Hollow body P90s Non cutaway Used £500-£1000 recommendations

Andy79

Any thoughts on the above? Not really looking for a huge Jazzer, smaller body. I’d like an ES-125 but I’ve not got the stomach for that kind of spend

Andy79

Not a wanted ad yet, just looking for opinion. 

Strangefan

Godin do some great ones in your price range, 

earwighoney

I can't think of any budget non cutaways with a single P90, the only one I can of think is this and it has a big 16" body

https://www.theloar.com/p/lh-309-vs

And the Godin Kingpin as suggested above.

Teyeplayer

Don’t Eastman have something along this line? Sure there was one on here for about £550 6-12 months ago.

JonHosker

Epiphone Casino...1964 Reissue...s/hand about £950...I love mine 

lovestrat74

I've got an epiphone century you can pick them up for under 300£. 

Andy79

The Godin 5th Avenue looks good. 

Funkfingers

Andy79 said:

I’d like an ES-125 but I’ve not got the stomach for that kind of spend

The previous owner of my LP Goldtop had an early Sixties -125. The sound of its neck/Rhythm pickup was glorious. IMO, the bridge/Treble pickup was redundant.

Strangefan said:

Godin do some great ones in your price range, 

There used to be a basic, fully acoustic, Fifth Avenue Kingpin model. That would be ideal for hosting the pickup(s) of your choice. 

Trude

How about a Guild T50?

Cranky

I second the Epiphone Casino, particularly if they aren't bigger than what you're looking for and if you can get one of the Elites or "Inspired by" that have true Gibson p90s.  I love my "inspired by" John Lennon, although truth be told the cutaway doesn't give as much access as it ought to.

Seems like some of these hollowbody Gretsch and D'Angelico guitars are getting cheaper by the week, too.  Not sure if they have p90s, but it'd be sweet if they did because they make some of the smaller hollowbodies.  

earwighoney

Trude said:

How about a Guild T50?

Fine recommendation, that'd be the one I'd go for!

DB1

Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin. I had one alongside an ES125 for about three years and there really wasn't a vast amount of difference. 

Lewy

Teyeplayer said:

Don’t Eastman have something along this line? Sure there was one on here for about £550 6-12 months ago.

Yep, the AR405E. I had one for sale on here at £450 but it didn't sell - have decided to keep it now. It essentially follows the ES-125 pattern but in truth mine is better made than the 50's ES125 I used to have.

DB1

In defence of the ES125, both of mine have been ever so well built, and of course they've had to withstand 65 years of use, not 5.

Your AR405SE is/was an absolute bargain though. I'd have had that myself if I hadn't been stuck going down to France at the time.

Utter bargain and an excellent guitar though. 

rpr

This is sorta everything aside from being hollow
https://www.gordonsmithguitars.com/shop/stock-guitars/gs-nocut-sn-19082/ ;

Andy79

Needing to be hollow is quite high up on the list of requirements 

Jez6345789

 I will throw the Little Sister p90 Crossroads in the mix been the focus of my attention for the las year or so. Usually fin 2nd hand for under 1k.

oh ok not totally hollow but have a nice tone either way

DB1

Yes, how could I forget the Little Sister Crossroads? It  sounds fully hollow to my ears, with the non-cutaway body being slightly deeper than the cutaway body, I believe. It's almost as good as the Private Build models to my mind, plus you get two pickups for your money.

I think that if you're going for the ES-125 look and sound though, you couldn't do much better than the Godin 5th Avenue or the Eastman AR405SE.

Trude

DB1 said:

I think that if you're going for the ES-125 look and sound though, you couldn't do much better than the Godin 5th Avenue or the Eastman AR405SE.

Or this:

JezWynd

DB1 said:

In defence of the ES125, both of mine have been ever so well built, and of course they've had to withstand 65 years of use, not 5.

Agreed. My 125T was the nicest guitar I’ve owned, kinda regret selling it, esp noting the prices now. Others before me obviously agreed judging by the ruts in the fretboard but they didn’t diminish it in any way.

I had my eye on the Loar as a replacement too but they don’t have that 60 year old sunken nitro finish unfortunately.