P90 Guitar

[Gtrbldr]

Korina McSoapy owner here. Love this guitar, the simplicity, potential dynamics and open tone.

However: I swapped out the original P90s: they were too hot for me and changed them for a set Wolfetone P90 Mean (II)/underwound Mean (V). Am I correct that current soapies have less hot P90s? That would help

 

[RickP]

Korina McSoapy owner here. Love this guitar, the simplicity, potential dynamics and open tone.

However: I swapped out the original P90s: they were too hot for me and changed them for a set Wolfetone P90 Mean (II)/underwound Mean (V). Am I correct that current soapies have less hot P90s? That would help

The McCarty 594 Soapbar comes with SD Antiquities, a P90 I had not tried before, but one I’ve found to be the best sounding P90 pickup pairing I have personally experienced. They have everything that comes to my mind when I think of classic Soapbar tones.

From what I know, it was a custom run of pickups between PRS and SD with a size modification from the original so that they sit at the proper height in the guitar. Whatever they did works exceedingly well!

 

[docteurseb]

While wanting another guitar is natural, have you considered trying Fralin P92 ?

 

[tiboy]

While wanting another guitar is natural, have you considered trying Fralin P92 ?

No. My GAS seems to be zeroing in on the PRS SC594 Soapy. There seems to be a few available in Japan. I’m not confident enough to order a used guitar from Japan at this point.

 

[docteurseb]

Proceed with ***extreme*** caution with sellers from Japan.
It's frequent (though illegal there) for multiple sellers to list the same item at different price points; you can often see the same guitar on eBay in multiples listings: they steal pictures from the original seller, price it higher, and hope someone will bite (in which case they'll attempt buying the original listing and ship it to you once they get it).

 

[Iceman101]

I can't say I don't like p90's

https://imgur.com/eijSNDC

 

[tiboy]

Proceed with ***extreme*** caution with sellers from Japan.
It's frequent (though illegal there) for multiple sellers to list the same item at different price points; you can often see the same guitar on eBay in multiples listings: they steal pictures from the original seller, price it higher, and hope someone will bit (in which case they'll attempt buying the original listing and ship it to you once you get it).

Hence my reluctance. Four listed in Japan at different prices. The grain pattern on all are identical. What are the odds?

 

[docteurseb]

Hence my reluctance. Four listed in Japan at different prices. The grain pattern on all are identical. What are the odds?

You can always rule out the 3 more expensive ones.

That leaves you with kiyomizu.music-store which has solid and 100% positive feedback, but so does the 2nd one...

Bad news is: it's very unlikely to be the actual shop/owner of the guitar.
Look at their listings: very different photography background/style for their different guitars.
Updated: definitely not the original shop selling it. They're even keeping the watermarks of the original pictures in some of their listings... like one from Nico Nico Guitars (a real shop I visited couple times in Tokyo)


It's also not a very appealing price relative to US market; but if a SC594 P90 is what you want it's going to be rare finding those.
Expect to take a bath on resale if you don't like it.

 

[ruger9]

Wow I'd love a P90 SC245

Here's my Fender Cabronita Thinline, TV Jones T-90s (Filtertron-sized P90s)

 

[LSchefman]

I can share my experience. I started playing Soapbar pickups in 1967 with this guitar that’s still around, though on hiatus with my son;

https://imgur.com/jrZzCbF

a ‘65 SG Special that was my brother‘s before it was given to me. I had the tune-o-matic bridge installed in 1971:

After getting into PRS, I’ve had two McCarty Soapbars, two CU22 Soapbars, and currently this 594 Soapbar:

The McCarty Soapbars and CU22 Soapbars were more modern sounding than the 594 Soapbar, with more high frequency bite. The 594 pickups are more vintage/warm sounding and compare closely with my SG Special (It has the original P-90 pickups). Yes, I‘ve played them back to back, the main difference being the increased articulation with the maple top.

The 594 sounds more vintage to me than current Gibsons I’ve played, and for that reason I think it’s fantastic. But my ears, amp setups and tastes might be very different from yours, so this is merely observation, not advice.

Best to play one and decide for yourself.

 

[Matte82]

I have an SE 245 soapbar, McCarty Soapbar (that previous owner put Bare Knuckle Blue Notes in), and an Artist SC594 soapbar. And I now have my Dad's epiphone ES-339 pro p90, and Chapman ML3 Pro Trad w/P90s. I love p90's. I also have a Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen soapbar that has been in the McCarty, and another guitar I don't own anymore. I love love love p90's. And the MQ is my absolute favorite. I just took it out of the McCarty when I was debating selling it. Right now the plan is build an SG/LP junior style single pickup guitar to put it in. Because I need it back in my life haha.

Anyway I haven't played anything with Gibson p90's. (I'm pretty sure they use their own pickups and not Gibson's in the ES-339). And I haven't found one I don't really like. I had a Godin LG p90 with the hot ceramic SD p90's. Not a huge fan of those. Def hot but also pretty dark imo. And the chapman ones are a little darker than I would like. But anything in the low to midrange output vintage style p90 just rocks. IMO they all sound pretty good and just work. And that semi hollow ES-339 adds a lovely warm woody tone to the mix.

 

[neil godbole]

I have a 2009 SC245 Ted McCarty Soapbar. It's super killer, and I love the 24.5 scale length as well. I have the stock PRS P90's in there.. some kind of SD, but I have a pair of SD Antiquities I want to try. The stock P90's are 'pretty' and do the Piano-esque clean tone thing very well. They handle dirt well too, but it leaves me wondering what some nastier options might sound like.

Playability wise, this guitar just kills though, and most others who have this model say the same. They are getting hard to find now though. Here's mine:

 

[dogrocketp]

The early 2000 triple soapies had the hot P90’s which work well for rock, but don’t clean up as I would like for the blues and rhythm. My 2010’s have Duncan Antiquities which do the job nicely. Personally, the maple neck helps get me where I want to be. You do get the real P90 grind when you hit overdrive.