The Electra Forums

Hello, I recently purchased a Les Paul model with the same headstock as the Unknown Les Paul Jr model on the homepage. Plenty of pictures below. My question is how would I determine if it has p-90 pickups like the unkown Les Paul Jr. on the homepage?

Thanks, Paul

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http://555street.com/electra/IMG_1267.JPG

http://555street.com/electra/IMG_1268.JPG

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Hello, a P-90 is a large single coil pickup. All single coils will have a 'single' row of exposed pole pieces down the center (ok, many exceptions, like the lipstick pickups, or blades, or even stacked humbuckers... but for argument sake this is true). The pickups on your LP style are Humbuckers, which have a pair of coils side by side so the pole peices will either be offset to one side like yours, or have two rows of pole pieces, one for each coil. P-90 refers to a Gibson pickup that while being a single coil, does take up a lot of real estate. They had two different types of covers, one commonly called the 'soapbar' which was just a rectangle, and the other called 'dog ear' because it has two triangular tabs on each side for the mounting screws.

Generally single coils are less powerful than a humbucker and (as the name implies) tend to hum, or at least be more prone to picking up that 60hz hum, they also tend to be brighter or more trebly than a humbucker. A Humbucker is typically more powerful than a single coil, is quieter (hum-wise) and will be rounder or less trebly sounding than a single coil.

I am not a Electra authority, but it looks like you may have a PCM (Pacific Coast Music) Electra there, as opposed to a SLM (St. Louis Music) Electra. You can read lots of threads on here about the differences between the two distributors. Generally there is more literature available about the SLM's. The PCM's seem to vary widely as far as quality and origin. Hope this answers your question, Mike.

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I have the same model, best I have been able to find is that it's a 72-74 PCM... chambered w/nylon saddles
light as all get out

Ditto on the nylon saddles!

Do you have any idea what the pickups are?

-p

no idea on the pu/s, I havnt pulled one.. but I will be soon and let you know if you don't figure it out by then

Awesome! Thanks a lot!

-p

My setup guy actually pulled the pickups because they weren't working. Turns out they aren't humbuckers but single coil!