I love the Lollars but it seemed like at the lead part they fell short of the Duncans. Those seemed to be hotter all the way around. Gibson sounded great at lead but weaker on all other tests. Could be my ears or the earbuds I’m listening too as well
Thanks for all the work and money that went into this! Phew, hard to choose. I have Gibson Al5 P90s in my LP Special and like them, but want to put a neck Al2 P90 in my SG Special, Antiquity and Lollar sound different but great, probably lean to Antiquity. Fralin Al4 great too, I like Fralin pups already.
Well done! All are very close. If people are looking to change tone, changing the speakers in their cabinets will make more of a difference than pick-ups ever could
Great video ! Very hard to tell which is better, all four are good but i would go for Lollar in this case. Thank you for your playing also : awesome as usual !
High Gain Neck - Lollars win for clarity. Kaven, I just can't say enough about how cool all of your licks were here. And to be able to play them over and over so exacting - props!
Call me crazy, but I think the Gibsons sound the best in high gain. It's got a ton of growl and bite, and while not quite as articulate as the others, is still plenty expressive. Sort of a nice middle ground between the clarity of a single coil and the power of a humbucker. Not the say that any of the others sounded bad, they're all phenomenal choices. This is an outstanding comparison video. Hearing those nice open chords ring with that overdrive made me smile
The Lollar has a bump in the low mids while still retaining that high end sparkle. Same with the Fralin. I prefer the extra bit of beef in that frquency range.
They all sound great! There’s subtle differences, but they all worked. I would not change out any of them, if they were in the guitar already. Lollars being under wound, had more clarity clean, and not as much bite dirty. I love Fralin pickups in general and these were in the pocket. I also know it would be no big deal to have Fralin wind their pickups 5% over, or under. Fralin is a great company to work with, and they have always treated me (…and anyone I have ever talked to) great. Very personable.
I only have first hand experience with Fralin and Gibson p90s but I have to say that I prefer the Fralins across the board in this video. I have a new Gibson LP Special and the weakness of the stock Gibson pickups is that they're pretty much equal output giving the impression that the neck is WAY hotter than the bridge but they're by no means bad pickups. I set the treble pretty high on my amp and use the guitar controls so clarity isn't really an issue. Very well done video!
@@KavenGirouardWide open I agree with you but I play mostly with the amp gained up quite a bit and the guitar volume rolled back about halfway and the Gibson neck pickup has plenty of sparkle.
Great comparison. I have stock Gibsons in my '69 Goldtop Reissue and a set of Antiquities in an old Special, but the Fralins and the Lollars sound just fine, as you'd expect.
All of them sound fantastic. I'm more than slightly suspicious that what's really fantastic about these pickups is the common denominator of exceptional playing. Great gear with an expert operator.
Got a 5% over wound Fraln dogear a couple years ago for My Gibson LPJ and haven't looked back! Just perfect t and added a 50s bumble bee cap with 50s wiring. It's a working man's Custom to me!
Trusting my AirPod Pro 2s, err, I’d say this: For clarity: Lollar followed by Fralin For best high gain sound: Duncans, followed by Gibson Best low end: Fralin Best overall: Fralin I have Duncans (not sure how old, but old) in a thin line Tele w/ a Gibson-scale Warmoth neck. Sounds great for jazz, very good rock and country-rock tone, too. I have a few more P90 guitars, too. I want to build one now w/ Fralins.
It seems to me different pick ups don’t give substantive difference on a particular guitar, but just a little bit different. One pick up sounds milder on middle when another one gives just a little bit harder bass, but different guitar models might sound pretty different in this comparison. Maybe changing tone positioner can give appreciable effect?
Very interesting what I realized. First thanks for an excellent video (and playin’). I listened to it three times, the first time looking at what pickups where used and then the two other times looking somewhere else because I noticed I was a bit bias at first. Everyone of them landed up as a “winner” as well as a “looser” at sometime according to different test. But they all sounded as a P90 compared to a PAF, humbucker or single coil. So the subtle difference I perceived was in the attack, definition, clarity, power ect these are all things that can be compensated for with pickup heights, pedals and amp set up. So oranges or apples???
My takeaway is that you won’t be lacking anything with any one of these sets. They all sound fantastic. As long as it’s the sound and feel you want under the fingers, you need never worry! Currently waiting on a mojotone soapbar clone to come in and replace a standard Lollar in the neck position of an old ‘07 Les Paul BFG, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s more to be gained from dialing the bobbin and screw pole heights than swapping pickups. Great comparison, awesome sounds!
Dang dude thank you. I am trying to pick one… they all have something I like about them but this narrows it down to Gibson or Fralin for me. Thank you so much.
Best P'90s shootout I've seen ! They're all top notch pickups and the differences are subtle. I like the overtones and articulation of the Lollars in the bridge position, the Fralins in the neck, the Gibsons in High gain and the Antiquities for lead. Very difficult choice. If I had to choose a set, I'd probably have a Lollar in the bridge and Fralin in the neck. Kudos for the demo !!
