490r replacement pickup

[EmiAba]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

That worked for mine too. It sounds pretty bright now in my basswood bodied Flying V copy.


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Basswood is the magic word. Basswood naturally absorbs part of treble frequencies and it gets scooping out the midrange without sounding too bassy or muddy. That is the reason why 490R sounds better and and it is more sensitive to variations in heigh adjustement.

Mohagany is simply different. And the 490R in not the right pickup in the guitars made with mohagany

 

[darthphineas]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

I checked out a 490R a year or two ago, along with a 500T. While I think the 500T is a great distortion-class pup with more versatility than most, the 490R is on that I would even put time in to review. Just not for me.

Technically speaking, although the SNS was original marketed as being wound on the Leesona (although the Leesona marketing for it was removed), which many felt suggested the set was PE, the SNSn is poly. To some, it might make it a little more like a Jazz than a 59 Model. If you have a Jazz or a 59 Model and an A4, go for it. For my money, I'd get an old 80s era 59Nwith a RCA5 or roll the dice on a new 59 Model with a RCA5.

Or go with a Seth neck. You might even get luck and remove the cover to find a double cream.

 

[deuce241]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

Ok so I took last night to adjust the pole pieces and pickup height. There was definite improvement, but I still couldn't get out that boomy, dark sound. As suggested above, if I'm going to switch the bridge, I might as well buy the set. And I'm really digging the Saturday Night Special, that's what I'm going to get in both the neck and bridge. Thanks everyone for your help!

 

[deuce241]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

I checked out a 490R a year or two ago, along with a 500T. While I think the 500T is a great distortion-class pup with more versatility than most, the 490R is on that I would even put time in to review. Just not for me.

Technically speaking, although the SNS was original marketed as being wound on the Leesona (although the Leesona marketing for it was removed), which many felt suggested the set was PE, the SNSn is poly. To some, it might make it a little more like a Jazz than a 59 Model. If you have a Jazz or a 59 Model and an A4, go for it. For my money, I'd get an old 80s era 59Nwith a RCA5 or roll the dice on a new 59 Model with a RCA5.

Or go with a Seth neck. You might even get luck and remove the cover to find a double cream.

The Seth and Jazz were close runner-ups for the neck! But I figured I'd try out the SNS neck. If for some reason I don't like it, I can just swap it out later.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

The Saturday Night Special seems like the bridge between vintage pafs like the whole lotta humbucker and Seth and the modernized pafs like the Pearly Gates and 59. They sound great!

15 seconds of clean tone haha: https://youtu.be/toLsIe5EQqQ

Yeah, I wish there were a lot more clean examples of all of the pickups out there.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

Basswood is the magic word. Basswood naturally absorbs part of treble frequencies and it gets scooping out the midrange without sounding too bassy or muddy. That is the reason why 490R sounds better and and it is more sensitive to variations in heigh adjustement.

Mohagany is simply different. And the 490R in not the right pickup in the guitars made with mohagany

My mistake it's not basswood, double checked the specs- its Alder. Still going to be bright though?


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[EmiAba]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

No alder retains more highs than basswood, because of its stiffened texture but also gives some more lows.

 

[vinnie1971]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

No alder retains more highs than basswood, because of its stiffened texture but also gives some more lows.

But in V there's not much wood around that neck pickup ;-)


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[eclecticsynergy]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

I'm told that with a short A5 in it, a 490r can be fairly reminiscent of a T-top. Been meaning to try that with one of mine. I do like T-tops in neck position.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

I'm told that with a short A5 in it, a 490r can be fairly reminiscent of a T-top.

Urban legend. A 490R and a T-Top have the exact complete opposite tone-footprints.

HTH,

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

Urban legend. A 490R and a T-Top have the exact complete opposite tone-footprints.

HTH,

Ah. Good to learn that from someone who has actually tried it, and whose opinion I value. I have two 490Rs gathering dust and was hoping to make them useable. Had pulled mine out long before I heard A5 could help them. IMO even if these were improved by a magnet change, they could still fall quite short of being great. Generally not a big fan of Gibson humbuckers, though I have a couple of T-tops in neck position. One of my Les Pauls came with Burstbuckers and they sound OK to me. I haven't swapped them out. For now.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: 490r replacement pickup

Ah. Good to learn that from someone who has actually tried it, and whose opinion I value. I have two 490Rs gathering dust and was hoping to make them useable. Had pulled mine out long before I heard A5 could help them. IMO even if these were improved by a magnet change, they could still fall quite short of being great. Generally not a big fan of Gibson humbuckers, though I have a couple of T-tops in neck position. One of my Les Pauls came with Burstbuckers and they sound OK to me. I haven't swapped them out. For now.

A 490R in the bridge position is not actually that bad, specially if you've got a bright-ish instrument... but as a neck p'up, only an A3 mag can turn the mush into something usable, if your bridge p'up is an A2 one.

HTH,