Gibson P-100 Vintage Vertical

Single coil or humbucking? Active or passive? Stacked humbucker, passive
Impedance or other specs? No idea

These came stock with my 96 Les Paul special.

Personaly I love the tone of these pickups they do retain some of the sound of p90's. They have lots of bass to them and can be bright as well. I like the neck pickup best it is good for jazz, blues and reggae. The bridge pickup is cruchy if you want it to be, great for classic rock. They strike a middle ground between humbuckers and p90's rather than being one or the other, I don't think that this makes them a frankensteins monster, they have their own character. In my opinion the neck pickup is a bit unbalanced, I still prefer it though as it howls through lead sections whereas the bridge pickup has a slightly more predictable sound, which will start to make people draw comparisons to a normal humbucker which this pickup will lose out to.

Everyone who plays this guitar says they love it and I'm no exception. I'm not going to get drawn into the p100's are worse than p90's debate. I've been very satisfied with this guitar/pickups over the 11 years I've had it. Rather than replacing the pickups I'd rather buy a new guitar. If I was going to buy a guitar today I'd get the BFG or the SG faded (3 humbuckers in a Gibson SG for 499GBP ridiculous!!! so what if its faded) but at the time I got this guitar because it was cheap for a Gibson and I liked the sound. It struck me the other day that so many people replace their p100's that a stock p100 Les paul specail is somewhat of a novelty. The P100's were a different product entirely to P90's and it seems that Gibson no longer make them, we never gave them a chance. I think that if Gibson had presented them differently rather than hiding them behind a P90 cover people would have been more forgiving and judged them on their own merits rather than in comparison to the P90.

Pickup features: stacked humbucker, looks like a sopbar P90
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson ES135
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock p/us supplied with guitar
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Hotter than Fender, output competes with PAF-type humbuckers.
Tone: Front and back pickups sound somewhat different (as they should), with similar output levels.
Sonic evaluation: Guitar is a stock ES135 semi with trapeze tailpiece (again stock).
The back (bridge) pickup is fairly bright with a decent ability to cut throught the mix, and has hints of a humbucker-equipped LP. The front (neck) p/u is darker and less well defined. Through a clean amp it can be quite jazzy.
There is no hum (of course), and the p/us respond well to the tone controls (not to the extent my TBX-equipped Tele does, but typical for Gibson). Both p/us together have a hollow quality similar to Peter Green's sound playing a Gibson Howard Roberts. The tone is generally fairly fat.
Gibson at one time clained these are the "humbucking P90". I have a 1961 SG-shaped Les Paul with a single P90 in the back position. The P100s aren't as cutting as that pickup, but have higher output. They do sound much more like P90s than side-by-side 'buskers tend to, but they are not quite the same sound as a P90. Beyond that it's difficult to compare as the construction of the two guitars is so different. The ES135 has a serious amount of "bark" when played hard which the solid SG/LP doesn't have, though this is probably down to construction rather than p/u differences (the 135 is a big, heavy and very lively semi with a lightweight (balsa) centre-block, so lots of resonance). The P100 is louder than the P90 and louder than Epiphone h/b's.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Blues (Elmore James rather than Robert Craye). The guitar works fine for this - especially slide, and could make a decent jazz instrument. Controlling the guitar at metal volumes and gain could be entertaining. I doubt C&W players would like the P100.

Comments: Been playing over 30 years, and I'm gigging regularly and frequently. As well as the 135 I've the SG/LP, a Tele (humbucker in neck)
If I lost the guitar I'd probably look for another (though Gibson don't seem to make them any more). It's a distinctive tone that combines well with small valve amps turned up loud, and it's a better option for gigging than a 50s/early 60s Gibson (which are too valuable to risk, and good ones are hard to find in the UK).

Pickup features: humbucking, stacked, passive.
Impedence or other specs: n/a

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Special DC
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: n/A
Other pickups on guitar: p-100
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): rock, roots, reggae
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Sounds like a hot single coil, or a weak humbucker depending on how you percieve it.
Tone: thick bass and sweet top for the neck, twang (with some fat) bass and top for the bridge
Sonic evaluation: I run my les paul special into a changing lineup of pedals, (ts10 (stock for now), ross distortion (black), crybaby, into a funky fender pa-100 with 2 old yamaha pa cabs (2x12s). The p-100s do wonderfully through the 4 6L6s, which has more headroom than I can deal with (the master volume usually stays around 3.5 to 4 and that gets really loud before the pedals kick in. The types of sounds this combo gets? With the neck p-100, and a lite boost from the tube screamer, "Let it Be" era- Beatles, not necessarily an exact copy of John, but let's say halfway between George and John in one set up. with the wah and a LIGHT boost from the ts10, the ghosts of bob marley and peter tosh come rushing out of the speakers. You really can't play reggae chops with a full on humbucker, its too overbearing. Turn up the distortion on the ross pedal, The Clash, maybe even a little too hard for them, but you get the picture... I love this set up because I paid less than a grand for all of it...

