Hohner L-90 Goldtop

OK, I'm trying to be critical here. Early 90's LP style electric guitar. The purfling could've been less plasticky, I guess. Original tuners were so-so. Pickups are somewhat noisy. Still, for the price, it's an amazing guitar. Solid mahogany body, really thick tone. My other guitars are a Martin 000-28, a Takamine Jasmine and a Fender American Strat Deluxe '06, and to be totally honest, when it comes to personality, this guitar blows all of them away. Action and fit are easily on par with the Strat.

I'm not a virtuoso, but I've been playing for 14 yrs. I play mostly through a Fender Deluxe Reverb '67 Reissue, sometimes with a Tubescreamer or a Big Muff. As I said, the pickups are a tad noisy (hey, they're vintage-style singlecoil P-90's). I forgive the guitar for that just because of the fact that I can play a chord, go have a coffe, read a nice book, have a nap, watch some TV, and when I get back to the guitar the chord is still ringing. The tone is full, clear, bluesy and soulish. Think Atlantic/Stax. Wouldn't go Funkadelic or Metallica with it. I love my Deluxe Strat, but the biggest revelation when I bought it was how truly marvellous my Hohner L-90 is.

Don't know really, can't remember. Been playing acoustic for the past 10 yrs, this guitar has been gathering dust at my parents house during that decade. No more, though!

Anyway, it doesn't matter. A little cleaning, proper intonation, new tuners and a little adjustment of the truss rod and action and it feels like a brand new guitar.

The tuners and the pickup switch had to go, but that might be because the teenage me wasn't really all that careful (and had a soft gigbag). It doesn't feel fragile at all. Finish looks as when new, even after 4 years of heavy use and 10 years in a closet. Would definitely trust it on a gig without a backup.

No idea.

Are you kidding me? My other guitars are a Fender American Deluxe Strat, a Takamine Jasmine and a Martin 000-28, I used to play a vintage '67 Les Paul, and this is my MAIN GUITAR right now. Epiphone? Forget it. Hohner L-90 is THE SHIT. It's almost a shame it has the shape of a Les Paul, this baby could fly on its own. Honestly, if you can find one, buy it, even if it's $1000. Adjust the action, exchange the tuners (and maybe the pickups if they're too noisy for you) and you have a truly amazing guitar. If stolen or lost, I'd cry blood. Really, I would. If the design is consistent I'd easily pay up to $1000 for another one, should The Unspeakable happen.

Made in the early Nineties, I think. I'm not sure but I don't care. the Les Paul shape is timeless. My particular L-90 has a beautifully sprayed gold top with a cream/black/cream binding (that goes all the way around the headstock, I might add. I have the custom version) and pearl inlays on the neck. Since it was re-built for me by the guitar guru/electronics genius/ex-pro wrestler/good guy extraordinair, Maxx Payne, it has had the original pickups removed and the bridge pickup replaced with a Dimarzio P-100 and the neck with a Dimarzio P-90. The result is a great combination of tones going from creamy smooth to a gutteral growl. I like the U-shaped neck a lot but it does feel a bit strange after switching to it from my C-shaped SG. It is, however, very comfortable. Other than that I think it has large frets with a 24'75 scale and the usual two tone and volume controls, a 3 way selector switch, Grover tuners, and a tune-o-matic bridge. It's 100% Mahogany just like Gibsons except it's about a few millimeters thinner. This however makes it lighter which is nice since I've been caused a few injuries and back aches by old Les Pauls. Does Mahogany get heavier with age?

I like to say that I play a lot of styles but I really just play a lot of really loud punk rock so the tone of this guitar fits what I play perfectly. I've toured with it, it's done Ozzfest and the Warped tour with me, and it's never let me down. The P-100 gives it humbucker growl with a lot of top end while still retaining a warm, jangley chime that is smooth as budda through my Laney GH100L. The P-90 sounds like warm, creamy custard pouring from my 4x12 loaded with 60's model 25 watt Power Series Goodmans. Have you heard these speakers? Think greenbacks on steriods. The middle selection on the 3 way switch is somewhere inbetween those two tones and give more string dynamics while cleaning up the mids a bit with the perfect balance of a smooth low end.

I don't know how they set it up at the factory because it was a gift from my amazing friends and business partners at Megaton records but the guitar plays like a dream. I understand how action and intonation works but I've never been a Johnson-esque guitar freak that worries about the type of batteries I use, or the chemical composition of my cables so action was something I only paid attention to when it didn't feel right and this one always felt right! The finish is traditional gold top and the finish is immaculate.

