Bare Knuckle Mississippi Queen HSP90
The Mississippi Queen HSP90 is a humbucker size P90. Humbucker. Size. P90. HSP90. Get it? LOL! Have to make sure, we’re all guitar players here after all. HaHa! And as the name suggests, it is a take on one of the biggest tone-having P90-fueled songs in rock history. Mountain’s “Mississippi Queen”, from 1970. As a reminder, here it the song. Just remember it was recorded with a Les Paul Jr with a regular P90.
Disclaimer: This is the song from 1970 for use a reference. This is not the actual BKP MS HSP90.
Holy mackerel! That’s huge! Especially for what is fundamentally a single coil. That’s right. A P90 is basically a single coil. Just not the traditional Stratocaster single coil we all commonly think of. It’s a different bobbin size, and therein lies the magic. But a traditional P90 bobbin size requires a special route that’s not as common for that garden variety humbucker and Strat single coil guys. As such, there is the HSP90 format to get that P90 goodness in a humbucker slot.
Installation
These Mississippi Queen HSP90 pickups are going into a dual hum mahogany body with a Bourns 500k harness, a Switchcraft three way toggle, and a Pure Tone output jack. The pickup uses vintage braided lead so the wiring is straight forward and classic.
The guitar is tuned to E standard with a set of 10 to 46 strings. In short, this is a simple and honest install. No coil taps. No push pull tricks. Just pure P90 muscle wrapped in a humbucker frame.
Evaluation
On a dirty amp channel, the Mississippi Queen instantly feels at home. I start with high gain and dive into the early metal and riff rock canon. The results are the stuff of beer soaked head nodding magic. Roll the volume back and the pickup channels classic AC DC attitude with the kind of touch response that makes the right hand matter again.
The Alnico 4 neck is syrupy, expressive, and made for melodic lead work. The Alnico 5 bridge hits harder and faster, ripping through palm muted bursts and eighties style shred lines with surprising ease. Lows are bold yet controlled. Highs have presence and bite without turning into ice pick misery. The overall voice feels wide, articulate, and ready for a street fight.
Switch to a clean amp and the surprise is how cooperative this pickup becomes. With this much gain potential, it really should not sound this good clean—but somehow it does. No switches or wiring tricks are required. Instead, the dynamic range steals the show. It highlights your strengths and lays bare your weaknesses. By exposing everything, it challenges you to become a better player, because nothing hides.
Your volume knob becomes a full control center. Every small adjustment changes the contour of the voice. Players who chase nuance will feel spoiled. Players who never touch their controls might finally understand why the knob exists. Try different pot tapers and you can dial in a wildly personalized response.
Specs
Mississippi Queen HSP90 Bridge
DCR – 7.585 K
Inductance – 6.118 H
Magnet – Alnico 5
Mississippi Queen HSP90 Neck
DCR – 6.701 K
Inductance – 4.78 H
Magnet – Alnico 4
Demo
There are no official BKP video demos of the MS HSP90. Here are a few that I think are worth your valuable time. I do not know these guys and get nothing for sharing their work. If you like them, please go and give them a LIKE.
Conclusion
The Mississippi Queen HSP90 is the rare pickup that refuses to pick one lane. It hits with the raw bark of a vintage P90 yet it keeps the authority and tight response that modern rock demands. The combination of Alnico 4 and Alnico 5 magnets gives each position its own identity without breaking the cohesion of the set. You get character without compromise, range without gimmicks, and power without losing touch sensitivity.
If your humbucker-equipped guitar feels like it is missing attitude, this set delivers the cure. Offering a classic rock grind, a heavy metal roar, and a clean channel tone that actually makes you want to stay clean for a minute, it commands attention. This model earned its reputation as the benchmark of humbucker size P90 pickups for a reason. Bold, honest, and unapologetically loud, it refuses to compromise. In short, every P90 fan gets the tone they crave wrapped in a housing every player can use.
For reference, this Bare Knuckle Pickups Mississippi Queen HSP90 pickup set evaluation was conducted with the following: Fractal Axe-Fx II XL+ featuring Celestion Impluse Responses and Fractal MFC-101 MIDI Foot Controller. ADA MP-1 Tube Pre-Amp loaded with Tube Amp Doctor ECC83 Premium Selected tubes, using the ADA MC-1 MIDI Controller. Fryette LX II Stereo Tube Power Amplifier. Physical cabs use are Marshall 1960B, Mojotone British, and Peavey 6505 cabs loaded with Celestion Classic Series Vintage 30s and Classic Series G12M Greenbacks.
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