The P-90 pickup has been part of the landscape of popular music since 1946—add a vintage P-90 guitar to your collection today
Gibson has revealed its second selection of Gibson Certified Vintage instruments for 2025, offering collectors and enthusiasts an unprecedented opportunity to own rare, authenticated treasures from the company’s storied past. If you like the tone of P-90s, this venerable batch is loaded to the brim. The first release of 2025 was largely prototypes from the 1980s—gander at will. This time, they’re all from the 50s and 60s.
Mitch Conrad, Gibson Certified Vintage Manager, says of this release, “P-90s have been the sound of Gibson electric guitars for the better part of a century, and this release is a small celebration of that. I’m particularly fond of the 1957 Gibson ES-225TD; it’s this great combination of the specs of an ES-295 in the thinline package of an ES-330. Don’t be fooled by how clean these guitars are—they’re a joy to play, and they sound fantastic.”
Here’s the latest stunning array from Gibson Certified Vintage, available only at Gibson.com and the Gibson Garage Nashville, but stick around until the end of the article for a few recent P-90 insights and offerings.
1956 Gibson Les Paul Standard
The 1956 Gibson Les Paul™ Standard, identified by serial number 612826, represents a pinnacle in the evolution of the Les Paul series. In 1956, this model retained its distinctive Goldtop finish and solid mahogany body with a maple cap and featured powerful P-90 pickups along with the new adjustable ABR-1 bridge setup. These innovations allowed players to achieve unparalleled intonation, sustain, and overall performance, marking this as a landmark year for the model.
Image: Modifications include the installation of a Custom Shop Historic ABR-1 bridge
This specific 1956 Gibson Les Paul Standard exemplifies mid-50s craftsmanship with minimal checking and light nicks on its body, complemented by a rich Brazilian rosewood fretboard. The original narrow and tall frets remain in excellent condition, and vintage-correct repairs have been meticulously undertaken to ensure structural integrity while preserving authenticity. Modifications include the installation of a Custom Shop Historic ABR-1 bridge for enhanced playability, addressing previous issues like slight leaning by doweled and redrilled adjustments with longer bridge posts.
Image: Time does its thing in a beautiful way
The G tuner is bent, and the original switch nut, which was also bent, has been replaced with a vintage NOS replacement. The hole for the pickup switch is slightly enlarged from wood chipping away, but this is stable and is covered by the switch washer.
It ships in its original Lifton™ brown and pink Cali Girl case and includes a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and a new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
1958 Gibson Les Paul TV Junior
The Les Paul Junior was introduced in 1954 to provide student guitarists with an affordable option that retained the renowned quality and heritage of the Les Paul brand. Just one year later, in 1955, Gibson unveiled the Les Paul TV, essentially identical to the Junior except for its distinctive, now-iconic finish. Although initially designed for beginners, its straightforward design and powerful, unadulterated tone soon made it popular among seasoned players.
Image: Wraparound tailpieces are a cult favorite—for good reason
This rare 1958 Gibson Les Paul TV Junior, featuring the classic single-cut design, remains completely original. It exhibits moderate lacquer checking, typical signs of playwear, and several minor nicks throughout. Notably, there is a larger dent on the guitar’s front between the tone knob and strap button, along with two smaller dents that have been professionally touched up.
The guitar has been expertly planed and refretted by Gibson Repair & Restoration using medium jumbo fretwire, greatly enhancing its playability. Original components such as the P-90 pickup, Kluson® Deluxe tuners, and Wraparound tailpiece remain intact, delivering the authentic, punchy tone that has made the Les Paul Junior legendary.
It ships in a new Lifton Historic “Gator Skin” hardshell case, with the original chipboard case included separately. Includes a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and a new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
1964 Gibson SG Special
The Gibson SG™ Special offered dual P-90 pickups and refined visual touches while introducing the lightweight, double-cutaway mahogany body that made the SG lineup so popular among guitarists. By 1964, it had firmly established itself as an essential guitar for rock and blues musicians, highly valued for its vibrant tone and playability.
Image: Dual P-90 pickups and a compensated bridge create a ferocious combination
This 1964 Gibson SG Special is a remarkable example of the model, showcasing a deep, rich cherry finish that has beautifully retained its vividness over the years. The guitar remains in excellent original condition, showing only minor nicks and dings from gentle use. The most significant wear appears on the edge near the rear control cavity, although it does not affect the guitar’s playability. It still features its original P-90 pickups, Kluson® Deluxe tuners, and Lightning Bar Wraparound bridge, delivering the powerful, punchy sound that has long defined the SG Special.
