Best P-90 platform

[jmp45]

He used that neck pickup cavity for an ashtray

It just seems right for Leslie..

Alvin clued me in on the Coronet reissue, he was right about stock p90, no reason to make any pup upgrades.

 

[V-man]

It just seems right for Leslie..

Alvin clued me in on the Coronet reissue, he was right about stock p90, no reason to make any pup upgrades.

The current USAs don’t use the PGs yours has and they look stupid accordingly. That Coronet setup looks really great but almost impossible (for me) to justify with a P-90 SG in cherry.

 

[jmp45]

The current USAs don’t use the PGs yours has and they look stupid accordingly. That Coronet setup looks really great but almost impossible (for me) to justify with a P-90 SG in cherry.

I've always liked cherry / wine red gibbys. That Coronet is Chicom but it the neck and pup are perfect for me. I liked it so much I picked up a Wilshire. Both are keepers. Coronet fit the niche of the long gone 58 or 59 DC TV I let go in the very early 70s.

 

[KraftyBob]

I don’t know that it’s the best, but I really enjoy playing my SG w/P90’s.

 

[scozz]

I’ve only owned Les Paul P90 guitars, 3 of them, a Epi 56 GT, a Gibson 50s TV Yellow Special, and currently a Gibson 50s HC Special. I’ve played a few others, but all the LP P90 guitars sounded fuller and thicker than the others I’ve played.

So not a lot of examples, but I do love P90’s and all the LP’s I’ve had all sounded great to me, I sold both the Epi GR and the Gibson TV for other reasons than tone. I think the one I have now is a keeper,…

 

[V-man]

I’ve only owned Les Paul P90 guitars, 3 of them, a Epi 56 GT, a Gibson 50s TV Yellow Special, and currently a Gibson 50s HC Special. I’ve played a few others, but all the LP P90 guitars sounded fuller and thicker than the others I’ve played.

So not a lot of examples, but I do love P90’s and all the LP’s I’ve had all sounded great to me, I sold both the Epi GR and the Gibson TV for other reasons than tone. I think the one I have now is a keeper,…

It really amazes me (as a historic hater of LPs for years) how “cheap and inferior” the Spls and Jrs looked to me back then with the dots, the 90s (often only one) and the “incomplete” wraptail, like some beginning student guitar…

… then you “get” the P-90 thing/vibe and the GAS starts pulling uncontrollably over these setups, pitting some internal dilemma between something like a TV Yellow Special and a Gold Top Deluxe. It’s like “WTF happened???”

 

[TheLoudness!!]

I don’t know that it’s the best, but I really enjoy playing my SG w/P90’s. View attachment 155473

I had one of these
It was a really great sounding guitar!

 

[ampeq]

I like a LP, or other heavy body guitars, much more than thin ones. I find the tone to be much better, to my ears, with a thicker block of wood. The Les Paul just seems like a better all around platform for single coil pups. The tone is not as thin sounding and is more in the middle next to something with HB’s and a Strat. Although I don’t mind some Strat tones, I’m always disappointed when someone demos an amp with only a Strat instead of also using a LP. However if they use a LP with P90’s I kinda get the jist of both. But that’s just me.

 

[scozz]

It really amazes me (as a historic hater of LPs for years) how “cheap and inferior” the Spls and Jrs looked to me back then with the dots, the 90s (often only one) and the “incomplete” wraptail, like some beginning student guitar…

… then you “get” the P-90 thing/vibe and the GAS starts pulling uncontrollably over these setups, pitting some internal dilemma between something like a TV Yellow Special and a Gold Top Deluxe. It’s like “WTF happened???”

Well, they were originally released in the 50’s as a “beginning student guitar”.

So true your second paragraph, I used to look at a wraptail bridge guitar with certain distain,… until of course I bought one and played it.

 

[jmp45]

I picked up this SE One 2008, someone added a tone pot and not really sure if the P-90 is stock. I don't think it is, either way it sounds great, neck is amazing. Leslie would have liked this one.

This custom shop epi 57 reissue jr doesn't quafy, it has a P-100. I picked it up around 2007 for a couple of bills. Reasonable for what it is. Headstock profile I'm not a big fan but it was $200 new. Pup isn't terrible but it's quiet.

 

[RCM 800]

My preference is LPJR SC for P90s though I havent had a chance to try a standard or studio with them to compare.

 

[ElvisNixon]

I’m a big fan of P90’s.

I have a Collings DC290s with a single Trobak dogear, A Collings DC290 with 2 Lollar soap bars.
A 1956 ES175, a 50’s LP DC tribute series. one with a single dogear and the other with two soapbars.

