I'm looking into getting my first guitar to start lessons. Both this and the Les Paul Special-II are right in my budget ($100-$200), and I'm set on getting a les paul body (my grandpa played one and I love the look and tone). Which would you recommend?
That guitar is easier to deal with because of stop bar + tailpiece which makes for easier string changes. You also get extra string intonation adjustment with the Special-II.
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Here it Is 2020 and i just bought one for $158.99 delivered. It's the classic rock and roll guitar sound .......I'm 62 and just starting to play guitar with the help of my nephew and his wife.
I saw these in guitar center and played it on their amp, liked it, and bought one of these for $80 about 8-9 years ago. Brought it home, played on it for about 1/2 hour on my rig, got in my car, went back to GC and bought another one (diff color). I've owned LP Deluxe gold top (1969), LP Custom 3 pickup black (1972) and a slew of others Strats (1954, 1968), Teles, Gretsch's... and these inexpensive guitars prove that $ does not mean squat when it comes to guitars. Maybe I got lucky and got 2 really good ones. Nice walkthrough on your demo.
This review is spot-on. I bought one of these on Labor Day (Sept 1, 2014) for $89 and have not put it down since. I've been playing for 35 years, have over 20 guitars presently, and I'm simply shocked that so inexpensive a guitar plays so well. The tuners are fine (if anyone has problems w/ tuning stability, get fresh strings, put them on correctly, and lubricate the nut with graphite so strings don't bind in it). The neck feels terrific. The wrap-around bridge is solid and intonates just fine. There's NO need to replace the pickups. These P90s are fine and perform great. One of the best deals out there. Thanks for the demo; it proves you really don't need to spend a lot of money to have good, reliable, no-frills equipment.
Just ordered mine in worn black and after watching this video I'm glad I did. For the price you can't beat it. Thanks Rich I know this has been up awhile but still good information.
Stellar review! I have an Aria gold top P-90 loaded guitar I'm going to customize but was looking for another P-90 guitar that I could play in the interim and was planning to get a Gibson LP Special Double Cut. But after hearing your review of this guitar, I've decided to get one of these. Can't beat that tone especially for the price!
Thank You rmenga. I just went to GC to get one. Did not have the worn tv yellow so I settled for the worn red. I was more interested in getting to hear the p90s. Guitar needed neck adjustments and that was it. Glad I checked your vid. Sounds great just as you said. They had a worn tv yellow special ll with regular humbuckers so I will get that one and have a set of noiseless p90s installed in that one. Love the p90 feel always wondered what these pickups do. They are powerful and balanced. Sold. I will use them in a couple of higher end axes that I have.
Absolutely wonderful after just a setup and light strings. I used wound string with WD-40 on the nut slots to let them return after a bend and stay in tune. The 7-36 strings made a big difference. Nothing has that sparky growl of P90s! The original electric pickup! I have seen buskers playing blues with a dog ear screwed in in the sound hole of an acoustic with a battery powered Pignose amp doing Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and JB Hutto songs.
Well this video has been here for a few years, but I would say it's an 'evergreen', always going to be helpful. I had trouble finding a review for this model, but was relieved to finally find one with lots of good advice. I wasn't sure about P-90's, and this seems to show they're definitely worthwhile. Nice listening,..thanks much.
I appreciate the review and you are a great player. You have great technique. I am going to pick up this guitar. They are back in stock in that nice color.
I have the black one and all I changed was the bridge to an individual saddle adjustable intonation, but still a wraparound. I am 61 now and broke my left shoulder and arm so it has just begun to heal, but I have numbness and tendonitis in my left hand and elbow. I have been using Rev Willys Mexican Lottery strings by Billy Gibbons 7-36s and they really help. It ii set up nicely and it is almost back. I have some Donnie Thompson records to practice to. He is a Tele monster with a lipstick pickup at the bridge and a dog ear P90 at the bridge that you really hear from when he was with the Skeletons, and doing session work Dave Alvin on Eleven-Eleven. The P90s are great. Donnie was my guitar teacher for a few lessons and he turned me loose and said get it! But that Epiphone has been a Godsend!
Great demo. Looking forward to picking up at least one of these this black Friday. I'd like to add a cheap and simple P90 setup to my arsenal as well as maybe start gutting a guitar or two that I don't need in order to learn some more. I play a 90's epiLes Custom as well as a modern Fender Tele Deluxe, so I really enjoy "that" setup. This is a little different, but lots of fun too.
I bought one for my friend roommate for a project because he loves to keep busy fixing things and he is good at fixing anything ! I thought he would nit pick and begin adjusting right away but he liked the setup and said he thought some one had set it up and was playing it before he got it out of a ton of bubble wrap. I love the pick attack and strumming your hear the pick keeping the time for you. I played the TV Yellow LP Special and was amazed that it sounded so darn good it was dynamic sounding good tone for real. This guitar gives you energy when you crank the amp a little bit .
I love that throaty barky hollow midrange that p90's do. Its clasic rock tone all the way. And when you back of the volume and lower the gain into clean territory..can sound kinda Fendery. P90's man...definitely underrated pickups imho.
