjoyed the sound of all three guitars, but liked the Seymour Duncan P-90s best. I would have liked to hear real Gibson P-90s in a Les Paul or some such guitar, though. Though some say it doesn't matter, I personally can hear some subtle differences between body woods, so I'm sure that the traditional mahogany/maple sandwich would have sounded different from the ash (and semi-hollow) body of that Tele. I'm also tempted to try the Duncan P-Rails in a Hamer Sunburst Archtop I have. My biggest misgiving is: How do the humbucking modes sound? Anyhow, great video!😎
I have the J Mascis squire jazzmaster but the jazzmaster pickups in it are designed to sound more like the p90s they aren't very chime at all and have more of a warm sound
Nicely done, Darrell, as usual. I agree - the Jazzmaster has distinctive tone, and I'm old enough to have lived through the 60s, so I remember. Gregory Fox called it "glassy," which works, but the word that came to my mind right away was "thin." Not necessarily in a negative way, but it just doesn't have the power that the Tele's P90s exhibit. That said, this amateur thought they each worked well in the solo "mix" segments. Just different sounds, though I like the P90 best overall. The LP seemed sort of in-between. They're all good!
Hey Darrell, loved the video! maybe you should consider making a comparison with between p90s, mini humbuckers & humbuckers, as mini humbuckers could be like an inbetween of these two. Cheers!
My Hamer Eclipse has SD mini hums on it and can put out some great tones with the flip of the switch. I've also got a JM HH with dual coils that I might have to change over to real JM p'ups...
Great video! I don't have a Jazzmaster, but now I want one. Might go Squier Vintage Modified, because those guitars are really close to what's coming out of Mexico these days. Love the channel - keep making awesome videos!
lunarpollen Indeed! Jazzmasters and Jaguars aren’t nearly as bright when you change the pot values to 250k or 500k; they become much warmer. Put 1Meg pots in a Strat and see how damn bright and ice pick like it becomes.
@@Wolf_K Are there 500k pots in that jazzmaster? The newer American pro jazzmaster I have has 500 pots( also vmod jazzmaster pickups that are different than regular JM pickups)
Brian Henn No idea. In the American Vintage 62 and 65; and the American original 60s (practically the same guitar); and all vintage guitars they are 1Meg On the fender site, look at the guitar you want, scroll down to the details and click on the specs tab which will open a list and a pdf link will be there; open the pdf and a list of everything, including a wiring diagram which will list the value, will show you all you need to know.
Darrell!! Dude! One of the coolest solo parts from you or any guitarist on the tube in a long long time, great playing! My personal preference is for the Jazzmaster pickups.
Spectacular video. Thanks. I think your method of doing the comparisons is the best I've seen on TH-cam. But maybe you'd consider a tweak, though I'm not sure exactly how it would work. I like everything you played. Different guitars are known for different kinds of music. I loved the Jazzmaster. I also loved your playing, but I wondered how the Tele and the Jazzmaster would sound playing blues. So, in a three hour video, you'd play different styles using the same riffs on all three guitars. Then different riffs on each guitar based on it's specialty. You approached that by soloing over the backing track. That was genius. Thanks millions.
Both sounded great. I thought the P90's were more tonally articulate, but then the Jazzes were richer on clean. Gonna put 1 of each in my current build. Another fantastic vid from Darrell.
I’m new to the channel. Thanks for the review, you nailed it and I became a fan to the channel. Gonna recommend to my bands. Cheers from southern Brazil, btw
What a fantastic giutar player.Thanks for the videos always very informative.I have a Strat and Epiphone just yesterday i ordered a new Hagstrom HII.I owned one in the seventies but sold it big mistake.Always missed that guitar hard to find but Maars Music in Peterborough found me one have to wait 4 months to get here from Sweden.Thanks Gary live from Bobcaygeon lol.
Thank you for the killer video, Darrell. I think it's not an either/or with this comparison. It would be like Sophie's choice trying to decide between the two. They both have their place, and they both can and DO sound great! But then again, you're a pretty good guitarist. You could make a kiddee guitar from a toy store sound like a rock machine. Love what you do. Have learned a ton.