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: rock and roll, roots reggae, r&b, classic punk rock, ska, classic rock

Comments: Honestly, I didn't touch my les paul for a year after I bought it. It was five hundred bucks and I thought why not, it was sitting there at my Sam Ash for months. I took off the pickguard and looked underneath the pickups to see what I actually paid for and I saw the sloppiest finish work of all my guitars, and this is my only American one at that, go figure. But, once I got a good rig set up, I could hear the sounds I liked out of the p-100s. I like the pickups because i can control them better than I can with single coils, which applies to p-90s as well. The stacked humbucker design is forgiving in a way because it won't start sqealing or going nuts if the gains too high on a couple of pedals. Standard humbuckers, such as the one in a gibson sonex I've borrowed from a friend, are so overbearing it feels like I'm just playing through two compressors on a guitar, if you know what I mean... Quiet, fatter p-90? I hope that's not a bad description, any how that's really the sound most of the players I like go for... Something a little brighter than a muddy hb, or a fattened strat sc...

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 9.0k bridge / 6.2k neck

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul (Junior) Special
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: NA
Other pickups on guitar: same
Artists using this pickup: Vincent Van Gough?
You musical style(s): blues and rock
Reason for pickup change: NA

Perceived output level: Between a single coil and a humbucker
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: I'm revising an earlier review I posted here a few years ago. At that time I bought a P-100 to replace the stock pickup in an Epi Paul Jr (which only has a bridge pickup). I found that pickup to be utterly useless until I added a switch to cut the bottom coil, which made it like a Gibson P-90 on steroids. Cutting the coil increased the dc resistance from 6.2k to 12.4k; compare that to the Gibson P-90's I bought a few years ago which measure around 7.9k.
Well, I'd been checking out this LP Jr Special at GC for the past few months and was amazed that the P-100's sounded completely different from my previous experience with them. The bridge pickup was not thin at all, but very full sounding and brighter than a regular humbucker.
I ended up buying that guitar and in ohming out the pickups I confirmed that Gibson is indeed using a much hotter pickup in the bridge position (9.0k vs 6.2k) although I do not see separate listings for bridge and neck P-100's on their site.
In any case, the P-100's as shipped on the LP Jr Special are a decent alternate to regular humbuckers and P-90's for a Gibson. I was looking for something halfway between Fender-style single coils and PAF-style humbuckers, and that's exactly what I got. As other people have pointed out here, the P-100's have their own sound and aren't like regular humbuckers or P-90's. They get some pretty good clean blues tones and distort nicely when you crank up the gain.
Disclaimer: if you put a neck P-100 in the bridge position you probably won't like it at all so be sure to check the DC resistance (the bridge pickup should be around 9.0k compared to 6.2k for the neck).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mainly blues... the P-100's are a good match.

Comments: This is a revision of an earlier review here. If someone stole the P-100's from my LP Jr Special I'd probably order a set of P-90's from Lindy Fralin.

Pickup features: Stacked Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Never Checked

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Special
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: n/a
Other pickups on guitar: P-100
Artists using this pickup: Who Knows?
You musical style(s): Blues/Rock/Country
Reason for pickup change: n/a

Perceived output level: Hotter than a Fender, Not as hot as a PAF
Tone: After much adjustment, very funky boink on both, SRV city on neck, clear and distinct on bridge.
Sonic evaluation: Fender Champ 12 w/Torres Red Knob Kit (a must-have), Fender BFDR.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Poco, Doobies, Chubbie, ZZ, Peter Greene,Clapton, Steeley Dan, Santana, you name it, I've probably played it. No good for heavy metal death rock from hell......good for getting cool honks and squeals, not your run of the mill mainstream pickup.

