Epiphone P-90s: Are there more than one model???

  • Thread starter E5RSY
  • Start date
  • This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links like Ebay, Amazon, and others.

E5RSY

Doctor of Teleocity
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Posts
13,073
Location
Central Texas
Been wondering: Is it the same pickup set in all their guitars that are so-equipped?

The whole range of Les Pauls (cheap to not-so-cheap)?

SG?

Casino?

Wildkat?

Anyone know the scoop?

Gracias.
 
Last edited:

Iago

Friend of Leo's
Joined
Sep 18, 2006
Posts
2,124
Location
Brazil
The Casino P-90 is (was?) usually lower ohms than those that would come on the SG Specials and 56' Les Paul. I have seen measurements somewhere.

I don't know about the newer 2020 line. I think they do have the same pickup, but don't know how they compare to previous years.
 

JuneauMike

Poster Extraordinaire
Joined
May 5, 2015
Posts
7,784
Location
Alaska
The Casino P-90 is (was?) usually lower ohms than those that would come on the SG Specials and 56' Les Paul. I have seen measurements somewhere.

I don't know about the newer 2020 line. I think they do have the same pickup, but don't know how they compare to previous years.
No offense, but that doesn't sound right. I think if you are referring to Mastercraft Epis and the MIJ Casino Elitist, they probably are wound with more care and forethought. But my stock, business-class MIK Casino was wound crazy hot, like 15 and 17ohm respectively. And I think I've read that they are the same pickups that are used in the Wildkats.

My guess is that the generic line of Epis use pretty much all the same p-90s, and the expensive stuff doesn't.
 

E5RSY

Doctor of Teleocity
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Posts
13,073
Location
Central Texas
The Casino P-90 is (was?) usually lower ohms than those that would come on the SG Specials and 56' Les Paul. I have seen measurements somewhere.

I don't know about the newer 2020 line. I think they do have the same pickup, but don't know how they compare to previous years.
I have one of those cheapie Epi P-90 Specials and was trying to figure out if those pickups (which I do like) are in any of their other models.

iu
 

bgmacaw

Doctor of Teleocity
Joined
Feb 11, 2006
Posts
11,425
Location
Near Athens GA USA
The Epiphone LP Jr I bought new in 1998 at GC has a P90 that measures right at 7.8K. More recent Epiphone P90's I've measured (Casino, LP Special) have been much hotter, in the 14k to 16k range.
 

E5RSY

Doctor of Teleocity
Joined
Mar 5, 2009
Posts
13,073
Location
Central Texas
The Epiphone LP Jr I bought new in 1998 at GC has a P90 that measures right at 7.8K. More recent Epiphone P90's I've measured (Casino, LP Special) have been much hotter, in the 14k to 16k range.
Just measured them in my 2017 P90 Special; got 9.2 on the bridge and 8.5 on the neck. Makes sense, as I recall reading that Epiphone used separate units for neck (P90R) and bridge (P90T).
 
Last edited:

Pointmonger

Tele-Afflicted
Joined
Aug 29, 2009
Posts
1,338
Location
Austin, Texas
Yup, I'm all pumped up and ready to rock it. Sadly the UPS guy doesn't seem to deliver here until like around 6:00, and it's only quarter to 3:00 here.
The wait should be we worth it. They clean up so nicely when turned down, but are so dirty when turned up. Amp up with the guitar volume down may be my favorite clean out of all the pickups in my guitars.
 

Iago

Friend of Leo's
Joined
Sep 18, 2006
Posts
2,124
Location
Brazil
No offense, but that doesn't sound right. I think if you are referring to Mastercraft Epis and the MIJ Casino Elitist, they probably are wound with more care and forethought. But my stock, business-class MIK Casino was wound crazy hot, like 15 and 17ohm respectively. And I think I've read that they are the same pickups that are used in the Wildkats.

My guess is that the generic line of Epis use pretty much all the same p-90s, and the expensive stuff doesn't.

Not offended! I do remember seeing readings in the 7-8K range. 15-17K is really insane. Anyway, maybe my memory is failing and I'm mistanking it for vintage Casino P90's or Gibson's.
 

JuneauMike

Poster Extraordinaire
Joined
May 5, 2015
Posts
7,784
Location
Alaska
Those hollowbody Casinos need low output pickups. I don't even think they have to be great pickups, just something that's not so hot and wild. The guitar itself is bringing the crazy, it doesn't need any help from the pickups. :lol::lol::lol:
 

Dismalhead

Doctor of Teleocity
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Posts
12,115
Age
62
Location
Antelope, California
The wait should be we worth it. They clean up so nicely when turned down, but are so dirty when turned up. Amp up with the guitar volume down may be my favorite clean out of all the pickups in my guitars.

I received it around 4:00 yesterday and played it for about three hours. I'm gonna do a separate NGD thread as soon as I take some pics, but just to let everyone in this thread know the P90 Pro pickups are AWESOME!! Pretty cleans, gnarly distorted. I'm so glad I went with the P90 version.
 
Last edited:

archetype

Fiend of Leo's
Joined
Jun 4, 2005
Posts
11,525
Location
Western NY
I have one of those cheapie Epi P-90 Specials and was trying to figure out if those pickups (which I do like) are in any of their other models.

iu

These aren't as dark-sounding as some Epi P-90s. Their Customer Service says they have alnico mags, but the type isn't specified. The ones in my 2018 LP Special I were wax potted.
 

Antigua Tele

Friend of Leo's
Joined
Jun 2, 2014
Posts
3,383
Location
west coast
The two sets I've pulled out of Epiphones tended to be slightly hotter https://www.tdpri.com/threads/epiphone-p-90-soapbar-analysis-and-review.711790/ . One from a Les Paul, another from a Casino, and another Les Paul Special that I haven't got around to checking yet. What's more, the neck and bridge are almost the same, they don't vary them as much as other makers. To their credit, that's most likely how vintage P-90s really were.
 

Mr. St. Paul

Tele-Afflicted
Joined
Mar 26, 2013
Posts
1,324
Location
Saint Paul, MN
The other guitar player in my band has a Casino and the P-90s sound really good to me.

I have a 2005 '56 Gold Top, but I never got a chance to try the stock Epi pickups. The previous owner replaced them with Lindy Fralins....darn my luck.

/s
 

Antigua Tele

Friend of Leo's
Joined
Jun 2, 2014
Posts
3,383
Location
west coast
The other guitar player in my band has a Casino and the P-90s sound really good to me.

One thing to be aware of is that the Casino and Wildkat P-90's have brass covers that make an already dark pickup even darker. If replaced with a more common plastic topped P-90, you get more high end response.
 

JuneauMike

Poster Extraordinaire
Joined
May 5, 2015
Posts
7,784
Location
Alaska
One thing to be aware of is that the Casino and Wildkat P-90's have brass covers that make an already dark pickup even darker. If replaced with a more common plastic topped P-90, you get more high end response.
I get the idea behind plastic pickup covers for those but I don't like the look (even the cream colored ones). Why can't they just make chrome painted plastic ones? The kinda chrome you see on children's toys or some appliance trim?

That would be a cheap mod that I'd be interested in trying.
 
Top