The guitar features a pair of Tesla P-90s, stainless steel frets and Grover tuners. The setup out of the box was OK, with the string action a bit too high (as usual), something that could be corrected in seconds.
The P-90s sound great, a nice departure from my usual humbuckers, providing fresh inspiration for making music.
One thing that sounds strange to me is that when I turn the volume knobs of both pickups up to 10, the sound becomes ‘thin’ or ‘hollow’; it’s enough to roll one of the pots down a tiny little bit and the sound becomes full again. Such a behaviour is reportedly characteristic for a situation when the pickups are wired out of phase, not sure if it’s even possible with P-90s. Any thoughts on that?
I seem to be like p90’s myself. I play 2 electrics. One has 2 p90s, the other a p90 and a humbucker. I like both. But probably play the 2 ea. p90 one more.
Keep using your tone and volume knobs on your guitar.
I use mine all the time to get the tones I’m after at the moment. And I generally never run my guitar pots on 10, on all controls.
Out of curiosity, what do your 3 knob controls do? VVT?
I seem to be able to acquire the tones I’m after on both of my electrics. One of my guitars has 3 knobs like yours. But it’s vol., tone, bass contour (bass cut). I get tones out of that guitar that are fine however I like the control on my other guitar better. It’s VVTT. That I feel I can really control what I’m after. That said, I don’t feel that my tone is
if all controls are at 10. However the bass contour, if rolled way back can kinda produce thin or hollow, but I’m in control of that tone. It’s something I have to be going for. Guess I’m just saying that I don’t find my p90s thin or hollow. I just think that they are not humbuckers. It’s perhaps the tones that p90’s produce? I could be wrong, but that’s what I’ve heard out of my p90’s.
Enjoy your new guitar. p90’s imho make great tone. Another tool in your toolbox…
Yes, I do just that all the time. There are two knobs for separate volume control of either pickup plus a common tone control (very effective, if not radical).
I also don’t normally use the 10 setting on volume pots; let me make myself clear: I noticed that with the volume equally balanced, the two pickups behave as if they were wired out of phase and I wondered if that was possible. Of course, I can shape my tone using the volume pots, and that works fine for me.
Anyway, thank you for taking the time to post your thoughts on my first ‘tonal impressions’. Soon I’ll be posting some samples recorded with my new guitar.
I’ll be looking forward to hearing that and will be looking for that thread. I love hearing everyone’s different guitars. Especially their new guitars…
I’m no electronic expert and barely understand in phase and out of phase. When I hear in phase vs out of phase, I’m not even sure I’d be able to tell ya which is which if I was only listening, not knowing which is which. But I do think it is possible to wire p90’s in phase or out of phase. But, like I say, I’m not a electronic pro so like you, I don’t know if it’s possible or not. I just suspect that it is.
Yes, it’s a bit on the heavy side, but nothing really uncomfortable, It’s made of meranti (a.k.a Philipinian mahogany). I’ve got another LP-style guitar made of the same wood, but that one has weight-relief chambers in the body which make it significantly lighter. My Fusion-T is made of true mahogany and - man! - that one’s heavy!
After I set it up properly it handles and plays wonderfully.
Surely for you, but for me a guitar should at least be lighter than 2.7 kg (for more than an hour of fun, no more than 2.4 kg …The Stones used to say something like that, but it wasn’t about a guitar and hopefully without the K from KG )…
I hear this on my SG with phase split as well. I get it when the volumes are about equal, not just at max - I’d bet you will find a point for any volume setting on one pickup where the other volume setting will thin out the sound, not just at 10. This is consequence of adding out of phase - if the two pickups were in the exact same physical location, it would go completely quiet.
Isn’t this thin sound part of the reason for a phase split, anyway?
Looks really luxurious.
…that is a beautiful guitar (probably a heavy weight so I’m just looking at it), I wish you lots of fun and time together
)…