The white guitar phase 2

Thanks. The three way switch now does something! I got signal out of both pickups before I strung it up. Getting ready to test it.

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Impressions of the Phat Cats.

First, I could use only the neck pickup on this and get everything out of it I need and be happy about it.
Second, I could use only the bridge pickup on this and get everything out of it I need and be happy about it.

But I'm glad I have both. These pickups are one of the P90inahumbuckercase that seems to be quite popular these days. The purists will argue that physics prevents it from being an exact replica and it won't "nail" the P90 tone exactly.
Maybe they're right, but every maker's real P90 is a little different than the other guy's. No way in the world a lollar P90 sounds like a Gibson but it sounds good all the same.
That's how I'd categorize these. It sounds like a slightly different variety of P90.
They're a little warmer than some without as much high end to tame. They're wound fairly strong (8.1, 8.6 ohms neck and bridge) but use a weaker A2 magnet. I think the combination of weaker magnet and nickel cover combine to make them darker sounding than some P90s.
The neck gets that huge grand piano sound on low notes and will do a real smooth twang played near the bridge.
The bridge pickup's best trick is cranking it with the tone on 2 and getting a really trashy lo fi tone. It's pretty sick.
Middle position is real nice, too. It's deinitely more of a half of this and half of that sound than it is going off somewhere else. It gets the big tones of the neck with a sharper edge.

Now, I made a few other changes while I was inside. I shaved the top down a little thinner under the pots and switch. Originally, I had three counterbores immediately under the pots and switch but I extended the trimming to everywhere I could reach through the control cover opening. I also drilled six holes through the bridge block. All that in addition to the two giant holes I cut in the top have changed the acoustic tone of the guitar substantially. It's much mellower now than it was and noticeably louder. I like the change.

Anyway, I'm happy with it. Now, time to tear it all back down to fix up the paint.

And...that scarlet begonia sg really has me thinking...
 
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Another day jamming with it. I could definitely lose the bridge pickup and not miss anything, sound-wise. I can get everything I need from the neck and now I'm debating leaving it as a single pickup.
I guess the bridge pickup being there isn't hurting much but I do have two minor gripes.
First, it's right where I like to dig in with a pick for TWANG.
Second, I can tell the difference in weight. It's not much but I like light guitars.

Any thoughts? Closing up the hole would not be hard to do since the guitar is painted.
 
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