The Best P90 Guitars You Can Buy Today!
Soap Bar, Dog Ear - everything you need to know!
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The P90 pickup delivers some of the most desirable clean guitar tones out there. Originally conceived by Gibson way back in 1946, the P90 has been featured many different models, many of which have been updated or released recently. Time to look at some of the best P-90 guitars you can buy today!
The Best P90 Guitars: Our Guide!
The Best P90 Guitars: What’s the Difference to Single Coils and Humbuckers?
So, what’s the difference in tone you can expect from a P90 pickup? It’s a single-coil pickup, but it’s warmer, less bright and less sharp than a standard single-coil. We’ve listed the best P90 guitars for all budgets and styles below. Here, you’ll find a great starting point for your first P-90-loaded guitar, or a suggestion for a new addition to your P-90 collection.
P-90 pickups come in a few formats, including Soap Bar and Dog Ear. The latter has little tabs or ears that you affix via a screw to your guitar, while the former normally has the screws in line, amongst the pickup pole pieces. You can also get P-90s with regular tabs like a single-coil or humbucker, and in larger humbucker-sized formats, too.
Noise and Hum Issues
P-90 pickups are notorious for hum, just like any other single-coil pickup. That’s why we included some modern, hum-cancelling P-90-style options as well. A lot of the greats used P-90 pickups throughout the 50s, 60s, and 70s with no issues, but in 2021 a lot of guitar players find hum annoying. Thankfully, modern pickup technology has moved forwards since 1946.
Harley Benton TE-90QM
Let’s start our list of the best P90 guitars with the most affordable one. The Harley Benton TE-90QM Telecaster includes a chambered Nyatoh body with a quilted maple top, a bolt-on maple neck with an amaranth fretboard witrh abalone dot inlays and an elfin-colored body binding.
This model comes equipped with two Roswell P90 S AlNiCo-5 vintage-style single coils that deliver classic sound and offer a variety of tone options. The guitar is available in two colors: Trans Red and Trans Blue.
The Best P90 Guitars: Epiphone SG Special
If you’re talking about the best P90 guitars, these SGs from Epiphone are definitely worth mentioning. After all, the SGs and P90s are a match made in heaven. And these models are pretty affordable, too.
Available in Faded Pelham Blue* or classic Sparkling Burgundy*, these models come with Mahogany bodies and necks (60´s SlimTaper profile) and Indian Laurel fretboards. Each one comes equipped with two P-90 Pro SoapBar Single Coil pickups and Epiphone Deluxe Tuners. At that price point, that’s tough to beat.
Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet PT
This one’s a beauty! And not only one of the best P90 guitars, but also one of the most affordable ones. The Gretsch G5210T-P90 Electromatic Jet PT comes with a mahogany body with a maple top. The set mahogany neck has a thin “U” profile and a Laurel fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets.
This model is equipped with two P-90E single coil pickups and offers two volume controls, a master volume and a master tone control, as well as a 3-way toggle switch for a wide range of sounds. The tortoise pickguard with a gold Gretsch logo, the Adjusto-Matic bridge and the Bigsby B50 tremolo complete the design. The guitar also features nickel-plated DieCast Sealed tuners and is presented here in a stylish petrol blue. You can get all the models in the series here at Thomann*.
Sire Larry Carlton L7V GD Top
The Sire Larry Carlton L7V GD Top, here in the stylish gold top, is a classic. It features a mahogany body and an attractive maple top. The set-in mahogany neck with a C-profile comes with an ebony fretboard, with trapezoidal inlays and an elfin-colored binding.
Two LC Vintage P90 Soapbar single coils with cream-colored covers provide the sound, allowing for a versatile and high-quality sound spectrum. The elegant design is rounded off by the ivory-colored pickguard and the TOM-style bridge with aluminum stop tailpiece. It is equipped with Sire Premium Locking tuners and chrome hardware for stability and reliability.
Reverend Charger 290
P90s and Reverend Guitars have a long history. And the Charger 290 series is amongst the best P90 guitars you can get in the medium price range. Released in 2021, it’s one of the most popular (and best-looking) P90 single-cuts out there.
This model has a Corina body, with a bolt-on 25.5″ scale-length neck with a rosewood fretboard. Two 9A5 P90 pickups come with this guitar, in neck and bridge position, respectively. And with these colors, a few lefty editions and even an special model with an additional Bigsby B-50 tremolo, these might just be the perfect P90 model for many.
Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s P90
We can’t not make a list of the best P90 guitars and not mention a single guitar from the company who actually invented them. The Gibson Les Paul Standard P90 comes equipped with two Gibson P90 pickups with separate volume and tone controls – all handwired with Orange Drops capacitors.
The model includes a Mahogany body and neck (Vintage ’50s neck profile), maple top and a rosewood fretboard. You also get the typical trapezoidal fretboard inlays which clearly mark this LP as part of the Standard series. This model is available at Thomann* in a luxurious Gold Top finish.
Conclusion
There is a P90 guitar for just about any budget! Whether it’s Tony Iommi’s sound you’re after, or you’Re just looking to expand your sonic palette, it’s well worth getting into. Both in terms of sound and looks, these models are a very different beast than your classic single coil or humbucker models.
More about the P-90 Pickup
P-90 Pickup Videos
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2 responses to “The Best P90 Guitars You Can Buy Today!”
You need to experience the Friedman Vintage T P90 guitar. I can’t imagine any of the ones listed above being better than this.
I agree, they are pretty sweet and well made. I also enjoy the Fano P-90 loaded models. Just both came out a few years ago and trying to show some of the newer P-90 loaded models out there with this list.