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Post by pcns on Jan 1, 2019 9:48:25 GMT -7
Hey all, In your opinion . . . what is the guitar for P90 type pickups? What really exemplifies the P90 sound and feel? Feel free to explain why you have selected what you did . . . thanks, Todd  |
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Post by djcakadave on Jan 1, 2019 9:49:43 GMT -7
Interested as well?
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Post by Ridgeback on Jan 1, 2019 9:57:29 GMT -7
For me it's always been hollow or semi hollow bodied guitars that bring out the best in P-90s. Think T-Bone Walker and a lot of the West Coast Blues guys. I currently only own one P-90 guitar though and it's a solid body Crook tele. Just have not found the right hollow or semi since selling my 65 ES-330 a few years back.
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Post by GuitarZ on Jan 1, 2019 11:14:00 GMT -7
I'm biased. I've been playing my '68 Les Paul since 1976. I'm not even sure that I ever played a Les Paul with Humbuckers. So, my P-90 Gold Top is the 'Top' in P-90s. It's always provided a good solid sound with a little bit of a ringing or singing tone. Since I'm so one-sided, I'm actually curious to see what others think. Well, maybe I'm not that one-sided since I think just about any guitar with P-90s looks pretty cool. |
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Post by bryan0418 on Jan 1, 2019 12:10:54 GMT -7
The only experience I have with P90's is in my Collings 290. They sound really good. I guess the 290 is a Les Paul Jr design. Solid mahogany guitar. I would like to try P90's in a 335 one day. I would like some more bite out of the 290's neck pickup tho. Any ideas?
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Post by Stephen on Jan 1, 2019 12:14:05 GMT -7
The Collings 290 is my favorite. The Lollar P-90s are quiet and articulate. It is my go-to guitar for slide.  |
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Post by doctorice on Jan 1, 2019 14:08:38 GMT -7
I guess the 290 is a Les Paul Jr design. Closer to a TV Special I think.  |
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Post by Paul (TRANE) on Jan 1, 2019 14:46:49 GMT -7
Hmm... Well I am biased too. I always wanted a P90 guitar but wanted something different/unique. So, I researched some different makers and found Asher guitars. I loved the demos for the Marc Ford Model. Offset body of Mahagony with a strat like neck (Birdseye maple with rosewood board). I have to say that is what a P90 guitar should sound like, for my ears.  |
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Post by goodez on Jan 1, 2019 18:31:22 GMT -7
I’ve been Fighting GAS for a Reverend Jetstream 390 or a PRS soapbar.
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Post by Jaguarguy (Mike) on Jan 1, 2019 18:41:01 GMT -7
You can stop over and try the Collings 290, or my Giffen. Both have P90s.
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Post by southmusic70 on Jan 1, 2019 19:14:14 GMT -7
I bought a ‘65 Gibson ES330 in ‘68 and still play it from time to time. It is a thin line hollow body (no center block), so it’s quite resonant, woody sounding, and it can take some of the trebly bite off of what you might get with P90s on a LP. They are making them again (albeit for a lot more than the $300 I paid when I got it), and it is a quite versatile instrument; I’ve used it for rock, blues, show music and jazz over the years.
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Post by walt on Jan 1, 2019 19:18:36 GMT -7
I’ve been Fighting GAS for a Reverend Jetstream 390 or a PRS soapbar. My p-90 guitar is the Reverend Sensei jr which is a single bridge p-90 guitar,with Reverend's bass contour tone control.It's basically a LP JR for 600 bucks used,and really can deliver any kind of blues,rock and roll,country you might like.The bass contour is versitile,and with your pick hand up by the neck,you'll get a lot of tone options from this badboy. |
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Post by sharkboy on Jan 2, 2019 5:19:39 GMT -7
My Gibby ES-330 changed my mind about P90s. I love the guitar. It has a comfy neck, it’s lightweight, has a Bigsby, and has great tone.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 6:22:14 GMT -7
Something about that solid piece of mahogany and a wrap tail. While Gibson was messing around with almost every single thing they make they somehow left the P90 unmolested.  |
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Post by Maddog on Jan 2, 2019 8:27:37 GMT -7
I've probably played my old '56 Les Paul more than any other guitar I've ever owned, and I really love the big single coil cleans as well as the raw grind an old P-90 Les Paul delivers. However, I've equally come to love the sweltering, rich tone of P-90's in these old jazz boxes....
1956 ES175: Refretted w/ 6105 wire. Jason Lollar repaired (rewired) one of the P-90's and matched it to the other original. I built a new wiring harness as the orig was a mess...Original caps and switch were still good...Guitar is surprisingly good for many genres, but you have to angle it away from the amp sometimes if you're playing loud, as it IS a hollow body!
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Post by Ridgeback on Jan 2, 2019 9:21:06 GMT -7
Maddog, Now that's what I'm talking about!! Nice. When I was shopping for a 175, I was really hoping to find a P-90 model but I wound up with a very nice dual HB in the end.
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Post by southmusic70 on Jan 2, 2019 10:09:09 GMT -7
Nice, Maddog!
