Converting a P90 Dogear to Soapbar style Pickup

Converting a P90 Dogear pickup to P90 Soapbar

When you want to keep your P90 pickups but use them in another guitar.

This is a very simple switch, and great if you want to use your P90 pickups in a new guitar but need to change the covers and baseplates from a dogear style P90 to the alternative soapbar version. This can also work the other way around as well.

Converting a P90 Dogear pickup to P90 Soapbar - Underneath

While essentially the same pickup, the Dogear style differs from the Soapbar version not only through the cover, but also the baseplate underneath. Whereas the Dogear pickup is attached to the body of the guitar through the two lugs "ears" either side of the pickup, the Soapbar is fixed to the guitar via two centre screws with foam pads and/or springs underneath the pickup for height adjustment.

Creamery Classic Handwound '53 P90 Soapbar Pickup

As you can see from my Classic Handwound '53 P90 Soapbar Pickup above, the two centre holes are utilised to attach the pickup to the body of the guitar. If you look at the Dogear style in the firs picture, you'll see the lugs "ears" which are used to screw the pickup down.

Removing the P90 baseplate

Its as simple as removing the fixing screws and noting where & whether the ground wire and braided hookup wires are soldered to the existing baseplate.

Creamery - Converting a P90 Dogear Pickup to a P90 Soapbar style - Removing the baseplate

Usually attached with a couple of screws plus a film of wax from the potting process, the baseplate can be easily removed with very little danger of damage to the pickup coil.

A word of caution though, many P90 pickups will have a ground wire from the coil and the braided hookup wire soldered to the existing baseplate. Take a note of this and simply replicate the process with the new Soapbar style baseplate.

The new Soapbar style baseplate attaches in the same manner, screwed directly to the centre section of the coil bobbin.

Once the baseplate is attached, the new cover can be positioned over the coil and with a quick wax-potting to keep everything in place, the pickup is ready to be installed.

Converting a Dogear style P90 to a Soapbar can be a very simple way to re-use loved pickups even though you may want to change your guitar. The switch is just as simple the other way around. Of course, make sure the new cover has the same pole spacing as your existing pickups. A simple check with the ruler can confirm this.

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You can find more details of my handwound P90 pickups here, and for details of my custom pickup upgrades, repairs & rewinds, just head to the main site here