The LP Junior Double cut body’s are my favorite. Preferably with a dogear single PU is a great guitar and made in Nashville for a reasonable sum. They punch way above their weight (all mine have been 6.5lbs and up to 7.5lbs BTW)

My all time favorite is my Collings DC290S Double cut with a single Lollar overwound dog ear.

 

[purpleplexi]

I've only got an LP but SGs and juniors are great for P90s.

 

[AlvisX]

I’ve only owned Les Paul P90 guitars, 3 of them, a Epi 56 GT, a Gibson 50s TV Yellow Special, and currently a Gibson 50s HC Special. I’ve played a few others, but all the LP P90 guitars sounded fuller and thicker than the others I’ve played.

So not a lot of examples, but I do love P90’s and all the LP’s I’ve had all sounded great to me, I sold both the Epi GR and the Gibson TV for other reasons than tone. I think the one I have now is a keeper,…

That is a sweet lookin Special ,my friend !

It really amazes me (as a historic hater of LPs for years) how “cheap and inferior” the Spls and Jrs looked to me back then with the dots, the 90s (often only one) and the “incomplete” wraptail, like some beginning student guitar…

I never had that mindset. I was always intrigued by them. One of my first bandmates had a poster of Aerosmith on The Midnight Special . Brad Whitford sporting a sunburst 50's Junior.
Im thinkin to myself "What the hell is that?" It looks so "no nonsense" (unlike the guitars Paul Stanley & Rick Nielsen were playin at that time) I thought I should have one someday .
Then I found out it was a Les Paul Junior and that it was the same guitar that Leslie West played ...and Mott / Bad Co. Then I figured out what a DC Junior was ....the guitar That Lonesome Dave and Keith Richards played . I was IN !
Then I found out the guitar that Hunter & Wagner played most ,as well as Marley & Tosh , was a Les Paul Special
My fixation with the wraparound slabs and p90s was full ON !

I think Im up to 7 Les Pauls with p90s ...not countin SGs and Melody Makers (sometimes ....lots of times, I'll put p90s in guitars that didnt come with 'em)

 

[ampeq]

Lots of cool options
Im partial to all manner of wraparound slabs .....24.75" on a mahogany body is THE sound of rock ,man!

AlvisX, it's good to see the twins out and about. I'v always been scared of those types of tail pcs., I think it's the lack of adjustment. However I never see anyone having trouble with one in that regard. Is it ever a problem? I love those two sweethearts, if you only played the bridge pickup on the one on the right what are the tonal differences between them? God I'd love to play them side by side.

I do have a 1 pc wraparound tail pc I really like that came on a custom guitar I have. It's the most comfortable unit I'v ever played and it works fantastic. Have you ever tried one like this?

 

[thesunship]

I have a Les Paul special in TV yellow from 2023. I like it better than the sg I had with p90s. The tone is a bit thicker but I still can get ultra clean to mean tones from the p90s, and the 50s neck is perfect for me. I always prefer guitars with two pickups so I can mix pickups, etc. Great guitar and people are selling them cheap now (for usa Gibsons).

 

[AlvisX]

AlvisX, it's good to see the twins out and about. I'v always been scared of those types of tail pcs., I think it's the lack of adjustment. However I never see anyone having trouble with one in that regard. Is it ever a problem? I love those two sweethearts, if you only played the bridge pickup on the one on the right what are the tonal differences between them? God I'd love to play them side by side.

I do have a 1 pc wraparound tail pc I really like that came on a custom guitar I have. It's the most comfortable unit I'v ever played and it works fantastic. Have you ever tried one like this?

Modern aftermarket versions of the lightnin bolt tailpiece are compensated for an unwound G string ....eliminating most the intonation issues people had with the original ones
The Junior edges out the Special just a little bit . It has a slightly hotter wind , which seems to be common on a lot of Juniors from that time (1963) It weighs in at 9.4k ohms
The Special bridge pickup is about 8.4k

I have a couple modern fully adjustable wraparound tailpieces ,and I have a drawer full of old Badass TPs ,which I usually throw on my China partscaster LPs these days

 

[Deftone]

Gibson 2015 Limited Edition Les Paul Less Plus P-90

 

[jmp45]

Gibson 2015 Limited Edition Les Paul Less Plus P-90

Nice but scrap those robo tuners. Bet it's light too.

 

[lespaul339]

IMO you can't beat a LP Jr. with p90's. Both single and double cut.