490R and 498T pick-ups

[midnite_man]

Just so it's clearer in my mind what this issue is all about, what's the deal with Gibson 490R and 498T pick-ups? I've read several posts that said these pups are fairly low-grade as far as any spectacular tone capabilities are concerned. I'm shopping around for a Gibby Studio, which normally come stock with these pickups....so I'm thinking that the obvious first upgrade I'd be doing with this guitar would be swapping out the pups for SD's.
Anyone care to share a little more insight to this topic?
Thanks,
Bob

 

[flank]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

the 2 studios i played both had a bit of mud on the neck pickup and i bit too much treble and edge on the bridge.......

 

[RG 2570]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

Just so it's clearer in my mind what this issue is all about, what's the deal with Gibson 490R and 498T pick-ups? I've read several posts that said these pups are fairly low-grade as far as any spectacular tone capabilities are concerned. I'm shopping around for a Gibby Studio, which normally come stock with these pickups....so I'm thinking that the obvious first upgrade I'd be doing with this guitar would be swapping out the pups for SD's.
Anyone care to share a little more insight to this topic?
Thanks,
Bob

they are not the worst out there but then again they certianly are not the best either.
i would say the 498 is kind of JB like and the 490 is just a classic 57 with more upper mids.
i played a gibson with that set in it and it was alright sounding,but duncans would be a huge improvement

 

[midnite_man]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

they are not the worst out there but then again they certianly are not the best either.
i would say the 498 is kind of JB like and the 490 is just a classic 57 with more upper mids.
i played a gibson with that set in it and it was alright sounding,but duncans would be a huge improvement

I agree, and I'd probably out Duncan's in no matter what....unless the previous owner had installed some vintage PAF's or something like that. I could always swap the Custom/59 set out of my Epi G400 into a Gibson Studio. It doesn't sound like the 490/498 combo will be what I'll want to hear but I guess I'll have to reserve judgement on 'em until I hear 'em.
Still, I wanted to get your opinions.

Thanks
-Bob

 

[RG 2570]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I agree, and I'd probably out Duncan's in no matter what....unless the previous owner had installed some vintage PAF's or something like that. I could always swap the Custom/59 set out of my Epi G400 into a Gibson Studio. It doesn't sound like the 490/498 combo will be what I'll want to hear but I guess I'll have to reserve judgement on 'em until I hear 'em.
Still, I wanted to get your opinions.

Thanks
-Bob

bob the custom/59 in the les paul will definfitely be a huge tone improvement over the stock 498T and 490r

 

[mongrollo]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I'd say that you should play the guitar and see what this pickups tell you. I haven't tried them but Gibson it is an enoght respected brand to offer good pickups in their guitars. May be you'll like the sound they offer (good!! you'll save some money!!). If you don't you'll have the full SD catalog to shape your sound.

But at least give them an oportunity...

 

[EarlySab]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

A year or two ago I bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio that had those pickups. The 498T was one of the crappiest PUs I've ever heard. Its total junk. It was not suited to do any style of music well. The 490 wasn't quite so bad but still not that good either. I also bought a Gibson SG which had 490's in bridge and neck. The 490 definitely sounded better in the bridge of the SG than the 498 in the Les Paul bridge. I ended up putting Seymour Duncan Seth Lovers in both guitars and they were a huge improvement over the stock Gibson pups. You would think if you paid $1400 for a guitar you could expect decent pups. Even the stock pups in the Epiphone G-400s sound better to me than the stock Gibson pups.

 

[Dirtyking]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

The 490 neck was too muddy in my SG. A '59 gave it the vintage tone I wanted for it. The 490 in the bridge however was alright to me. It just lacked range and bite I expected from an SG. So I cured that with a Demon.

 

[MattPete]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I have an SG Special (I'm still in the 30-day Guitar Center period of keeping it or returning it). For what I wanted it to do (vintage sound for Jay Farrar and Angus type tones), the 490t (bridge?) does a pretty good job. Not perfect, but still pretty good. I tried out an SG standard with a 498t bridge, and it was too hot and middy for me.

