Gibson 496R worth it? Alternatives?

[Mincer]

I find it ironic how much people seem to almost universally love Les Paul tone but seem to be polarized about the pickups that come in them.

Most people in this forum change the pickups, though.

[Inflames626]

Most people in this forum change the pickups, though.

True. I was thinking of the tone from the 50s-60s-early 70s pre-aftermarket pickup days, though.

Some seem to be all about the vintage Les Paul tone from a time when there were pretty much only Gibson and Fender pickups--pickups that those companies still supposedly produce to vintage spec.

Original 1959 Gibson humbucker taken from a vintage instrument=Yes! It's old! It sounds great!
New pickup made to 1959 spec made by Gibson and perhaps even "aged"=It sucks!

I guess that's like anything else, though. How many people would prefer to own a 1957 Chevy Bel Air vs. a new Chevy?

[Rex_Rocker]

Original 1959 Gibson humbucker taken from a vintage instrument=Yes! It's old! It sounds great!
New pickup made to 1959 spec made by Gibson and perhaps even "aged"=It sucks!

Not all Gibson PAF-y pickups have a bad rep. The Custombuckers are overall well-regarded. The Burstbucker 1/2/3 kinda are as well. The '57's and the Burstbucker Pros are indeed polarizing, though. I love the BBP's, personally.

In general, I like Gibson pickups. I love the BBP's, the 500T, and the 498T better than many Duncans. Even the ones that I don't like, the 490's and the A2 Burstbuckers, I recognize I just don't like them because they're not my thing. But they're not really poorly made at all either.

[Rex_Rocker]

Most people in this forum change the pickups, though.

I don't know if I'm the minority, but even if I love the pickups in my guitars, I tend to swap them out eventually because I don't like playing throught the same pickups all the time, and I like trying new stuff out.

[Aceman]

First call: Distortion neck. But you don't like that

Next call: Leave the 496.

Next up: 59 neck, but that is the same as a 59/Distortion-BW combo. Vintage neck, Uber-hot bridge if you are into that.

Bold move: JB

[Rex_Rocker]

First call: Distortion neck. But you don't like that

Next call: Leave the 496.

Next up: 59 neck, but that is the same as a 59/Distortion-BW combo. Vintage neck, Uber-hot bridge if you are into that.

Bold move: JB

I haven't tried the 496R, that's why I wanted some opinions on it if it's worth it or I should skip it altogether. Do you like yours? What is it like?

Another thing I was thinking was maybe a Slash bridge with a Ceramic maget. I'm sure I have ceramic magnets somewhere. But that might be more trouble/expensive than it's worth, considering the 496R wouldn't be that much different (at least surface level looking at the specs), and I could just get one and not have to mod it.

I wouldn't mind a '59B in there, maybe even with a Ceramic magnet, but at that point, I think I might prefer something more "different", LOL.

I've had the JB in the neck before. I found it a bit too dark, and that was in a 24 fret bright-ish PRS SE.

[Inflames626]

First call: Distortion neck. But you don't like that

Next call: Leave the 496.

Next up: 59 neck, but that is the same as a 59/Distortion-BW combo. Vintage neck, Uber-hot bridge if you are into that.

Bold move: JB

Aceman , I love a JB in the neck. Prefer it there than in the bridge.

I would have said this but I thought the JB might have been a tad hotter than the 500t and a little closer to a Dirty Fingers, which I'm guessing is the same as a Distortion.

(Just checked: DF is 15k according to Gibson. JB is 17.4k.

Did not see that coming. I expected more from you, Dirty Fingers.)

[Inflames626]

I'm not a huge fan of Alnico 5s in the bridge on their own, but these days I use those for rhythm tracks because they produce a balanced sound and less shrill ear fatigue. I use ceramics as melody/solo pups and A2s in the neck.

That said, I found the Alnico 5 498t to be much more balanced than the 500t, which to me is more of a lead/melody pickup. It gives me a little ear fatigue to play it without dialing it in, much like the Distortion does.

I contrast the 498t to the Duncan Custom 5, which I hear the huge mid scoop in like many do, vs. the Custom, which I like but lacks the Custom 5's thump.

To me, the 498t is the best of both Custom worlds. It's like an EMG 81 of the passive pickup world for me--good all rounder.

Again, I found the 496r a bit dark--like an Invader. But I am going to rewire that pot sometime because it is doing weird stuff and the sound changes slightly when it is moved. I don't think it is sounding the way it is supposed to.

I have the 496r/500t in a Floyded Epiphone Gothic with a Schaller bridge, Duncan Triple Shots on each pickup, a phase switch on the neck, and a Shadow killpot on the bridge, as well as independent volume knobs and a .047uf tone.

I got the push/pull DPDT off Amazon. I think it was a Musiclily or Radon or one of those brands. Whenever the neck pickup is out of phase, the taper appears to run in reverse. I blame the pot because I build that loadout on most of my passive guitars.

Going with a Bournes next time and am just going to ream that pot hole a little larger.

