P90 question

[Chris P.]

I have a question from a friend but I can't find the answer... ...yet. So you to the rescue?

On LPs and SGs you see pastic cover soapbar P90s. Cream on LP and black on SG mostly.
On LP Jr. and SG jr. you see plastic cover dogears.
On 330/Casino you see both black plastic covered P90s as metal covered ones. Was that a certain period? Or was it so they looked more luxurious?

[FrankieTbird]

On 330/Casino you see both black plastic covered P90s as metal covered ones. Was that a certain period? Or was it so they looked more luxurious?

According to the Gruhn book, the 330 was introduced in 1959 with black pickup covers and changed to chrome in 1962.

[amptech]

I recall reading that they were meant for the epiphone line, but I cannot find a reference in the book I thought I read it so don't take my word for it.  Seems likely, after all they made the mini humbucker small just to have something different on the epi guitars - but it ended up on many Gibsons too. The metal cover's on the 330 was introduced about the same time (1962) as the model was 'upgraded' to block inlays.

Interesing too, that the first P-90 type pickup that came in 1940 was metal covered. The version we all know and love came around 1946 with plastic cover.

[Chris P.]

Thanks! I think you see more metal covered Casino's than 330s I think.

[Grog]

When they switched from black in the early sixties, they were nickel plated like everything else with plating was. Then came the chrome!