Epiphone SG Special P-90
I
s the P-90 the best of both
worlds pickup? There’s
defi nitely an argument
for it being the tonal
middle-ground between the
traditional single-coil and
humbucker. With a single
pole-piece, P-90s are single-coil
by anatomy and their shorter and
wider bobbin allows for greater low
end girth and grit. They’re also tied
closely to the Gibson story – the
company’s solid body electric
pickup of choice until the advent
of the humbucker in 1955.
Which bring us to another best
of both worlds question – is
Epiphone’s 2020 ‘Inspired By
Gibson’ range also the perfect
blend of value and tone? We best
take a look.
The Faded Pelham Blue here
follows the 2019 Gibson model’s
take on a classic, but it isn’t faded
in the natural grain way of our
early 2000s Gibson SG Special
Faded (or the 2020 Epiphone SG
Classic). It’s a metallic gloss
lacquer and it’s a very appealing
take on a familiar colour.
If you’re picky about setting
your intonation, the 60s-style
lightning wraparound bridge could
prove a sticking point here. Like
the Epiphone Les Paul Special
there’s no Tune-o-matic here. Of
course, you could upgrade to an
intonatable version in the future
but we’d prefer it as a stock feature
to off er more home setup control.
We like low action but this is a
little buzzy for us and a neck check
reveals a small truss rod turn is
needed and an easy fi x. The
reassuring news is that the
fretwork is even and tidy here.
The 60s slim taper neck still
feels meaty but less of a Marmite
shape than our Gibson’s chunkier
50s shape, but we’re surprised to
fi nd that unlike that guitar, this
will dip on the strap if you let go.
Both weigh 7lbs exactly too.
The P-90 Pros here have a
darker tonality than we’ve found
on our own mahogany Thinline
Telecaster. And they feel closer to
the vintage-voiced humbucker
side of the fi eld in that respect,
and that makes for a bridge pickup
that’s satisfying for classic rock
and blues sustain with low end
presence, while sounding organic
and full for cleaner territory. The
neck is a little too murky though
and may need a hotter upgrade in
time, or raising in the interim.
The CTS pots make for a
responsive way to clean up your
sound from the guitar with the
volume control, taking advantage
of the P-90s’ strummier, more
open strengths over some
traditional humbuckers.
All in, this is a stunning-looking
guitar for £349 that fi nds
Epiphone off ering a compelling
option for players priced out by
Gibson. One they can enjoy and
then invest in to upgrade.
Rob Laing
A COMPELLING OPTION FOR
PLAYERS PRICED OUT BY GIBSON
EPIPHONE SG
SPECIAL P-90
Inspired by Gibson… and could it
be the perfect compromise?
1
2
3
£349
AT A GLANCE
FEATURES
SOUND QUALITY
VALUE FOR MONEY
BUILD QUALITY
PLAYABILITY
OVERALL RATING
SUMMARY
Photography: Neil Godwin
1
HEADSTOCK
The 2020 Inspired
By Gibson range sees
Epiphone using the
‘open book’ headstock
design that is closer to
Gibson models
2
PICKGUARD
A more minimal
Special pickguard
than the significantly
larger ‘batwing’ style
found on SG
Standards allows the
finish to shine
3
PICKUP
The P-90 Pro
pickup is fully wax
potted to help
eliminate unwanted
feedback
BODY: Mahogany
NECK: Mahogany with
60s Slim Taper profile,
12" radius
SCALE: 628mm
(24.72")
FINGERBOARD:
Indian laurel
FRETS: 22
PICKUPS: 1x P-90 Pro
Soap Bar
CONTROLS: 2 x volume,
2 x tone, 3-way pickup
switch
HARDWARE: Lightning
Bolt Wrap Around
Combo, Epiphone
Deluxe tuners with
Ivory buttons
LEFT-HANDED: No
FINISH: Faded Pelham
Blue (reviewed),
Sparkling Burgundy
CONTAC T: Epiphone
www.epiphone.com
REVIEW
93
OCTOBER 2020 TOTAL GUITAR
TGR337.gear_dps2.indd 93 10/09/2020 13:34