# Who is using noiseless P90s?



## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

I'm thinking of going the noiseless P90 route. I like the P90 tone and the guitar they're in, but I hate the 60cycle buzz.
Shielding helps a bit, but not enough, so I might go with noiseless pickups.

What are you using now or have used in the past?
What did you like or dislike about them?

I realize that noiseless won't sound quite the same but I'm (probably) good with that trade off.


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## iamthehub (Sep 21, 2016)

I love P90s, and I know this isn't answering your question exactly, but I use the Electro-harmonix Humdebugger. Works really well. 











Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## knight_yyz (Mar 14, 2015)

I think the 60 cycle hum adds to the tone. I tried noiseless and was not happy.


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## sulphur (Jun 2, 2011)

I had a P90 EBMM AL and they have some system on there that's active with a battery that kills all of the hum.
That guitar was dead silent and would still work if the battery crapped out, but then would make a racket.

I'm not sure of the system, but it worked well. I regret moving that guitar along.


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## BGood (Feb 20, 2015)

Stacked bobbins can't really be called P90. It's known as a P100. My 2006 Epiphone '57 RE Jr came with that. I have never heard such a sterile pickup.


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## Arek (Jan 24, 2009)

I have Dimarzio P90 in myLes paul, neck position.
DP169 Virtual P90.
No hum.
Great, rich tone, full sounding plus capable of artificial harmonics that don’t normally sound well on neck pickup.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Would a Seymour Duncan P-Rail count?


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

knight_yyz said:


> I think the 60 cycle hum adds to the tone. I tried noiseless and was not happy.


There are son many noiseless.
There are some single coil or humbucker I don't like


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## Midnight Rider (Apr 2, 2015)

Consider 'Kinman' pickups out of Australia. He has been designing and making pickups for near 40 years and has cracked the code to a completely noiseless P-90 in traditional soap-bar size but has also designed one of full hum- bucker size. I put a set of the hum bucker size in my PRS Custom 22 and they are dead quiet while still retaining that beloved P-90 sound and vibe. You will not be disappointed if deciding to pull the trigger on a set.

Kinman Pickups: Kinman


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## Latole (Aug 11, 2020)

aC2rs said:


> I'm thinking of going the noiseless P90 route. I like the P90 tone and the guitar they're in, but I hate the 60cycle buzz.
> Shielding helps a bit, but not enough, so I might go the noiseless pickups.
> 
> What are you using now or have used in the past?
> ...



How can we know if you do a good shielding ?
I have already shielded single coil guitars and they became as quiet as with humbuckers


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

@aC2rs I hate the buzz too. I haven't had hum cancelling P90's but I do have:

Seymour Duncan stacked in a tele.

MJS Custom Pickups hum cancelling in two teles, and a Gretsch White Falcon with Dynasonics (he made them to fit inside the existing cover).

I'll let @db62 tell you about his experience if he drops in.


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## greco (Jul 15, 2007)

Latole said:


> I have already shielded single coil guitars and they became as quiet as with humbuckers


What is your estimated percentage of success with this?


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

@DaddyDog I'm considering MJS but haven't talked to him yet.

How do you your MJS hum cancelling pickups sound / compare to single coils in those guitars?
I assume you like them a lot as you have them in 3 guitars.

I did put an SD stacked neck pickup in a Tele and it was decent pickup.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Midnight Rider said:


> Consider 'Kinman' pickups out of Australia. He has been designing and making pickups for near 40 years and has cracked the code to a completely noiseless P-90 in traditional soap-bar size but has also designed one of full hum- bucker size. I put a set of the hum bucker size in my PRS Custom 22 and they are dead quiet while still retaining that beloved P-90 sound and vibe. You will not be disappointed if deciding to pull the trigger on a set.


I will look into these a bit further, they do seem to get excellent reviews.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

iamthehub said:


> I love P90s, and I know this isn't answering your question exactly, but I use the Electro-harmonix Humdebugger. Works really well.


I looked into those a year ago, and gave that option a lot of thought, but decided they weren't a solution for me.
They also only seem to be available from sellers on the auction site.


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## troyhead (May 23, 2014)

Midnight Rider said:


> Consider 'Kinman' pickups out of Australia. He has been designing and making pickups for near 40 years and has cracked the code to a completely noiseless P-90 in traditional soap-bar size


Note that the soapbar and dogear pickups may require a deeper route than standard in order to fit the Kinman pickups.

I bought a Mojotone Quiet Coil P90 a while back, but sadly am no help because I haven't had a chance to finish the guitar it is supposed to go into.


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## DaddyDog (Apr 21, 2017)

aC2rs said:


> @DaddyDog How do you your MJS hum cancelling pickups sound / compare to single coils in those guitars?
> I assume you like them a lot as you have them in 3 guitars.


Yes I like them a lot. I had gone the route of noise cancelling pedals but I'm much happier with these. I'm fortunate to be close enough to see MJS in person. If you call, shoot me a PM first, and I can relay my experiences.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Thanks DaddyDog.
I have dealt with MJS in the past for regular HB pickups which were good.
He does have samples of his noiseless Tele pickups on YT which do sound great, but no clips of his noiseless P90s.


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## zztomato (Nov 19, 2010)

I had Ilitch make me a back plate for these;








Makes all the difference and doesn't impact the beautiful p90 tone.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

I have a P-Rail ina guitar--I love the P-90 setting--it's the one I use the most--and as part of a hum bucker it isn't noisy.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

I've always been intrigued by P-Rails, with so many tonal options, but have never had a suitable guitar to put them in.


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## Fuzzy dagger (Jun 3, 2016)

I have stock p-90’s in my Gibson special and have never really had a problem gigging or recording. Are they noisy? Maybe, but at volume I don’t notice. I don’t play super loud and haven’t had to turn down in the quiet parts. Maybe in all my gigs and recording the conditions were just right, ie.: no fluorescent lights nearby. I don’t know. There is obviously a demand for p-100’s, but not by me. YMMV


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

aC2rs said:


> I've always been intrigued by P-Rails, with so many tonal options, but have never had a suitable guitar to put them in.


When I first saw them, I knew I wanted to try them--when I had tried them in a couple of guitars I knew I wanted on in the neck position on a guitar--so when I decided to mod my LP copy--it was one of the options I considered--and ultimately what I went for it in the neck


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

A quick follow up.
I bought a set of MJS Big Stacked Singles.
Every time I plug the guitar in I'm amazed by the tone, and they really are very quiet.


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