Great playing and thanks for the work in these swaps! Also, props for switching up the orders - that does make a huge difference...especially with good speakers or cans. My preferences worked out pretty much exactly as I expected - nice to have it confirmed with superior playing to my own ;-). For a an all-around paired set, the Fralins are my winners. That said, I'd skip that and keep the stock Gibby bridge pickup, which is killer pickup. I'd yank the Gibson, however, and replace it with the Duncan Antiquity or Fralin (I have done this with the Antiquity in my Special and love the combo). Lollar pickups all sound the same to me - just can't bond with them, although I am a huge fan of his Strat pickups.
What a beautiful work! It's really interesting how lollar can manage picking dynamics and licks at low gains, and still sound beefier on lead. Not sure if they are my favorite p90s flavor, but so clear anyway showing the player character
Very helpful video. I've always wondered what the difference between Lollar and Fralin, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Gibson which were a bit cleaner than I expected.
I agree: your amazing, consistent playing makes them all sound good. Could've thrown some eBay or Amazon ones in there, and we'd never know. I have no idea which one to pick for the neck of my offset Tele. They're definitely all quality choices... 👍
great comparison ! To me they all sound so similar that I wouldn't tell you changed if I were not looking. The Fralin maybe a touch less something but the others are no different to me. I am planing to get a p90 at some point. I do like the new revstar sound, but I am also pulled by the phat cat and the arcane PX90. It is hard to find comparisons with those together.
Love the lollars for sweet arpeggios and gentler picking. The antiquities are quite incredible though! Gonna have to get some of those! I know the lollars so well, felt like I could really judge the others along side them. I only wish the throbaks were here too. Great comparison though! Really well done mate.
Lower output pups with high gain always sound great to me. I had Fralins and Bareknuckles both in my LP. I’m back to stock. They just sound good to my ears.
wow plenty of work went into making this video nicely done thank u , its really amazingly close they all sound good but im going with Gibson maybe because more output .. i no my 68 reissue SG Jr is an absolute beast and one of my main gigging guitars a P90 really does check all the box's
I'm listening to this as I wait for today's arrival of an Eastman (sb55 dc/v) with the Lollar - based upon this it could have any of these and I'd be happy (but I'm really glad I like the sound of the Lollar for sure). Fantastic playing !
man, these all sounded fantastic! the Gibsons have that growl that i expect, though, with SD a close second. me personally i have a pair of Rio Grande Lowbars in one LP and a Jazzbar/Lowbar combo in another. i might be tempted to try the stock Gibsons again thanks to this
Ideal comparison, thank you. I'm really torn between the Frailns and Lollars. Lollars sound very clear but the Fralins have such a nice warmth. I honestly don't know which to get.
Fantastic playing-some great ideas in there to inspire the rest of us at home! In terms of the pickups, I preferred the Lollars for the clean tone, but I liked the good old Gibsons best once overdrive was introduced. Although honestly you wouldn't go wrong with any of these.
Pretty similar and i favour different pickups each time. I thought the Fralin neck sounded pretty good but it was after the hotter SD and that kinda skewed my ears. There is more difference in the middle position. Didnt like the Lollar but that seemed because of the low wind bridge and im pretty sure that if you go w the higher wind you get a similar result. Of course in the 50s the pickups were the same in the neck and bridge but experience has taught that you need to adjust the gap either by lowering the neck output or up the bridge output. Only the Lollar 50s doesnt do that i think..
I think for most p90 players it’s about getting a little more clarity out of the neck pup while being able to balance the volume with the bridge. At least that’s my thoughts with my 50’s LP standard RI…. I’d possibly swap the neck out for a 50’s wind
Excellent presentation and fine playing. That said, I could detect only very slight and subtle variations across the 4 sets, all of which are excellent choices. If you’ve got one set in a guitar already, there is no reason to replace them with another among those 4 choices. If you have deep pockets, and compelled to change, get a set of Ron Ellis classics, at $750. Otherwise, a $59 EQ pedal can make the subtle differences disappear. The variations are much more pronounced among the various PAF style humbuckers on the market … not so much so with P90’s.
Great comparison, some real distinct differences between them, more than I thought there'd be. To my taste, it's the Fralin bridge and either the Gibson or Fralin neck.
Il migliore video comparativo che ho visto finora, complimenti per l'accuratezza. Preferisco i Lollar, seguono Gibson, Fralin, SD. La differenza non è molta comunque, sino tutti ottimi pickups.
I watched the video for the pickup comparison. But the chords that you play in the "middle/clean" section got stuck in my head for days. Are they from a song? Are you using them? Can I steal them? ...really intriguing... Oh, and the comparison is really helpful! Thank you!
great vid - I'll tell you what the difference is , everyones ears , we all have a sound in our head that we love and its different for us all as we can see by the way we all prefer a certain pickup -- answer is they all sound great so whatever pickup works for you its the right one
To me the Fralin’s and Lollar’s have a touch more clarity and the Duncan’s and OG’s are a little muddier in certain circumstances. All sound great though and couldn’t really go wrong with any of these pups. Personally I’d go for the Fralin’s or Lollar’s for the extra top end sparkle and clarity. And man, thank you for the beautiful playing we got to listen to while hearing these pickups 🙏🏼
Great job!....very well done comparison vid.....love me some P90's...I think the Fralins & Lollars were the most articulate....& the Antiquity's were a little hotter/looser sounding....
Amazing video, there are subtle differences but for me the duncans were darker than the rest, and the gibsons more aggresive and my favorites. Great licks as well, wont you mind if I steal some...