Rich, thanks for a great review! This is the best review of this guitar on UA-cam, and your playing and your tone are fabulous. This guitar is an awesome value, and Guitar Center is selling it for $99 as I write this. I just bought a Squier Bullet Strat _with HH pickups_ for $99 on sale from GC. The Strat has all black hardware, black pickups, a black pick guard, and black controls. They really nailed the aesthetics! It just goes to show you can get some amazing guitars for $99 these days!
P.S. I thought the Guitar Center sale would end today, but it's still on! The Epiphone is still only $99. I ordered one online last night. :) P.P.S. I'm not a metal connoisseur, but your metal demo sounded great to me!!!
Absolutely the best review of this guitar I have seen. I got a 2018 Epiphone les paul special 1 p-90 limited-edition for $129.. Worn cherry, very satin.I love it..lol. I don't know how different it is from yours but to me it sounds the same, only you play better. These guitars get dragged thru the mud on the forums and here on youtube. I get told that these are crappy P90's. Maybe to some but to me they sound like P90's. Great job! Thank you.
You are the best demo player better than Some Demo's I have also the Special II but I think wanna bying this model to the sound is so real so Naturel! and also What you said modern also. Before I bought fenders but now Crazy about your model I Much Thanks for Your Best Supporting. I hope Epiphone Wil see your Demo To! More people are happy with your Video. Its Clear What People Hear!! I'm 100% shure!
Metal was actually invented on an SG with p90s. Most people assume Sabbath's early albums are humbuckers but it's actually p90s. You would think they wouldn't be hot enough but he used a treble booster to push the front of his amps HARD. You could get that sound with an MXR Micro Amp which isn't a distortion pedal it's designed to just give clean boost.
Hey, man.... greetings from Uruguay. I finally got this guitar today (Jan 9, 2017). I´m a beginner, but is not my first guitar, though, just like you, is my first les paul and just like you, I was looking for P90s. Here in Uruguay, you can only get P90s in a more expensive guitar, like gibson. (For example: a gibson les paul studio is about $1800). So I was loosing my hopes until I saw your video. Then I looked for more videos and in everyone I heard the beautiful tone of these pickups. Anyway, as yor were the one who provided more and better information about the P90s, I saw it several times and finally got at amazon and bought it. The guitar was very well packed, so I got it in perfect condition. I bought the worn cherry, that´s the only difference with yours, but exactly the same guitar and I already love it. Is such a great guitar for the price. I'd like to ask you about the strings, because normally, they come with strings for practice, but... Should I change these strings when I take it to a luthier for it first calibration? Which ones would you recomend me to buy? Thanks for your so useful review and keep on rocking.... Fernando De León.
You should install your preferred strings on the guitar before taking it to a tech for setup. Many players prefer to use D'Addario EXL-110 on a Les Paul
I like the review so much I bought one - £99 in the UK from GAK - I don't think that there are many left. I had to do a bit of setting up as I changed the strings for a heavier set. The neck is not perfect but good enough with a tweak to the truss rod. And it is loud and powerful. Well worth the money. I do agree with you about inexpensive guitars. I have two Epiphone AJ220s acoustics (one sunburst one natural). Epiphone make some really good guitars but you need to check their specs, they do some laminate top acoustics that are more expensive than some of their solid tops. As for Squiers - they are great quality for the price. One last point - I treated myself to a Gibson LPJ and although it is a great well made guitar for the price, the finish is not as good as this Special P90 and that includes the frets which are much better finished on this guitar.
Nice review Rich. I have the black one -MF didn't have yellow when I got mine in November. What a great guitar. It just sounds great, and the neck is so damn comfortable. Glad to see interest in this. Well done sir.
Been playing a project LP special that came stock with a single humbucker (project guitar, ahem). Did a refret and swapped a mean 90 into it. Great sound! I prefer it to my SG now. I really want this guitar above with above with true P90s! Nice review man.
I have this guitar , I love it. you can tell its cheaply made it almost feels kind of plasticky, But its so smooth that really kind of works for it. No sharp, non sanded edges or poking frets. Pick ups on mine have been cutting in and out, but I'll just have to take it to the store and have them check it out.
Nice review. Most players would really enjoy a cheaper model Les Paul simply by spending $40 dollars for a pro setup..if it needs more work it might be more but usually you can negotiate that into the sale price. Just my humble opinion after playing guitar 40 years. Those p90s sound so good. These guitars were designed when light gauge strings didnt exist and the G string was wound, not plain, which makes a huge difference when it comes to staying in tune.
I also agree with Rich that you can get metal out of any guitar (I think it's all in having the right amp at the right setting). My second cousin plugged this guitar into a Vox Valvetronics 15 watt amp and got metal tones right off the bat. He couldn't put the guitar down, saying it sounded and played better than his Explorer. We both love our distorted tones, but he found a clean tone we also loved. This guitar and the Valvetronics were a perfect match.
You sir are a gifted guitar player. Very soulful - forget fancy robotic technique, you play with feeling. No need to stop and point out your mistakes - most people won't even notice or care when your style is that wonderful. Awesome review. I'm buying a stock Special and popping in a P90 based on your video alone.
Did you saw the new 2014 Gibson Melody Maker? I just prefer the Special I P90, don't care if the headstock don't say "Gibson", this guitar, for the price, is a killer guitar. Great review!