Jazzmaster is my choice. I realize P90 sounds great, but a vintage Fender pickup delivers its unique unmistakable sound signature. When properly equalized by a modeling guitar processor, the results are awesome. 65´ Fender vintage pickups are fantastic, very good indeed. Thanks a lot Darrell for sharing this video. Have a great weekend! 😊
The best most informative guitar channel I watch. In addition I love hearing your rips on any guitar you play. That being , I love the p-90's. Great video.
As long as the pickup is not epoxy potted you actually can adjust magnetic poles, there are plenty videos out there if how to do it, but basically as long the pole ends up flush with the bobbin material you have the whole length of pole to play around with by pressing with non marr pliers or a special tool. It's also really important to note that all of these guitars have different output levels, and the epi had different pots, which effect sound more than most think. But this means each pickup drives the preamp differently resulting in differences in gain.
Both comparisons were excellent demonstrations. Each one had something to offer, and one wasn’t better than the other. Both are excellent tone machines depending on what color you want. 🎸🎸
I preferred the Jazzmaster in the mix. Both are awesome sounding guitars. I love my American Deluxe fat strat because of all the switching options it gives me on my pickups. It can go from chime to wild.
I love gold but I really enjoyed the Jazzmaster surprisingly I'm trying to get rid of mine but after hearing your demo I love that brightness and I really think that the Jazzmaster can have a a deeper full body sound at least I know mine does thank you very much for the video that was great
Hmmm, well, they all had their own voice for sure. In some cases, the Jazz sounded a little rinky-tink to me. I couldn't believe how the Epi sounded... very nice! The Tele was a fav for me... even though it was equipped much different than a stock Tele. The Epi came in at a very close second though. Cool comparison and, as always, great playing Darrell!
Wow, what a coincidence! I was at Guitar Center yesterday because I wanted to check out a Vox AC15. I played a Jazzmaster, Strat, Tele, and a D'angelico (all around the $800 price range - the only thing I could control for) and the Jazzmaster is a flat out chime factory! Running it with a lot of gain or fuzz might have it's place in a song but it'll mask what a Jazzmaster is soooo very good at.
For me the tele p90s won hands down but the biggest surprise was the jazz bridge in the mix. It was brutal and reminded me of Gary Moore’s huge strat sound. Thanks DBG
From Leo: I like the Jazzmaster pickups, especially into a clean tube amp. A little twisting of the tone knob and gain knob will get it similar to the P90 sound if that is what you feel like. They all sounded great, at least in Darrell's capable hands.
Terrific comparison. I thought the Tele sounded the best all around, and this from a Jazzmaster lover (Have a 65 reissue & a 66 Original). I guessing, but I think the strings on the Jazzmaster are too light, making it sound "thin". Though not as easy for bending, I use 11's and up, Flats, or Rounds. Course those 65 pickups give that classic 60's tone. Anyway, wonderful comparison and always a pleasure listening to you play.
Another great comparison and explanation Darrell. Three very cool guitars and your Ultimate Epiphone is just beautiful but I have to give it to the P90 Tele. I have only owned one P90 Guitar (Epiphone Casino) and I regret letting it go.
The Les Paul sounds awesome. I don't really "love" the look honestly, but the sound... that's why I have one haha... I'm also interested in a tele so this video was really useful, thanks :)
The surprising thing for me was that the P-Rails really sounded very close to the P90s and are a real alternative. Thanks, I had to hear this to believe...
A few weeks ago I said my dream guitar would have splitable humbuckers and a single coil between them. Now I think I need to look at Duncan rails instead. That P90 sound is so good, I no longer think I can build a "Swiss Army" guitar that can't deliver that. Thanks, Darrell.
The more I've paid attention the more I've realised just how many of my favourite guitarists have gravitated towards Jazzmasters over time. I think they're really versatile guitars which work really well in a lot of genres and have a really interesting unique sound from their pickups. Whenever I've seen blind pickup comparision tests going around I've usually liked the Jazzmaster and P90 pickups the most, but they sound very different. Jazzmaster pickups work well for a lot of punk and alternative stuff as well as some proggier stuff and (or so I've been told) apparently can give Teles a run for their money playing country. (In the UK interest in country generally begins and ends with Johnny Cash) P90s have more of a bluesy vibe to them and can work well for a lot of rock styles. Overall though it's not the individual pick ups that matter it's what a guitarist (and their sound engineers etc.) do with them
Nothing sounds like a Jazzmaster love that sound. All guitars sounded good but I really thought the Epiphone just sounded a little better then the others. It was a nicer blend of being warm and spanky.