I broke the headstock clear off the neck in a pretty hectic show in Wichita, Kansas by throwing it across stage. I know, I know, I can feel all you guitar enthusiasts cringing but when I say it was a hectic show believe me because it was amazing. In any case, I was amped OK? Anyways, my good friend Brian Patchett, another amazing guitar guru/technical wizard routed in 3 graphite splints with epoxy and fixed it up nice 'n proper. If you close your eyes you can't even feel the joint. It still plays like new and has hella character now too. Can't even tell the difference. I dare any of you guitartards to try. It hasn't failed me since.

Hohner doesn't even know this guitar still exists I bet. I mean, for a company that's pretty much built it's success making harmonicas and "affordable" rip offs of every style of guitar imaginable, I doubt they would offer any support. It's a guitar! Who calls customer support for a guitar, anyway? "Hello, Hohner customer support? Yes, my guitar doesn't seem to be booting up properly. I can't get it to play anything but Metallica solos! HELP!" You need more help than customer support can offer buddy. NO OPINION GEEZAS!

I give this guitar a 10. You know why? Because it's a beat up, mid-nineties era-forgotten, Gibson copied B-side rip off, Rock and Roll machine-of-love. That's why. You just can't buy guitars like these in Guitar Center. Chances are no-one will ever have this guitar at the same gig as me on the same night and I'll get to bask in it's glory for years to come. People who didn't buy this guitar just cuz it wasn't a Gibson...actually, you know what, I'm glad you didn't cuz it just makes me all the more cool. Thanks Gibson elitists!

I believe it's a guitar made in the early nineties.22 frets.gold top finished, 2 volume, 2 tone, 3 way toggle switch, tune-o-matic style bridge, standard tuners, 24,75 inches scale

I'm a professional musician.my style is british rock and some R'n'B stuff.I use a marshall super lead 100 and a fender hot rod deluxe with a few stomp boxes (vox wahwah,dod phasor 201,boss overdrive)It has "the sound" for me. Although the p-90's are not alnico V they really have tone thanks to the wood quality, so it's great for playing Cream, Zepp and Who stuff!!!!

amazingly well built

I must admit it's a tough guitar. It really stands my thunderous playing style. I can do the "neck vibrato" without any fear!!!

never dealt with the company. I bought it used

I've been playing for 20 years. I own a Gibson '68 SG with one p-90 and four custom guitars made by my friend Ricardo Miranda (best argentinian luthier)mirandaguitars@hotmail.com
this guitar can fight succesfully with others 10 times more expensive and it rocks hard trough marshalls or fenders as I have tested it.A truly monster guitar

My wife gave me this in 1992 as a "stop being so grumpy and start playing" after a 12 year layoff from guitaring. I wouldn't normally have considered a Hohner but a guy in the guitar shop recommended it to her. Good call. I loved it straight away & the wide & slightly radiused neck was a joy.

This particular guitar was apparently made in Hohner's S Wales premises (so they told me a few years ago) as a special project. Mahogany one piece body (so this sucker has TONE !!!), fixed neck, usual Armstrong P90s which I replaced with Duncan P90s after the wax started to break down & the feedback levels eventually got to me. Body is cream bound front & back and the classy gold sparkle finish was recently hijacked by my local luthier (Ray Cooper - www.raycooperguitars.co.uk) when one of his clients saw my Hohner & wanted the same finish for his own GoldTop being restored. This guitar yells quality and in my very humble opinion is by far one of the best guitars I've ever played, more so than an early 60s LP that I used to own. As one of the earlier reviews said, at first my friends sniggered but now it's tough to prise this off them.

Used to play blues rock but now into funk/soul, even a bit of disco (yeah, sorry about that !). Play through a Zoom GFX-8, CryBaby & Rockman Acoustic Pedal into a Fender Performer 1000 (hey, call me Mr Unfashionable but it sounds great to me) with a Vox Venue in stereo.

The neck pickup is rounded but with enough bite to cut through and rolling a little edge off gives me a superb clean funk tone. Bridge pickup is clear and precise with a bit of warmth. Crank up the gain and this beast just competes with the best on the market, warm and bluesy through to balls-out RAWK !

I recently sold a late 70s Strat & a more recent USA Tele (my backup) and kept the Hohner as well as an Ibanez S540LTD for rockier work and I'm sure that I kept the right ones.

Pickups used to be very noisy until I changed them & it now needs a service (pots a bit scratchy) but I agree all previous comments about controllability.

Factory setup was excellent but one of my first things is always to hand guitars to a luthier friend for a full setup. He didn't have to do much except set it up with 9-46 strings (yeah, I know - wimp !) & adjust truss rod to compensate.

Guitar is gigged most weeks & gets an annual setup. Stable as hell. I've had the guitar 10 years & it is in as-new condition. I always have a backup but only ever because I've broken strings. Guitar has never missed a beat.