These are so close it's hard to make a distinction - but - In general, I liked the Lollar best, followed by Gibson, Fralin and last Seymour Duncan. The Seymours weren't as clear as the rest in any of the positions. They still sounded good, but not as good as the others IMO. Great comparison! Few shootouts I've seen like this have any value in terms of making an actual comparison. But you sir, did an excellent job!
Agreed - I did a similar comparison and the Antiquity surprisingly lost to everything else... tame, lacking clarity and character. Was actually the one furthest way from my 1956 vintage p90.
Excellently done and played. To me, the Duncan sound the darkest, but as noted very similar. I would have loved to see this done with the Epiphone LP Special (that I have) which is advertised very vaguely as having P90 “Pro” Soap Bar (couldn’t find output stats).
The differences were so subtle that any were as good as the others, especially with any od or gain added. The Lollars seemed a little more clear on the clean stuff, but I wouldn't necessarily call that a positive. The stock Gibsons are gonna stay in my sg. If I was looking to buy a set, I'd just go with whatever I could get for the cheapest price.
Id like a dialed neck P90 and i would go alnico 2 or 3.i think Lollar used de-gaussed magnets. That brings clarity to an otherwise boomy A5 neck. I would go with at least a 0.6k higher output bridge pickup. I really liked the Fralin.
To add: you can lower treble w the tone control but you can't lower bass. And that can be an issue w a neck pickup. A lower strength magnet will fix it as well as 50's wiring on the neck. p
Wow such a comprehensive video thanks. Very interesting. My conclusion is for my tastes, the Lollar is too sparkly on the high end, the SD has the most harmonics, the Fralin is most similar to Gibson but the Gibson was best for me with the most raw grunt and full body of all.
They all sounds good. It's hard to notice the difference unless I should play by myself. Anyway P90 is king. I chose them over humbuckers anytime at all. Good video.❤
I have stock Fender P90s in my Mustang and never thought about changing them I honestly can’t tell any consistent differences on my phone speaker with your testing- maybe the hotter ones are louder? The only way I’d swap pickups is if I wanted to get a different output level (which you can tell with pickups when the differences are significant like 8.5K to 6k or whatever) I just don’t know what reliable measurements they have to have differences in frequency response (Henry’s? Resonant peak?)
They all sound great. All in all, I prefer the Fralin, they had the most warmth in the clean tones and still had bite in the overdrive. A close second are the Gibson. I thought the Lollars sounded a bit thin in comparison and the SDs a little muddy. Again, they all sound great but those are the differences I noticed.
Agreed. The Fralins sound a little more wide-open and clearer with better articulation (and still had good bass tones). What surprised me was that the Gibson's weren't that far behind the Fralins. From a price-point of view, the Lollars were somewhat of a disappointment. They sounded much better that the SDs (which sounded somewhat muted and muffled), but I was expecting a Fralin-Lollar dust-down and it didn't happen for me...
like the instructions indicate ,.,I probably need better sound quality than my laptop to tell any difference ..good job .these are all very comparable and sound very much alike ..I probably would choose the least expensive
Absolutely fantastic video, Thank you! Wondering if I'd notice a difference in my Yamaha Revstar swapping out the stock pick ups for some of those Lollars? I'd hope to get more punch, clarity and spank from them.
Thanks a lot David! Do you have a Multimeter at home? You could start by checking out the output of those P90... the more output they have, the less clarity! Let me know ;)
@@KavenGirouard I do have a Multimeter yes. Without even check I can tell you they are running hot. My Tele bridge pick up is ballsy but doesn't come close to driving my amp the way the Revstars P90s do. I like the sound of the lollars the best in this comparison. They seem low in output too, very clear sound coming from them.
The MIJ revstar pickups sound incredible, I don’t think I would change them unless you are certain they are not performing. I suspect you would find a swap would not improve anything and you might even end up with worse tone than you had to start. Yamaha put a ton of R&D into the revstar, especially the newer model. They tested hundreds of chambering designs in the body and pickups to come up with the best sounding most resonant guitar possible. I am no fanboy, but I came across a video on the revstar’s development and it has me well on my way to being one.
@KavenGirouard Hey! Nice comparisson. Do you by any chance feel any difference in person that you didn't hear later on on the video? I'm asking as I've had a pair of antiquity's in a guitar for over a decade and now got a USA Casino with Gibson's and swapped for 50's Lollars and there is a huge difference between all three. All sound good but not all great. I guess it comes down to taste but IMO the Antiquity's are WAAAAY more open, richer and deeper sounding than the other two. The low end (not muddy, just defined) on them is just insane, just like HiFi. They sound clear and cut through the mix perfectly but sound like a piano. I also have acces to both regular Gibsons and Custom Shop as I work at a guitar store, so I'm not basing it just on memory. Custom Shop Gibson P90's sound amazing and I feel Seymour Duncan's are the closest ones (maybe sounding better). At least that's the way I feel. Of course, as I said, the pair I own is from around 20010 or so. Any thoughts? I don't really hear such a big difference on video, that's why I ask.
Hi! I hear you! I decided to keep the stock Gibson in the bridge, and have the Lollar 50s wind in the neck (cleaner, more sparkle). Antiquity's are awesome, a bit too much mids for my taste, but they're probably the "best" sounding set, they just feel great! That being said, you can't go wrong with any of these!