Interesting ! The P-rails kind of nail sort of a middle sound between the two. P90 and the JM pickups.. and i like it cause i have this project of modyfying a single P-Rail Pacifica 510V by adding another P-Rail neck pickup to replace 2 guitars : a Xaviere JT100 and an Eastwood TV Junior! Love P90s... Love JM pickups but both pickup so much 60 cycle humm... Read some articles about shielding JMs.... What about P90s... And a review about different solutions to tame those beasts would be nice ! As always thanks for the great work and tons of information you provide...
@darrellbraun it's due to your epiphone mod video that I slapped on a SD p rails on my Michael Kelly patriot glory! My go to sound is the P 90s. Such an amazing tone. I hated the normal P 90 soapbar look, so the p rail was the perfect alternative!
I've got a set neck on my special edition custom tele and I love it. It also has a tummy cut. The ergonomics are spot on. I just bought my first P90 guitar a couple weeks ago; a beautiful Alvarez AAT34 archtop (discontinued). Still getting used to the fatter, higher output sound. I'm so used to humbuckers and strat type single coils. But for the video, P90s definitely suit that classic 70s and 80s rock era. Jazzmasters always felt better as a surf guitar to me, but I guess Cobain was the exception
I recently got a Jazzmaster but i’m thinking of putting a Mojotone JM-sized P90 in the bridge and a Mojotone 59 Jazzmaster pickup in the neck. It’d be nice to have the best of both worlds.
PS: you have the best comparisons always. And of course I’ve come to value your opinion/thoughts more and more....thanks for all you do my friend 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. From Bill in Strawberry Town Florida
P90's are way warmer. The Jazzmaster is very glassy. I think the P90 sound is more my taste but both clearly have a place. The leads sounded fantastic on both. Great comparison.
P90 has lots of mids, jazzmaster is wider and has more highs, it's almost scooped sounding in my experience.
Yes, I did just do a series of pinched harmonics on a Jazzmaster...hahaha! I don't even feel bad about it!
Which guitar did you guys like the best?
For me, the Jazzmaster which was much lower output and much brighter than the P90s really came alive in the solo section where the brightness and note articulation really became an asset!
Overall though the P90s ruled the day for me :)
I love that epi, do you have a link to the build?
The jazzmasters definitely have a unique vibe. I wonder what it would sound like if you wired a P90 in the bridge, JM in the neck, and a strat pickup in the middle, with a 5 way switch.
A Gibson scale, set neck thinline tele with P90’s? OMG GAS! Love it! Didn’t really care for the Jag until the mix; just seemed to come alive with the other instruments.
You seriously need to record an album of this more high energy guitar. The Celtic album is beautiful, but when working, I need something more high energy as a background. (I also tend to find myself listening rather than working, but that may be unavoidable.)
All of them!, great video and guitar/pickup comparison!👌🎶🎸
I think it depends on what you play. For me, I play in a surf band and I need the sound as clean as possible. I don’t own a Jazzmaster and never thought I needed one, but now I understand why many surf guitarists use them. For me - the jazzmaster was a much more usable sound. This also confirmed what I already suspected about my Wilson Bros Mosrite with P90s - it’s just not the right sound. Much too hot. I will have to swap them out!
P-90s to me, have always been a halfway point between a single coil and a humbucker. They are throaty and definitely have a place in Blues. The Jazzmasters are that classic Ventures, Surf guitar sound. I really like your playing style. Very nice combination of technique and melody. Great video.
I have P90 Jaguar that I really like but I do like the way the Jazzmaster stood out in the mix.