One pretty reasonably priced full hollow body with 2 P90s and single cutaway is the Godin 5th Avenue at about $1,000 (Sweetwater). It is excellent.
The guy who plays guitar in Tony Bennett’s quartet plays one, and it’s perfect for that kind of group or in a big band as it cuts through really well.
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Post by The Bad Poodle Experience on Jan 2, 2019 13:01:03 GMT -7
I can't speak to what guitar sounds best with P-90's. I don't think the guitar matters much in terms of tone as the magic of P-90's is mainly in the pickup itself. that said, i think the amp you pair them with matters...and El84's sound really good and accentuate both the punch, bite, growl and shimmer of P-90's.
This 2002 LP has inexpensive chinese made GFS P-90's. I think i paid $45/pickup and they're just OK sounding.
I'm running into a NUX amp simulator and a Tube Screamer (Gain dimed) through my board and out my studio monitors and recorded with cell phone.
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Post by Christopher on Jan 2, 2019 16:56:55 GMT -7
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Post by Jefferson on Jan 3, 2019 13:52:54 GMT -7
two guitars come to mind when you ask about the "best" for P90's:
1. Collings 290 - as many have already mentioned this I will only add that the fit and finish of the three I have owned have all be extraordinary. Also, the lollar pickups in the mahogany body have a bell-like quality when played clean that is almost like the ring you get from a piano. Dirty, they just kill...
2. Grosh Electrajet - I guess this is more of a jazz master style guitar, but Don Grosh knows how to put together the ingredients for a killer tone machine. I liked mine so much I ordered a pair of Don's P90's and put them in a strat body. Don's P90's have an amazing low-mid thing going on. Its a magical tone.
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Post by T-R☼CK ♫ on Jan 4, 2019 9:55:01 GMT -7
I have several P90 guitars... most being semi-hollow, They are the ones I usually grab when I'm looking for that sound. BUT... This one has the goods for the flat out P90 "thang".  ![]() |
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Post by zpilot on Jan 9, 2019 22:53:04 GMT -7
I'll never forget the sound of the '54 Les Paul Gold Top I had. It was not a versatile instrument but with the controls on 10 and plugged into a Bassman amp it had "THAT" P-90 sound better than anything else I've ever heard. Other than that I'm a big fan of P-90's in an SG. I finally got one a few years ago. I am surprised no one else has mentioned an SG.
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Post by pcns on Jan 10, 2019 6:18:24 GMT -7
I'll never forget the sound of the '54 Les Paul Gold Top I had. It was not a versatile instrument but with the controls on 10 and plugged into a Bassman amp it had "THAT" P-90 sound better than anything else I've ever heard. Other than that I'm a big fan of P-90's in an SG. I finally got one a few years ago. I am surprised no one else has mentioned an SG. I had been thinking SG from the start here so I was surprised that it wasn't brought up sooner too. All of the other suggestions have been great too though. |
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Post by digs57 on Jan 10, 2019 10:45:09 GMT -7
Im going to cheapen this topic and kick in the yamaha revstar 502...descent axe,great playability,tone ta boot....lots of bang for the buck.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2019 11:15:50 GMT -7
Im going to cheapen this topic and kick in the yamaha revstar 502...descent axe,great playability,tone ta boot....lots of bang for the buck. I haven't seen one in the wild but I want to! |
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Post by Andy 67 on Jan 11, 2019 16:09:53 GMT -7
A slab of mahogany and a roaring P 90, what else do you need?
Well, two P 90s...
Make it a LP Special, though I'd love a Jr.
Tons of tone!!!
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Post by digs57 on Jan 11, 2019 21:28:41 GMT -7
Im going to cheapen this topic and kick in the yamaha revstar 502...descent axe,great playability,tone ta boot....lots of bang for the buck. I haven't seen one in the wild but I want to! like big foot...you want to believe |
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Post by bigben55 on Jan 12, 2019 12:41:13 GMT -7
I just finished upgrading a G&L Tribute ASAT Junior II. It's a mahogany take with a Tone Pros bridge/stop tail and 2 P90s. I changed the pots to CTS 500k, Orange Drop .022 cap, Switchcraft switch and jack and put a set of Wolfetone Mean/Meaner P90s in it. These are about as good as P90s get, VERY much the sound of late 1950s Gibson P90s. Extremely happy with it!
I'd post a pic but cant seem to. I'll try again, but anyone know what I could be doing wrong? I have Imgur...
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Post by bigben55 on Jan 12, 2019 12:53:51 GMT -7
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Post by pcns on Jan 13, 2019 8:10:11 GMT -7
Okay, I have GAS for about 5 different guitars now!!
I had an Electrojet that I regret selling but I parted ways with it so I could afford getting my son his Les Paul, no regrets on the gift for my son but man was that Electrojet a killer guitar!
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The P90 is a great pickup and I've owned a lot of guitars with them inside. My favorite is by far the Les Paul Junior. It's a no frills, no bS, no hiding guitar that's as honest about your playing as it is about it's tone. One pickup and two hands- make of it what you will. Like Roscoe said- it's an unmolested thing of beauty. Here are some of the ones I've had pass through. The last one is the one I kept. 
