When it comes to creating a guitar that’s perfect for you, leave nothing to chance by choosing one that’s a perfect match for your style.
Below are recommended list of 10 best P90 pickups, plus what you should know before you buy one.
This is the ultimate rundown for people who want to learn more about what to look out for when you’re looking for pickups.
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Seymour Duncan SPH90-1N Phat Cat Humbucker Neck Pickup | Best Overall |  |
| Metallor P90 Soapbar Pickup Bridge and Neck Single Coil Pickups Set | Budget Pick |  |
| Fender Pure Vintage '65 Jazzmaster Pickup Set | Upgrade Pick |  |
1. Seymour Duncan SPH90-1N Phat Cat Humbucker Neck Pickup
Pros:
- Great fit and tone
- A lot of volume
- Works great with Les Pauls
- Easy to mount – comes with everything needed to install
- Passive design
- Fat tone with a lot of definition
- Works well with rock
- Works great on stage
- Two years of free replacement warranty
- Fairly priced
Here’s the Seymour Duncan SPH90-1N Phat Cat Humbucker Neck Pickup. It’s a drop-in replacement for Gibson’s vintage P90. This pickup is designed to fit all Gibson Les Pauls. Plus, it’ll work with most other guitars too. You can also use the SPH90-1N Phat Cat Humbucker Neck Pickup with your 5-string, 6-string, or 7-string bass guitar.
The pickup has a unique mid-scoop design that helps reduce the midrange frequencies. As a result, your guitar’s bottom end will get more punch without the tone changing.
2. Metallor P90 Soapbar Pickup Bridge and Neck Single Coil Pickups Set
What we like the most about this P90 pickup is that it proffers the best value for money. It is the best budget P90 pickup you'll find on the market.
This is the best single P90 soapboard pickup set on the market right now. It also comes with a combined bobbin, which makes it easy to install and it looks great (just like a PAF).
It's designed to fit most single-coil sized routes on electric guitars. This item takes us back years before anyone really knew just how wonderful a P90 pickup could sound.
3. Fender Pure Vintage '65 Jazzmaster Pickup Set
Pros:
- These pickups will really bring out the vintage sound you’re looking for
- Available in different colors and configurations
- Made in the USA
For inspiring a vintage tone, the Pure Vintage 65 Jazzmaster Pickups from Fender are our top choice. These pickups feature the classic dual-coil tone of early Jazzmasters, adjusted for today’s tastes. If you want your Jazzmaster to sound more along the lines of a vintage-accurate model, this is the pickup set for your guitar.
4. Soapbar P-90 Guitar Pickup Harness Pre-wired
Pros:
- Specialty harness with pre-wired volume and tone pots
- Sourced from Gibson P-90s
- Ready to install
- Available in four different colors
- Includes wiring diagram and mounting screws
- No soldering required
Photo Credit: Soapbar P90
The harness in this kit is specially designed as a replacement for Gibson P-90 pickups also available from Soapbar P90.
Each harness is pre-wired and has a volume and tone potentiometer already fitted with wiring ready to be installed. This is a harness-only product and doesn’t come with any pickup installed, either.
5. DiMarzio DP210 Tone Zone P90 Pickup Black
Pros:
- Rugged design offers distortion-free sound
- Simple installation in a variety of guitars
- Active P90 pickups are basically humbuckers that have been reworked to be closer in tonality to single coil pickups.
This passive P90 pickup has been a favorite choice for electric-guitar players who want the sound of a humbucker with a little more tonal flexibility.
The sound is basically like a humbucker on steroids with the same highs, lows, and powerful mids as the original model.
Depending on the amp you’re using, you can even get a surprisingly brilliant clean tone out of it.
6. Wilkinson Cream P90 Set Neck Bridge Guitar Pickups Set Soapbar Us Seller
Pros:
- Soapbar true vintage output
- Soldered copper-plated steel wire for increased length of wire
- Wilkinson P90s come with good noise shielding to control hum
- Very good at focusing its tone
- They sound warm and responsive, not harsh
Cons:
- May encounter mixup where the bridge pickup is actually a neck pickup
- Strings can come loose
- Can have some feedback problems when used with an overdrive
- Sterling Silver Wilkinson P90 Set Guitars Pickups Overdrive
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What are the best p90 pickups?
P-90 pickups are similar to single-coil pickups, but they are bigger and provide a fatter sound. The name P-90 actually means that the pickup comes from a Les Paul model, but was installed in any number of guitars, including put into the Telecaster by Fender.
The P-90 evolved into a closer pickup, but early models created a very different sound compared to the traditional single-coil.
The P-90 provides a sound that is different than what most guitarists are used to. The P-90 comes in both single-coil sizes and humbucking configurations.
The P-90 humbucker is huge compared to a classic humbucking pickup, and you might think that guitar manufacturers install humbucking pickups in place of the P-90. Actually, P-90 pickups are actually bigger than classic humbuckers.
What are p90 pickups good for?
P90 pickups are in use on many famous guitars including: Robert Smith of The Cureʼs Yamaha AES 1200, Mick Jones of The Clashʼs Fender Telecaster, J. Mascis of Dinosaur Jr.ʼs Gibson SG, Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters who used P90s on his Gibson SG for the recording of two tracks on the album In Your Honor, Brian May of Queen who used P90s on his Red Special guitar, and Tom Delonge of Blink 182 and Angels & Airwaves who uses Gibson Les Pauls with three P90s. This illustrates the wide range of guitars that they are commonly used on.
Their smooth, warm, fat tone can be a great fit for rhythm and blues, pop, country, and jazz.
What guitars have p90 pickups?
P90’s are a unique guitar pickup that aren’t as commonly used as standard humbuckers. They are most common in certain hollow body guitars and budget-friendly Fender Stratocasters. The reason being is that they tend to be quieter than humbuckers, but they provide more treble than a single-coil pickup. Many guitarists love the sound of P90 pickups, but want something more versatile and dynamic in its sound.
For those that like the characteristics of a P90 pickup but don’t want to change their entire guitar, many guitarists will swap out the stock humbuckers on their guitar with a vintage set of P90 pickups. This substitution doesn’t have to be expensive.
Can you play metal with p90 pickups?
While P90 pickups seem to be best suited for classic rock and blues, their versatility is quite admirable. Depending on the type of strings used, and the amp settings, you can easily make them sound heavier.
I have heard many people use them to play metal, and they sounded great. It really depends on the sound, genre, and playing.
Conclusion
Before we start, a look at the table of content again to make sure we all know what we’re talking about.
So, I have spent hours and hours testing them, comparing their specifications against each other, and reading about the best ones to really give you a solid and intelligent buying guide.
I’m certain you will find this P90 comparison chart will make your search for the best pickup easier than you would imagine.
As you will learn from my buying guide, it is absolutely crazy that some people pay thousands of dollars for the most expensive pickups.
Why?
Our Recommendation
| Name | Category | Product |
|---|---|---|
| Seymour Duncan SPH90-1N Phat Cat Humbucker Neck Pickup | Best Overall | |
| Metallor P90 Soapbar Pickup Bridge and Neck Single Coil Pickups Set | Budget Pick | |
| Fender Pure Vintage '65 Jazzmaster Pickup Set | Upgrade Pick | |