496R in the bridge?

[Captain Tightpants]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

I think the 496R is generally a little hotter than the 490R, my 496 is 8.30 Kohm which is more than you usually use for a neck PAF.

Hmmm, I should slam A5 in there and use it as a bridge rockah...

+1, the 496R I've got meters way hotter than all of the 490R's and 490T's I have. My 496 is reading 8.7-ish, my hottest 490 is just under 8.5

My 496 is currently serving as a bridge pickup in my Les Paul Studio with an A5. I actually like it quite a bit like that, great early AC/DC-Nazareth tones with that. It sounded pretty good with the ceramic magnet, too, but WAY too bright in that guitar. It sounded fine with an A2 as well, I'm just likng the A5 tone better.

I'm getting a WB Habenero for that guitar, but if I don't like it, the 496 is going right back in.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

I'd like to first try an A8. I'm pretty sure I've liked it in every pickup I've tried it in.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

I agree with the 490R being a turd under any moderate + gain... Changing from the stock A2/standard series wiring, to an A5/parallel wired pickup is nothing short of a miraculous transformation.

+1. I've yanked the A2's out of all my 490R's & replaced them with A5's; that alone made a huge difference to me. I don't understand Gibson using an A2 in that PU and making it so dark and muddy, and then pairing it with the 498T, which is pretty bright. No wonder why that pair gets pulled out of Gibsons and sold so often.

 

[uOpt]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

+1. I've yanked the A2's out of all my 490R's & replaced them with A5's; that alone made a huge difference to me. I don't understand Gibson using an A2 in that PU and making it so dark and muddy, and then pairing it with the 498T, which is pretty bright. No wonder why that pair gets pulled out of Gibsons and sold so often.

The theory seems to be that the customer expects a warm and sweet neck pickup sound when picking up a Les Paul in guitar center.

Personally, I think that a Les Paul with a pair of 59s would always beat the honk out of that combo in a guitar center situation. You play quiet, so the scooped sound isn't scooped, it is balanced due to the "loudness" effect. Picking up a guitar with neck 490R and one with '59 neck will see much more sparkle and life coming out of the '59. That particularly applies to people who just do some light fingerpicking. Or high-gain metal kids, the '59 definitely is easier to get some creech creech chunk chunk out of.

I think it is rare to have the average GC customer have the light touch, the ears and - most importantly - a suitable amp in-shop to appreciate a humble pickup like the 490R.

A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that what Gibson actually wants is sell their more expensive models. If you assume the customer already knows he wants a Gibson when arriving at the shop then your battle is to up-sell him or her. The models with Burstbuckers and even the 57 classic would be the goal here.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

A possible explanation for this discrepancy is that what Gibson actually wants is sell their more expensive models. If you assume the customer already knows he wants a Gibson when arriving at the shop then your battle is to up-sell him or her. The models with Burstbuckers and even the 57 classic would be the goal here.

That's an interesting idea, and really quite believable. How much more could it possibly cost them to put Burstbuckers in all their guitars? I bet a lot less Burstbuckers get replaced than 490/496/500's.

If Gibsons were thought of as leave-'em-stock guitars, think of how much the aftermarket pickup sales would go up.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

How much more could it possibly cost them to put Burstbuckers in all their guitars? I bet a lot less Burstbuckers get replaced than 490/496/500's.

Looking at posts, BB's & '57 Classics get high marks from most members, while 490's have few favorable comments. Certainly Gibson's gotten a lot of similar feedback themselves over the years, and we can assume that there's nothing wrong with their hearing. While they may be intending to "steer" customers to more expensive models, they're also damaging their reputation and steering sales to competitors. The first thing they should do is pair the 498T with a better neck PU. When you buy a Gibson, your first move shouldn't be to replace the PU's. Today $500 guitars with high quality PU's are becoming more common, even Epiphone is getting into the game. If Gibson has a stockpile of 490's to use up, they should put them in Epiphones and use only their best PU's in Gibsons. I don't know what they're thinking, but a bad economy is no time to be playing these games with the public.

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: 496R in the bridge?

Try it. If it works, then everything that has been said is merely opinion.