Gibson P-90 Vs. Epiphone P-90
Despite Epiphone's place under the Gibson umbrella, its accurate yet affordable versions of Gibson guitars are more specialized than one may surmise, including use of the P-90 pickup.
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A Spark of Things to Come
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The Gibson P-90 debuted in 1946 as a single-coil electric guitar pickup. Gibson's chief rival, Fender, fitted guitars with single-coil pickups as well. However, the tonal differences set Gibson's single coil apart.
The Sound
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Complex in design and larger in size, the P-90 was often mistaken for a humbucking pickup. While striding toward a humbucker's tonal quality, the P-90 was known for having a high output, strong mid-range and a treble response unheard of in Fender pickups at the time.
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Epiphone Finds a Home
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The P-90 was commonplace in several Gibson guitars until the PAF, or humbucking pickup, took hold in 1957. It was in that year when Gibson purchased Epiphone, and continued to employ the P-90 in a handful of Epiphone models.
What's Yours is Mine
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According to Epiphone, Gibson has taken care to pass along its own design and construction standards to the Epiphone line, resulting in little to no variation in pickup construction and components, leaving no winner in the debate over which P-90 is best.
Impersonation is Flattery
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The signature tone produced by the P-90 has prompted variations from many of today's most popular pickup manufacturers, including Seymour Duncan.
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- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of Paul Downey
