“There's something really magical about it”: Bon Jovi's Phil X on why he prefers single-pickup guitars – and his one-of-a-kind neck pickup 'mods'

Some guitarists see a neck pickup as an electric guitar must-have for their tonal versatility; others reckon they can do everything with just a ‘bucker in the bridge. Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X sits in the latter camp, but he has a scientific theory as to why single-pickup guitars sound better.

Before the guitarist replaced Richie Sambora in the many-times-platinum band, he was typically found in front of a camera making video content for vintage guitar store Fretted Americana.

By his own admission, the job saw him play “500 guitars” from different makers and of varying persuasions. Those playing experiences brought the realization to him.

“I just do what the job requires, but my preference is one pickup,” he tells Guitar World. “I think there's something magical about it.”

Yet, away from the magic, he says there’s science in it too. It all comes down to magnets.

“It's very earthy because I feel like if you have a neck pickup, even though the pickup isn't engaged, the magnet is pulling on the strings and disrupting the vibration from the nut to the bridge,” he explains.

For the uninitiated, a guitar pickup uses magnets to convert the vibrations of guitar strings into electrical signals, with Alnico a common material for those magnets. As Phil X says, even when a pickup isn’t being used, its magnets are still active, which he feels makes a difference to the overall tone.

“When I was playing 500 guitars for Fretted Americana, I realized that my favorite guitars were [Les Paul] Juniors,” he continues. “And it wasn't just because of the P-90s – there was something magical about one pickup.”

Asked if he then fills a guitar's pickup cavity with the neck 'bucker gone, he shows the Gibson SG that, slung over his shoulder throughout the interview, is home to a little figurine of Robin. He has kept the pickup's housing, however, so that he sits in black plastic over wood.

“In my other one,” he adds, “I have a face carving of myself, but it doesn't really look like me, so I call it Dirty Sanchez.”

The sleeker version of Gibson's flagship axe, the Les Paul Junior is an instrument that's been wielded by star players like Gary Moore and Blackberry Smoke's Charlie Starr. It is arguably the most recognizable single-pickup guitar ever made.

For its latest batch of metal guitars, ESP has doubled down on single humbucker builds, with 50% of its 2025 range free of neck pickups. But there have been recent examples of the other camp influencing the market.

In 2023, Schecter raised eyebrows with the triple-coil-loaded Sunset Triad, while an ambitious/silly luthier built the D.U.M.Bucker last year. The fully-functioning design features an eight-coil pickup that it's threatening to make available for purchase.

Phil X, meanwhile, made headlines earlier this year when he shared the stage with Richie Sambora for a run-through of Livin’ on a Prayer with Orianthi at a charity concert.

He’s played down any bad blood between the then-and-now Bon Jovi shredders, ascertaining that “we were buds before and after” the spot. he has since confirmed that new Bon Jovi material is on the way, and at least one killer guitar solo will feature.