Also, I'm probably not digging it because I don't like putting ceramic pickups in the neck. I get why it's done--the (usually) bright ceramic tone offsets the dark tone of the neck position.

But I've only been happy with an EMG 60 in the neck as a ceramic. Never put an 81 in the neck. So terrible. Not sure why Kirk Hammett has done that all these years prior to his Bonebreaker set.

[Rex_Rocker]

Inflames626 I like the 81 in the neck, LOL. Especially for leads. For cleans, yeah, no. Or at least I used to. I'm kind of over EMG's right now. I like how Fluences do the EMG thing (or at least what I like about EMG's), just better (for what I want them to do).

I also don't really judge wether I like a pickup based ont he magnet that it has. I used to think I was 100% anti A2, but I really like the Phat Cats, for example. There are many A5 pickups that I don't like as well as Ceramic, and many that I do love.

What I do personally try to stay away in a neck pickup is a combination of a weak magnet or a wind in the low 7K's... not on their own, but paired with hot bridge pickups, yeah. I don't like that mismatch. I don't know if anyone else here has that problem, but no matter how close I got the Jazz in the neck to the strings, it would just sound quieter than the JB. No matter what. But I understand some people like that mismatch and like their neck pickups more tame than their bridge pickups. I guess Seymour Duncan himself does. I've also had dual PAF Pros at once, and even both were the exact same output level, I had no problem just lowering the neck pickup enough to match the bridge pickup in volume.

[Inflames626]

Inflames626 I like the 81 in the neck, LOL. Especially for leads. For cleans, yeah, no. Or at least I used to. I'm kind of over EMG's right now. I like how Fluences do the EMG thing (or at least what I like about EMG's), just better (for what I want them to do).

I also don't really judge wether I like a pickup based ont he magnet that it has. I used to think I was 100% anti A2, but I really like the Phat Cats, for example. There are many A5 pickups that I don't like as well as Ceramic, and many that I do love.

What I do personally try to stay away in a neck pickup is a combination of a weak magnet or a wind in the low 7K's... not on their own, but paired with hot bridge pickups, yeah. I don't like that mismatch. I don't know if anyone else here has that problem, but no matter how close I got the Jazz in the neck to the strings, it would just sound quieter than the JB. No matter what. But I understand some people like that mismatch and like their neck pickups more tame than their bridge pickups. I guess Seymour Duncan himself does. I've also had dual PAF Pros at once, and even both were the exact same output level, I had no problem just lowering the neck pickup enough to match the bridge pickup in volume.

Rex_Rocker , good point. That's why I said "(usually) bright ceramic tone." If I recall an Invader is ceramic and one of the darkest pickups I've ever heard.

For me the 81 just sounded muffled in the neck. I go 60 for a Roland Jazz Chorus bright clean sound and a 60A for more bluesy stuff, in 24 volts. I usually don't do hot pickups in the neck but I think an 85 or 89 better suits that position. I do dig an 81 clean in the bridge though. Very lo fi Slayer "Spill the Blood" kind of clean.

You could try the Jazz bridge in the neck, although I doubt it makes much difference. If I like the overall character of a pickup but need a better match, I will go to the bridge version, like my A2PB/Custom 5 build, or even use two bridge pickups like my Custom 5/Custom build.

I agree that there are some pickups that are just better for different genres. Not sure how a Benedetto would sound distorted. I think super low output A2s are generally better for stuff like country/hybrid/chicken picking. The string separation is great and it breaks up just enough when pushed on a clean tone.

[beaubrummels]

FWIW IME a Custom 5 sounds like a loud Jazz bridge, so if a Jazz isn't hot enough, a Custom 5 in the neck might be the next level.

[Mincer]

I don't know if I'm the minority, but even if I love the pickups in my guitars, I tend to swap them out eventually because I don't like playing throught the same pickups all the time, and I like trying new stuff out.

If I like the sound, I don't change a thing. I have to be motivated to work on aspects of my sound- amp settings, replacement parts, etc. I won't do it to hope for 'better', or just for fun. I'd rather just play.

[Rex_Rocker]

If I like the sound, I don't change a thing. I have to be motivated to work on aspects of my sound- amp settings, replacement parts, etc. I won't do it to hope for 'better', or just for fun. I'd rather just play.

I've come to the realization I'd make for a much better producer or audio engineer than a musician. I mean, I like making music as much as anyone, but to me, a BIG part of the fun of playing guitar is making different sounds and realizing what changes affect what part of the sound. And that to me is as much fun as playing.

It's a pickup forum. We're all passionate about pickups, I guess just in different ways.

[Rex_Rocker]

FWIW IME a Custom 5 sounds like a loud Jazz bridge, so if a Jazz isn't hot enough, a Custom 5 in the neck might be the next level.

It's not really just the output of the Jazz that I don't like, but the EQ as well.

[beaubrummels]

It's not really just the output of the Jazz that I don't like, but the EQ as well.

Yeah got that. I was more posting for all the other people reading that might benefit.