Yeah, I did too, partly because mix had a lot of mids anyway, and the Jazzmaster's treble presence was a welcome addition to the mix
Is it the modern player with no pick guard and hardtalil?? I just got that
What's the difference between p90 jaguar and jazzmaster? Thought they're the same
@@blik6704 jazzmasters and jaguars are pretty similar besides the pickups.. some jaguars have fixed bridges but besides that and the rhythm circuits on the older ones theyre pretty much same thing
@@blik6704 JAG has some extra Tone circuits/switches..Shorter scale length... and came with several PU options... Jazzmaster, has normal Fender scale length, and "jazzmaster" (only guitar that uses em) pickups. one of a kind deal. And BOTH normally have a 1 MEG pots, making it sound much brighter/more trebly... so similar in some respects but deff NOT the "same"
6:49 Oh my gosh, LOVED this Jazzmaster clip! 😍
Great playing, mate! :D
Was not that impressed with the Jazzmaster by itself until you played it with the background track. Wow!!!! Loved that sound, really stood out and made that song rock!
The Les Paul sounded "muddy" compared to the crispness from the other two when all 3 were being compared in all of the pickup combinations. The spankiness of the Jazzmaster was the most unique sounding.
Thanks for breaking down the construction differences in these pickups. I was always a little curious about them. I really liked the way Jazzmaster sounded playing that lead in the mix. The P-90s were just great at everything all around. Those P-Rails though, really did do a good job of sounding like a credible P-90. I was really impressed. Great video as always!
Thanks for showing the construction of both pick ups along with the explanation of how they are made . I recently bought a Jaguar and enjoy the variety of sounds I can get from this guitar after years of playing with single coil and humbucker pick ups .
For me the Jazzmaster was the best in mix and clean. Thought I liked P90-s better, but this video proved me wrong. Thank you for the awesome vid Darrell!
I'd just like to get a shorter-scale guitar with the JM pickups and electronics.
Never knew the specific build differences between the two of these. Great video and comparison! And wow that Jazzmaster just cuts right through that backing track.
Bizarre and obscure comment here, but thanks to this video, I finally understand Dinosaur Jr.'s sound!
Tnx DBG!
Run that through a plexi like pedal and a ram's head, and you are good to go
As much as I love my jaguar, you've convinced me that I need a jazzmaster in my life.
When you think of the mellowish guitar tones of Kenny Burrell, Barney Kessel, Charlie Christian and several of their contemporaries, you have to wonder why Fender marketed a chimey pickup as a Jazzmaster?? Thanks for another great demo.
Feels so good to see that 10s super tele finally chilling on the background, I'm still drooling over that guitar
Well look at that. I learned something today. I always that they were the same exact thing. Great video DB.
I just like that JM glassiness, it's so bright and illuminated, so sparkly. Yet with the rhythm circuit you can even get quite some warmth out of it.
Hmm, the Epi sounds more like the Jazz master dirty, and more like the P90 tele clean. Interesting...all sound awesome but I love the jazz master tone though!
Darrell, I just want to say - THANK YOU! Your video is very informative and very beneficial in term of helping buyers to choose the right guitar.
Another interesting video and I was convinced both pickups were the same. All 3 pickups sounded great, but my Seymour Duncan preference won out again...that Tele sounds amazing.
Great comparison, I like things about all three guitars but the jazz master stands out a little more on the clarity, and for me and the way I play that’s better
Wow, I didn't realize how different the P90s and the Jazzmaster pickups are. Of the 3 I liked the Tele best, but I can see where the Jazzmaster has its place. For years I've had just humbucker guitars, and for the last 12 years Strat and Tele single-coils. I just recently (past 6 months) got 2 P90 equipped guitars, and I'm still getting used to them. A solid-body Reverend Sensei 290, and an archtop Godin 5th Ave CW Kingpin II, both using the makers' own designed versions of P90s. Though I like them both I am struggling to learn how to hear to P90 character in these guitars. My ears are still learning to "hear" them. Your demos are helping me along the way.
I always find that your videos are interesting, diverse and concise. I don't have any other choice than hit the like button! By the way, i'm a jazzmaster and telecaster fan, so I think these are a couple of gorgeous guitars. Good videos and nice playing!
I’ve had strats, teles, Jaguars... I stopped buying guitars after I found my jazzmaster. Just personal preference. It’s SO versatile.