Hohner are helpful but really not set up for support. Find a good local luthier or guitar tech. Rang Hohner once when I dropped the guitar & cracked a tuner, replacement arrived (free of charge) within 24 hours.

Been playing for 33 years off & on. Had a wide collection over the years, inc Gibbos, Fenders etc. This is a cool looking machine and plays like a dream. Not sure I could replace it, this just feels perfect for me.

What year was it made? Where was is made?

Well, I gotta tell you I spent alot of time on the internet and the phone checking this out. Got alot of different answers so this remains a mystery guitar, as my guitar doc calls it. The guitar is labeled as a "Professional Series" and the truss cover is stamped L90. I had on going e-mail with 2 guys from southern UK who told me that they worked for Hohner's Custom Shop in Wales. They believe some were made in the Tokai factory in Japan in mid-eighties and then moved to the Cort plant in Korea in 1987. They were sent to the Custom Shop to finsh and install bigsby trems on the L()'s and Wilkensions on the L59's. Ned Steinberger (Claim Guitars) and Wilkension Hardware Company names pop up, as what extent they played in it's design and production is unknown to me. Mine looks Korean made and has no serial number any where.

Body and neck woods? (Maple, Mahogany, Alder, Ash, Basswood, Koa, Plywood, etc...)

Mine has a very nice goldtop and appears to have a 1 piece maple body, with a 2 piece mahogany neck. It was in excellent/pristine shape when I purchased it for $300US dollars. Minor factory finsh blems, but nothing to cry over. It is equiped with Dan Armstrong P90's which are quite powerful and a metric spaced ABR bridge which when reomoved lets a Gibson Nashville bridge slip on without having to drill those rather large hole to accept the post supports. The neck is slim and fine. Fret work is great and sets up nicly.
I replaced the tuners with Gibson nickel modern Grovers with the nickel keystone heads. As I mentioned I replaced the ABR with a Nashville and replaced the Armstrong P90's with the Vintage handmade/handwound Gibson P-90's, that cost more then the guitar, but it gives me a dark low end, great mid tone sound reminds me of the great sound Lesley West put out on his LP. I rewired so pickups are in parallel rather then series and replaced the toggle and added speed knpbs.

I think this is a great instrument, it's got that heavy feel of the old LP's. It's not a Gibson, but I'm glad it isn't. This guitar stays in tune and the intonation is superb, something Gibson LP's lack. It has alot of spirit and feel to it. I love mine. Compared to a pricey Gibson, I'd put this up against one anyday. My friends all kinda snickerd behind my back when I got it, now I have to pry it out of there fingers to get it back.

It kills through my Marshal and sounds sweet and ballsy through my Fender Deluxe Reverb. Great blues guitar, Allman Brothers stuff sound greatas this guitar has plenty of sustain. And it really rocks cracked in a Marshall, you'll blow wigs off bald folks in the 10th row.
Minor niose, believe the rewiring helped there.

Excellent

10+ Excellent

Get a good String Doc, Hohner is helpful, but is clueless about this.

Been playing 35 years, and I would have to kill if someone took it. This is a keeper for musicians, it's durable and does what many more expensive guitars don't do.

Korean built sorta Les Paul copy. The body is slightly wider and not as deep as real LP. Very nice goldtop finish, much better than the '69 LP Deluxe I owned thirty years ago which fell off the guitar. Came with some P90 copies that were pretty good, not as good as a pair of Gibby's mind you but not bad. Standard LP style control and bridge-tailpiece set up. I don't think the body is a two piece like and LP, it's not readily apparent when you take the pickups out. Real wood, not ply. Possibly mahogany, it's a heavy guitar. Body is bound front and back like a custom. Has a nice approximation of a LP neck; trap inlays and moderatly beefy feel but nicely shaped. Better than the new Epi's I compared it too. It's a set neck. Frets are a fairly large wire, nicely done. In my minds eye it's reminding me of my old LP, so that's cool. I bought mine used from the owner of a local music store who's in the habit of buying one of anything that comes in that he likes. Dave was thinning his collection out and it was in mint condition, looked like new. I had thoughts about buying an off name guitar, but figured a copy is a copy whether it says Hohner or Epiphone on the headstock. It's a real nice piece of wood so I bought it.

After I'd had this for a while the "how can I change it around" bug bit me. I looked around and found a used set of Gibson P100's for a song. It required a lot of routing to get the taller pickups in, but it was worth the effort. The stock neck pickup was somewhat muddy sounding ( though I put in a strat-alike and it sounds fine in that guitar) and the P100 is just great sounding, much cleaner sounding. I use this through my extensive and everchanging pedal board into my Fender Pro Jr and Crate VC2112RB; mostly use a tube screamer, a Dan Echo and a Dano Cool Cat chorus ( for stereo). I play mostly old fart rock and blues stuff.

