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Need opinions on Epiphone P90 equipped guitars


Lend27

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I am looking to buy a p90 equipped Epiphone guitar. Any comments on lower priced Gibsons is appreciated also. Cost is a factor. I currently have a Lennon 65 reissue Casino. I just love the sound of p90's.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

Len in NC

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I am looking to buy a p90 equipped Epiphone guitar. Any comments on lower priced Gibsons is appreciated also. Cost is a factor. I currently have a Lennon 65 reissue Casino. I just love the sound of p90's.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

Len in NC

 

Welcome to the forum. I'm not sure what you are actually asking, since you already enjoy P90's.

 

I purchased a Epi Wildkat with P90's and have no intentions of ever selling the guitar. I knew nothing about P90's and to be honest, it took awhile for them to grow on me. The advantage of the Wildkat is the size of the guitar and the weight. The size is best described as somewhere in between a LP and a Casino. The weight is about 8 lbs. It comes with a Bigsby, but it's a feature I don't use and really have no use for.

 

I know that may not be a whole lot of help, but the Wildkat is my recommendation and I'm sure you will hear from a few others here. As for low end Gibson, I would stick with mid to higher end Epi. Now if you were looking at mid to upper range Gibson, that would change my view.

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good.jpg

 

Definitely one of my favorites of my four Epis. I have played those faded Gibson ones that they had for like 600 or whatever, and to be honest I'd go with the Epiphone. Something about the faded finish of the cheaper Gibsons just turned me off.

 

Stock Epi P-90's aren't bad at all, but they're usually "humbucking" and lack a little bit of the bite of other, actual single-coil ones. But they really are good, 90% of the people I've heard that have had them kept the stock ones (myself included).

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I am looking to buy a p90 equipped Epiphone guitar. Any comments on lower priced Gibsons is appreciated also. Cost is a factor. I currently have a Lennon 65 reissue Casino. I just love the sound of p90's.

 

Thanks for your opinions.

 

Len in NC

Well' date=' the current P90 "item" is a limited issue Riviera with a Bigsby and three P90's.

 

[img']http://img3.musiciansfriend.com/dbase/pics/products/9/9/0/566990.jpg[/img]

 

If cost is an issue, this is $499 (without a case).

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I am looking to buy a p90 equipped Epiphone guitar. Any comments on lower priced Gibsons is appreciated also. Cost is a factor. I currently have a Lennon 65 reissue Casino. I just love the sound of p90's.

Thanks for your opinions. Len in NC

 

Well' date=' you've [i']already got one of the nicest Epiphone P-90 guitars [/i]out there! Did you want

a solid body, with P-90's as well. If so...Gibson's "Faded" double cuts are great! Cherry,

Black, or "TV Yellow." The finish itself is thin, lending a bit more resonance to the body, but

(of course) not as "slick/shiny" looking as the higher end versions. But, the fadeds don't cost

2,500 to 3,500 either. If you want another P-90 Semi hollow body, the Riviera P-93 LE (like

Jeff has) Or...the Wildkat are great guitars, too.

 

CB

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I love my Junior. Put on a new Tusq nut, and new nickel Gotoh tuners, but everything else is stock.

Love the P90 with my slide. Found it through one of the members on this here website who gave me a heads-up on an ebay auction. Also got the tuners from another member here.

DSC00084-2.jpg

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I like p90s, too.

and I lust for the wildkat.

And I was looking at the epi 57 goldtop with p90s in it, too.

Everyone wants a casino!

 

Epis p90s get pretty good reviews. lots of people don't swap them out at all.

I use Kent Armstrongs in my sheraton, and one in the neck on my lp studio.

 

I use humbuck size p90s.. but you can get dogear or the rectangular shape, too.

KA's come in hot or vintage output types. I just ordered a vintage type to compare them, on backorder though.

 

I think epi has enough p90s guitars that you can choose the thing from whatever angle you want.. solid, semi, pointy!

and you'll be happy.

 

The lp studio is pretty inexpensive.. and you can pop humbuck size p90s in there and it will sound excellent. I know mine does!

So you don't even have to start with a p90 if you don't want to.

