Old Soul P-90s

All Retrograde pickups are handwound and assembled here in the workshop. Each P-90 is scatter wound by hand to an exacting wind count, assembled with raw rough cut magnets, and carefully wax potted to allow just the right amount of microphonics. These are the exact pickups that are used in the Retrograde Cambridge and Lexington models.

The Old Soul P90’s are a hybrid set incorporating all of the best features discovered in my pickup experimentation over the last few years. The recipe is a combination of Alnico 3 magnets in the neck position and Alnico 5 magnets in the bridge. A lower wind count is used for a vintage voice, with Reverse Wind/ reverse polarity for Hum cancelling in the middle position. This combination allows for a wide spectrum of tones across all 3 positions, with a slight boost in output as you move towards the bridge position.

They are articulate, and touch sensitive, with the clarity of a low wind single coil. At lower volumes, they are warm and full and highlight the acoustic qualities of your guitar.  With the tone knob rolled slightly back they have a wonderful vintage jazz sound. At higher volumes or with smaller amps they produce classic P-90 breakup, but maintain clarity and note separation without getting muddy. They are also a great pedal platform for fuzz and overdrive enthusiasts.

Think more Grant Green than Green Day.

“These P90s are perfectly balanced with a sweetness and clarity that most long-time pickup winders are known for. Beautiful bloom and harmonics mixed with just the right amount of natural compression makes this guitar equally suitable for clean jazz and blues as well as rock and country.” The Music Emporium

Reverse Wind/ Reverse Polarity

Reverse Wind/ Reverse Polarity or RW/RP, simply means that the wind direction and magnet polarity are opposite in the neck and bridge pickups. This creates a humbucking effect in the middle position only. Both single coils working together become one large Humbucker.
P-90s are single coil pickups, which makes them susceptible to 60 cycle hum. This is part of the beauty in the voice of a good P-90, and most P-90 enthusiasts are not bothered by it. Once you start playing, it is barely discernible, and if you are playing in a band situation with a drummer it is a non issue. Having a humbucking option in the middle position is a great way to add versatility and more tonal choices, especially on instruments with 2 volumes like you would find on many vintage archtops.

Nickel Covers

Raw Nickel covers are a popular option on Retrograde guitars. They are a great aesthetic choice, and I use them often. It should be noted that they do affect the tone of the pickup to a small degree. The Nickel covers create a slightly more microphonic pickup, most notably identified by a hollow, almost metallic attack in the picking hand. This feature creates extremely interesting dynamics depending on your right hand technique. It is a subtle difference, but definitely worth considering when choosing a pickup.