Wow, that tone, exactly like Sunshine of your Love. That's almost what I have Rich, everything but the pickups are same. I got a Les Special II with it's standard Humbuckers. I think you've convinced me to try single-coil.
running down a dream Mike's on a Rickenacker 350 or a Firebird with Mini Hums. Clapton during Cream.. Les Paul.. Bid Marshall.. could be P-90s or PAFs.. going into a cocked wah and reduced treble. nice video rich lots of good info i always think of Pete Townsend on Who are You.. when he slides all the way down on the low E before solo... for that P-90 thing. Hard rock king of the P-90 was Leslie West of Mountain.. playing a les Paul Junior with one pickup... Mississippi Queen
Thanks for the review it was helpful about the pickups and the types of music you can play. I just got mine for $129.99 on Black Friday. Have to say for what you pay it's worth it. Like the worn TV yellow look it's got a vintage old school look to it. Your right that the neck is flexible and comfortable.
I feel like buying this guitar tomorrow its on sale at guitar center for $90 and it originally cost $200 but I just wanna make sure this is a good sounding guitar. Thanks for a great review!
I've got worn cherry for a year now, it lasts long after heavy rock playing and the price/quality is pretty good. And it's very lightweight! :D recommend for beginners who want to start playing with quality! Friend has an Esp/Ltd WA 200, it's better but also heavier and over three times price.
I bought the red version. Some setup was required including polishing the frets. It sounds fantastic, plays well, and the middle position is humbucking.
Yes, yes and yes. You said my very thoughts. I have a P90 Special and two with the hot alnico humbuckers. I love these guitars. Everybody should have one in their collection. It's like riding a hardtail Harley-Davidson with open exhaust when your other bike is a Honda.
thanks for the review..I couldn't find one in tv yellow like i wanted so I got the new humbucker version in tv yellow at a discount and am putting gfs mean 90's in it (lol)...after a bit of tweaking and adjustments my guitar is dead on .. just waiting on the mean 90's...
I love mine- got one for $70- though I spent $200 getting it fixed because the bridge mount screws pulled forward and I upgraded the nut.. still- it’s an awesome guitar.
You can get a wrap around tuno-o-matic bridge at GFS. This is what I was going to replace the bridge on the Epiphone with, but when I got the guitar, I found it had no intonation problems, so I am sticking with the original. I always mod my strats, but, because this seems to be a limitied edition guitar, I am not going to change anything on it. It might become a collector's item.
I have this same guitar that I got around 3 years ago from Guitar Center during Christmas and the Sale Price on it was $99 bucks and still well worth it. This past year I got on in Worn Cherry that has the 2 Epi Humbucker Double waxed pickups on it. That only cost me $69 bucks in store on Black Friday this past year. The cool thing on the new one is that not only does it play,look, and sound great and are a GC only Limited Edition guitar. However, Epiphone upgraded the machine heads and in fact they look the same but they do have the little Phillips type screws in the middle of the machine heads which give them a much higher gear ratio than the ones on my old one or like the one Rich is reviewing in this video. All in all these guitar are IMHO an awesome value for what you get. I'm still shaking my head everytime I get done playing it and can't believe I only paid $69 bucks for it. If I could have I would have bought one in every color they had but I was also picking up a new HSS Squier Strat that same day that I'd been wanting to get since I saw the color of it in Metallic Green back in September of last year. Both guitars were a super score and look and play and sound F'ing fantastic for any style of music for one to play with. In any event enjoy your Epi Les Paul Special I Rich.
Bought one today just to try out the p90's. They had them on sale for $89. I have all Fender guitars as well and thought I would try something a little different. I am impressed at how good it sounds for the price.
i traded some old gear for one of these and wow they are the best guitar in that price point and much higher the play well and the sound great this guitar really sings
There is a lot of stuff here that Rich said and I agree with. I, too, am a strat man, but had to have this guitar. If it had a whammy, it would be my favorite guitar. My description of a P-90 is that it has a Fender top end and a Humbucker bottom end. Rich is using a darker tone than I use, and did a pretty extensive job of showing what the guitar can do with dark tones. Try this guitar with a brighter clean tone, both pickups on, and it will almost quack like a Fender.
Mike Campbell does use basically the same guitar with the Florida University paint scheme some of the time... Epiphone Les Paul Special I P90 Electric Guitar Features: Mahogany body Bolt-on mahogany neck Rosewood fretboard P-90R neck pickup P-90T bridge pickup 1 Volume, 1 Tone control 3-way pickup toggle switch Wraparound bridge/tailpiece Sounds great I have one on the way...What amp are you playing through?
I hear a lot of Steve Hunter / Dick Wagner / Rock & Roll Animal / Lou Reed tones.Cool little box that is affordable. Through a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe...OMG!!!
I got one !! Same guitar, Epiphone Les Paul Special P-90's Worn TV Yellow, however, mine is not yellow, more like a natural wood finish. Ya get two allen wrenches the box a bumper sticker and a poster. Great Guitar guitar for any price !! I bought it on 12-19-2019
Thanks for the cool video, I found it very informative, and you inspired me to purchase the same guitar from musician's friend. Did You Have to do any adjustments to the neck when you bought yours ?