The layla inspired lick made me motion sick. Sounded so disorienting. Very cool brother
Yea i hated it. So disgusting. Awesome brother. Love those sickening licks. Dumbass.
This is a solid piece of reviewing here Mr Braun! Great work!
And that Gibsonesque build you made ... MAN!
Your Epiphone LesPaul is so beautiful ! And gets my vote tonewise over the other 2 Jazzm and Tele. Thanks for demo and explanations 👍
I feel like I have been converted the Church of the P-90s, hallelujah.
Lol!! Only if I want to have that telecaster and not try and put humbuckers in
The Jazzmaster is such a specific sounds. And no other pickups can do what it does. If you're looking for that sound, nothing beats it. But for the vast majority of other styles or sounds, the p90's are the better pickup, at least in my opinion.
Always loving the videos Darrell puts out!
nice !! Both pickups sound fantastic and this videos is really informative, I have a Jazzmaster 62 and now i'm going to have to get me something with P90's
GREAT video - I've been looking at the Jim Adkins tele and I LOVE my Jazzmaster. P90's sound fantastic and so do the Jazzmaster pickups. Really cool test!
Dayum, Darrell! You are a world class picker. Ive never seen you get down like this.
Terrific comparison, Darrell! The music style that you’ve chosen put the P90 pickups in a small advantage. Its growl turned out being more “appropriate”! But, as always, your videos are incredible! Greetings from Brazil 🇧🇷!!
Thanks Darrell for that really useful video: just to confuse things I have P90s on a Jazzmaster body - love the P90 sound and the Jazzmaster body shape...but that Fender/Gibson hybrid Tele took my fancy too...and I have to agree with Bill Miller too: the JM in the mix worked really well. Fun video, good on yer! :-)
Thanks for the video. I have a cheap epiphone with p90s and I have a vintage Jazzmaster with original pickups. I love them both for different reasons. The P90s clean up well when you turn them down but get knarly when turned up. A virtue I like very much. I've had my Jazzmaster for close to 40 years, and well, I love it. No redundancy between the two guitar sounds.
First time I've had a chance to compare P-90s and Jazzmaster pickups -- thanks for the opportunity! I can honestly say that I rather expected things to come out the way they did. I read somewhere that Leo Fender wanted the Jazzmaster's pickups to have a "Fender-y" sound. To me, that means a chimey high end, which is what we heard. I'll also say that I enjoyed the sound of all three guitars, but liked the Seymour Duncan P-90s best. I would have liked to hear real Gibson P-90s in a Les Paul or some such guitar, though. Though some say it doesn't matter, I personally can hear some subtle differences between body woods, so I'm sure that the traditional mahogany/maple sandwich would have sounded different from the ash (and semi-hollow) body of that Tele. I'm also tempted to try the Duncan P-Rails in a Hamer Sunburst Archtop I have. My biggest misgiving is: How do the humbucking modes sound? Anyhow, great video!😎
I have the J Mascis squire jazzmaster but the jazzmaster pickups in it are designed to sound more like the p90s they aren't very chime at all and have more of a warm sound
for me that entire set up with the P90s was in a class by itself what a really unique gitfiddle
You are a menace every time I see your comparisons i find myself looking at new guitars.... love the jazzmaster...
Nicely done, Darrell, as usual. I agree - the Jazzmaster has distinctive tone, and I'm old enough to have lived through the 60s, so I remember. Gregory Fox called it "glassy," which works, but the word that came to my mind right away was "thin." Not necessarily in a negative way, but it just doesn't have the power that the Tele's P90s exhibit. That said, this amateur thought they each worked well in the solo "mix" segments. Just different sounds, though I like the P90 best overall. The LP seemed sort of in-between. They're all good!
Hey Darrell, loved the video! maybe you should consider making a comparison with between p90s, mini humbuckers & humbuckers, as mini humbuckers could be like an inbetween of these two.
Cheers!
That'd be great. Mini-humbuckers are the most underrated pickups of them all.
@@lessthanpinochet I agree!!!
My Hamer Eclipse has SD mini hums on it and can put out some great tones with the flip of the switch. I've also got a JM HH with dual coils that I might have to change over to real JM p'ups...
