Last Updated on April 28, 2023 by Teemu Suomala
There’s something really classy about guitars with just 1 pickup. Simple looks work really well. But especially for some shapes, 1 pickup axes are hard to find…
But don’t fret my friend, because I have done the work for you! I can reveal that based on my research, the most typical body shapes for 1 pickup guitar are popular modern strat and single-cut. In this article, I gathered the top-notch guitars with 1 pickup from different price ranges. The best of the best. I also reveal which is the “best budget”, “best overall”, and “best premium”-option.
If you have any questions, just check the FAQ section or leave a comment.
Let’s get started!
Author: Teemu Suomala
32 Guitars With One Pickup
If you are after a crisp vintage sound, stunning looks, and 1 mini-humbucker, Gretsch G100CE Synchromatic is one of the top choices. G100CE Synchromatic is not the easiest to play, but it for sure is a ton of fun. Plus its arched top paired with black color makes it one of the best-looking hollowbody guitars out there
Price Range Icon Meanings:
$= $100-250
$$= $251-399
$$$= $400-850
$$$$= $851-1599
$$$$$= $1600-
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| Model | Pickup | Body Style | Price Range | Check Current Price (affiliate links) |
| Kramer Baretta Special – Cheapest | 1 x Alnico V humbucker | Modern Stratocaster | $ | Sweetwater* – Thomann* |
| Harley Benton DC-60 Junior | 1 x Roswell P90D AlNiCo-5 Dog Ear single coil | SG | $ | Thomann |
| Harley Benton SC-Junior | 1 x Roswell P90D Alnico-5 Dog Ear single coil | Single-cut | $ | Thomann |
| Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior Player Pack – Strater Pack | 1 x Epiphone P-90 Dogear Single-coil | Single-cut | $$ | Sweetwater |
| Squier Classic Vibe ’60s Custom Esquire | 1 x Fender Designed Alnico Single-coil | Telecaster | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Epiphone Billie Joe Armstrong Les Paul Junior | 1 x Epiphone PRO P-90 Single-coil | Single-cut | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Epiphone Coronet | 1 x Epiphone P-90 PRO Dogear Single-coil | Epiphone Coronet | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP LTD EC-201 – Best Budget | 1 x ESP Designed LH-150B humbucker | Single-cut | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gretsch G9555 New Yorker – Great Vintage Hollowbody | 1 x Vintage-style Single-coil | Hollowbody | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP LTD EX-201 | 1 x ESP Designed LH-150B Humbucker | Explorer-style | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP LTD Alexi-200 – Best V Shaped Under $1000 | 1 x ESP Designed LH-301B Humbucker | V | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gretsch G100CE Synchromatic – Best Hollowbody | 1 x Mini humbucker pickup | Hollowbody | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Godin 5th Avenue Kingpin | 1 x Kingpin P90 Single-coil | Hollowbody | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Epiphone Jared James Nichols Gold Glory Les Paul Custom | 1 x Seymour Duncan P-90 Single-coil | Single-cut | $$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP LTD EC-Black Metal | 1 x Seymour Duncan Blackened Black Winter Humbucker | Single-cut | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Kramer Baretta White Lotus | 1 x Seymour Duncan JB Humbucker | Modern Stratocaster | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| EVH Striped Series – Best Overall | 1 x EVH Humbucker, Direct mounted | Modern Stratocaster | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Schecter Machine Gun Kelly Signature PT – Cool Guitar | 1 x Schecter USA Pasadena Plus Humbucker | Telecaster | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Jackson Pro Series Signature Christian Andreu Rhoads RRT | 1 x Jackson Covered High-output Humbucker | V | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Guild T-50 Slim | 1 x Franz P90 Single-coil | Hollowbody | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Stanford CR Vanguard AV | 1 x Humbucker | Hollowbody | $$$$ | Thomann |
| ESP LTD EC-FR Black | 1 x Seymour Duncan Blackened Black Winter Humbucker | Single-cut | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP LTD Phoenix Black – Fishman Fluence Pickup (Active & Versatile) | 1 x Fishman Fluence Modern Ceramic Humbucker | Phoenix | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP LTD M-1 Custom ’87 Electric Guitar – Rainbow Crackle | 1 x Seymour Duncan Distortion Humbucker | Modern Stratocaster | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson Les Paul Junior – Find More Great Gibsons Here | 1 x P-90 Single-coil | Single-cut | $$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Ibanez Meshuggah Signature M80M – 8 String | 1 x Lundgren M8P Humbucker | Modern Stratocaster | $$$$ | Sweetwater |
| Maybach Albatroz 65 | 1 x Amber P 90 (bridge) single coil | SG | $$$$$ | Thomann |
| ESP LTD Alexi Hexed Sawtooth | 1 x EMG HZ FH-2 Humbucker | V | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| ESP E-II M-1 Thru NT – Best Premium | 1 x EMG 81 Humbucker | Modern Stratocaster | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Duesenberg Senior BD | 1 x Duesenberg SplitKing Humbucker (Phonico) | Single-cut | $$$$$ | Guitar Center – Thomann |
| Gibson Custom 1963 SG Junior Reissue Lightning Bar VOS | 1 x P-90 Single-coil | SG | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson Custom 1957 Les Paul Junior Single Cut Reissue VOS | 1 x Custom Dog-ear P90 Single-coil | Single-cut | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
| Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Junior Double Cut Reissue VOS | 1 x Custom Dog-ear P90 Single-coil | Double cut | $$$$$ | Sweetwater – Thomann |
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3 Best Guitars With One Pickup – My Favorites
Best Budget – ESP LTD EC-201
What I like
- ESP Designed LH-150B Humbucker offers aggressive & mean tones
- Surprisingly versatile (coil-split)
- Thin U neck is great for correct thumb placement (at the back of the neck)
- Extra jumbo frets enable effortless playability
- Stays in tune well
- Looks stunning
What I don’t like
- Not the best upper fret access
- If you are used to smaller frets, you have to use a bit lighter touch with Extra jumbo frets
Who is it for?
