If you’ve read our article on P90 pickups, you know that we think they’re both awesome and under-appreciated. P90 pickups are a fusion of single coil and humbucker sounds. They capture the full tone of humbuckers, but retain the clarity characteristic of single coil pickups. As a result, a P90 guitar is among the most versatile guitars you can buy. Below is a list of 10 great P90 guitars. All retail for less than $1000, and provide the tonal flavor that only P90 pickups can deliver.
Quick P90 Primer
Before we get into our 10 P90 picks, let’s talk about a couple of things you should know about P90 pickups.
Soapbar vs. Dog Ear
You’ll often hear the terms “Soapbar” and “Dog Ear” when referring to P90s. This simply refers to the mounting style of the pickup. The P90 Soapbar mounts directly to the body of the guitar via two screws in the middle of the pickup. A Dog Eared P90 has triangular pieces that extend from each end of the pickup to accommodate the mounting screws.
P90 Pickup Sound
P90 guitars excel at getting you those elusive “in-between” tones, i.e., tones that resemble both single coil and humbucker sounds. Some P 90 pickups are known for being hot and toothy, and this occurs when a P90 is wound hot. This type of overwound P-90 is great for snarling, bridge pickup rock and blues tones. On the other hand, lower wind P90s excel at everything from full rock sounds to warm and mellifluous cleans. And, a good P90 will clean up nicely when the volume knob is rolled back, giving you those edge-of-breakup sounds.
10 Great Electric Guitars with P90 Pickups
Below is a list of 10 guitars with P90 pickups. All are under a grand, and all get you that P90 sound. If you are looking for rock tones, either single or double P90 pickups will work. If however, you are looking for warmer neck pickup tones, you’ll want to choose a guitar that actually has a neck pickup! Bridge position P90s won’t be warm enough if you are after those characteristic mellow tones.
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| GUITAR | DETAILS | SHOP |
Epiphone Les Paul Special
  | The Les Paul Special is the most famous solidbody P90 guitar. | |
Les Paul Junior  | Who needs two pickups? Epiphone’s version captures the essentials of this iconic, stripped down design. | |
Fender Noventa Telecaster  | The Noventa is Fender’s version of a purpose built rock guitar. | |
Gretsch Streamliner P90 Junior Jet Club  | The Streamliner features a fast neck and a throaty midrange. | |
Yamaha Pacifica P90
  | With both a P90 and a Humbucker, versatility is the name of the game with this Pacifica. | |
Epiphone Casino
  | Get vintage tones with dog-eared P90s and true hollowbody construction. | |
Godin Kingpin
  | The Godin Kingpin II puts you squarely into jazzbox territory with its dual P90s. | |
Epiphone SG Special
  | This all-Mahogany SG with P90s is the sound of classic rock. | |
Schecter PT Special
  | With its ash body and sunburst finish, this Schecter T-style looks far more expensive than it is. | |
Gretsch Electromatic Jet
  | Gretsch’s Electromatic steps up its P90 game with a Mahogany body and some sharp color choices. |
Final Thoughts
P-90 pickups are versatile and great sounding, and work well on many types of guitars. If you don’t already have a P90 guitar in your arsenal, we encourage you add one, because it just may become the most versatile guitar you own.
As the inventor of the P90, Gibson has a long history of using P90s on both their hollowbody and solidbody guitars. Both Epiphone and Gibson currently offer Les Paul Models with P90 pickups, including the Les Paul Special, and Les Paul Junior. See our article on Epiphone Les Pauls for more info on these models. Happy Playing!