Great video. My conclusion is there isn't enough difference to worry about these pups.
Thanks a lot Max! You're absolutely right, they're all great! 👌🏼
It’s true! I like the Gibbys for the price.
@@ernststavroblofeld2109 ;)
😂
Exactly. Onstage at a gig, who the hell would know the difference! You would have to have bat-ears!
The king is back , the only one that knows how to do a pick up comparison, great job as usual.
Thanks a lot Johnny!! :)
Can’t pick a favorite… Great tones! Awesome video, thanks.
Thanks a lot!!
🤘🏻
Lollars for me! Clear and punchy 👏
Agreed!
I'll 2nd that.
Totally!
Yup
I love the Lollars but it seemed like at the lead part they fell short of the Duncans. Those seemed to be hotter all the way around. Gibson sounded great at lead but weaker on all other tests. Could be my ears or the earbuds I’m listening too as well
Killer video dude!! Gibsons are more than fine🏆
Thanks!! Yep, Gibson are solid!
I have to agree
We missed you Kaven!! You're so worth the wait! Outstanding. Gibson bridge and Lollar neck for me. 🔥🔥🔥
Haha! Thanks Ned!! Great pickup combo!!!
Amazing playing. Best pickup comparison I have ever heard.
Thank you so much Andreas!! :)
Thanks for all the work and money that went into this! Phew, hard to choose. I have Gibson Al5 P90s in my LP Special and like them, but want to put a neck Al2 P90 in my SG Special, Antiquity and Lollar sound different but great, probably lean to Antiquity. Fralin Al4 great too, I like Fralin pups already.
Hey thank you so much Jimmy!! I really appreciate it!! Hard to choose indeed! ;)
I love P90s, I have 5 guitars with them in various formats and brands... Love them all. Great video.
Thanks! I'm with you. Love the P90s!!
He strikes again!! Incredible job man. Fralin gets my vote 💪🏼
Thanks Marc! Love the Fralins too!
Just ordered a set! 😎
@@marcgibson5590 Nice!! You won't be disappointed!
Fralin all the way
I have a set of Fralins and they are amazing. If I was looking to buy anew I would look hard at the Lollars too.
Maybe I need 2 P90 guitars 🤣
Thanks for this comparison video! IMO you're one of the best guitar youtubers out there, I only wish you made more videos :D
Hey thank you so much!! I really appreciate it! :) I'll try to do more videos!
Excellent format. Amazing how close they are.
Thank you! I know... I was shocked too! So close.
Well done! All are very close. If people are looking to change tone, changing the speakers in their cabinets will make more of a difference than pick-ups ever could
Agreed! Speakers/cabs are so important!
The amount of work to switch between pick-ups, keep it consistent and film this, blows my mind!
Not an easy task! 😅
Great video ! Very hard to tell which is better, all four are good but i would go for Lollar in this case.
Thank you for your playing also : awesome as usual !
Thanks a lot Nelson! ;) Lollar are amazing!
Kaven you’re amazing 😳 Thank you SO much for this. 🙌🏻🎸
Thank you Fabrice! :))
High Gain Neck - Lollars win for clarity. Kaven, I just can't say enough about how cool all of your licks were here. And to be able to play them over and over so exacting - props!
Thanks a lot Steven! I really appreciate it!!
Call me crazy, but I think the Gibsons sound the best in high gain. It's got a ton of growl and bite, and while not quite as articulate as the others, is still plenty expressive. Sort of a nice middle ground between the clarity of a single coil and the power of a humbucker. Not the say that any of the others sounded bad, they're all phenomenal choices.
This is an outstanding comparison video. Hearing those nice open chords ring with that overdrive made me smile
Thanks a lot Joe! Gibsons are awesome! ;)
Absolutely.
Outstanding demo. Took a while to conclude, but ended up preferring Fralin’s, then Gibson.
Thank you so much!! Fralin's are very well balanced!
The Lollar has a bump in the low mids while still retaining that high end sparkle. Same with the Fralin. I prefer the extra bit of beef in that frquency range.
Thanks Daniel!
They all sound great! There’s subtle differences, but they all worked. I would not change out any of them, if they were in the guitar already.
Lollars being under wound, had more clarity clean, and not as much bite dirty. I love Fralin pickups in general and these were in the pocket. I also know it would be no big deal to have Fralin wind their pickups 5% over, or under. Fralin is a great company to work with, and they have always treated me (…and anyone I have ever talked to) great. Very personable.
Agreed 100%!... Yup, Fralin makes great pickups!!
I only have first hand experience with Fralin and Gibson p90s but I have to say that I prefer the Fralins across the board in this video. I have a new Gibson LP Special and the weakness of the stock Gibson pickups is that they're pretty much equal output giving the impression that the neck is WAY hotter than the bridge but they're by no means bad pickups. I set the treble pretty high on my amp and use the guitar controls so clarity isn't really an issue.
Very well done video!
Thanks!! Yes the Gibson neck pickup is just a bit too hot! Great pickups though!
@@KavenGirouardWide open I agree with you but I play mostly with the amp gained up quite a bit and the guitar volume rolled back about halfway and the Gibson neck pickup has plenty of sparkle.