Comments: I'm so sick of the crybabies that want everything to fit into a specific box....sound like this, hot as that. This pickup is definitely not your father's Oldsmobile. It's not a P-90, not a PAF, Super Distortion, or a Fender anything, and if that's what you're wanting, don't look here. I've read all the bashing about how they're supposed to be just like P-90's and they aren't and they suck....yada yada yada. What they are is an entity unto themselves. It's taken me a year and a half of dicking around to get the sound I want out of them. Little changes in pickup elevation make big differences in the sound....especially in the middle position which is where these pickups shine (the position I play mostly on this guitar). And zero hum!!! With the bridge set a little on the high side and the neck set a little on the low side you get the funkiest boink you ever heard. Heavier strings perform better since these pickups are not really powerhouses. Don't go below lights (.010). These pups are really tone monsters though, a tone of their own, but you got to treat them right. They provide a very bright and defined sound. These are good for specific tones, but setup is the key. Out of the box, off the shelf don't make it. And if you want heavy metal crunch, get something else. This is one of several different guitars I own, all with different personalities. If you want a "one size fits all", get something else. If you want try some cool funky sounds, got try a guitar at Mars that has these on it through a Class A tube amp....just bring your screwdriver and pray they'll let you fiddle with the height. The sound is worth it.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Very High Impedence

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Special II
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Classic Rock, Jazz, Fusion
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: These are mid to high output. Pretty hot pickups. Excellent.
Tone: Very Fat Tone
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Carvin 2-12 tube amp and my Epi.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For Blues, Rock and Jazz, it's great. This guitar is good for anything. Country, pop, everything.

Comments: I LOVE these pickups! I was instantly satisfied. And would recommend them to anyone playing a Gibson or Epi.

Pickup features: stacked single coil,passive
Impedence or other specs: i don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Korina Explorer
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Epiphone stock
Other pickups on guitar: epiphone stock in neck
Artists using this pickup: Billie Joe Armstrong(Green Day)
You musical style(s): metal,punk,thrash,grunge
Reason for pickup change: Epiphone pickups really suck and I had played an explorer with 3 P-100's in it,and I loved the tone.

Perceived output level: not the highest output pickup,but higher than my stock epiphone was.
Tone: i usually turn my tone down to about 5 because if i have it up all the way,it sounds almost too trebly and glassy.It gets a great distortion tone,a nice,glassy clean tone,and the harmonics are awesome...great sustain
Sonic evaluation: Epiphone Explorer---->Morley Wah pedal----->Marshall Valvestate VS100 Head(with 4x12 cab)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play metal,punk,thrash,and grunge,and this pickup works fine for the punk and grunge sounds...I have another guitar which i am getting a Dimarzio X2N installed in to be my main metal guitar...The P-100 is suitable for any position.

Comments: If it were destroyed or stolen,I would definetly get another one for the same guitar.i have been playing for a little over 2 years.I own a Marshall Valvestate Vs100 head and valvestate 4x12 cab,an ESP LTD M-200,and a Morley Wah.
I like the glassy clear tone i get with this pickup...I hate nothing about it...The pickup works for what I use it for.I hadn't tried out many pickups,i just knew i liked this one,and I saw it on clearance at mars Music for 40 bucks,so i got it.
I wish it had magical powers that made me play better,but unfortunately,I don't think any pickup can do that...yet...mwhahah!
For my punk/grunge music,this is the pickup for me.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul 40th Ann. (1991)
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: What I would describe as standard with Neck pickup sounding a little louder, implying that they both have similar outputs.
Tone: See below
Sonic evaluation: I tried one of these guitars in a store and really like it. I then bought one 18 months later.
This instrument has driven me mad and I've considered selling it. Unusually for any electric I've tried for a long time, it had a bright sounding neck pickup and a more vintage slightly woolly sounding bridge pickup which lacked definition either played clean or with high gain. On looking inside the instrument I noticed that the pridge pickup had the standard shielded cloth conductor while the neck pickup had the same plastic outer coating as the loom which comes from the pickup switch and had black and white wires coming out - suggesting that both pickups were indeed different. I have to declare that I am very cynical of pickups which are voiced for specific positions - I believe more instruments have been ruined than made good by this. Anyway there was absolutely no sign of any soldering work outside the factory. I woke up one morning (dah,dah - dah,dah ...) and thought - why don't I swap these over and luckily neither cables had been cut to length. Wow I now have a beautifully bluesy neck pick up and a bridge pick up that can either do country or heavy rock depending on amp settings with great note definition in fast runs. The middle position sounds just great. I cannot overstate the difference it has made. Before it was like having an expensive HiFi and wiring one of the speakers out of phase. The neck pick up still sounds louder confirming my suspicion but the extra bight of the bridge pick up still makes it sound more powerful at high gain settings.
So:
Were the pickups supposed to be installed as they were?
Which one represents a standard P100?
I'll be f****d if I know and unless someone can put me right I guess I never will.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A bit of everything.

