490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

Aceman

I am your doctor of love!
I have to say - After reading a lot of postings, I'm upset at the trash talk about the stock Gibson pups. Now - before anyone gets too offended, let me make a couple of things clear: One - I'm a huge Les Paul fan (which naturally means I'm biased and Two - I'm in the process of replacing most of my pups w/ Duncans (or the occasional DiMarzio) - so I don't think Gibson is God. In fact - I find their customer service and business practices pretty poor.

I just want to point out, however, that Gibson made a guitar for everyone. They didn't make a blues guitar, or a metal guitar, or a rock guitar or a band/sound du jour guitar. They made an electric guitar. While there are pups that are tweeked a hundred different ways from Sunday with more or less treble, low mid, high mid, bass, output, presence, balls, flavor or whatever that might suite your particular tastes, you honestly can walk into a store, pick up a Paul, and rightously wail in any musical style from Jazz to Nu-metal.

Now - if your amp is a turd, maybe not. If your chops suck, maybe not. But if you can't belt out a decent tune on the Paul, it's not the pup. It may not be "Tone of The Gods" but it should work. Gibson has had it's better and worse years - but overall there are a lot of stock Paul buckers out there testifying (on recordings that you know and love). I'm sure even Seymour has a dog pup that came and went over the years - and that there was someone who actually liked it. And that Jimi Hendrix could have walked in and melted your face off palying it.

So lets try and focus on the positive this Holiday season! Let's here about what you need out of your sound - not what sucks about a pup that wasn't personally made for you anyway! That said - I'm looking forward to ditching my p-100's in that Paul Studio listed below very soon for both a Hotter and more Vintage set!
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I have a Les Paul Studio with stock pups, I think they are great. 490/498. Although I am curious on what kind of tone I can pull out, or some difference if I did customise. You are right though, by all means they are great pups. I tend to like the Wylde style of sound with more midrange. Anybody have any suggestions for me if I was to slap some different pups in?
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I am a big fan of the Gibson 496 R and 500T pickups found in the Les Paul Classic, but I have bought a few for my Les Paul Studios, and I have the complete set in my SG. I took out my Duncan Distortion which was admittedly a bit fuller sounding than the 500T. I did the hex pole swap in the 496r and 500t with 6 hex head set screws in place of the slugs and 6 hex head 5/40" socket screws in place of the slotted poles (think allen poles from a screamin demon). I like the 496R with both sets of hex poles. The 500T is a bit thinner sounding in my SG than my Les paul. I may put the DD with both sets of hex poles back in the bridge to make me happier.

Check it out.

Gibson500Twithhexpoles.jpg


GibsonSG-MirrorChromehardware.jpg
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

The 490-498 set that came in my Paul was OK. That's it. Not great, not good, but OK. There was so much complexity and richness when playing my Paul unplugged that wasn't being transmitted by these pickups when I plugged in. I changed to a 59/JB set, and while better, I still wasn't where I wanted to be. I then went with a pair of 59's and got a bit closer. Now I have a Pearly Gates set and am completely satisfied. Funny thing is, my Paul now sounds more like the LP's in those classic recordings than it did with the stock Gibbo pickups, and it will cover ANYTHING from Jazz, country, blues, funk, rock and even metal.

The 490/498 set is OK, but in a $2k plus guitar, Gibson can do way better. Thank God the new Standards come with the Burstbuckers, which are quite nice, actually.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I had a set of 500T/496R and I didnt have a problem with them at all. I thought they were very good pickups. They get a really bad rap in my opinion.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I just today made a comparison between my SG with a 498T and my Jackson with a JB in the bridge.

The 498t is horrible compared to the excellence of the JB. I find it that 498 has more ear piercing highs and undefined lows, and no mids at all. Maybe that's just me.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

Different strokes for different folks. I feel about the same way you do about the Gibson but, about the JB.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I played the 490R / 498T in my LP Standard for three years before I started experimenting with replacements. They weren't bad, but I've preferred all the Duncan models I've tried.

