# Charlie Starr on guitar choice for song

> Charlie Starr explains how a song's riff dictates the perfect guitar pickup for its sound
- Title: Charlie Starr on guitar choice for song · Guitar World
- Summary: Charlie Starr explains how a song's riff dictates the perfect guitar pickup for its sound The song's riff itself decides whether a single coil, humbucker, or…
- Keywords: charlie starr, guitar, p-90 pickup, humbucker pickup, gibson les paul, blackberry smoke, guitar world, Charlie, Starr, choice, song
- Source: Guitar World — https://guitarworld.com/lessons/artist-lessons/charlie-starr-on-the-importance-of-choosing-the-right-guitar-for-the-job
- Published: 2026-09-27T18:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: charlie starr, guitar, p-90 pickup, humbucker pickup, gibson les paul, blackberry smoke, guitar world
## What makes a guitar right for a song
Charlie Starr says the song's riff itself decides the best pickup type for its sound
## P-90 pickups: Gibson's classic choice
P-90 pickups are large single-coil units that Gibson used before 1957
## Why P-90s work for hard riffs
The P-90's midrange focus gives perfect clarity for driving guitar riffs
## Workin' for a Workin' Man example
A 1953 Gibson Les Paul Standard with P-90s created the song's signature riff
## Riff breakdown section
The song uses a single-note riff based on the A blues scale with double stops
## Guitar solo section
The solo switches from bridge to neck pickup for different pentatonic scales
## Key takeaway

The song's riff itself decides whether a single coil, humbucker, or other pickup works best