Brickhouse Toneworks BH-90 HSP90

The BH-90 is a set of pickups I am looking forward to. It is Brickhouse’s own David Shepherd that is responsible for the HSP90 format being on my radar. Several years ago, Shepherd pointed out what I’m missing and I have to say that I think it’s an awesome platform. What’s not to like? The mighty tone of a P-90 in a humbucker size pickup. We all know of the history of P-90 pickups with legendary players such as Leslie West and Tony Iommi.

However, we all know how guitar players are! LOL! Always looking for continuous improvement! HaHa! What could there be to improve with a P-90? The hum! Yes, that’s right. A traditional P-90 is basically a big single coil. The common approach for a noiseless single coil is to make it a stack. Inject the hum into a less dominant coil. While not the norm, an occasional by-product of a stack is a loss of dynamics. That hidden-under-a-blanket thing that many lament.

So you guessed it, Shepherd has a different approach to a noiseless HSP90. Let’s take a look!

Installation

For this application, I’m going with a double cut 2-humbucker mahogany body with maple neck and 25-1/2″ maple fingerboard. The harness contains 500k pots, 0.022μF cap for the bridge, and the 0.015μF cap for the neck. The guitar has 10-46 strings and has E standard tuning. 

Evaluation

The sparkle and chime of a single coil and the warmth of a humbucker. Isn’t that what players want from a HSP90? It better be, because that is what you’re getting with the BH-90 set! The focus and the depth and the attack and the mellow. It’s the all-star clutch player of the pickup realm.

Starting with a clean amp channel, these pickups are dialed-in and spot-on. Definition and clarity and glassy sparkle from the bridge. The neck is warm and deep and bold, while maintaining a clear precision. Players in to jazz and complex chords are going to be all about the middle position.

If you’re wondering about how the BH-90 takes grit and dirt and gain, fret not. (ha! a pun!) Things can get a funky and nasty and edgy as you want it to be for whatever your goals. This is the sort of versatility for gigging players that need to cast a wide net with their repertoire. The musical voice of the BH-90 set puts a tangible grasp on a responsive nature that is designed to deliver exquisite tone.

Features

500k Pots & .022uf Cap Recommended
Hum-Canceling
Output Compares To Vintage 50’s P-90
Vintage External Braided Lead Wire
Lightly Potted

Specs

Ease up there. Don’t have a meltdown over those numbers. That is the resistance, not the output. As we know, resistance is NOT output. It’s one of the indications of how much wire is inside there. Remember that this is a hum-canceling design, so there is a little magic at work and a little something going on behind the curtain.

Demo

First up is literally “raw cell phone footage” of the BH-90:

Take a listen to this Brickhouse-approved demo, using a PRS Hollowbody:

Conclusion

The BH-90 is going to be good for blues, country, funk, hard rock, worship, jazz, classic rock, alternative, and more. You can order them directly from Brickhouse with nickel, chrome, or gold covers. Or contact Brickhouse directly for any custom options.

For reference, this Brickhouse Toneworks BH-90 HSP90 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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