Comments: If a person stole these pickups you'd find them in a mental institution having driven him or herself mad trying to work out what the hell they were. Of course I'd already be in there. Would I replace them with new P100's? Absolutely no frickinn way. Judging by previous comments I could either get some that sounded great or some that sounded shit - why take the risk?
I wouldn't use P90's because I hate the noise in high gain settings (worse than a Strat)so I'd have to look at after market equivalents. The instrument is certainly worthy of good pickups and has suffered enough already.

Pickup features: Passive stack humbucking version of the P-90
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Junior
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock epiphone P-90
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: No earthly clue
You musical style(s): Folk Rock, Brit-Rock, Psychedelic
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickup was adequate at best and I could no longer stand the hum!

Perceived output level: Louder than the original, but not by an earth shattering amount.
Tone: Enhanced treble as opposed to the stock P-90 as well as a "meatier" tone and no hum.
Sonic evaluation: It serves the purpose: it got rid of the hum without having to perform extra routing.
As well, it perserved the "personnality" of the guitar, both looks-wise and sound-wise; that is, the guitar keeps its own unique sound rather than sound like a standard Paul. I had to clarify this since it doesn't exactly duplicate the P-90 sound ... just did't want to be misquoted there. If you want identical P-90 sound, you'll have to deal with the noise.
My favorite sound has the Epiphone going through a Boss acoustic simulator (I have a hard time tolerating straight electric tone these days), a Zoom Dual Power Modulator and either a Zoom Amp Simulator (if recording)or my Crate GX-65 amplifier.
To my ears, it doesn't distort well, my Seth Lover equipped guitar sounds a lot better distorted, which suits me fine since the Epiphone is my "clean sound guitar" (not to say the Seth Lovers don't sound clean), and clean tones the P-100 does deliver.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Folk-Rock Brit Rock and Psychedelic ... sounds great chorused and/or phased!

Comments: The pickup suits the intended purpose: get rid of the noise. DiMarzio has a model named the DLX which I also considered but a) no store had it in stock and b) my personnal experience with DiMarzio is that they make good hot-rod pickups, and this wasn't my aim.
Gibson's bane has been lack of consistency in product quality ... the other reviews of this pickup will demonstrate that: some P-100 sound awesome (a certain Les Paul Special I once tried had such P-100's smooth and pleasant sound) while others sound wimpier and whiney ... since I'm comparing this P-100 to the stock Epiphone P-90, it sounds much better.
I have a fatter tone and more treble, the sound is "lighter" than my Seth Lover equipped LPS and "meatier" than any Strat I've played in the past.

Pickup features: Stacked Humcancelling P-90 type Pick up
Impedence or other specs: Don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson ES-135
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: Came stock on 135
Other pickups on guitar: once again.....stock
Artists using this pickup: I've seen a few using 135's, don't really know 'bout the P100s
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change: One more time.......stock

Perceived output level: They vary (see below) generally hotter than a Strat but not nearly as hot as ny SD 59's
Tone: See below
Sonic evaluation: Here's the deal, I own 2 ES-135's, a 92 and a 97. I love 'em. BUT ...................
I'm not so sure I love the P100's.The neck p up in my 92 is great it has a very resonant full bodied sound with that added zing you expect from a P 90. The bridge p-up I can't really describe any better than average, not very big sounding.
Next..My 97, This Guitars p-ups are completely opposite.
The bridge P-100 is rich and full and bright,(though it sounds more like a traditional h-bucker than a P-90 style.
(with less output) The neck p-up is utterly lifeless compared to my 92. Im thinking of changing both p ups in this guitar to Duncan custom P-90's and putting the bridge p-up into my 92. I use these guitars in a loud rock band through a Marshall JCM 900 Reverb half stack. They are also used at blues sessions through different Fender amps, (Concert/Prosonic). The 92 neck is great for blues , while the 97 Bridge is a pretty good rocker. (Though think as i said, that I,ll relace it with something with higher output.) Ill give the good pickups mentioned a 7.5 and the others a 3

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: At their best there very suiter for rock/blues and I would imagine,jazz

Comments: If something happened to them I would without a doubt replace them with another brand, SD Rio Grande etc....
The good P-100s are good(not great) But the bad ones are BAD!