# What's your favourite amp for P90's?



## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Got a couple of guits with P90's kicking around and notice that they can be a lot fussier about the amp they're played thru. I've generally had the best luck with 6V6 amps that have vintage style circuits - tweeds, blondes, BF's and the like, and some of that ilk with 6L6's also. When I had my JMP 1987, nothing showcased the tone of that amp like a mahogany P90 guitar also.

How about y'all?


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## Axe Dragon (Aug 21, 2013)

JTMs or early JMPs


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

The early 4-holer Marshalls sure do bark and bite with a P90, don't they? Guy that bought my JMP brought over a newer Strat to demo the head, sounded shrill and harsh as any guitar I've heard before. After a few minutes of him fooling around trying to get a good tone out of that combination, I plugged in my '68 SG Jr and he broke out in a big grin and pronounced "Now _that's _the sound!" I'm pretty sure he would've passed on it otherwise...


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## capnjim (Aug 19, 2011)

My Rivera Venus sounds best with P-90's.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

Good question. Non MV amp i like best. I have a 50 watt marshall style converted Bogen pa head. Amazing. 

I must also admit that hand wound pickups - especially p90 guitars - stand out as significantly better. Clarity note separation tone and sustain are all proved with true scatter wound p90's. I've owned 3 hand wound pickups from Gibson (1950's original ), motor city and MJS. Lollar and Fralin are too big for maintaining the hand built theme. I can tell the difference. no 1 point of difference is the present or lack therof of mud in the mix. Especially at the neck position. 



P90 are my top choice (my love affair with humbuckers is pretty much over )


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## garrettdavis275 (May 30, 2014)

I've never heard an amp that didn't sound good with P90's. By design they just sound incredibly good across all frequencies, from my old Rectifier to my current Royal Atlantic to plexi's and BF Fender's. If I can't get a tone I like from my Sg's I reach for my P90 Firebird and it lights it up every time. P90 ftw.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I agree with Garrett. I've played p90s on a Fender Princeton Reverb II, Traynor YCV 50 Blue, Peavey Classic 30, Rivera Clubster, Fender DRRI. For me, it sounds all good with any amp. I've also played p90s on both solid and semi-hollow bodies.


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## gtone (Nov 1, 2009)

Maybe it would've been easier to ask which amps don't sound good with P90's? (ha ha)

FWIW, high gain amps don't sound great with P90's to my ears - have a tendency to muddy things up too much in my limited experience with them. Some EL84-based amps sound shitty with them too, while others sound pretty decent.


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## sambonee (Dec 20, 2007)

nature of p90s is that they don't typically like high gain. the only high gain manufacturere of p90s is MJS pickups. he makes perfect high gain p90s. amazing stuff. and slick looking too.


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## High/Deaf (Aug 19, 2009)

I'm currently enjoying P90's (SG 50's tribute) into an EF86 channel. Cleans up nice as I roll back the volume, very pick-dynamic.


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## Rski (Dec 28, 2013)

I purchased an Epi Paul with P 90's, the pick ups had a distinct voice that rocked, but I agree with others that high gain amps do elicit some aggressive tones, but at the expense of single coil hum when dimed. Then on the other hand when that P 90 axe was played clean, I found it sort of honky, compared to a strat or Tele played at the same amp settings, even through a Twin. Can't really state that p 90's aren't my cuppa tea, cause different pick ups of similar types yield different timbers


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

I'm gonna swim upstream to you Gtone. I like P90's with EL84's but particularly when the front end is EF86 (not to say that I dislike them with 6V6 or 6L6's). P90's would be my deserted island choice in almost any case.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

all these P90 threads lately is giving me mild GAS


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## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I found this at the downtown L&M a few weeks ago and got pretty enthused. Still can't decide if my P90 guitar needs to be a Jr with a bridge only pickup or a larger hollowbody. The below is a VOS 330.


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I've never played a hollow with P90s. would love to try one, though, I'm at my limit for guitars now. something would have to go and I have no idea what I would want to part with.


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## Swervin55 (Oct 30, 2009)

why on earth would you self-impose a quota?


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## blam (Feb 18, 2011)

I sometimes wonder that myself...

might be these crazy pills I'm taking.

as dumb as this sounds, I'm waiting for Gibson to put out a new Jr that is close to original spec and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.....I have a feeling I'll be waiting a while.


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## numb41 (Jul 13, 2009)

garrettdavis275 said:


> I've never heard an amp that didn't sound good with P90's. By design they just sound incredibly good across all frequencies, from my old Rectifier to my current Royal Atlantic to plexi's and BF Fender's. If I can't get a tone I like from my Sg's I reach for my P90 Firebird and it lights it up every time. P90 ftw.


Can I see this P90 firebird?


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## jb welder (Sep 14, 2010)

blam said:


> as dumb as this sounds, I'm waiting for Gibson to put out a new Jr that is close to original spec and doesn't cost an arm and a leg.....I have a feeling I'll be waiting a while.


This is probably not close, but the price is right!
http://www.bestbuy.ca/en-CA/product...r-lpmm14sesc1-ebony-lpmm142gsc1/10283053.aspx


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## Rideski (Feb 25, 2009)

I picked up the Gibson LP Special Double Cut they had on special this past Saturday. I used it that night at the gig, played through my Orange TH30 into an Orange 212 and the tone was magnificent! The 60cycle hum was a pain tho. I had to keep switching into the dual P90 position (middle) to get rid of it - but that tone!!!


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## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

I've played my Epiphone Casino Coupe, thinline hollow-body through my Fender Champ X2 and Vox Pathfinder 15r and it does that Casino P90 sound very well through both. And some Tube Screamer type OD through the X2 and it's good.

Years ago had Hamer P90 special mahogany slab with Jon Moore pups and it did Live at Leeds through a 5w head cranked (in the rec room) in spades.Can't remember the name of the amp - similar to an H&K


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## sliberty (May 17, 2008)

>> What's your favourite amp for P90's?

All of them


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