You sound better than ever. Killing it DGB.
They all had nice if different sounds, but I luved the design of that Tele. I could do without the F hole, but they nailed the rest of it.
Great video! I don't have a Jazzmaster, but now I want one. Might go Squier Vintage Modified, because those guitars are really close to what's coming out of Mexico these days. Love the channel - keep making awesome videos!
Fender will release the squier classic vibe models soon I think. You should check them out ;)
Was the resistance of the pots the same between the guitars? 1 meg vs. 500 K vs. 250 K will all affect the level of brightness differently
lunarpollen
Indeed! Jazzmasters and Jaguars aren’t nearly as bright when you change the pot values to 250k or 500k; they become much warmer. Put 1Meg pots in a Strat and see how damn bright and ice pick like it becomes.
@@Wolf_K Are there 500k pots in that jazzmaster? The newer American pro jazzmaster I have has 500 pots( also vmod jazzmaster pickups that are different than regular JM pickups)
Brian Henn
No idea.
In the American Vintage 62 and 65; and the American original 60s (practically the same guitar); and all vintage guitars they are 1Meg
On the fender site, look at the guitar you want, scroll down to the details and click on the specs tab which will open a list and a pdf link will be there; open the pdf and a list of everything, including a wiring diagram which will list the value, will show you all you need to know.
Yup Jazzmaster sounded supreme in this comparison. Great job Darrell!
Darrell!! Dude! One of the coolest solo parts from you or any guitarist on the tube in a long long time, great playing! My personal preference is for the Jazzmaster pickups.
Wow, I did not realize that J-master and P-90 pickups are quite literally 'night and day' in terms of tone. Good information. Thanks for posting.
Great video Darrell, love the comparison. Thanks for exploring the questions we are all wondering.
The Jazzmaster had the best articulation of notes. The clarity, helped to drive,the rhythms that you were playing. Great job!
I love these kinds of comparisons! I liked the P-90s more, but the LP was like the perfect balanced sound between the Tele and the jazzmaster.
Double that
which was surprising to me since you would expect a shorter scale length from the LP would make it sound warmer than the Tele
This is exactly the comparison I was looking for. Thanks for the comprehensive explanation and comparison. Subscribed!
Spectacular video. Thanks. I think your method of doing the comparisons is the best I've seen on TH-cam. But maybe you'd consider a tweak, though I'm not sure exactly how it would work. I like everything you played. Different guitars are known for different kinds of music. I loved the Jazzmaster. I also loved your playing, but I wondered how the Tele and the Jazzmaster would sound playing blues. So, in a three hour video, you'd play different styles using the same riffs on all three guitars. Then different riffs on each guitar based on it's specialty. You approached that by soloing over the backing track. That was genius. Thanks millions.
The Jazzmaster tone was so smooth. I loved it. Felt like it sat in the mix rather than cut through. I had no idea I’d like it this much.
Both sounded great. I thought the P90's were more tonally articulate, but then the Jazzes were richer on clean.
Gonna put 1 of each in my current build. Another fantastic vid from Darrell.
I’m new to the channel. Thanks for the review, you nailed it and I became a fan to the channel. Gonna recommend to my bands.
Cheers from southern Brazil, btw
Yesssssssss! I've been waiting for this one! Thanks Darrell!
Great video as always, l really can’t believe what I am about to say,
but the jazz master sounded the best to me.
I totally agree. Jazz Master FTW. Clear, concise and articulate. You could pour on more gain and yet still hear the character of the guitar.
WOW! I had no idea I liked P-90's so much! Especially that opening lick on the bridge pickup! So damn chunky!! Next purchase: Les Paul with P-90's
I got an Epi Lp Special with p90s...it rocks!!!!
Brandon Bamesberger p90s on a tele work very well as well ☺
@@malcolmhardwick4258 yeah. But both would sound similar. The Special is a great deal such a low price
Yamaha revstars with P90s are a cheaper option but are awesome for the price.
sweet playing on this one! p90s absolutely all the way for me.
Darrell, another great show! Thank you so much.