If you have one with a good neck that plays with the right action invest in the Stewart McDonald low profile wrap and bridge with 6 saddles that intonate perfectly and i had to file the nut slots down especially on the G string to get the action right and to fret in tune on the first fret ! To replace the bridge stud inserts you put a 1 inch rod under the bridge stud and screw it down and the stock bridge insert pulls right out strait and neatly and tap in the stew mac inserts and put the bridge on and adjust the action and intonate ! Now i am so glad to have a great sounding P-90 guitar ive never had one before. So i paid $247 for a great sounding guitar that has a dynamic harmonic tone that is so authentic sounding and amazing it took me forever to find. It needs to be played so the frets feel polished , new the frets feel a little rough ! If tone is priceless i should put Lollar pickups in the Epiphone and make it a $450 guitar huh.
I picked up one of these for $99 DELIVERED from GC as a lark, and it pretty much made me put up my other guitars. I love the way this thing sounds, and it's hella easy to play. I got mine in the nearly matte black and sometimes I just look at it and stroke the amazing finish. I hate the thick candy coating they're putting on most axes these days and the silky feel of this one just makes me a little happier. I play mostly blues rock and this sounds better than my 2001 LP Limited Edition humbucker or my '84 S300. Take it easy, keep playing, and for Heaven's sake put some 9's on that thing before you hurt yourself. I'm sure you know already, but that string size swap is going to change the character and sound a bit more than you might initially think. I went back to 10's after about an hour, but maybe you'll like it more. Have funz!
I'm pretty impressed with this guitar myself. It's not perfect but it plays & intonates surprisingly well. I like this better than any other Epi LP up until the plus tops & customs.
Nice video. I would love to see a blind challenge to see who could hear the bolt on vs set neck difference. Likely no one. The selector switch on mine is one of those that you have to flip it back and forth twenty times every time you play it in order for it to activate. The tuners were not so good and were replaced. The nut binds and slips when tuning. The PUP's and neck shape/feel are nice. I got one for $89, so pretty much the price of a pedal. No complaints because it was basically free.
I have to agree about the finish. I have the flat black version, and after a month, it started to show signs of wear. I don't like the fake aged guitars, but I love how this one looked naturally aged shortly after getting it. Now, after a year, the "aging" seems to have stabilized, so I am not concerned that all the pain will rub off. Great guitar.
Really good review thank you for spending the time. I'd like to buy one of these but unfortunately they don't seem to be for sale in the UK? I've looked and searched high and low but can't find the guitar over here. Epiphone Les Paul Special I P90 - possibly in the UK this is not the name? If I look on a US store the warning comes up saying that they are not allowed to ship to the UK. If anyone knows how to get one in the UK at low cost please let me know. thanks
![Is this CHEAP Epiphone with P-90s worth it? [guitar review and demo] #electricguitar](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MuW4-ANnIE8/mqdefault.jpg)
*_Check out my site_* menga.net
I'm looking into getting my first guitar to start lessons. Both this and the Les Paul Special-II are right in my budget ($100-$200), and I'm set on getting a les paul body (my grandpa played one and I love the look and tone). Which would you recommend?
That guitar is easier to deal with because of stop bar + tailpiece which makes for easier string changes. You also get extra string intonation adjustment with the Special-II.
Here it Is 2020 and i just bought one for $158.99 delivered. It's the classic rock and roll guitar sound .......I'm 62 and just starting to play guitar with the help of my nephew and his wife.
Is it also Worn TV yellow? If so, is its shade more mustard like?
@@bushcry1yes, that’s how I’d describe mine - “mustard-like.”
I saw these in guitar center and played it on their amp, liked it, and bought one of these for $80 about 8-9 years ago. Brought it home, played on it for about 1/2 hour on my rig, got in my car, went back to GC and bought another one (diff color). I've owned LP Deluxe gold top (1969), LP Custom 3 pickup black (1972) and a slew of others Strats (1954, 1968), Teles, Gretsch's... and these inexpensive guitars prove that $ does not mean squat when it comes to guitars. Maybe I got lucky and got 2 really good ones. Nice walkthrough on your demo.
This review is spot-on. I bought one of these on Labor Day (Sept 1, 2014) for $89 and have not put it down since. I've been playing for 35 years, have over 20 guitars presently, and I'm simply shocked that so inexpensive a guitar plays so well. The tuners are fine (if anyone has problems w/ tuning stability, get fresh strings, put them on correctly, and lubricate the nut with graphite so strings don't bind in it). The neck feels terrific. The wrap-around bridge is solid and intonates just fine. There's NO need to replace the pickups. These P90s are fine and perform great. One of the best deals out there. Thanks for the demo; it proves you really don't need to spend a lot of money to have good, reliable, no-frills equipment.
The explanation of how the bridge works was fantastic! Thanks for posting this. Very helpful.
Definitely one of the *better* guitar reviews I've seen. Great job!
Just ordered mine in worn black and after watching this video I'm glad I did. For the price you can't beat it. Thanks Rich I know this has been up awhile but still good information.
