What is a P90 pickup?
Basically, a P90 is a single-coil guitar pickup made by one of the most famous guitar brands – Gibson. It emerged on the scene in 1946 and it’s, by far, the most widely used pickup. Virtually every P90 pickup offers a bright, transparent tone, especially when compared to humbuckers, although this tone is not nearly as crispy as regular Fender single coils.
What is a Mini humbucker?
A mini humbucker (or minibucker) is, in essence, a humbucking pickup which was originally developed by Epiphone. They resemble Gibson’s PAF magnets, but they’re narrower, which in turn shortens the length of string’s vibration. That, however, means that the tone emissions from mini humbuckers are extremely clear and bright.
Mini Humbucker vs P90 Round 1: the Best P90 Pickups
Seymour Duncan SPH90 Phat Cat P90 Electric Guitar Pickup
The first P90 pickup is Seymour Duncan’s SPH90 Phat Cat. This remarkable pickup features a size of a regular humbucker, which makes it extremely convenient for most guitars. The reason why this is so great is because most P90 pickups are incredibly small, so you’d otherwise have to mod your guitar in order to fit this type of magnet. The Phat Cat takes care of this issue with its small design.
Now, Seymour Duncan’s hat Cat comes outfitted with Alnico 2 magnet – it sounds very vintage and classy. The sound of these pickups is characterized with smooth, well-rounded sound emissions which can thoroughly be felt in the midrange.
What’s more, the clarity of sound emissions Phat Cat provides is ideal for virtually all types of genres and musical playing styles, which means that this pickup is very versatile and great for practically everyone. Even though they cost quite a bit, the Phat Cat is well worth the buck.
Pros:
- Incredible soundstage
- Alnico 2 magnet
- Very versatile
- Great for the buck
Cons:
- No major flaws whatsoever
Seymour Duncan Antiquity P90 Dog Ear Pickup
The main difference between the Antiquity P90 and other P90 pickups is in the sound the former emits. Namely, this pickup comes outfitted with a vintage Alnico 2 magnet which was intentionally tweaked to provide the most vintage-like sound you could get for the buck.
This single-coil pickup (see full specs) is made of premium-quality bobbin, bound with a flatback tape, and enveloped with enamel-mag wire. These materials, once combined, have resulted in exceptionally clear bass output, well-balanced middles, and neat-sounding highs. Even though this might not be an ideal pickup for players looking for versatility, it goes a long way for those with a taste for old-school sounds.
To top it all, the Antiquity P90 single pickup could give you the sound of some of the oldest Les Paul models. If you’ve always wanted to sport a LP, this might be a good alternative.
Pros:
- Great value for the buck
- Vintage-like sound
- Premium-quality materials
Cons:
- A bit pricey
- Not overly versatile
Mini Humbucker vs P90 Round 2: the Best Mini Humbuckers
Seymour Duncan SM-3B Seymourized Mini Humbucker Pickup
Seymour Duncan’s Seymourized SM-3B minibucker is absolutely great – it comes outfitted with Alnico V magnets that provide classy, vintage like tone with a high-output performance. The tone of this pickup has a well-pronounced midrange and superb grit, providing a more punchy sound emission when compared to a regular vintage-style pickup.
Your chords will sound bigger and you’ll notice a dramatic reduction of generated frizz, as there’s a natural tone openness which points out the uniqueness of SM-3B.
This minibucker (see full specs) performs great on both high gain amps or and pristine clear ones. The muddiness of your drive will be swept away if you want it so, and your cleans will be bright and rich as ever.
On the downside, Seymour Duncan’s SM-3B Seymourized Minibucker costs a bit. I belongs to the medium bracket of the “expensive” price point category, but its value for the cash is exceptionally high.
Pros:
- Very versatile and well-rounded
- Perfect for nearly all playing styles and music genres
- Superb value for the money
- Works great on both high-gain and pristine clear amps
Cons:
- Could get expensive
DiMarzio DP240 Vintage Mini Humbucker Pickup
The second-best minibucker, as well as the last pickup in our review is DiMarzio’s DP240 vintage minibucker. Basically, it features a very well-balanced soundstage, with mids and basses being decent and treble being just a bit more pronounced.
In essence, DiMarzio’s DP240 is a bright pickup – it produces a mellow, rich tone which works best on solid & semi-hollow guitars. Though not as powerful as the other pickups we’ve reviewed so far, don’t think that DP240 is “weak”. This exceptional pickup will give you the most vintage-like sound, so if you’re an old school guitarist looking for an upgrade, this is the way to go.
The best thing about this minibucker is that it performs exceptionally well for its price – it doesn’t cost too much, but its value heavily exceeds that of different models within the same price range. On the downside, it’s not too versatile, but you’ll be able to use it on both high-gain and clean settings.
Pros:
- Great for vintage sound lovers and enthusiasts
- Works equally great on high-gain and clean settings
- Superb value for the buck
- Best-sounding cleans
Cons:
- Your distortion might get a bit muddy, depending on your gear
Mini Humbucker vs P90 Conclusion
So, which one is better – P90 vs a mini humbucker?
Generally speaking, most people use mini humbuckers for their guitar’s neck magnet – their universal low-freq performance greatly complements this guitar section. They also provide a Telecaster-sounding tone when compared to P90’s and are great when wired with a fuzz or overdrive pedal. Minibuckers also allow for an increased range of playing styles and music genres.
P90’s warmness, on the other hand, is ideal for clean guitar playing, and you’d get the most natural-sounding tone if you don’t overstack it with effects.
Bottom line: there’s a reason why we’ve presented you with some of the finest pickups you could find on the market, so kick back, enjoy our selection, and take your pick based on your own needs. Good luck!