@@maxpeck4154 True! ;)
Fralin
I have Fralins in a Mustang I built and they really sing. Can I ask what pots you use with them? 200K or 500K? Thanks!
Thanks! Awesome demonstration
Thanks a lot Derek! :)
Great comparison. I have stock Gibsons in my '69 Goldtop Reissue and a set of Antiquities in an old Special, but the Fralins and the Lollars sound just fine, as you'd expect.
Thanks Duke! They're all great!!
Seymour Duncan lover here. I have to say my favourite was BY FAR Lindy Fralin. Amazing comparision mate! Gibson pickups hold up pretty well too!!!
Thanks a lot!! Fralin are great!
All of them sound fantastic. I'm more than slightly suspicious that what's really fantastic about these pickups is the common denominator of exceptional playing. Great gear with an expert operator.
Haha! 👌🏼😉
Fantastic! Thanks so much! Can’t imagine how much time it took to do this!
Thanks Jeff! It took a while ;)
Got a 5% over wound Fraln dogear a couple years ago for My Gibson LPJ and haven't looked back! Just perfect t and added a 50s bumble bee cap with 50s wiring. It's a working man's Custom to me!
Awesome! He sure makes great pickups!!
Trusting my AirPod Pro 2s, err, I’d say this:
For clarity: Lollar followed by Fralin
For best high gain sound: Duncans, followed by Gibson
Best low end: Fralin
Best overall: Fralin
I have Duncans (not sure how old, but old) in a thin line Tele w/ a Gibson-scale Warmoth neck. Sounds great for jazz, very good rock and country-rock tone, too. I have a few more P90 guitars, too. I want to build one now w/ Fralins.
Fralins are awesome! You won't be disappointed!
Awesome job Kaven!!!
Thank you! ;))
It seems to me different pick ups don’t give substantive difference on a particular guitar, but just a little bit different. One pick up sounds milder on middle when another one gives just a little bit harder bass, but different guitar models might sound pretty different in this comparison. Maybe changing tone positioner can give appreciable effect?
Each guitar will bring a different tone of course! This will influence which pickup set is a better fit for it.
Very interesting what I realized. First thanks for an excellent video (and playin’). I listened to it three times, the first time looking at what pickups where used and then the two other times looking somewhere else because I noticed I was a bit bias at first. Everyone of them landed up as a “winner” as well as a “looser” at sometime according to different test. But they all sounded as a P90 compared to a PAF, humbucker or single coil. So the subtle difference I perceived was in the attack, definition, clarity, power ect these are all things that can be compensated for with pickup heights, pedals and amp set up. So oranges or apples???
Thanks a lot!! Yes there's always a way to compensate with pedals and amp settings! No looser here ;))
My takeaway is that you won’t be lacking anything with any one of these sets. They all sound fantastic. As long as it’s the sound and feel you want under the fingers, you need never worry!
Currently waiting on a mojotone soapbar clone to come in and replace a standard Lollar in the neck position of an old ‘07 Les Paul BFG, but I have a sneaking suspicion that there’s more to be gained from dialing the bobbin and screw pole heights than swapping pickups.
Great comparison, awesome sounds!
Yep, can't go wrong with any of these! That's right, adjusting pole heights will make a difference, but it's quite limited!
Yep, setup and pickup adjustment is everything...
Dang dude thank you.
I am trying to pick one… they all have something I like about them but this narrows it down to Gibson or Fralin for me. Thank you so much.
👌🏼😉
Best P'90s shootout I've seen ! They're all top notch pickups and the differences are subtle. I like the overtones and articulation of the Lollars in the bridge position, the Fralins in the neck, the Gibsons in High gain and the Antiquities for lead. Very difficult choice. If I had to choose a set, I'd probably have a Lollar in the bridge and Fralin in the neck. Kudos for the demo !!
Thank you so much!! :)
fantastic
Thanks a lot!!
Really effective demo, and very graceful technique. Thanks!
Thank you so much!!
Fralin. All day
Great pickups! 👌🏼
Yeah, Fralin all day long.
Great playing and thanks for the work in these swaps! Also, props for switching up the orders - that does make a huge difference...especially with good speakers or cans. My preferences worked out pretty much exactly as I expected - nice to have it confirmed with superior playing to my own ;-). For a an all-around paired set, the Fralins are my winners. That said, I'd skip that and keep the stock Gibby bridge pickup, which is killer pickup. I'd yank the Gibson, however, and replace it with the Duncan Antiquity or Fralin (I have done this with the Antiquity in my Special and love the combo). Lollar pickups all sound the same to me - just can't bond with them, although I am a huge fan of his Strat pickups.
Thanks a lot Brent! I thought switching up the order would make it interesting! :) I agree, Fralins are great. And yes, the Gibson bridge is KILLER!!
05:20 Fralin beats all other three in arppegios. I’d use them for Japanese rock music.
👌🏼😉
Perfect way to do it my friend! I find I like the Lollars. All around little less harsh.
Thanks a lot Michael! ;)
Great comparison. THE BEST !! Seymour D surprised me. Thank you.
Thanks a lot!! Seymour D are awesome indeed!
Excellent direct comparison, thanks for doing it the correct way!