If you are after budget-friendly guitar with 1 mean but versatile humbucker, ESP LTD EC-201 is one of the top choices. It has great quality hardware, it stays in tune well, and is comfortable to play. But it should be noted that this axe is best for metalheads.
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Best Overall – EVH Striped Series
What I like
- Really fast playing
- EVH Humbucker works really well for rock, hard rock, and classic rock
- 12″-16″ compound fretboard radius makes riffing near the nut and shredding down the neck smooth
- D-Tuna-equipped Floyd Rose allows to instantly change to drop D
- The yellow Striped finish looks awesome
What I don’t like
- Coil-split would be awesome
- The humbucker is not meaty enough for really heavy stuff
Who is it for?
If you are after an extremely fast-playing guitar with a humbucker that’s made for rock, EVH Striped Series is an excellent choice. It’s equipped with D-Tuna Floyd Rose that enables you to instantly change to drop D, the finish is usually flawless, and the tuning stability is great. It should be noted that for really heavy stuff, the sound might fall short. But for rock and hard rock, it’s just awesome!
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Best Overall – ESP E-II M-1 Thru NT
What I like
- Real bone nut increases sustain (and psychological value)
- Gotoh Locking tuners hold the pitch
- Thin U neck is comfortable to play and great for correct thumb placement (at the back of the neck)
- Gotoh Tune-O-Matic bridge is high in quality and feels great against your palm
- Active EMG 81 humbucker offers nice beefy distortion and clear cleans
- The guitar looks amazing (especially the String-through body design)
- Usually comes with a hardshell case
- Extra jumbo frets enable effortless playability
What I don’t like
- Not the most versatile
- If you are used to smaller frets, you have to use a bit lighter touch with Extra jumbo frets
- Expensive
Who is it for?
If you are after a premium-level metal machine with premium hardware, finish, and effortless playability, keep the ESP E-II M-1 Thru NT on your radar. I love its Gotoh locking tuners, Thin U neck, and mean EMG 81 humbucker. It’s not the most versatile guitar, but for distortion, it’s one of the top horses (a real stallion).
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FAQ
Why Do Some Guitars Only Have 1 Pickup?
There are a couple of reasons:
- Unique – guitar market needs different options
- Some players prefer simplicity
- Some players don’t need a neck pickup and are fine with just 1 bridge pup (and some just want the neck pickup)
Are Guitars With Only 1 Pickup Worth It?
Of course, they lack a bit of versatility, but they can still offer a nice variety of different tones. To me, they are not the best fit for every situation, but they are still worth it.
Who Should Buy Guitar With Only 1 Pickup?
If you usually use only 1 pickup anyway, a guitar with only 1 pickup might be a cool option. Also, if you want something unique that pushes you to find out the best sounds of only 1 pickup, I would go for it.
But if you are after extreme versatility, I would go after a guitar with more pickups.
What’s The Best Pickup For Single Pickup Guitar?
Of course, this depends on your preferences, but I would choose a humbucker with a coil split. This kind of pickup adds versatility.
Conclusion on Guitars With One Pickup
Yes, versatility might suffer a little bit, since there’s only 1 pup to churn tones on, but otherwise, I really like the idea. Of course, if I had to choose just one electric to be my only guitar, it would not be an axe with just 1 pickup. But otherwise, I’m really happy to add these bad boys to my collection. What do you think?
I hope this article helped you out, and maybe you even decided to get one of the guitars featured. If you have any questions, leave a comment, I and the GND team are here for you.
Now go, my son, and Rock!
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