Stellar review! I have an Aria gold top P-90 loaded guitar I'm going to customize but was looking for another P-90 guitar that I could play in the interim and was planning to get a Gibson LP Special Double Cut. But after hearing your review of this guitar, I've decided to get one of these. Can't beat that tone especially for the price!
Thank You rmenga. I just went to GC to get one. Did not have the worn tv yellow so I settled for the worn red. I was more interested in getting to hear the p90s. Guitar needed neck adjustments and that was it. Glad I checked your vid. Sounds great just as you said. They had a worn tv yellow special ll with regular humbuckers so I will get that one and have a set of noiseless p90s installed in that one. Love the p90 feel always wondered what these pickups do. They are powerful and balanced. Sold. I will use them in a couple of higher end axes that I have.
i bought this just so i could have a guitar with p90s. theyre unlike anything else
Alan Wilson. Got one.
Absolutely wonderful after just a setup and light strings. I used wound string with WD-40 on the nut slots to let them return after a bend and stay in tune. The 7-36 strings made a big difference. Nothing has that sparky growl of P90s! The original electric pickup! I have seen buskers playing blues with a dog ear screwed in in the sound hole of an acoustic with a battery powered Pignose amp doing Robert Johnson, Muddy Waters and JB Hutto songs.
I ordered the worn cherry one. It should be here any day. Thanks for the review!
Well this video has been here for a few years, but I would say it's an 'evergreen', always going to be helpful. I had trouble finding a review for this model, but was relieved to finally find one with lots of good advice. I wasn't sure about P-90's, and this seems to show they're definitely worthwhile. Nice listening,..thanks much.
Thanks for an excellent review and some serious tone. Made me order one in yellow!
Great review. I'm just starting out. Really appreciate the P90 showcase!
I appreciate the review and you are a great player. You have great technique. I am going to pick up this guitar. They are back in stock in that nice color.
best demo of this guitar! and your playing is spectacular!
I view your videos mainly for your info about watches .... never realized how good a guitar player you are. Pleasant surprise.
I have the black one and all I changed was the bridge to an individual saddle adjustable intonation, but still a wraparound. I am 61 now and broke my left shoulder and arm so it has just begun to heal, but I have numbness and tendonitis in my left hand and elbow. I have been using Rev Willys Mexican Lottery strings by Billy Gibbons 7-36s and they really help. It ii set up nicely and it is almost back. I have some Donnie Thompson records to practice to. He is a Tele monster with a lipstick pickup at the bridge and a dog ear P90 at the bridge that you really hear from when he was with the Skeletons, and doing session work Dave Alvin on Eleven-Eleven. The P90s are great. Donnie was my guitar teacher for a few lessons and he turned me loose and said get it! But that Epiphone has been a Godsend!
Great demo. Looking forward to picking up at least one of these this black Friday. I'd like to add a cheap and simple P90 setup to my arsenal as well as maybe start gutting a guitar or two that I don't need in order to learn some more. I play a 90's epiLes Custom as well as a modern Fender Tele Deluxe, so I really enjoy "that" setup. This is a little different, but lots of fun too.
I bought one for my friend roommate for a project because he loves to keep busy fixing things and he is good at fixing anything !
I thought he would nit pick and begin adjusting right away but he liked the setup and said he thought some one had set it up and was playing it before he got it out of a ton of bubble wrap.
I love the pick attack and strumming your hear the pick keeping the time for you.
I played the TV Yellow LP Special and was amazed that it sounded so darn good it was dynamic sounding good tone for real.
This guitar gives you energy when you crank the amp a little bit .
I love that throaty barky hollow midrange that p90's do. Its clasic rock tone all the way. And when you back of the volume and lower the gain into clean territory..can sound kinda Fendery. P90's man...definitely underrated pickups imho.
Rich, thanks for a great review! This is the best review of this guitar on UA-cam, and your playing and your tone are fabulous. This guitar is an awesome value, and Guitar Center is selling it for $99 as I write this.
I just bought a Squier Bullet Strat _with HH pickups_ for $99 on sale from GC. The Strat has all black hardware, black pickups, a black pick guard, and black controls. They really nailed the aesthetics!
It just goes to show you can get some amazing guitars for $99 these days!
P.S. I thought the Guitar Center sale would end today, but it's still on! The Epiphone is still only $99. I ordered one online last night. :)
P.P.S. I'm not a metal connoisseur, but your metal demo sounded great to me!!!
Absolutely the best review of this guitar I have seen. I got a 2018 Epiphone les paul special 1 p-90 limited-edition for $129.. Worn cherry, very satin.I love it..lol. I don't know how different it is from yours but to me it sounds the same, only you play better. These guitars get dragged thru the mud on the forums and here on youtube. I get told that these are crappy P90's. Maybe to some but to me they sound like P90's. Great job! Thank you.
I loved this guitar, has the tone that im looking for, thanks for your excellent review mate!!
You are the best demo player
better than Some Demo's
I have also the Special II but I think wanna bying this model to
the sound is so real so Naturel!
and also What you said modern
also. Before I bought fenders but now Crazy about your model I
Much Thanks for Your Best Supporting. I hope Epiphone Wil see your Demo To! More people
are happy with your Video.
Its Clear What People Hear!!
I'm 100% shure!
