StewMac P-90 Pickup Wiring Diagrams
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Standard wiring with two P-90s, each with Volume and Tone
PP + 3W + 2V2T
One P-90, Volume, and Tone
P + VT
Use coax to reduce noise: Minimize hum and noise by using shielded coaxial cable for long runs, such as between the controls and the output jack. Coax cable has a center hot conductor shielded by an outer braid that serves as the ground wire. Standard unshielded wire is fine for the short connections between components. Typically use white for hot and black for ground.
Modern modification
In vintage wiring like the diagrams on this page, rolling off the tone control slightly reduces your volume. Connecting both capacitors as shown here fixes this, but the tradeoff is that you lose a bit of high-end when you lower the volume.
Independent pickup volumes
To blend the pickups independently, swap the wires from the pickups and the switch where they connect to the volume pot. This solves the problem in the middle position of the switch where turning down one volume control affects both pickups.
Setting your pickup height
P-90s are usually set closer to the strings than single-coils, because they have less of a focused magnetic pull. Start with a gap of about 3/32" under the bottom of the Low-E string when fretted at the highest fret, and a 1/16" gap under the High-E string. Raise or lower the pickup to find the balance you like best.