It ships in its original black Lifton case and includes a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and a new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
1957 Gibson ES-225TD
Launched in 1955, the Gibson ES-225TD™ was one of the first thinline hollowbody electric guitars from Gibson, bridging traditional archtop designs and the later semi-hollowbody models. Equipped with a fully hollow construction, dual P-90 pickups, and a distinctive Wraparound Trapeze tailpiece, the ES-225TD provided enhanced resonance and sustain while maintaining a lightweight, comfortable playing experience.
Image: The ES-225 features a distinctive Wraparound Trapeze tailpiece
This 1957 Gibson ES-225TD remains in exceptionally clean, visually striking original condition. It displays subtle finish checking throughout and a handful of small dings and dents on the neck’s rear, most notably a larger half-diamond-shaped chip near the 10th fret. Originally featuring a push-in plastic strap button at the guitar’s end, this example has had the hole filled, redrilled, and fitted with a vintage-style 50s button.
Additionally, another strap button was installed on the heel—a boon for most modern players. The guitar retains its original P-90 pickups, Kluson Deluxe tuners, and gold Top Hat knobs, offering the warm, expressive tones that have endeared the ES-225TD to generations of jazz, blues, and early rock musicians.
It ships in a non-original vintage black and gold case and includes a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and a new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
1966 Epiphone Century E422T
When the Epiphone Century debuted in the 1950s, it quickly gained popularity among blues and jazz guitarists for its warm, resonant hollowbody sound and clean, elegant aesthetics. By 1966, the Century had evolved, featuring a single P-90 pickup, a fully hollow maple/poplar/maple body construction, and a comfortable 25.5-inch scale length. These refinements made the Century a versatile, lightweight guitar that excelled acoustically and electrically.
Image: This exact instrument served as the reference guitar during the development of the James Bay 1966 Century reissue from Epiphone
This 1966 Epiphone Century E422T remains in excellent original condition, exhibiting mild finish checking and a gentle patina across the hardware and components. A strap button has been thoughtfully added to the heel for enhanced functionality. Notably, this exact instrument served as the reference guitar during the development of the James Bay 1966 Century reissue from Epiphone, highlighting its historical significance. Whether played unplugged or amplified, it offers the rich, expressive tone that has long defined the Century model.
It ships in an aftermarket Epiphone hardshell case and includes a Certificate of Authenticity, Letter of Appraisal, and a new Limited Lifetime Warranty.
What’s the magic behind the P-90 tone that guitarists can’t get enough of?
Firstly, the P-90 design offers an incredible tonal balance. Sitting right in that sweet spot between the bright, jangly bite of a smaller single coil and a humbucker’s thick, muscular punch, the P-90 dishes out a warm, midrange-rich voice packed with rich bass and sparkling highs. It’s a tone that can be smooth and sweet one moment, then gritty and roaring the next.
Recently, Mat Koehler, Gibson Vice President of Products, told us that the two main flavors of P-90 are distinct sounds—that the Soapbar P-90 is more adjustable and direct-mounted into the body, both affecting the tone in various ways in comparison to a Dogear P-90 or a humbucker™. In a conversation on the same topic, Joe Bonamassa observed that Gibson fans, typically in love with humbuckers, will “say behind closed doors—when the internet is not watching—that their favorite pickup is a P-90.”
If you’re game for new stuff, the latest Warren Haynes Les Paul Standard features hum-free P-90 DC tone and a 15 dB boost to shock your amp into new territory. There’s a P-90-equipped guitar for everyone, and both Gibson and Epiphone have models that fit the bill if you’re looking for something more accessible than vintage examples.
Need more P-90 options? The exclusive Gibson ES-330 in Ebony roars to life with a pair of handwired Dogear P-90 pickups paired with 500k potentiometers and Orange Drop® capacitors. The result? Sparkling cleans that shimmer with clarity and snarling, gritty tones that burst forward when pushed into overdrive.
Sure, as a fully hollow guitar, the ES-330 can howl with feedback if you crank it too far—but that’s part of its charm! With just a bit of careful muting from your palm and fret hand, you can harness and shape its feedback into lush, musical sustain and singing overtones, unleashing expressive sounds that other guitars simply can’t match.
Shop the Gibson Certified Vintage Collection and take a virtual tour of the Gibson Garage Nashville.