I'm not too thrilled with the 490r neck pickup. It's too muddy and undefined.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

After I'd been playing various Duncans for a while and had changed the pots and caps in my LP I decided to give the 490R / 498T another go. I found the 498T clangy, nasal and harsh and the 490R muddy and indistinct. All the SD pickups I've tried in that guitar ('59s, Seths, Custom, C5) have been a big improvement. I played the 490R / 498T for a couple of years when I first got the guitar, but once I'd tried Duncans there was no going back.

 

[BluesJunkie]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I think the 490 & 498 make a good, versatile combo. They won't nail any one style, but they're certainly good all around pups.

To me, the 490R is great for cleans and mild dirt, but it's muddy with distortion. The 498T is just the opposite, great distorted but not so great clean. However, after trying lots of different Duncan, DiMarzio, Gibson, and Fender pickups, I've come to believe that there's no "holy grail" pickup. All of them have good and bad qualities. You just have to find a pickup that gets you in the ballpark and let your fingers do the rest.

 

[spidey]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I think they're ok. I have them in one of my Pauls and they sound fine. My main Paul has a Pearly Gates Set which rule.

 

[papersoul]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I find the guitar itself plays a larger rols in the tone and pickups will only make minore alterations. With that said, if you find the right Gibson.....you will LOVE those pickups.

 

[Kelsey]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

Try lowering the 490R and 498T before you heat up the soldering iron. The 490R sounds muddy and the 498T sounds harsh when they are too close to the strings, but they clean up and smooth out nicely when they are dropped a bit lower. It's worth a try unless your money is burning a hole in your pocket. I like a lot of the SD pickups I've heard, but you never know how any pickup will sound in any given guitar, so it's a bit of a crap shoot. Obviously, YMMV.

 

[warmachine67]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I once owned a Les Paul Studio with the 490/498 pickups in it (the guitar was replaced after I got a Les Paul Classic). Like someone has already said, the 490/498 is a pretty generic pickup set that covers a lot of bases okay, but doesn't really do just one well. They are medium output and tend to be muddy when plugged into the front of a high gain tube amp (i.e. Marshall JCM or Boogie Rectifier, etc). Even clean, they tend to sound between bass mud and treblely harsh.

Oddly though, if you are going to run them through a rack mounted preamp, like an ADA MP-1 or a Triaxis, etc, they sound awesome. I used to go through a lot of gear, but since I plug into the front of the amp only now, you can't go wrong with a 59/JB combination. But, if you have the extra cash, a Les Paul with the 496/500 pickups sound much better than the 490/498.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I appreciate the input, people. I just bought a Studio a couple days ago with the 490/498 combo, and I'll wait and see what they sound like. But I'm more than certain some Duncan's are destined for that guitar.
I've got a Custom/59n set I'll probably pull out of my Epi G400 and swap with the Studio, or; buy a Jazz/n, replace the PG neck pup in my Epi LP with the Jazz, and, with the bridge PG I have on the shelf I could use Pearly Gates in the Studio.
Not sure yet.
Thanks,

Bob

 

[papersoul]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I actually didn't like the BB Pros in my LP before I had my tech show me that they should be lowered and manb what a difference! Now the BB Pros are some of my favorite pickups!!!!!!

Take the time to tweak them, bro.

 

[keninverse]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

all of you guys aren't too happy about the 490R in the neck position...right? I actually found a solution to this problem last night. I always wanted to try the 50s wiring method b/c of what I had heard. so last night I broke out the soldering iron and wired it up so the tone knob follows the output. Cleared things right up...no muddiness at all. It may be worth noting that I play a 82 LP standard.

 

[korovamilkdud]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

I thought they were okay, neck is a bit muddy, bridge is a bit harsh, but ultimately you'll want to swap them out. I guess a Custom/59 would be the SD equivalent? If you "kinda like em" that might be the holy grail.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: 490R and 498T pick-ups

Don't judge too quickly. I think my 490R from 95 standard is a pretty good pickup. I cannot say the same for my 498T tho.

B