What a fantastic giutar player.Thanks for the videos always very informative.I have a Strat and Epiphone just yesterday i ordered a new Hagstrom HII.I owned one in the seventies but sold it big mistake.Always missed that guitar hard to find but Maars Music in Peterborough found me one have to wait 4 months to get here from Sweden.Thanks Gary live from Bobcaygeon lol.
I dropped Duncan noiseless P90s in my TC-90 and I love them. Great guitar great sound.
Thank you for the killer video, Darrell. I think it's not an either/or with this comparison. It would be like Sophie's choice trying to decide between the two. They both have their place, and they both can and DO sound great! But then again, you're a pretty good guitarist. You could make a kiddee guitar from a toy store sound like a rock machine.
Love what you do. Have learned a ton.
I had never put so much attention to Jazzmaster pickups , until I saw this video . They are my favorite sounding pickups now
Jazzmaster is my choice. I realize P90 sounds great, but a vintage Fender pickup delivers its unique unmistakable sound signature. When properly equalized by a modeling guitar processor, the results are awesome. 65´ Fender vintage pickups are fantastic, very good indeed. Thanks a lot Darrell for sharing this video. Have a great weekend! 😊
The best most informative guitar channel I watch. In addition I love hearing your rips on any guitar you play. That being , I love the p-90's. Great video.
Thanks for the kind words Kevin!
As long as the pickup is not epoxy potted you actually can adjust magnetic poles, there are plenty videos out there if how to do it, but basically as long the pole ends up flush with the bobbin material you have the whole length of pole to play around with by pressing with non marr pliers or a special tool. It's also really important to note that all of these guitars have different output levels, and the epi had different pots, which effect sound more than most think. But this means each pickup drives the preamp differently resulting in differences in gain.
Ohh that Tele is a killer guitar!!!! I need it :D
AronMay I have one and they are awesome ! But I might be bias as I’m a massive jimmy eat world fan
Both comparisons were excellent demonstrations. Each one had something to offer, and one wasn’t better than the other. Both are excellent tone machines depending on what color you want. 🎸🎸
I preferred the Jazzmaster in the mix. Both are awesome sounding guitars. I love my American Deluxe fat strat because of all the switching options it gives me on my pickups. It can go from chime to wild.
I love gold but I really enjoyed the Jazzmaster surprisingly I'm trying to get rid of mine but after hearing your demo I love that brightness and I really think that the Jazzmaster can have a a deeper full body sound at least I know mine does thank you very much for the video that was great
i took some alnico slugs and replaced the screws in my p90- totally improved what i found to be a muddy pickup!
Hmmm, well, they all had their own voice for sure. In some cases, the Jazz sounded a little rinky-tink to me. I couldn't believe how the Epi sounded... very nice! The Tele was a fav for me... even though it was equipped much different than a stock Tele. The Epi came in at a very close second though. Cool comparison and, as always, great playing Darrell!
Wow, what a coincidence! I was at Guitar Center yesterday because I wanted to check out a Vox AC15. I played a Jazzmaster, Strat, Tele, and a D'angelico (all around the $800 price range - the only thing I could control for) and the Jazzmaster is a flat out chime factory! Running it with a lot of gain or fuzz might have it's place in a song but it'll mask what a Jazzmaster is soooo very good at.
Love them both !! If I had to chose - I'd go with the Jazzy !!
Thanks Big D. Really enlightening in terms of tones, also never had seen the pickup construction differences.
Very cool! Glad I've got both because you just never know which one you're gonna want/need.
For me the tele p90s won hands down but the biggest surprise was the jazz bridge in the mix. It was brutal and reminded me of Gary Moore’s huge strat sound. Thanks DBG
The guitar by itself I preferred the P-90s
But in the mix, I really liked the jazzmaster ringing through when adding other instruments
From Leo: I like the Jazzmaster pickups, especially into a clean tube amp. A little twisting of the tone knob and gain knob will get it similar to the P90 sound if that is what you feel like. They all sounded great, at least in Darrell's capable hands.
In isolation the P90s sounded by far the best. In a mix, I loved the Jazzmaster pickups. Really cut through nicely l!