Thanks a lot Harry! :)
I know this took a ton of work but thanks! You’ve saved me a pile of money and you’re such a great player!
Thanks a lot Kevin!!
What a beautiful work! It's really interesting how lollar can manage picking dynamics and licks at low gains, and still sound beefier on lead. Not sure if they are my favorite p90s flavor, but so clear anyway showing the player character
Thanks a lot!! Love the clarity with the Lollar!
Now this is how you do a demo video. Thank you bro!!!
Thanks a lot Rich!!
Very helpful video. I've always wondered what the difference between Lollar and Fralin, but I was pleasantly surprised by the Gibson which were a bit cleaner than I expected.
Thanks Rudy!
I agree: your amazing, consistent playing makes them all sound good. Could've thrown some eBay or Amazon ones in there, and we'd never know. I have no idea which one to pick for the neck of my offset Tele. They're definitely all quality choices... 👍
Thanks a lot!! Yup, like you said, can't go wrong with any of these! ;)
and most importantly, don't forget to throw in a set off KAVEN's finger tips !!!!!
@@sambone8348 Haha!! :))
great comparison ! To me they all sound so similar that I wouldn't tell you changed if I were not looking. The Fralin maybe a touch less something but the others are no different to me.
I am planing to get a p90 at some point. I do like the new revstar sound, but I am also pulled by the phat cat and the arcane PX90. It is hard to find comparisons with those together.
Merci Olivier! ;)
Alright guy...this may be the greatest pickup shootout I've ever seen. Bravo!
Thanks a lot Andy!! :)
Love the lollars for sweet arpeggios and gentler picking. The antiquities are quite incredible though! Gonna have to get some of those!
I know the lollars so well, felt like I could really judge the others along side them.
I only wish the throbaks were here too.
Great comparison though! Really well done mate.
Thanks a lot! I wish I had some Throbaks too... so expensive! 🤯
Lower output pups with high gain always sound great to me. I had Fralins and Bareknuckles both in my LP. I’m back to stock. They just sound good to my ears.
Agreed! Love lower output pickups!
wow plenty of work went into making this video nicely done thank u , its really amazingly close they all sound good but im going with Gibson maybe because more output .. i no my 68 reissue SG Jr is an absolute beast and one of my main gigging guitars a P90 really does check all the box's
Thanks a lot!! I agree, Gibson P90 are amazing!
Great demo! They are all very close. By adjusting the settings on amps or pedals slightly, you could probably get them all to sound identical.
Thanks a lot!
I'm listening to this as I wait for today's arrival of an Eastman (sb55 dc/v) with the Lollar - based upon this it could have any of these and I'd be happy (but I'm really glad I like the sound of the Lollar for sure). Fantastic playing !
Awesome!! Thanks a lot ;)
You put a lot of work into this video. Thanks!
I sure did! ;) Thanks Jack!!
man, these all sounded fantastic! the Gibsons have that growl that i expect, though, with SD a close second. me personally i have a pair of Rio Grande Lowbars in one LP and a Jazzbar/Lowbar combo in another. i might be tempted to try the stock Gibsons again thanks to this
Gibsons are great indeed!! ;)
I've never heard about the Fralin pickups. I think I'll check them out...
He builds great pickups!!
Fralin would be my choice based on this video
Outstanding demo !!
Keep up the excellent work.
Thanks a lot Benjamin!!
Ideal comparison, thank you. I'm really torn between the Frailns and Lollars. Lollars sound very clear but the Fralins have such a nice warmth. I honestly don't know which to get.
Thanks Bruce! I'm with you, hard to pick a clear winner..
Fantastic playing-some great ideas in there to inspire the rest of us at home! In terms of the pickups, I preferred the Lollars for the clean tone, but I liked the good old Gibsons best once overdrive was introduced. Although honestly you wouldn't go wrong with any of these.
Thanks a lot!! :) I agree, Lollars for clean, Gibson for overdrive!
Great vídeo. My favorite is the Lollar set .
Thanks Alex!
Pretty similar and i favour different pickups each time. I thought the Fralin neck sounded pretty good but it was after the hotter SD and that kinda skewed my ears. There is more difference in the middle position. Didnt like the Lollar but that seemed because of the low wind bridge and im pretty sure that if you go w the higher wind you get a similar result. Of course in the 50s the pickups were the same in the neck and bridge but experience has taught that you need to adjust the gap either by lowering the neck output or up the bridge output. Only the Lollar 50s doesnt do that i think..
Only the Gibson have pretty much the same output! The others "adjust the gap" like you said. ;)
I think for most p90 players it’s about getting a little more clarity out of the neck pup while being able to balance the volume with the bridge. At least that’s my thoughts with my 50’s LP standard RI…. I’d possibly swap the neck out for a 50’s wind
Spot on Matt! I did ended up swapping the Gibson neck for a 50's wind! ;)
@@KavenGirouard awesome!
That's the ticket! Lollar uses de- gaussed magnets. I like them or other A2/3. Gibsons are A5 and usually rather boomy.
Damn fine playing!
Thanks a lot!!
Excellent presentation and fine playing. That said, I could detect only very slight and subtle variations across the 4 sets, all of which are excellent choices. If you’ve got one set in a guitar already, there is no reason to replace them with another among those 4 choices. If you have deep pockets, and compelled to change, get a set of Ron Ellis classics, at $750. Otherwise, a $59 EQ pedal can make the subtle differences disappear.
