Seymour Duncan Announces The Release Of The Phat Cat Pickup

(Seymour Duncan | Posted 2004-01-07)

In the past, if a guitar player wanted true P-90 soapbar tone from a humbucker-equipped guitar, he or she would have to physically alter the guitar: Usually irreparably and often destroying the re-sale value of the instrument. Now Seymour Duncan announces the release of the Phat Cat pickup. Phat Cats are P-90 soapbar pickups squeezed into a humbucker cover. They are direct retrofits for most humbucker-equipped guitars, without need for permanent modification to the instrument.

Phat Cats were created as a collaborative effort between Hamer founder, Jol Dantzig and Seymour W. Duncan. They were originally built in Seymour's Custom Shop for Hamer Guitars where they were used exclusively on their Newport series of USA-made instruments. Now, Phat Cats will be built on Duncan's regular production line, which will increase production capacity and decrease the selling price.

Phat Cats are the call for the player looking for output and high-end response. The tone is big, fat, and punchy with enhanced upper-mids for extra "cut." Like traditional P-90s, Phat Cats embody a true single coil design with two sand cast Alnico magnets and single conductor, braided shield, hookup cable. The short, flat bobbins account for the fatter, midrange-intensive tone; and the nickel-silver cover reduces 60-cycle hum and tames the raggedness sometimes associated with P-90s.

Phat Cats are available in neck and bridge calibrated positions, and with either nickel or gold plating on their nickel-silver cover. When used together in the neck-plus-bridge position, both pickups will be hum-canceling.

Phat Cats are vacuum wax potted for squeal-free performance. Mounting hardware (screws and springs) is included, as is a detailed wiring diagram. Phat Cats are hand built in Santa Barbara, California.

For more information, visit their web site at www.seymourduncan.com.

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