Who can complain about a ten year old guitar? I put new tuners in it, did a complete re-wire job on it, though I left the switch in as it seemed ok and was a better quality one then comes in new Epiphones ( I own an Epi too, I know!).

It has stood up to everything so far, I don't gig though so that's not anything too abusive. It has the standard LP style strap button locations and so I only use a brand new strap and once it's on it stays on. If you don't break a sweat and swear a lot putting it on it's too loose....

yeah right.....

It's a nice guitar ( which is a big complement for a new englander). I'd be bumming if it were stolen ( how do you "lose" a guitar?), as I doubt I'd find another though I almost bought a Hohner L59 a few months back so I suppose if you look long and hard enuf anything's possible.

THIS IS ONLY AN UPDATE to my previous post.
The switch only needed contact cleaner--it works great! Also, I was wrong, this is wired identical to a Les Paul. The switch was playing tricks with me I guess, and I thought it was wired differently. A nice guitar at a real reasonable price. Is it a true Gibson Les Paul Gold Top? Nope. Is it a dang nice guitar for someone like me who likes to jam in his living room with Everclear, the Stones, etc? Hell yeah!

This is a "Hohner Professional" and has "L-90" on the trussrod cover. Though it doesn't say, my assumption is it was made in Korea, probably in one of the Samick factories. The place I bought it from ("Music Zoo" in New York, over the internet) thought the guitar is from the 80s, but they weren't sure. It's a very good copy of a Gibson '56 Goldtop Les Paul reissue. This one is wired a little differently though; you can roll off the volume on one pickup (when both are on) and it doesn't completely shut off the volume. I actually prefer this wiring scheme. The switch is bad (I think), it's static-y and you have to kind of wiggle it to get it to work. No biggie, a $20 fix at the most. Two creme-colored "P-90" syle fat single coils; gotoh style tuners (work fine); dark stained on the back and neck, I assume Mahogany, but could be Alder, I can't tell. Guitar is NICE and heavy, just like a Les Paul should be. Rosewood fretboard with TRAPEZOID inlays, the only way a LP should be! "Hohner" is nicely inlaid on the headstock. Stop tailpiece, tune-o-matic bridge. Neck is sort of meaty like a lot of LPs, fretboard radius is nice an flat. Top is carved real nicely, and the gold paint looks awesome. I assume it's a veneer cap, given that this guitar (I'm sure) wasn't real expensive new. Short scale like a LP. Nice dark creamy binding on top and fretboard. Nice.

I love blues rock, classic rock, rock-n-roll, alternative, basically any kind of good guitar music. Some of my favorites: Stones, Led Zep, Everclear, Foo Fighters, The Cult, AC/DC, Black Crowes, lots of others. This guitar is awesome for the type of music I like. I love the P-90 style p'ups on this guitar. The bridge is sufficiently bright, but not too "single-coilish" and the neck is nice and thick and mellow. Combined is a nice sound as well. It never sounds too muddy, even like a genuine Les Paul can sound sometimes. They are a little noisy, even for single-coils, but being a single-coil kinda guy, that doesn't really bother me. They're fairly high output, but don't squeal bad (for instance like some Epiphone pickups). I play thru a solid state Fender "Automatic." Plug in a little distortion, chorus, and reverb, and "Bridge of Sighs" never sounded better. Well, actually it does sound a LOT better played by Robin Trower, but you get the picture. Very versatile; anything from "You SHook Me All Night Long" to clean blues can be dialed in on this cool axe.

Top notch. This appears to be a very high quality guitar, at a bargain-basement price. Why anyone buys new is a mystery to me. Though bought used, the set-up was fine right out of the UPS box. Frets seem well-dressed, intonation is spot-on, plays true all the way up the neck, no problems.

I believe it will. I don't gig professionally, but I'd look pretty damn cool playing this Gold Top, I'm tellin' ya I would! THe strap buttons seem solid, but I'm gonna keep this guit, so I think I'll go ahead and put straplocks on. Seems very solid, durable.

No idea, bought used. Don't really care.

I bought this guitar over the internet, which is a little scary. I couldn't be happier! I'm gonna keep this guitar, though I usually sell or trade within a month or so. I really like this one. Once I get the selector switch swapped out, I'm going to have one awesome axe. I may eventually change the p'ups to Seymour Duncan 90s, not because I'm dissatified with these, but just to tinker a little (and to spend money). I'd be really bummed if it were stolen. Has a cool vibe. There's really nothing I dislike about this axe, maybe the p'ups are a little noisy. This is a really nice axe, I'm blown away.