Who Likes- Or Does Not Like- Soapbars?

  • Thread starter Thread starter stevieb
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stevieb

Just another guy, really.
Got a chance to grab a pair of soapbars from a PRS. Don't know what PRS, so if you ask, the answer will be... "I don't know." The guy replaced them with a pair of DeMarzio humbuckers, and said he probably wasted his money 'cause the DM's didn't sound much better, if that helps. I can get 'em both for $20, maybe less. Now, I know that at that price, the money side of the issue is a no-brainer, but the thing is, I don't exactly have a guitar that I can put them in- Gibson Burstbucker Pro Alnico 5's in my Les Paul, Texas Specials in my Strat. Don't want to mess around with the pups in either of the Westones I have for several reasons that I won't go into here. I suppose I could either put the soaps in the Squire Strat that currently has Texas Special SSS in it (would necessitate a HH pickguard, natch,) but I was ready to put the original pups back in that one and sell it. Or I could put the soaps in the Telestar hollowbody I've had since 1968- but I don't think I want to mod that guitar. If I put them there, I'd probably make pup mounts so if I went back with the original single coils, there would be no marks left.

I've never played even a single note on a soap-bar guitar, that I recall. What's the big deal about them? Are they that different from both HB's and other singles? What kind of music or playing do they lend themselves to? Do they do better in solid-body guitars, or hollow bodies, or does that even matter?

I'll say this much for them- they are handsome-looking devils! Beautiful ivory covers, with a "soft" look that makes them look like they are carved out of real ivory.
 
ez_willis said:
'58 Special
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Uh, well, thanks, I guess, but really, what are you trying to tell me? Best I can tell, that vid only proves three things:

1. Gibson made Les Pauls with soapbars (but I knew that already,)
2. That guy CAN play, but he's rather an idiot, and
3. Black fingernail polish STILL looks especially stupid on dudes.
 
stevieb said:
Uh, well, thanks, I guess, but really, what are you trying to tell me?
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um, like, how they sound. do you know what a humbucker sounds like, in general? do you know what a single coil strat type pickup sounds like? now you know what a P90 sounds like.
 
I like 'em. Different flavor. I have 'em in my R4 and they sound just like the vid. Good find, ez.


lou
 
The price is great. But...Soapies aren't everyone's cup o' tea. I've had a few different soapbar equipped guitars over the years, and FOR ME it was a very "niche" type of tone. Good for some recordings, and some songs, but nowhere the usefulness of a good set of 'buckers or single coils. Then again Leslie West seemed to do pretty well with them. ;) They are kind of like a "thicker single coil with a little more grit" For MY ear I prefer the true single coil sound for cleans, and the 'bucker for distortion/saturation. YMMV
 
Okay, great. You two came up with a new phrase. Your mothers would be so proud of you. Now, can we get back to the merits and tone of soapbars? It wasn't a rhetorical question, I am really thinking about those things...
 
stevieb said:
Okay, great. You two came up with a new phrase. Your mothers would be so proud of you. Now, can we get back to the merits and tone of soapbars? It wasn't a rhetorical question, I am really thinking about those things...
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lol. wtf does it matter if anyone else likes them? you've heard them and were given examples of guitar players that use them. IT'S A $20 INVENSTMENT! do YOU like them?
 
I'm using Gibson P-94s on one of my main guitars - they're basically P-90s in a humbucker size so you can swap them in without routing. I bet they sound a little different from real P-90s, but whatever.

Anyway, they're friggin' awesome. I paid a heck of a lot more than $20 for them and don't regret it.

One thing to note - if you have a 3 position toggle, it's pretty easy to wire them so that they humbuck each other when the switch is in the center position, and you should definitely do that - you get a very different and usable (and comparatively hum free) sound in the center position that way.

As for describing the sound, we're once again faced with the limitations of our language in the area, but I guess I'll say that they have a simpler sound with fewer or less accentuated harmonic overtones than, say, the '57 classic humbuckers on another one of my guitars. Seems like they have more natural (or forceful or in-your-face or something like that) mids, and they're so hot because of all that copper that I usually have to keep the volume knobs on the guitar turned down a little bit to keep the preamp in the amp from going over the edge. "Controlled" feedback is different in that the less complex sound makes for a somewhat more predictable feedback response - this has a lot to do with the amp and speakers, too, of course. Again, the hotness comes into play in that feedback happens quicker unless squelched by the volume knob(s) on the guitar.
 
stevieb said:
Okay, great. You two came up with a new phrase. Your mothers would be so proud of you. Now, can we get back to the merits and tone of soapbars? It wasn't a rhetorical question, I am really thinking about those things...
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Who pissed in your cornflakes? Go to a guitar store and try a P-90 equipped git next to a hum and single and make a fucking decision. It's twenty bucks ferphuxache and you don't have a guitar you can put them in anyway.

You want us to help you pick yer wardrobe too?

:rolleyes:


lou
 
Sky Blue Lou said:
You want us to help you pick yer wardrobe too?

:rolleyes:


lou
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:laughings:

Thanks for the input, everyone. If it was only the $20, I'd have bought them on the spot- but I will have to buy or mod a guitar- again, it's not so much the money as the time I will have to put into yet another project. Going to GC and playing a 'bar guitar is a good idea, but I play lefty, so it might be hard to find one.
 
stevieb said:
Going to GC and playing a 'bar guitar is a good idea, but I play lefty, so it might be hard to find one.
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That does complicate matters. Next best thing is to have one of the staff shredders (every GC has a few) play the righty versions of what they've got so you can at least hear it live. You play a Les Paul? Should be able to find two of those suitable for comparison. Maybe SGs or PRSs. Any two of the same basic guitar. Obviously the amp settings don't change.

I think the comparison you want to make is P-90s vs. humbuckers. They really don't sound anything like single coils and I can't think of any guitars normally equipped with singles that have a P-90 option.*

*edit - G&L Asat. I've seen singles and P-90s in those but it may be a G&L special wound "P-90".

Good luck.


lou
 
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