The variations are much more pronounced among the various PAF style humbuckers on the market … not so much so with P90’s.
Thanks Guy! I wish I had a set of Ron Ellis to compare with the others!
Great comparison, some real distinct differences between them, more than I thought there'd be. To my taste, it's the Fralin bridge and either the Gibson or Fralin neck.
Thanks a lot Kyle!
Il migliore video comparativo che ho visto finora, complimenti per l'accuratezza. Preferisco i Lollar, seguono Gibson, Fralin, SD. La differenza non è molta comunque, sino tutti ottimi pickups.
Muchas gracias! Se agradece mucho! ;)
I put Lollar P90 Casino pickups on my Epiphone Casino. I replaced everything electrical as well.
Great! Must be awesome!!
I watched the video for the pickup comparison. But the chords that you play in the "middle/clean" section got stuck in my head for days. Are they from a song? Are you using them? Can I steal them? ...really intriguing...
Oh, and the comparison is really helpful! Thank you!
Thanks a lot!! I came up with all the riffs you hear in the video! ;)
I bought an epiphone LP Jr with P90 expeting to change the pickups but i actually really like them.
Awesome! No reason to swap them!
great vid - I'll tell you what the difference is , everyones ears , we all have a sound in our head that we love and its different for us all as we can see by the way we all prefer a certain pickup -- answer is they all sound great so whatever pickup works for you its the right one
Exactly! We all have a different sound in our head... in the end, it all works!
To me the Fralin’s and Lollar’s have a touch more clarity and the Duncan’s and OG’s are a little muddier in certain circumstances. All sound great though and couldn’t really go wrong with any of these pups. Personally I’d go for the Fralin’s or Lollar’s for the extra top end sparkle and clarity. And man, thank you for the beautiful playing we got to listen to while hearing these pickups 🙏🏼
Thanks a lot Ben!!
Great playing!
Thanks a lot!!
Great job!....very well done comparison vid.....love me some P90's...I think the Fralins & Lollars were the most articulate....& the Antiquity's were a little hotter/looser sounding....
Thanks a lot Micky!
Amazing video, there are subtle differences but for me the duncans were darker than the rest, and the gibsons more aggresive and my favorites. Great licks as well, wont you mind if I steal some...
Thanks a lot!! Go ahead, steal! ;)
next vid try the domino P90 from Duesenberg, was digging the Fralin
Great idea!
These are so close it's hard to make a distinction - but - In general, I liked the Lollar best, followed by Gibson, Fralin and last Seymour Duncan. The Seymours weren't as clear as the rest in any of the positions. They still sounded good, but not as good as the others IMO. Great comparison! Few shootouts I've seen like this have any value in terms of making an actual comparison. But you sir, did an excellent job!
Thank you so much Dale!!
Agreed - I did a similar comparison and the Antiquity surprisingly lost to everything else... tame, lacking clarity and character. Was actually the one furthest way from my 1956 vintage p90.
Great playing, the lollar has edge - just, only just. They all sound good
Agreed! All great pickups! Lollar have a nice "chime".
Excellently done and played. To me, the Duncan sound the darkest, but as noted very similar. I would have loved to see this done with the Epiphone LP Special (that I have) which is advertised very vaguely as having P90 “Pro” Soap Bar (couldn’t find output stats).
Thanks Adam! Do you have a multimeter to measure the output of your pickups?
@@KavenGirouard I do have one and will try it, although I’ve never tried it on any of my guitars. Thanks.
@@adamkrauss303 Great!
The differences were so subtle that any were as good as the others, especially with any od or gain added. The Lollars seemed a little more clear on the clean stuff, but I wouldn't necessarily call that a positive. The stock Gibsons are gonna stay in my sg. If I was looking to buy a set, I'd just go with whatever I could get for the cheapest price.
No need to swap those stock Gibsons!! But I did keep the Lollar in the neck position, I needed more clarity and top end...
Thanks so much! If you want to, please review the Wolfetone p90s.
Thanks to you!! I'll check them out for sure!
Id like a dialed neck P90 and i would go alnico 2 or 3.i think Lollar used de-gaussed magnets. That brings clarity to an otherwise boomy A5 neck. I would go with at least a 0.6k higher output bridge pickup. I really liked the Fralin.
To add: you can lower treble w the tone control but you can't lower bass. And that can be an issue w a neck pickup. A lower strength magnet will fix it as well as 50's wiring on the neck. p
I love your attention to detail!
P-90s are my favorite pickup. You just proved why. They all have great tone.
LOVE it!
Outstanding video! Like many others have said, these pickups all sound pretty close. I think the Fralin is the best overall.
Thanks a lot Mike! :)
Great video. To my ear there is not as much difference with the P90's as your humbucker comparison. Great video.
Thank you so much!! Yup, the difference is quite subtle ;)
Wow such a comprehensive video thanks. Very interesting. My conclusion is for my tastes, the Lollar is too sparkly on the high end, the SD has the most harmonics, the Fralin is most similar to Gibson but the Gibson was best for me with the most raw grunt and full body of all.
Thanks a lot Ben! There's something about the Gibson, true classic!