 

A little of my opinion on pups.

p90s are single coil, period. There are some, like fralins, which are available as noise cancelling. But stock epi and other p90s are just single coil.

You can achieve some noise reduction by using metal covers.

I like the metal covers. I have plastic on the sheri, and chrome on the lp studio, and the tone is almost identical, but the noise is less with the metal cover.

For me, the cover seems to take a bit of the bite out.. just the highs, and not all of them.. it's just a bit softened.. and frankly, it's not enough in my opinion to make a person even have to choose.. it's the noise factor that really counts the most.

 

P90s will appreciate a bit of foil shielding in the cavitys, too.

 

I'd venture to say that you could get an lp 100 or a special II.. slap in a good set of p90s and be quite happy with the tone.

not sure how inexpensive you want to get.

 

p90s are noteworthy on several different instruments historically.. firebirds. big hollow bodys.. sgs.. and of course les pauls..

so there's nothing about p90s that will stop you from choosing the instrument you like to hold, wear, etc.

 

I'd have a heck of a time choosing, in fact.. too many choices and thanks to Epi.. all pretty damn good!

 

TWANG

ps.. I like that riv! and FrankS, too.. !!

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The P90's on my Epi 56 Goldtop are great pickups. I haven't even thought about changing them out. If you use an amp with a buit-in noise cancelling circuit, you will never hear the hum unless you bring the guitar within a foot of the speakers. Even then, it's not bad. The LP P90's are clean when you want clean with a nice growl when overdriven.

 

My new Squire Affinity Tele has a set of Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials sitting in the box, waiting to be installed when I get the chance. The 56 Goldtop doesn't need a pickup change.

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Don't forget the ES295! Tried a used one--at least VG condition, if not mint--out in a shop and fell in lust. When I returned it was gone--kind of like other times I've fallen in lust, but those are different stories. Either way, ya snooze, ya lose! I was surprised at the range of sound it got.

Recently tried a 56 Goldtop and a PRS "Soapbar" model and was a bit more favorable impressed with the PRS. Sound was a bit "crunchier" and I preferred the action. Liked the double-cut faded Gibbie LP when I had it in my hands--loved the neck--but didn't get to plug it in. It went too fast, too (see above "...snooze..."). I'm also going to try out a Reverend with P90s some time soon, perhaps the Daredevil model. Anyone with some experience with the PRS or Rev.?

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  • 1 year later...
There was a Zephyr with P90s' date=' but it is no longer made.

[/quote']

 

I used to have this full-bodied Zephyr Blues Deluxe with 3 P-90's:

 

EpiZephyrBluesDeluxe.jpg

 

I traded it in for this Gretsch Electromatic 5120:

 

Picture003.jpg

 

Maybe check out the new Epiphone Emperor Swingster if you can find one:

 

epiphone_emperor_swingster.jpg

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I know' date=' but Epiphone P-90's are somewhat noise-cancelling and therefore lose a bit of that P-90 "growl."[/quote']

 

My '56 Gold Top buzzes like an electric razor, even in the middle position................

BUT, it is w/o a doubt the most RAW sounding guitar I own!

It sounds somewhat like a "TelePaul in nuclear rhoid-rage" when overdriven thru a good tube amp.

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Love my '56 RI GoldTop. It currently sings through a Vox AC4. Loads of tone, sweet and sassy!

 

My son and I swapped out the PUPs on his Custom for a Gibby P93 in the neck and a 498T bridge. Talk about a tonal range available there!!

 

Look for a GoldTop!!! Lots of bang for the buck. You won't be sorry.

 

Pete

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You can also easily replace humbuckers with P90-in-a-humbucker-shape

pickups' date=' in case there's a humbucker-loaded guitar that you have your

eyes on.[/quote']

 

this is true. i bought an LP jr for just over a hundred dollars, paid 5 bucks for new vol and tone pots, 2.50 for new amber speedknobs, 70 bucks for wonderful new Kluson tuners, and another 70 for a Kent Armstrong P90 with the humbucker sized housing on www.pickguards.com

 

16958253149672577502047.jpg

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