5 Great P90 Guitars: Famous Pickups Plus Excellent Sound

You might be trying to hit that note or become a much better guitar player. A guitar pickup can be the solution you’re looking for to get better at playing those riffs and delivering that unique, controlled sound. The best P90 guitar pickup is a bridge pickup surrounded by a metal casing. For the best type, you want to look for one designed by Gibson in the 1940s—our opinion, of course. Although there are a ton of different guitar pickups to choose from, the P90 guitar pickup is extremely reliable in giving you that controlled sound.

Whether you want to play a deep tone of the blues, vibe out to some jazz or shake the ceiling with rock music, the P90 was the go-to for bringing that sound difference. From Mick Jones to Johnny Thunders, these skilled guitar players performed live relying on the P90. If you’ve chosen to rely on one of them for your next performance, we’re going to help you pick out the best for you and your budget.

Top 5 P90 Guitars Review 2020

This guide highlights the various important features to keep an eye out for, like the wood material, sound quality, scale length, weight and body type, and warranty. Reading down our guide, you’ll see the results of our hours of research scanning through various products to bring you the best of the best—side-by-side on our comparison table, taking you through in-detail reviews of each product, and a buying guide to top it all off.

Why are P90 pickups worth it?

Although you might not think you need a P90 pickup for your sound—trust us, it’s worth it.

This even balance between a humbucker and a Fender-style single coil is a great tool to use if you’re looking to produce a bright and thick sound.

That warm tone comes equipped to play quality, mid-bass response, even if you’re looking to put the volume lower.

P90 pickup shapes to consider

Although there are not a whole ton of differences in the sound with the P90 guitar pickups, there IS a whole lot of shape variety.

It helps to have an idea of the guitar you want or to actually have a guitar already before you go and get a pickup—that’s because not all guitars fit with certain pickups, and not all pickups fit with specific guitars.

Before you buy, make sure your guitar is compatible with the pickup.

Getting into the shapes, the three types of P90 pickups:

The Humbucker Casing: If you’ve seen a humbucker, you’ll know where the design was inspired here. Although the P90s are designed in a thinner way, as well as much longer, this is a great pick since most guitars don’t require any type of modifications to be able to play with it.

The Soap Bar: – Do you remember the original Gibson P90? Well, this shape is basically the same—except a little bit more rectangular. If you’re worried about your pickguard, don’t be—the screws are actually located in the middle of the pickup so they don’t interfere at all with it.

The Dog Ear: Branching off of the Soap Bar design, the dog ear is rectangular, with the triangular extension located on the ends of the pickup. If you invest in this type of pickguard, you’ll definitely need to be open to modifying it.

Price tag

Of course, although you want quality, you should still try and adhere to your budget. There are a variety of P90 guitar options, like the Loar LH-301T-VS, which is budget-friendly and won’t break the bank.

If you do your research, you’ll definitely be able to find a P90 guitar pickup that fits your style and your bank account.

Features to consider while buying the best P90 guitar

Before you choose your favorite, make sure to take a look at the finer details of the various models. Here are a few specific features to take a look at when looking at each guitar. Checking them out with the model you want to buy can help you make a better-informed decision.

Pickup material

Getting to the foundation of things, the material your model is made out of can make a huge difference when it comes to quality and sound. Some of the materials are pretty good at canceling out noise while others are stronger at delivering those clean, crisp, and clear notes.

The various magnet materials can make all the difference. The magnet types that are used across the board are generally Alnico and ceramic. Since ceramic is a cheaper material, the Alnico is used for the more expensive types. Ceramics are also normally much brighter in tone—so to help you choose which is best for you, make sure you’re aware of what the materials produce.

Guitar body type and shape

Between a hollow or a full body, you’ll have to consider how heavy the guitar will be (the hollow body type is much lighter), and the type of wood its made out of—which can make a difference in the weight and the type of sound.

Although a hollow body is lighter, like the Loar LH-301T-VS, a semi-hollow body or a solid body, like in the Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II will be less likely to experience feedback while you’re playing.

The shapes of the guitar can dictate how comfortable it is to play. However, if you’re investing in a hollow body, a change in shape can also make a difference.

Fretboard and frets

Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced guitar player, you might want to consider how long the frets and fretboard are. No matter if you have smaller or larger hands, you should choose a guitar where you can reach the higher frets.

Scale the neck

If you’re a true beginner—you can probably skip this section. However, the more advanced you are, the more you should pay attention to the neck, scale, and nut.

The plastic nut is responsible for keeping your strings aligned and supported. This part of the guitar also controls the string spacing on the guitar, keeping it at a proper height.

A description of the neck can be divided into four key dimensions: width, profile, depth, and fretboard radius.

If you have smaller hands or are a beginner, you’ll want to try and aim for a slimmer neck, making it much easier to grab. However, a wider neck gives you more space to play—if you have big enough hands.

With profile and depth, you’ll be choosing between a U-, V- or C-shape. Most guitars are designed with the C-shape, which is the most shallow of the three.

Bridge

The bridge of a guitar gives support to the strings and uses its location to transfer the vibration to the rest of the guitar.

Just like how vibrations work, if your bridge has a lot of contact with the body, the better it will sound and resonate. However, if you’re working with non-vibrato bridges, you’ll get an anchoring point but won’t have much control over tension and pitch.

Warranty

Especially since you’re making an investment—in your musical life and in your skill growth, you’ll definitely want to think about investing in a guitar that has a good warranty.

For example, these guitars can come back by as little as a 1-year limited warranty, like the Yamaha RevStar RS502 or can have a lifetime limited warranty, like the Epiphone WILDKAT.

Maintenance tips for the P90 guitar

You’ve already made the investment in a guitar—now you’ve got to take care of it. Fortunately, if you’ve had a guitar before, you’ll see that maintenance doesn’t change very much from a P90 to the rest of them.

Here are some basic maintenance tips to take care of a P90 guitar:

First and foremost, make it a tradition (and a habit) to go have your guitar checked every year by a qualified technician. That way, even if the smaller details need to be tuned, they’ll be done on a regular basis. This will help extend the life of your guitar.

Try to perform the basic maintenance tips on your own on a regular basis. For example, investing in a proper case for the guitar can be a great first step.

Some other simple tips that don’t take much from your side of things would be to just make sure that you’re not storing your guitar in an area where it can reach extremely hot or cold temperatures. The guitar should be stored in a dry and cool place.

Not only should you invest in a case for traveling, but a stand is also a great product to buy—especially if it’s going to be sitting at home.

FAQ

If you’ve skipped over everything else, here are our top three choices:

The Epiphone WILDKAT is our Best All Around P90 Guitar, weighing only 7.8 lbs. Made with a real mahogany body and maple top, the dog-ear pickup type is played with a semi-hollow body and backed by a lifetime limited warranty. It features a 12” fingerboard radius and bigsby tailpiece for style.

The Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin II is our Upgrade Pick if you’re looking for something a bit more flashy. Designed with Canadian wild cherry in a solid body, the guitar is made with a silver leaf maple neck and 16” fingerboard radius.

The Loar LH-301T-VS is our Budget Pick for today. If you like lightweight guitars, this guy only weighs in at 5.8 lbs, designed in maple with a hollow build. Backed by a 5-year limited warranty, this guitar sill has a C-profile neck, rosewood fretboard, and 19 frets.

We hope that this guide has helped you pick out the best P90 guitar for your playing style and budget. Rock on!