WTB Gibson P90 scratchplate mount for neck position

Bob_Gnarly · August 2020

Anyone changed the pickups on their DC Junior Special and wish to sell the neck?
Want to convert my Tribute to a Special
Other options considered also
Thanks

phil_b · August 2020

Also does anyone know the type of switch used on the special?

Funkfingers · August 2020

phil_b said:

switch

I have a Noughties Gibson Junior Special. The selector switch is the long, straight Switchcraft three-way sprung leaf toggle, mounted exactly where you would expect it to be.

The DC Tribute models have their controls mounted on the scratchplate. Hence, the routed cavities beneath may be shallower. This will dictate either a shorter Asian copy toggle switch or a right-angled Switchcraft type - as found in SGs.

The American switch will be expensive but, unless you are extremely heavy-handed, it will last the lifetime of the guitar. The generic Asian version will not.

CAUTION: Those ultra-inexpensive switches that conceal their moving parts inside a metal housing should be avoided at all costs.

Bob_Gnarly said:

Other options considered also

If the output cable on the stock P90 is long enough to reach from the neck/Rhythm position to where the selector switch is going to be, I suggest that you repurpose it.

Buy a slightly hotter P90 for the bridge/Treble position. Ideally something with two-conductor + shield output cable.

Alternatively, if you intend to have two interchangable scratchplate and electronics assemblies, you should find nicely calibrated P90 pairs listed for sale in the Parts £ section of this forum. (None of them is mine, I hasten to add.)

I could suggest interesting pickups from my own parts drawer but that would be bad form and might involve modifying your Special scratchplate to accept a humbucker-sized pickup.

phil_b · August 2020

the DC junior tribute is potentially a good platform for trying out different pickups. the two routs are humbucker size

I am in the process of building a scratch plate to house 2 burns trisonic pickups (just because I had them)

phil_b · August 2020

some useful info on the special in this video. at 09:50 you can see inside. the neck pickup is a Gibson rhythm P90. I cant really identify the switch type however

Bob_Gnarly · August 2020

@Funkfingers ;;;
Not averse to putting a humbucker in the neck or bridge (cable length looks borderline though). Happy to experiment then get a new scratchplate cut for whatever it ends up as. Not too bothered about hacking this thing as it owes me nothing (won it in the Guitrar Guitar monthly prize draw). Main thing is I'm on a tight budget as I have 2 teenage daughters with birthdays over the next 2 weeks.

Funkfingers · August 2020

Bob_Gnarly said:
cable length looks borderline

In that case, keep the stock pickup for the bridge/Treble position and choose something of lower/brighter output for the neck/Rhythm position.

Candidates include underwound P90s, replicas of the Gibson "Alnico" single coil pickup, DeArmond Dyna-Sonic or a Firebird small humbucker.

Visit the clearance section of the @Alegree website. Last time I looked, he had P90 and "Alnico" type pickups listed there. DISCLAIMER: Other UK pickup builders are available but not necessarily at your idea of the correct prices.

For your purposes, a Firebird pickup could be mounted via a plastic surround. (JHS/Wilkinson offers them.) This avoids the need to alter the stock Tribute Special pickguard.

In my opinion, for some of these pickup combination suggestions, the guitar would be better served by two volume pots and a master tone.

phil_b · August 2020

you could try to make up something like this to mount a soap bar p90

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WTB Gibson P90 scratchplate mount for neck position

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