Metal was actually invented on an SG with p90s. Most people assume Sabbath's early albums are humbuckers but it's actually p90s. You would think they wouldn't be hot enough but he used a treble booster to push the front of his amps HARD. You could get that sound with an MXR Micro Amp which isn't a distortion pedal it's designed to just give clean boost.
Hey, man.... greetings from Uruguay. I finally got this guitar today (Jan 9, 2017). I´m a beginner, but is not my first guitar, though, just like you, is my first les paul and just like you, I was looking for P90s. Here in Uruguay, you can only get P90s in a more expensive guitar, like gibson. (For example: a gibson les paul studio is about $1800). So I was loosing my hopes until I saw your video. Then I looked for more videos and in everyone I heard the beautiful tone of these pickups. Anyway, as yor were the one who provided more and better information about the P90s, I saw it several times and finally got at amazon and bought it. The guitar was very well packed, so I got it in perfect condition. I bought the worn cherry, that´s the only difference with yours, but exactly the same guitar and I already love it. Is such a great guitar for the price. I'd like to ask you about the strings, because normally, they come with strings for practice, but... Should I change these strings when I take it to a luthier for it first calibration? Which ones would you recomend me to buy?
Thanks for your so useful review and keep on rocking....
Fernando De León.
You should install your preferred strings on the guitar before taking it to a tech for setup. Many players prefer to use D'Addario EXL-110 on a Les Paul
Just picked this up from Guitar Center for $89. This guitar rocks! Thanks for the demo!
Thank you so much I got a guitar just like yours for $97 today! Love it having a great time! (It is used but like new).!!!!!
I'm sure he'll piss his pants with excitement after reading your comment!!!
I like the review so much I bought one - £99 in the UK from GAK - I don't think that there are many left. I had to do a bit of setting up as I changed the strings for a heavier set. The neck is not perfect but good enough with a tweak to the truss rod. And it is loud and powerful. Well worth the money. I do agree with you about inexpensive guitars. I have two Epiphone AJ220s acoustics (one sunburst one natural). Epiphone make some really good guitars but you need to check their specs, they do some laminate top acoustics that are more expensive than some of their solid tops. As for Squiers - they are great quality for the price. One last point - I treated myself to a Gibson LPJ and although it is a great well made guitar for the price, the finish is not as good as this Special P90 and that includes the frets which are much better finished on this guitar.
Love the P-90 sound so much, I got both the Epiphone and Gibson version of this guitar.
wow what a badass vid!! one of the best guitar vids ive seen
I bought the same guitar a few hours ago from Guitar Center. Same color and all brand new for $129! I love it!
The first chord you played had me sold on this guitar.
Great sound ,great guitar,and great tiuch,congratulations from Argentina.
I got this monster in the worn black just for the P90s. The way they sound is amazing for bluesy/ jazz, clasic rock tones.
I love it.
The metal sounded awesome. Wish I could find that model. Love the warn tv yellow.
Thanks for this nice review! Very useful, I'll definitely keep this guitar in my mind, because these P90s sound great!
Nice review Rich. I have the black one -MF didn't have yellow when I got mine in November. What a great guitar. It just sounds great, and the neck is so damn comfortable. Glad to see interest in this. Well done sir.
This is a fantastic review. Subscribed.
Been playing a project LP special that came stock with a single humbucker (project guitar, ahem). Did a refret and swapped a mean 90 into it. Great sound! I prefer it to my SG now. I really want this guitar above with above with true P90s! Nice review man.
I have this guitar , I love it. you can tell its cheaply made it almost feels kind of plasticky, But its so smooth that really kind of works for it. No sharp, non sanded edges or poking frets. Pick ups on mine have been cutting in and out, but I'll just have to take it to the store and have them check it out.
I bought the work black in March 2020 and I love it!
Nice review. Most players would really enjoy a cheaper model Les Paul simply by spending $40 dollars for a pro setup..if it needs more work it might be more but usually you can negotiate that into the sale price. Just my humble opinion after playing guitar 40 years. Those p90s sound so good. These guitars were designed when light gauge strings didnt exist and the G string was wound, not plain, which makes a huge difference when it comes to staying in tune.
This thing sounds awesome, can't wait to get mine!
I also agree with Rich that you can get metal out of any guitar (I think it's all in having the right amp at the right setting). My second cousin plugged this guitar into a Vox Valvetronics 15 watt amp and got metal tones right off the bat. He couldn't put the guitar down, saying it sounded and played better than his Explorer. We both love our distorted tones, but he found a clean tone we also loved. This guitar and the Valvetronics were a perfect match.
You sir are a gifted guitar player. Very soulful - forget fancy robotic technique, you play with feeling. No need to stop and point out your mistakes - most people won't even notice or care when your style is that wonderful. Awesome review. I'm buying a stock Special and popping in a P90 based on your video alone.
Did you saw the new 2014 Gibson Melody Maker? I just prefer the Special I P90, don't care if the headstock don't say "Gibson", this guitar, for the price, is a killer guitar. Great review!
Wow, that tone, exactly like Sunshine of your Love. That's almost what I have Rich, everything but the pickups are same. I got a Les Special II with it's standard Humbuckers. I think you've convinced me to try single-coil.
thanks for the great demo/review. Ridiculous range of tones out of such an inexpensive beast.
