Pre release introduction: Update: delayed until late June because of problems with the complicated tooling, sorry!! The wait will be worth it I promise you.
Name change: I decided P-90 Hx is a better name so please disregard previous name Hx-90.
About 8 years ago I set my goal to duplicate the glorious sonic characteristics of a genuine original P-90 but eliminate the 60Hz hum. At the time I did not realize the massive effort and complex manufacturing it was going to take to achieve that goal. Now I know the reason this has not been achieved before by other pickup manufacturers.
Some time back I was fortunate enough to be given an authentic original early 60’s Gibson P-90. I love the high output, the fabulous attack, wonderful growl and the soft fur of the treble strings, BUT ….. I found two things I hate. One is the strident upper midrange spike that makes me and everyone else cringe with ear pain. The other is the 60Hz hum … lots of it, way more than any Strat.
Another thing I came to realize is that some manufacturers of P-90 are winding for a lower output in an effort to reduce 60Hz hum and the upper midrange spike. Well they certainly did that but unfortunately they also lost a lot of the wonderful sonic characteristics that I love about the P-90. It was when I compared these inferior modern cousins to my genuine original P-90 I realize why it is I see so many comments on forums saying the hum from a P-90 is about the same a Strat pickup. A genuine original P-90 has a least double the hum output of a Strat pickup.
Anyway back to the inventing & development work here at Kinman ….. I have been using this original Gibson P-90 as my reference standard for modeling my P-90 Hx. After years of research and inventive development I am very pleased to say my soon-to-be-released P-90 Hx has captured the most pleasing characteristics of the original, apart from two obvious improvements.
Gone is the 60Hz hum and gone is that horrible upper midrange spike. The P-90 Hx is a very nice sounding pickup, not offensive in any way, but not polite either. It has the same brutal output as the original and the same muscular sound that is some ways is more likeable than a humbucker.
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