P-90 & Mini Humbuckers The P90 style designs come in both traditional and modern flavours. In both cases the
bridge model is louder and fatter, and the two combined are hum
cancelling. The very traditional Unicorn has the typical P90 sound, the
modern Werewolf retains most of the traditional P90 with higher output
than some vintage humbuckers.
The retro sound P90's use two grades of wire in a single winding to produce two great sounding but very different tones.
N.B. Epiphone Wildkat and Casino.
The P90's in Epiphone Wildkats, Casinos and probably Sorrentos as well are slightly different in dimensions from other Dog Ear P90's. Most replacement pickups, including Gemini's can be fitted in the bridge position but not in the neck position. The neck pickup has a deeper baseplate recess and narrower string spacing. A standard P90 will not fit and would be much too close to the strings, being 3.175mm (1/8") higher. To retain the covers and make pickups that fit, we provide a rewind/rebuild service for these pickups. Because of the reduced capacity of the neck pickup bobbin, we cannot fit a Seraphim winding on one of these. However, we do have a modified Seraphim Special design that will fit and is similar but slightly thicker toned. Please contact us for details.
Firebird style mini humbuckers are a wonderful alternative pickup, providing enough clarity to satisfy most single coil addicts but combined with humbucker performance. The Gemini models take two different approaches to this, with the primary difference being in the mid structure rather than in brightness.
Deluxe style mini humbuckers are constructed like conventional humbuckers with a single horizontal bar magnet. Traditionally, they use a blade in one coil and screw polepieces in the other. Our Qilin and Mountain Queen models use the same principal but with carbon steel blades in both coils, thus retaining the clean looks of the Satyr and Manticore and allowing mixing of the two designs as sets.
It's often said that mini
humbuckers are somewhere between single coils and full sized humbuckers
in sound. Firebird style pickups are much nearer the single coil end of
this scale and deluxe style pickups much nearer to full sized
humbuckers.
Unicorn
A
classic P-90, with traditional P-90 sound. P-90's have been making
some of the best sounds around for over 50 years.
The
Unicorn is vintage wound but at the hotter, fatter end of the vintage
range. Very simple, very effective and very versatile.
Unicorn
bridge and neck units are wound to be hum-cancelling in the middle
position when combined with each other or the tapped single coil
sounds of Gemini humbuckers.
Wire AWG 42, Alnico II magnets
Bridge Pickup 8.4k
Neck Pickup 7.9k Werewolf
A
P-90 for the 21st century. Where vintage P-90's growl, this
one howls and screams. Hot
wound, high output P-90 with extended harmonic range
A hot
wound, high output P-90 with extended harmonic range
producing more drive and more focus.
The
Werewolf provides higher levels of performance and a slightly crisper, more focused sound. Tapped, it produces a more open sound with extra
highs, just like adding one third strat to the mix.
Wire SWG 46, Alnico V magnets
Bridge Pickup 9.2k (6.6k tapped)
Neck Pickup 8.5k (6.2k tapped) Seraphim
A
P-90, with a retro Charlie Christian style sound and a switchable vintage P90 sound
The
Seraphim
has compound wire coils. A first layer of very heavy wire is used for the CC
sound. This is then overwound with a finer wire to produce the full
P-90 sound.
The
CC sound is very open, has great clarity without any of the harshness
normally found on bright pickups. It's designed for Jazz, so don't
expect rich mid-range harmonics for good overdrives. However, switch up
to the full P-90 sound and the Seraphim delivers that as well.
Seraphim
bridge and neck units are wound to be hum-cancelling in the middle
position when combined with each other or the tapped single coil
sounds of Gemini humbuckers.
A
P-90, with a 50's / 60's style jangly beatbacker sound and a switchable hot P90 sound
The
Cherubim has compound wire coils. A first layer of wire is used for the
beatbacker sound. This is then overwound with a finer wire to produce the full
P-90 sound.
The
beatbacker
sound drove the british invasion of the 60's, as well as being famous
for it's use in 12 string folk rock. The Cherubim provides this for any
guitar that takes a P-90, with the additional advantage of switching up
to a full P-90 sound for a wide range of blues and rock sounds.
Cherubim bridge and neck units are wound to be hum-cancelling in the middle
position when combined with each other or the tapped single coil
sounds of Gemini humbuckers.
Hear the new Cherubim Demos
Wire AWG 41/AWG 44, Alnico V magnets
Bridge Pickup 4.7k, 12.7k
Neck Pickup 4.0k, 10.6k Manticore
The
Manticore
offers all the sweetness of a standard vintage mini humbucker but with
a slightly meatier tone and improved definition. It has more
than enough output thanks to a pair of Alnico V blade magnets and hotter windings. Firebird style mini humbuckers
have a unique sound, not only are they bright but they are more
focused than other pickups. The manticore has a strong attack, giving it that urgency that was such a big part of the british sounds of the 60's and 70's.
Wire SWG 46, Alnico V magnets, 2 conductor wiring.
DC Resistance: Neck 7.1k, Bridge 8.2k.
Satyr
The
Satyr
is a modern take on the Firebird mini humbucker. It still has the same
Alnico V blade magnets but it uses a fine wire to produce a pickup that
is not only bright but has very strong focussed mids and a tight bass.
It has an overall feel of bright top, warm bottom that many players love. This allows it to be used at high gain settings without sacrificing
clarity but still achieving a fully saturated sound. Note to note
definition is exceptional and the harmonics are a real joy.
Wire AWG 44, Alnico V magnets, 2 conductor wiring.
DC Resistance: Neck 9.7k, Bridge 10.5k.
Qilin
The Qilin has a single Alnico II bar magnet and a pair of 3mm carbon steel blades through the coils. The neck pickup reproduces the sounds of a vintage deluxe mini humbucker with just a small increase in output and improvements in clarity and definition. The bridge pickup is full of hot vintage tone, bright, brash and aggressive. Like all Alnico II humbuckers, the Qilin is very responsive to playing dynamics. If you're looking for an expressive pickup for blues and vintage rock, the Qilin really hits the mark.
The Mountain Queen is constructed like the Qilin with carbon steel blades and a single bar magnet, but in this case an Alnico V. The neck pickup has a typical PAF style winding but using slightly finer wire. The result is a pickup that replaces brashness with sweetness and aggression with soul, a beautiful pickup for almost any style from jazz to rock. The bridge pickup is hot wound with extra fine wire to produce thick, rich tones with incredible harmonics way beyond anything normally associated with mini humbuckers. The Mountain Queen bridge unit is a rock machine par excellence.
The Fire Drake is a high output deluxe mini humbucker. The same construction as the Qilin and Mountain Queen but with a ceramic magnet. Combiined with hot windings, this provides a less middly tone with lots of bottom end grunt.
Wire AWG 44, Ceramic magnet, 2 conductor wiring.
DC Resistance: Neck 13.3k, Bridge 15.7k.
Copyright Mike Rose 2006, 2007, 2008. All trademarks acknowledged. Stratocaster, Strat, Telecaster, Tele are trademarks of Fender Musical instruments corporation. Les Paul, LP, P-90, Burstbucker, "modern classic", Firebird are trademarks of Gibson inc. Epiphone, Wildkat, Casino and Sorrento are trademarks of the Epiphone Company. Gemini Pickups is not affiliated with any of these companies and the above terms are used for descriptive purposes only.