Just about to order one of these , partly down to the bolt on neck and where the selector switch is
running down a dream Mike's on a Rickenacker 350 or a Firebird with Mini Hums. Clapton during Cream.. Les Paul.. Bid Marshall.. could be P-90s or PAFs.. going into a cocked wah and reduced treble. nice video rich lots of good info i always think of Pete Townsend on Who are You.. when he slides all the way down on the low E before solo... for that P-90 thing. Hard rock king of the P-90 was Leslie West of Mountain.. playing a les Paul Junior with one pickup... Mississippi Queen
Great review...sold me
Thanks for the review it was helpful about the pickups and the types of music you can play. I just got mine for $129.99 on Black Friday. Have to say for what you pay it's worth it. Like the worn TV yellow look it's got a vintage old school look to it. Your right that the neck is flexible and comfortable.
Nice demo, man ! Really convincing: I like P90's (bought a 2nd hand Dusenberg with 1 Killer P90). Nice sound & playing you've got there :) Cheers !
I feel like buying this guitar tomorrow its on sale at guitar center for $90 and it originally cost $200 but I just wanna make sure this is a good sounding guitar. Thanks for a great review!
On Guitarcenter.com It says it is like 129 bucks, but I found it for sale in a black friday thing for like 70 bucks..
Christopher Erickson That's when I got mine. Couldn't be happier for the price.
I've got worn cherry for a year now, it lasts long after heavy rock playing and the price/quality is pretty good. And it's very lightweight! :D recommend for beginners who want to start playing with quality! Friend has an Esp/Ltd WA 200, it's better but also heavier and over three times price.
Guitar centers website has these on sale now for $89. Thinking about getting one now after seeing your video. Sounds awesome.
I bought the red version. Some setup was required including polishing the frets. It sounds fantastic, plays well, and the middle position is humbucking.
Yes, yes and yes. You said my very thoughts. I have a P90 Special and two with the hot alnico humbuckers. I love these guitars. Everybody should have one in their collection. It's like riding a hardtail Harley-Davidson with open exhaust when your other bike is a Honda.
great demo!...making me want to buy one
Nice. I picked one up a few days ago. Sounds really good.
thanks for the review..I couldn't find one in tv yellow like i wanted so I got the new humbucker version in tv yellow at a discount and am putting gfs mean 90's in it (lol)...after a bit of tweaking and adjustments my guitar is dead on .. just waiting on the mean 90's...
yup, buying this.. i had a sg special with a p90 from the early 90s.. miss it terribly, this seems almost exactly the same.
I love mine- got one for $70- though I spent $200 getting it fixed because the bridge mount screws pulled forward and I upgraded the nut.. still- it’s an awesome guitar.
I have a red one and I put Seymore Duncan Antiquity P90's and it is awesome for southern rock and white boy blues.
You can get a wrap around tuno-o-matic bridge at GFS.
This is what I was going to replace the bridge on the Epiphone with, but when I got the guitar, I found it had no intonation problems, so I am sticking with the original. I always mod my strats, but, because this seems to be a limitied edition guitar, I am not going to change anything on it. It might become a collector's item.
Great guitar, playing and guitar sounds.
Bought some harley benton. Always lacking in sound, then this came. Great guitar love playing now.
Just bought one of these. Wish I could get that guitar tone and could play like that.
I just got mine for 130! I'm glad to see I didn't waste my money I got a worn cherry color
I have this same guitar that I got around 3 years ago from Guitar Center during Christmas and the Sale Price on it was $99 bucks and still well worth it. This past year I got on in Worn Cherry that has the 2 Epi Humbucker Double waxed pickups on it. That only cost me $69 bucks in store on Black Friday this past year. The cool thing on the new one is that not only does it play,look, and sound great and are a GC only Limited Edition guitar. However, Epiphone upgraded the machine heads and in fact they look the same but they do have the little Phillips type screws in the middle of the machine heads which give them a much higher gear ratio than the ones on my old one or like the one Rich is reviewing in this video. All in all these guitar are IMHO an awesome value for what you get. I'm still shaking my head everytime I get done playing it and can't believe I only paid $69 bucks for it. If I could have I would have bought one in every color they had but I was also picking up a new HSS Squier Strat that same day that I'd been wanting to get since I saw the color of it in Metallic Green back in September of last year. Both guitars were a super score and look and play and sound F'ing fantastic for any style of music for one to play with. In any event enjoy your Epi Les Paul Special I Rich.
I have both guitars as well. Both guitars are well worth the money regardless of the budget! Both guitars are great values
Bought one today just to try out the p90's. They had them on sale for $89. I have all Fender guitars as well and thought I would try something a little different. I am impressed at how good it sounds for the price.
Awesome Demo!!!
i traded some old gear for one of these and wow they are the best guitar in that price point and much higher the play well and the sound great this guitar really sings
im picking up one thursday off cl for 60 bucks. excited to get it after hearing the tone in the vid
great review, getting mine today, you can never have enough axexs
bolt on neck is a plus - not a deal breaker IMO.