As you say, there are stock Gibson pickups out there on recordings we know and love. As far as I know The Darkness were using stock '98 Standards when they recorded "Permission To Land" - there are 498Ts and 490Rs on that album! :)
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

HarrisonDavid said:
I have a Les Paul Studio with stock pups, I think they are great. 490/498. Although I am curious on what kind of tone I can pull out, or some difference if I did customise. You are right though, by all means they are great pups. I tend to like the Wylde style of sound with more midrange. Anybody have any suggestions for me if I was to slap some different pups in?

Wylde = EMG 81's I believe. And they will sund different indeed!
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

Again - lots of "preferences" even for ear piercing high's (which I don't like!), but they work. And I have heard great stuff about burst-buckers! I'm not giving up the 490 neck in my 79 Standard for anything - although I might try a 500k pot.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

The stock 500T in an Explorer reissue I had, was terrific sounding. I have no problem with stock Gibson pups...it's just that Duncan makes better sounding pupsand a wider variety.

Jeff
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

The Les Paul Standard has the BurstBucker Pro pickups with Alnico V magnets according to the Gibson site...

Anyway... I will keep the original picups when I get my Les Paul! I want the original Les Paul sound!
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I have theodie's old 496/500 set, and in my ESP, they sound awesome. I'm honestly kind of disturbed at how "Gibsony" it sounds now. I can't imagine a Paul with a Floyd & bolt-on neck sounding a whole lot different.

BTW, I'm very anti-Gibson (new stuff), and I wanted to hate these pickups, but I'm really digging them.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I had a 490/498T set in my studio & it wasn't too bad, I wanted 4 condutor wiring though...

Having said that I am much happier with my SD's.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

Mayhem said:
The Les Paul Standard has the BurstBucker Pro pickups with Alnico V magnets according to the Gibson site...

Yes, it does now, but in the 90s and up until about 2002 it came stock with the 490R / 498T.
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I've got an SG Special that was stocked with 490x2. Couldn't stand that bridge sound. Switched out to 59's, and love the improvements.

I've got a SG Standard stocked with 490/498. Totally dig it. Covers all that I want. I see no need to monkey around with this one.

That said, I think its only a good combo in the SG...I've played a bunch of LP's set up with 490/498 and I always feel it doesn't measure up to the SG's versatility. Its no suprise to me that they finally started offering alternative like burstbuckers and such.

warning, these are my opinion only, and naturally, your mileage will differ.

-sabe
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

JB_From_Hell said:
I have theodie's old 496/500 set, and in my ESP, they sound awesome. I'm honestly kind of disturbed at how "Gibsony" it sounds now. I can't imagine a Paul with a Floyd & bolt-on neck sounding a whole lot different.

BTW, I'm very anti-Gibson (new stuff), and I wanted to hate these pickups, but I'm really digging them.
Glad to hear you are happy with them brother!!! They are a really decent set!!!
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

Sabe said:
I've got an SG Special that was stocked with 490x2. Couldn't stand that bridge sound. Switched out to 59's, and love the improvements.

I've got an SG with the same set, and the 490t and 490r just do not balance well (I actually like the bridge better than the neck). What differences did you notice when you switched out the 490's for 59's?
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

I have no problem with the 496/500 combo (except they may be too hot for my bluesy style). It was the 490/490 set in my SG I found lacking. It was good for a clean sound, but I couldn't push them and get the raw slide guitar tone I so desired, unlike my Explorer, which is a slide beast (I don't know for sure but I think it has a pair of PAFs).
I don't know what Duane Allman's SG was armed with, but I bet it wasn't 490s!

So I guess I would say I have a problem with the 490T, but that's it. The only negative thing I would say about Gibson pups in general is, they aren't Seymour Duncans!

P.S. I love P-90s and P-100s
 
Re: 490/498/500T undeserved bad rep!

Aceman said:
Aceman
"Whoever dies with the most
Les Paul's wins!"

Man I hope you don't kick any time soon, you've only have one (or possibly two) Les Pauls listed!!!! :biglaugh:
 
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