PJD Carey “Origin” Standard Electric Guitar – Pelham Blue

The PJD Carey Origin Standard is a UK-designed, Indonesian-manufactured single-cut electric guitar from PJD's Origin Series, equipped with a dual-pickup configuration: an Alnico V P90 at the neck position and an Alnico V humbucker at the bridge, selected via a three-way toggle switch. Built on a solid mahogany body with a maple bolt-on neck, rosewood fingerboard and 25.5-inch scale length, the Carey Standard delivers the tonal pairing of a transparent, articulate neck P90 and a focused, driven bridge humbucker — a combination that covers a wide range from clean and expressive to overdriven and cutting, with each pickup position sounding genuinely different from the other. The Pelham Blue gloss finish places the Carey Standard in the lineage of one of the most distinctive and enduring custom colours in electric guitar history: a rich metallic blue-green that reads differently under stage lighting and daylight, and that has remained in continuous production by various makers since it first appeared on guitars in the early 1960s.

Pelham Blue — One of the Great Guitar Colours

Pelham Blue is a metallic blue-green with a depth and character that plain colours cannot match. Its name derives from the Pelham shade used in 1950s and early 1960s American automotive paint — one of a generation of metallic custom colours developed by the US car industry during that decade that found their way onto electric guitars as manufacturers looked to offer finishes that stood out from the standard sunbursts and natural tops of the era. Gibson introduced Pelham Blue as one of their custom colour options in this period, and it appeared on instruments including the ES-335, SG, and Flying V. The colour's appeal is specific: under bright stage lighting it reads as a vivid, saturated teal with metallic shimmer; in daylight or softer lighting it takes on a more muted blue-green with greater depth and less flash. It is recognisable immediately and associated directly with a certain era and aesthetic of electric guitar playing. The gloss poly finish on the Carey Standard presents Pelham Blue at its most vibrant — the gloss surface amplifies the metallic flake's reflectivity — framed by the guitar's single-cut body shape.

P90 and Humbucker — Two Pickup Types, Two Different Tonal Characters

The Carey Standard's dual-pickup layout is the same configuration as the PJD St John Origin Standard: a P90 in the neck position and a humbucker at the bridge. These are not two versions of the same type of pickup — they are fundamentally different designs that produce genuinely distinct sounds:

• Neck P90 (Alnico V): A P90 is a single-coil pickup with a wide, flat bobbin that gives it a broader magnetic window than a traditional narrow single coil. The neck P90 on the Carey Standard produces a clear, detailed, piano-like quality in the upper register — notes are distinct and separate even in clean chord playing. It is warmer than a typical single coil, slightly compressed, and responds expressively to picking dynamics. The P90 in the neck position sits in a part of the string's vibration path that naturally emphasises warmth and sustain, making this position well suited to clean rhythm, single-note lead work, and any context where articulation and note definition matter over raw output.
• Bridge humbucker (Alnico V): A humbucker uses two coils wound in opposite phase to cancel single-coil hum while producing a warmer, fuller, higher-output signal than a single coil or P90. The bridge humbucker on the Carey Standard delivers the focused, punchy, sustained tone that the bridge position favours — bright enough to cut through a band mix, with enough output to drive an amplifier into natural breakup or work directly with overdrive and distortion pedals. Hum is cancelled by design, making this position quieter in high-interference environments than the neck P90.
• Both pickups together (middle toggle position): The combined position blends the P90's clarity and detail with the humbucker's body and warmth. The result varies depending on the amplifier and playing context, but generally produces a full, balanced tone with the P90's articulation softened by the humbucker's mass.

25.5-Inch Scale Length — Fender Standard, Not Gibson Standard

The Carey Standard runs a 25.5-inch (648mm) scale length — the Fender standard measurement, rather than the 24.75-inch Gibson standard more commonly associated with mahogany single-cut instruments. The longer scale produces greater string tension at standard pitch, a slightly brighter and tighter low-end response, and sharper string feel under the fingers. For the P90 neck pickup specifically, the additional tension and brightness the longer scale contributes is a useful complement — a P90 on a 25.5-inch scale is a little more articulate and less compressed than the same pickup on a shorter scale, which adds to its clarity and note separation. Players accustomed to a 24.75-inch scale instrument may want to try a lighter gauge string on the Carey Standard to manage the increased tension, or may appreciate the added definition the longer scale brings.

How the Carey Standard Compares to the Carey Apprentice

Who Is the Carey Origin Standard For?

• Players who want a P90 and humbucker combination in PJD's Carey body shape, in a finish with genuine visual character
• Guitarists who play across clean to driven styles and want each pickup position to sound meaningfully different
• Players who want the wider tonal range of two distinct pickup types rather than the single-register focus of the Apprentice
• Anyone who has been looking for a Pelham Blue guitar with a P90/humbucker layout at a price that reflects PJD's direct-to-player model
• Players stepping up from the Carey Apprentice who want neck position tones and pickup switching capability

Specifications

Expert Advice at Angkor Music

At Angkor Music Melbourne we stock PJD Guitars across the Origin Series. If you want to compare the Carey Standard to the St John Standard, the Carey Apprentice, or the Carey Pro, discuss available stock, or get advice on which configuration suits your playing, our team can help.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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