They all sounds good. It's hard to notice the difference unless I should play by myself.
Anyway P90 is king.
I chose them over humbuckers anytime at all.
Good video.❤
Thanks a lot!! P90 rules ;)
I have stock Fender P90s in my Mustang and never thought about changing them
I honestly can’t tell any consistent differences on my phone speaker with your testing- maybe the hotter ones are louder?
The only way I’d swap pickups is if I wanted to get a different output level (which you can tell with pickups when the differences are significant like 8.5K to 6k or whatever)
I just don’t know what reliable measurements they have to have differences in frequency response (Henry’s? Resonant peak?)
If you're happy with the stock P90s, then there's no need to change! ;)
Give it a try with some headphones on, the subtleties are more obvious!
Great comparisson!
Thanks Ander!
So hard to pick a favorite I love them all but I will take the 50s wind
Love them too!!
They all sound great. All in all, I prefer the Fralin, they had the most warmth in the clean tones and still had bite in the overdrive. A close second are the Gibson. I thought the Lollars sounded a bit thin in comparison and the SDs a little muddy. Again, they all sound great but those are the differences I noticed.
Great read! Thanks.
For my style and my ears, I prefer the Fralins. Any sixty cylcle hum?
The Fralins were the "noisiest" of all the sets... maybe that's why they offer a "hum cancelling" option!
@@KavenGirouard I ended up ordering a set of Seymour Duncan Phat Cats Silencers.
@@lydmo8287 Awesome!
I dig the Fralins over all! Thank you for sharing...
👌🏼😉
Agreed. The Fralins sound a little more wide-open and clearer with better articulation (and still had good bass tones). What surprised me was that the Gibson's weren't that far behind the Fralins. From a price-point of view, the Lollars were somewhat of a disappointment. They sounded much better that the SDs (which sounded somewhat muted and muffled), but I was expecting a Fralin-Lollar dust-down and it didn't happen for me...
If I had to choose a neck pickup, it would be the Fralin - it had a special something, imho 👍
like the instructions indicate ,.,I probably need better sound quality than my laptop to tell any difference ..good job .these are all very comparable and sound very much alike ..I probably would choose the least expensive
Thanks Harry!
Absolutely fantastic video, Thank you!
Wondering if I'd notice a difference in my Yamaha Revstar swapping out the stock pick ups for some of those Lollars?
I'd hope to get more punch, clarity and spank from them.
Thanks a lot David! Do you have a Multimeter at home? You could start by checking out the output of those P90... the more output they have, the less clarity! Let me know ;)
@@KavenGirouard I do have a Multimeter yes. Without even check I can tell you they are running hot. My Tele bridge pick up is ballsy but doesn't come close to driving my amp the way the Revstars P90s do.
I like the sound of the lollars the best in this comparison. They seem low in output too, very clear sound coming from them.
@@daviddorrian5349 Exactly! Lollars are low output... I'm sure it would be a perfect fit for the Revstar!
The MIJ revstar pickups sound incredible, I don’t think I would change them unless you are certain they are not performing. I suspect you would find a swap would not improve anything and you might even end up with worse tone than you had to start. Yamaha put a ton of R&D into the revstar, especially the newer model. They tested hundreds of chambering designs in the body and pickups to come up with the best sounding most resonant guitar possible. I am no fanboy, but I came across a video on the revstar’s development and it has me well on my way to being one.
Great work! This is how it should be done!
Thanks a lot!! :)
The Duncan’s sound great with gain .. but when you play this awesomely they all sound good!
Well stated, and IMHO very true.
Great and consistent playing. This format for comparing pickups is perfect.
Thanks a lot guys!! :)
@@KavenGirouard dude I’m going to study your licks, totally inspired!!!
@@NarrativeMatrix Awesome!! Glad you liked it ;)
what a fantastic video!! thank you so much
Thanks!! You're welcome! ;)
@@KavenGirouard this channel is like National Geographic for Guitar’s nerd. I love it 🫠
@@Teuron_B_Lao Haha! Good one! 😉
@KavenGirouard
Hey! Nice comparisson. Do you by any chance feel any difference in person that you didn't hear later on on the video? I'm asking as I've had a pair of antiquity's in a guitar for over a decade and now got a USA Casino with Gibson's and swapped for 50's Lollars and there is a huge difference between all three. All sound good but not all great. I guess it comes down to taste but IMO the Antiquity's are WAAAAY more open, richer and deeper sounding than the other two. The low end (not muddy, just defined) on them is just insane, just like HiFi. They sound clear and cut through the mix perfectly but sound like a piano. I also have acces to both regular Gibsons and Custom Shop as I work at a guitar store, so I'm not basing it just on memory. Custom Shop Gibson P90's sound amazing and I feel Seymour Duncan's are the closest ones (maybe sounding better). At least that's the way I feel. Of course, as I said, the pair I own is from around 20010 or so. Any thoughts? I don't really hear such a big difference on video, that's why I ask.
Hi! I hear you! I decided to keep the stock Gibson in the bridge, and have the Lollar 50s wind in the neck (cleaner, more sparkle). Antiquity's are awesome, a bit too much mids for my taste, but they're probably the "best" sounding set, they just feel great! That being said, you can't go wrong with any of these!