Seymour Duncan Custom Soapbar SP90-3 P90

From the manufacturer:

"application

High output P-90. Excellent for modern country, heavy blues, classic rock, hard rock, punk, garage and metal.

description
Unlike the SP90-2 Hot, the Custom uses two large ceramic magnets for extra output, more compressed dynamics and sharper attack. The result is a full frequency response with extra punch. Comes with single-conductor hookup cable. Slightly shorter .585" height profile.

complete setup
Available for both neck and bridge positions in a balanced set. Often, the SP90-3 Custom is used in the bridge with an SP90-1 Vintage in the neck position for tonal versatility.

guitars
For balanced and brighter-toned instruments. Works especially well with maple and ebony fingerboards.

available mods
Choose cream or black cover (included).

players
Rodney Cravens / Dishwalla (bridge), Brent Woods / Vince Neil Band (bridge), James Pennebaker / Lee Roy Parnell & Delbert McClinton (bridge), Mike Stone / Queensryche "

Best videos/sound clips:

In this video from Seymour Duncan, we have Steve Booke's demonstration of the Seymour Duncan Custom Soapbar SP90-3 P90 pickup. He starts with the bridge pickup with a medium-gain sound, playing rhythm. He lets us hear the pickup without the mix at 0:17 for a few seconds before the mix returns at 0:20. We can really hear the loud "single-coilness" of this pickup in these sections. From 0:35 to 0:47 Steve is playing with the same gain structure, but this time with the pickup selector in the middle position. Again, we get to hear it with and without the mix, so we can hear the sound alone and we can hear how it fits in a larger musical context. At 0:47, we hear a tasteful solo played on the neck pickup. This is the archetypical "P-90" sound to me. At 1:21, the sound is cleaned up and we're back to the bridge pickup, playing a nice jangly rhythm part, with and without the mix. A nice droning rhythm in the middle position follows from 1:34 to 1:45, and again, we are treated to the sound of the pickups alone and inside the mix. Steve plays a clean lead part on the neck pickup from 1:45 to 2:08, and we can hear how well the SP90-3 cut through the mix. The gain is kicked on and the pace is changed at 2:08, where Steve plays a riff with high gain on the bridge pickup. The SP90-3 surprised me in this section, sounding thick like a humbucker with the clarity of a single coil. From 2:28 to the end, Steve lays down a tasty lead on the neck pickup, again in a high gain setting. The SP90-3 cuts through and sounds thick and syrupy while maintaining a nice high frequency bite. 

Here's a video featuring the SP90-3 in a 1975 Gibson Goldtop Deluxe played through a Fender Supersonic amp. Skip to 1:38 to hear the pickups. He starts with a clean sound with a hint of break up, playing rhythm. At 2:25, he starts playing bluesy leads, and we can hear the spank of these pickups. He switches to the middle position at 3:22, playing rhythm again, this time rolling the volume of a bit to make it clean up. At 4:18, we hear the neck pickup in a dirtier rhythm, and again, we can hear how defined the SP90-3 is in the high frequencies.

Here we have Bob Elliot playing the SP90-3 with a very high gain sound. He starts at 0:20 with his Modern High Gain rhythm sound before letting us hear the way the SP90-3 sounds for high gain leads and melting our faces for 0:27 to the end. A nice demo, as I was skeptical of using these particular pickups for modern metal. I am skeptical no more!

This is a cool demo of the SP90-3 in a Yamaha SG1802 guitar. Skip to 1:59 for the demo. He starts with a clean sound in the Bridge position, and we really hear the sparkle of the bridge pickup. At 2:19, we get the neck pickup with the same amp sound for a few seconds before he starts to play some single notes with the neck pickup. He switches back to the bridge pickup at 2:40, and we hear some single notes, before he clicks on the distortion. At 3:05, he playes some power chords and we hear the richness and sustain of the SP90-3. He flips to the neck pickup at 3:15, playing a power chord before treating us to the distorted lead sounds of a SP90-3 in the neck position. He plays a few chords and rhythms again in this position before switching back to the Bridge pickup at 3:33, then he ends the demo by letting us hear the middle position with distortion at 3:44. So much sustain!

Check this video out for a good shootout between the SP90-3, SP90-2, and the SP90-1. All are in the bridge position (which is the only position) in a Gibson Les Paul Junior. To hear the SP90-3 clean, check out 0:03-0:22. To hear it through a dirtier amp, scroll to 0:59.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MSJXV_o4Z8