How to Wire a P-90 Pickup
The P-90 is a single coil pickup developed by Gibson in 1946. The output strength of the P-90 pickup is much higher than other single coils. It was the standard pickup used by Gibson until the humbucker was introduced in 1957. It is still used on some guitars due to its unique tone. The wiring for a P-90 is unusual in comparison to other single coil pickups. The hot wire that carries the pickup signal and the ground wire are attached to one another.
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Instructions
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Plug the soldering iron in. It takes a few minutes for a soldering iron to warm up.
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Touch the end of the P-90 pickup wire either to the control or to the switch that the hot pickup is connected to. This varies based on the control set-up. Consult the wiring diagram for your guitar if you are unsure where to attach it.
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Touch the tip of the warm soldering iron to the end of the electrical solder coil. A drop should melt on to the tip almost instantly. Allow the soldering iron to warm up longer if the solder does not melt immediately.
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Touch the drop of solder to where the P-90 wire is touching the guitar controls. Removing the soldering iron causes the solder to solidify and hold the wire in place.
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Touch the outside casing of the P-90 wire to the back of one of the potentiometers. The outside casing functions as the ground wire for this style of pickup.
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Solder the casing to the back of the potentiometer. You may need two or three drops of solder to secure it in place.
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References
- Seymour Duncan: P-90s Wiring Diagram
- Rio Grande Pickups: Rio Grande Standard Pickup Wiring for P-90/Soapbar Pickups
- Gibson Pickups, Part 3: P-90s and Mini-Humbuckers
- "Ed's Shed: The Ultimate Guide to Guitar Maintenance"; Ed Mitchell; 2007
Resources
- Photo Credit Dynamic Graphics Group/Dynamic Graphics Group/Getty Images