There is a lot of stuff here that Rich said and I agree with. I, too, am a strat man, but had to have this guitar. If it had a whammy, it would be my favorite guitar. My description of a P-90 is that it has a Fender top end and a Humbucker bottom end. Rich is using a darker tone than I use, and did a pretty extensive job of showing what the guitar can do with dark tones. Try this guitar with a brighter clean tone, both pickups on, and it will almost quack like a Fender.
Very good video. I'd like to hear some country licks with it. Thanks!
Nice score Rich! Hades has indeed froze over as I thought you'd never have a Paul. lol
Mike Campbell does use basically the same guitar with the Florida University paint scheme some of the time...
Epiphone Les Paul Special I P90 Electric Guitar Features:
Mahogany body
Bolt-on mahogany neck
Rosewood fretboard
P-90R neck pickup
P-90T bridge pickup
1 Volume, 1 Tone control
3-way pickup toggle switch
Wraparound bridge/tailpiece
Sounds great I have one on the way...What amp are you playing through?
Body and neck are mahogany. Rosewood fret board. Cost is $100.
A lot of old Strats are basswood also. It's a great tone wood.
I hear a lot of Steve Hunter / Dick Wagner / Rock & Roll Animal / Lou Reed tones.Cool little box that is affordable. Through a 5E3 Tweed Deluxe...OMG!!!
I got one !! Same guitar, Epiphone Les Paul Special P-90's Worn TV Yellow, however, mine is not yellow, more like a natural wood finish. Ya get two allen wrenches the box a bumper sticker and a poster. Great Guitar guitar for any price !!
I bought it on 12-19-2019
Best Review Ever!
Perfect Review dude.. I'm definitely getting one :)
Thanks for the cool video, I found it very informative, and you inspired me to purchase the same guitar from musician's friend. Did You Have to do any adjustments to the neck when you bought yours ?
Damn, I wish I hadn’t seen this. Ordered one today like I need another P90 guitar, but the tone is so addicting.
If you have one with a good neck that plays with the right action invest in the Stewart McDonald low profile wrap and bridge with 6 saddles that intonate perfectly and i had to file the nut slots down especially on the G string to get the action right and to fret in tune on the first fret !
To replace the bridge stud inserts you put a 1 inch rod under the bridge stud and screw it down and the stock bridge insert pulls right out strait and neatly and tap in the stew mac inserts and put the bridge on and adjust the action and intonate !
Now i am so glad to have a great sounding P-90 guitar ive never had one before.
So i paid $247 for a great sounding guitar that has a dynamic harmonic tone that is so authentic sounding and amazing it took me forever to find.
It needs to be played so the frets feel polished , new the frets feel a little rough !
If tone is priceless i should put Lollar pickups in the Epiphone and make it a $450 guitar huh.
I picked up one of these for $99 DELIVERED from GC as a lark, and it pretty much made me put up my other guitars. I love the way this thing sounds, and it's hella easy to play. I got mine in the nearly matte black and sometimes I just look at it and stroke the amazing finish. I hate the thick candy coating they're putting on most axes these days and the silky feel of this one just makes me a little happier. I play mostly blues rock and this sounds better than my 2001 LP Limited Edition humbucker or my '84 S300. Take it easy, keep playing, and for Heaven's sake put some 9's on that thing before you hurt yourself. I'm sure you know already, but that string size swap is going to change the character and sound a bit more than you might initially think. I went back to 10's after about an hour, but maybe you'll like it more. Have funz!
I'm pretty impressed with this guitar myself. It's not perfect but it plays & intonates surprisingly well. I like this better than any other Epi LP up until the plus tops & customs.
Nice video. I would love to see a blind challenge to see who could hear the bolt on vs set neck difference. Likely no one. The selector switch on mine is one of those that you have to flip it back and forth twenty times every time you play it in order for it to activate. The tuners were not so good and were replaced. The nut binds and slips when tuning. The PUP's and neck shape/feel are nice. I got one for $89, so pretty much the price of a pedal. No complaints because it was basically free.
Try electrical contact cleaner spray on the selector switch. Use the little straw nozzle attachment. It will fix it. Common on Epiphone 3 way switch
Great Review!
Nice playing! Is your Worn TV yellow model more of a yellow mustard shade?
I have to agree about the finish. I have the flat black version, and after a month, it started to show signs of wear. I don't like the fake aged guitars, but I love how this one looked naturally aged shortly after getting it. Now, after a year, the "aging" seems to have stabilized, so I am not concerned that all the pain will rub off. Great guitar.
Do you think that it would take a wood tint on top of the aged paint?
it sounds awesome, what amp and pedals were you using in this video
So tempted to get one. Great video. What amp are you playing through?
Really good review thank you for spending the time.
I'd like to buy one of these but unfortunately they don't seem to be for sale in the UK?
I've looked and searched high and low but can't find the guitar over here.
Epiphone Les Paul Special I P90 - possibly in the UK this is not the name?
If I look on a US store the warning comes up saying that they are not allowed to ship to the UK.
If anyone knows how to get one in the UK at low cost please let me know.
thanks
Yup, these were on sale over Memorial Day weekend for $89 at Guitar Center.
I think it sounded pretty great for metal lol but that's my opinion. I might buy this guitar next time I go to GC