Melody Maker P90 to HB conversion?

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post.aux.fader

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Hey dudes and dudettes. I've got myself a Gibson Melody Maker Re-Issue with the single p-90 at the bridge. Is there any way I can fit a humbucker into the bridge position?

Also, I'm wanting a neck pickup too. How much would having one routed into the body (where there is no pickup) cost me?


Thanks for your input.


(get it, input, because it's recording forum....... nevermind.)
 
post.aux.fader said:
Hey dudes and dudettes. I've got myself a Gibson Melody Maker Re-Issue with the single p-90 at the bridge. Is there any way I can fit a humbucker into the bridge position?

Also, I'm wanting a neck pickup too. How much would having one routed into the body (where there is no pickup) cost me?


Thanks for your input.


(get it, input, because it's recording forum....... nevermind.)
Click to expand...


It won't fit without some routing. Humbuckers are a little wider, and a little shorter than a P-90. To the best of my knowledge, no one makes a humbucker to fit a P-90 hole, though they do make some going the other way.

As for the neck pickup, I would say around $150. Plus the pickup, of course. The routing is not the difficult part, if you have the right tools. The problem is the wire chase. It doesn't take much time, but it is careful work. I hate that part. Quite a lot.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Oh, by the way, why did you buy a guitar that didn't do what you wanted it to do? I mean, why not buy the right guitar in the first place? Whatever the price difference, you will probably spend as much to make this what you want as you would have to get the right guitar.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Light said:
It won't fit without some routing. Humbuckers are a little wider, and a little shorter than a P-90. To the best of my knowledge, no one makes a humbucker to fit a P-90 hole, though they do make some going the other way.

As for the neck pickup, I would say around $150. Plus the pickup, of course. The routing is not the difficult part, if you have the right tools. The problem is the wire chase. It doesn't take much time, but it is careful work. I hate that part. Quite a lot.



Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...
Think about mini humbuckers!I put a set in my LP special and I LOVE 'em.No routing required(at least for the existing pickup).
 
Light said:
Oh, by the way, why did you buy a guitar that didn't do what you wanted it to do? I mean, why not buy the right guitar in the first place? Whatever the price difference, you will probably spend as much to make this what you want as you would have to get the right guitar.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...


I bought the guitar 2 years ago, and my playing skill has improved, as well the kind of music I want to play. (from ska to jazz/noise/funk) If you (or anyone else) could reccomend a guitar for that style that's less than $700...
 
post.aux.fader said:
I bought the guitar 2 years ago, and my playing skill has improved, as well the kind of music I want to play. (from ska to jazz/noise/funk) If you (or anyone else) could reccomend a guitar for that style that's less than $700...
Click to expand...


Ah, well that makes more sense then. I was under the impresion you had just bought the guitar.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
A buddy of mine had that done, he was very happy with it!

I think he left his P90 though and just put a switch and slimline humbucker at the neck...

the thing sounds great!
 
Buy a new guitar

There's a pretty good market for what you've already got, and a gazillion choices in what you're looking for. You could easily work out a trade. Post an offer to sell or trade in the ads forum, and watch the offers roll in.

But don't hack up what you've got! A lot of guys are looking for that specific item, and they don't want it modified (at least not by you).
 
I'll guess that the Melody Maker I tried out, last week, was a Monday or Friday guitar, as my still completely stock Epiphone LP Jr. 90 sounds WAY better than the Melody Maker. It was the only one at GC, so it's not like I could compare another one with the one I'd just tried. Maybe I just got lucky with my Epi? Who knows...maybe I was going deaf, by the time I tried the Melody Maker, after all the Teles and Strats and hollow bodies I'd tried before. Yeah...that's it...going deaf... :p

Matt
 
p 90 to humbucker ?

you can put a mini humbucker in where the p 90 is ...... or you can get a stacked humbucker ..... there are many after market p 90 replacements you could look into.....either way you have many options :D
 
Wasn't the P-100 a humbucker in a P-90 sized package? I guess it could have been stacked, I really don't remember. I got into this several years ago when I considered putting humbuckers into an old ES-330, but instead I sold it to someone who wanted it and I bought a different guitar-so in my opinion that is some pretty solid advice.
 
0018G said:
Wasn't the P-100 a humbucker in a P-90 sized package? I guess it could have been stacked, I really don't remember. I got into this several years ago when I considered putting humbuckers into an old ES-330, but instead I sold it to someone who wanted it and I bought a different guitar-so in my opinion that is some pretty solid advice.
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No, the P-100 is a stack, and doesn't sound at all the same. Mini's also sound quite a lot different than full sized humbuckers.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
Post

Is there a particular reason you want to do this? I mean, do you just love the way this guitar plays and that's why you want to keep it? Or are you someone who loves the adventure and challenge of making it into what you want? If not, I would strongly suggest just looking for a new one. It will save you so many headaches, and probably preserve much more of your investment. OK, you know my opinion.

Whatever you decide, have fun. If you go with modification, post back on what you did and how it went. Good luck.
 
Light said:
No, the P-100 is a stack, and doesn't sound at all the same. Mini's also sound quite a lot different than full sized humbuckers.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
Click to expand...


How do they sound different?
 
post.aux.fader said:
How do they sound different?
Click to expand...



Mini's or P-100's? In both cases, the big issue is that you have a shorter section of the string being picked up, which means you have less phase interactions. Basically, they are quite a bit brighter than a humbucker, though not as bright as a Strat or Tele pickup. P-90's have a growl to them as well, though it is much less noticable in a P-100.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
im not sure if someone mentioned this but i would just buy another HB guitar. there are plenty decent ones at a budget price out there. p-90s are cool and you may regret it in the future plus why butcher up a perfectly good guitar?
 
Rickson Gracie said:
im not sure if someone mentioned this but i would just buy another HB guitar. there are plenty decent ones at a budget price out there. p-90s are cool and you may regret it in the future plus why butcher up a perfectly good guitar?
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That was my sentiment exactly.
 
My 1972 LP Special is a reissue of a 1956 LP Junior, but equipped with two P90s instead of just one at the bridge. Years ago I replaced the bridge P90 with a Dimarzio SD humbucker because I needed the tone. It does require routing.

I occasionally wish I'd never done it but at the time I (1) didn't know any better and (2) could not afford a second LP. I still have the sweet tone of the neck P90, and the guitar really screams with the bridge humbucker.
 
Aaaaaahhhhh!!!!

Zaphod B said:
My 1972 LP Special is a reissue of a 1956 LP Junior, but equipped with two P90s instead of just one at the bridge. Years ago I replaced the bridge P90 with a Dimarzio SD humbucker because I needed the tone. It does require routing.

I occasionally wish I'd never done it but at the time I (1) didn't know any better and (2) could not afford a second LP. I still have the sweet tone of the neck P90, and the guitar really screams with the bridge humbucker.
Click to expand...

That's the guitar I want! A flat top dual p90 LP! I would offer to buy it from you, but you've gone and ruined it for me!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
 
notCardio said:
That's the guitar I want! A flat top dual p90 LP! I would offer to buy it from you, but you've gone and ruined it for me!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Click to expand...
I can always replace that HB with a P100 to get the tone back. :o
 
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