Will 408s fit in a p90 route?

brain21

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I've been looking at a few different types of PRSi lately. Now I'm curious about the 3x P90 models.

Honestly, if it were purely for me and "my music" I would just go for a straight P90 model. Leave all 3 as P90s. Love them. However, this will need to be used in a cover band scenario as well potentially. In order to do that I'm thinking I might have to change the bridge P90 to something else (a humbucker-in-a-p90-route). The middle and neck would remain stock.

DiMarzio has some obvious choices (DLX Bridge, Super Distortion P90, Tone Zone P90, etc.).

What I would like to know is does the 408 fit in a P90 route w/o any modifications? Perhaps I could find a used 408 pup and put that in there, especially since I could switch it to single coil mode w/ no volume loss if wired correctly. It seems ideal. BUT I don't know if one would fit (not interested in doing any body modifications to the guitar), and if it did, could I find one? And if I could, would it even be the right thing for what I'm looking for?

Form the clips I've heard of the 408 in the bridge position, it sounds like it has the right amount of grind & string separation I need?

The sounds I'm looking for from the bridge pickup are like you would hear in Silverchair's "Tomorrow," perhaps Filter, Tool, Incubus (SCIENCE), Hum, etc.

So, would a 408 fit? Would it even be the right choice, or should I look to the DiMarzios? Maybe something else entirely?

Thanks!
 
But...I went and measured.

Pickup cavity in my SE One is 89 x 36 mm

Bridge 408 pickup(with our mounting ring) is 76 x 40 mm, and the neck is 76 x 31mm
 
D'oh! I didn't even specify which one! Yes, I meant the neck, the 408n. I believe that the 408n is in the treble position in the Brent Mason and the Paul's Guitar.

Anyway, thanks so much for measuring! So it seems that the 408n would fit in the P90 cavity, but it would be a little small. That could look ugly, and lining up the pole pieces properly might be a pita.

I am assuming that the 57/08 narrowfields are the same dimensions as the 408n

So, it seems that the proper way to go would be either just leave it alone (it might be just fine out of the box for all I know), or replace with something like a DiMarzio DLX Bridge, Air Zone P90, or Super Distortion P90.

Are there other alternatives? Who else makes a nice humbucker in a P90 pickup? I know GFS does, but I'm thinking that the DiMarzios might be nicer and there might be something else out there too.
 
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Yeah, try it out stock and then just do the DiMarzios. I have a Paul's and I had an SAS NF. What you want to do sounds cool - but seems VERY complicated and potentially expensive.
 
I have a CU22 P90 and the pickups are very high output with plenty of push I don't think I would need a Humbucker it that guitar, in fact the change I might think of making if it was an only guitar would be to go more vintage voiced P90 in the middle and neck possibly
 
The Narrowfields are a fair bit smaller than the narrow 408 (they actually call them 408 Bass and Paul's Treble).

The only way to get them would be through the PTC I'd say (like I did, see avatar).

Would be a very cool guitar!
 
Yeah, I'm thinking (after looking) that if I do find either a 408n or a 57/08 NF, it's going to run $200 or more just for the pup. Then there's the whole getting it in right. I just need to find the right DiMarzio of the 3 or get a custom SD (they can put any of their humbuckers in a P90 in the custom shop for $170ea) or "Creamery" (UK brand). Not finding much else yet other than GFS and I think mojotone.
 
Fralin, Kinman, Lollar etc too :)

Yeah I saw those as regular P90 replacements (like the noiseless Lollars), but didn't see any HB in a P90 size there. Supposedly Zhangbucker has them too, but I couldn't find them on their website. I would probably ask over at Harmonic Designs too since what I'm going after is essentially the sound of their HB in my old LP Custom copy. Filtertron has filtertrons in a p90 size...
 
I couldn't deal with the DiMarzio in the bridge position. I had the DLX, which sounded fine, but the height adjustment screws protrude above the cover and the one on the low E side rubbed on the side of my palm as I played. I put tape over it, which of course didn't look great and peeled eventually.

The chances of finding a narrow 408 for sale are slim to none.

There are some boutique winders out there who do buckers in P-90 housings. Another option is mini-humbuckers. There are some models that are voiced like a full size.
 
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