Terrific comparison. I thought the Tele sounded the best all around, and this from a Jazzmaster lover (Have a 65 reissue & a 66 Original). I guessing, but I think the strings on the Jazzmaster are too light, making it sound "thin". Though not as easy for bending, I use 11's and up, Flats, or Rounds. Course those 65 pickups give that classic 60's tone. Anyway, wonderful comparison and always a pleasure listening to you play.
Another great comparison and explanation Darrell.
Three very cool guitars and your Ultimate Epiphone is just beautiful but I have to give it to the P90 Tele.
I have only owned one P90 Guitar (Epiphone Casino) and I regret letting it go.
The Les Paul sounds awesome. I don't really "love" the look honestly, but the sound... that's why I have one haha... I'm also interested in a tele so this video was really useful, thanks :)
Great comparison once again 👍🏻
The surprising thing for me was that the P-Rails really sounded very close to the P90s and are a real alternative.
Thanks, I had to hear this to believe...
A few weeks ago I said my dream guitar would have splitable humbuckers and a single coil between them. Now I think I need to look at Duncan rails instead. That P90 sound is so good, I no longer think I can build a "Swiss Army" guitar that can't deliver that. Thanks, Darrell.
The more I've paid attention the more I've realised just how many of my favourite guitarists have gravitated towards Jazzmasters over time. I think they're really versatile guitars which work really well in a lot of genres and have a really interesting unique sound from their pickups.
Whenever I've seen blind pickup comparision tests going around I've usually liked the Jazzmaster and P90 pickups the most, but they sound very different.
Jazzmaster pickups work well for a lot of punk and alternative stuff as well as some proggier stuff and (or so I've been told) apparently can give Teles a run for their money playing country. (In the UK interest in country generally begins and ends with Johnny Cash)
P90s have more of a bluesy vibe to them and can work well for a lot of rock styles.
Overall though it's not the individual pick ups that matter it's what a guitarist (and their sound engineers etc.) do with them
All3 sounded nice and seem like they have a place in a mix, man the epi is my favorite of all your guitars
Nothing sounds like a Jazzmaster love that sound. All guitars sounded good but I really thought the Epiphone just sounded a little better then the others. It was a nicer blend of being warm and spanky.
Interesting ! The P-rails kind of nail sort of a middle sound between the two. P90 and the JM pickups.. and i like it cause i have this project of modyfying a single P-Rail Pacifica 510V by adding another P-Rail neck pickup to replace 2 guitars : a Xaviere JT100 and an Eastwood TV Junior! Love P90s... Love JM pickups but both pickup so much 60 cycle humm... Read some articles about shielding JMs.... What about P90s... And a review about different solutions to tame those beasts would be nice ! As always thanks for the great work and tons of information you provide...
Variety is the spice of Life but Tele sounded much richer that the other 2 guitars. Great vid Darrell!
@darrellbraun it's due to your epiphone mod video that I slapped on a SD p rails on my Michael Kelly patriot glory! My go to sound is the P 90s. Such an amazing tone. I hated the normal P 90 soapbar look, so the p rail was the perfect alternative!
Cool! I love that tone too!
I've got a set neck on my special edition custom tele and I love it. It also has a tummy cut. The ergonomics are spot on. I just bought my first P90 guitar a couple weeks ago; a beautiful Alvarez AAT34 archtop (discontinued). Still getting used to the fatter, higher output sound. I'm so used to humbuckers and strat type single coils. But for the video, P90s definitely suit that classic 70s and 80s rock era. Jazzmasters always felt better as a surf guitar to me, but I guess Cobain was the exception
The JazzMasters are more articulate with clarity between each note… At least to my ears.
I have always loved the sound and soul of the Jazzmaster. The one in this video is especially nice.
I recently got a Jazzmaster but i’m thinking of putting a Mojotone JM-sized P90 in the bridge and a Mojotone 59 Jazzmaster pickup in the neck. It’d be nice to have the best of both worlds.
Now I’m wanting to add a Jazzmaster to my collection to compliment my Gibson SG with P90s. I really like the jungle of the Jazzmaster.
PS: you have the best comparisons always. And of course I’ve come to value your opinion/thoughts more and more....thanks for all you do my friend 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. From Bill in Strawberry Town Florida