1st Les Paul in hands... what can you tell me about it?

[Mincer]

You thought so?

I would agree about the 490T 100%. Bright, thin, and weak.

But I thought the 490R was kinda the oposite. Round and kinda muddy... but still weak.

The 498T is a totally different pickup, though. I love it. I don't love the 490R with it, though, TBH. But I doubt you'd like the 498T knowing what you usually like pickup-wise.

Yeah. But the Howard Roberts Fusion was all maple and balsa (!?!) wood. So maybe that has something to do with it. I own an earlier (1980) HR Fusion now, which is maple and mahogany. I have Antiquities in there and they sound fantastic.

 

[alex1fly]

The 498T - if that's what's in mine - is classic tone. I've heard it a bazillion times. Rocks the house down and even sounds way tight into my 5150 model for metal.