Convince me

danglybanger

danglybanger

ReelItInologist
...Alright. I've been wanting to go the low output humbucker route for a while now... And thanks to Hellrider I'm now in possesion of a 59 Bridge.

However I'm always dreafully afraid of f*cking with things that work perfectly well so... Convince me to install the 59 in place of the 498T in my Paul!!! I actually kind of like the 498T which is why I'm thinking about this way too much.

The reasons I wanted to try the 59-
-Increased clarity
-A more open sound with increased sparkle, less compressed overall
-Better clean sound

Things I'm worried about-
-Will I still be able to get a good sludgy distortion sound (Think Alice in Chains, the Melvins) without resorting to a pedal on most amps? (Alright, Vox AD30VT)
-The palm mute chunk... I don't consider the 498T to have a good palm mute chunk, can I expect too much worse from the 59?
-This may be a bit weird, but I like a bit of a buzzy sound in my distortion (which the 498 has). Is the 59 more buzzy or smooth under distortion?

So basically... can someone just confirm what I want from the 59 and say something about my concerns? Sorry, I just hate to tear apart a perfectly good guitar... I've always wanted to try a 59, it's either install it now or wait til I have another project to put it in.

thanks

slade
 
Re: Convince me

I used my '59 for everything from the Allman Bro stuff to Black Sabbath & STP. The '59 is my favorite all around Humbucker.....it does a lot of things well, I think you will like it....Joe
 
Re: Convince me

i was particulary interested when you mentioned that buzzy distortion sound you got from the 498t. does your 498t have pickup covers? coz if we're thinkin about the same thing, then that buzzy sound might be caused by the covers. i had a gibson humbucker in my les paul before. i can't remember right now if it was a 490t or a 498t. but i did notice some sort of a buzzy, compressed distortion when the covers were on. when i took the covers out, the sound changed drastically. the sound was more open, more highs, more harmonics. i prefered the sound i got with the covers on so i put them back.
the 59 is a great pickup. but i find that the pearly gates has the best palm mute chunk sound. the 59 sounds better clean than the pearly gates, though coz it has more sparkle and less compression. very versatile.
 
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Re: Convince me

nope. No covers. I'm pretty sure they only made a 490R, not a 490 T, my 498T is fairly buzzy in the distortion department, which I like. Didn't know you could make it more buzzy :D But I probably wouldn't want to.

Hmm... still don't know. I might just stick it in a project guitar (the 59)

slade
 
Re: Convince me

Aw, forget about that, Slade. Put a LaceSensor in it. OR a Dimarzio s/c.;) After all, it's only a Gibson.
 
Re: Convince me

The only 59' i have heard, was in the schecter Ultracure, and it sounds freaking awesome ( nothing that you would expect in a sub $1000 Signature guitar) i was surprised at how well made that guitar is, so it should sound freaking awesome in a gibby. Palm muting is chunky, has a nice clean to it aswell, cruch factor: ELEVEN 11
 
Re: Convince me

I happen to like the 498T. I've never tried a 59b though. I wouldn't know what to expect. It seems to be for what you're looking for the screamin' demon or custom would be ideal.
 
Re: Convince me

Actually 490T's are in the lower line SG's.

I thought I wanted HO buckers until I went and put a JB in my Heritage, it was just too much, I slapped in the A2P and smooth sailing.

Right now the PRS has my HO bucker I made on UGD, and it sounds nice...but I keep wondering how a lower output pup would sound about 9K-10K.

Luke
 
Re: Convince me

They put 490T's in the Lucille too. I had one and was stunned at how rude and nasty it sounded (in a great way) with overdrive.

If your LP is your typical loud and beefy Lester, the 59 will probably sound good in it. I don't know that it will hit the front end of your amp hard enough to get that Alice in Chains chunk, but if it doesn't work, you can always put the 498T back in and sell the 59 and you're out only about $30 for the experiment.

But of the Duncans, I'd recommend the Seth Lover bridge or the Alnico 2 Pro bridge for more chunk in a vintage output pickup, especially if you replace the Alnico 2 in either with an Alnico 5.
 
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Re: Convince me

Luke Duke said:
Right now the PRS has my HO bucker I made on UGD, and it sounds nice...but I keep wondering how a lower output pup would sound about 9K-10K.

Luke
Click to expand...

Two words:

Jon...Moore...
 
Re: Convince me

You won't know until you actually install it. It's not like you can't put the Gibby back in if you don't like the 59, God forbid. :D
 
Re: Convince me

Or you could try your own version of my Wacky Weekend Winding adventure, just take a 59 and add about 1,000 turns on each coil. That should get you pretty close to 10k, well over if you use #43 wire.
 
Re: Convince me

Come to think of it, a 59(b) with those extra turns and an Alnico 4 magnet would probably be pretty smokin'...
 
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Re: Convince me

All I can tell you is that I've got several sets of 498/490's, and they're in a place I call my junk drawer.......a graveyard of inferior stock pickups.

I think you should get a 59N too, and have a 59/59 set. If you ever want to swap out the bridge, there's plenty of people here that will trade.
 
Re: Convince me

I think the Gibson 498T and 490T & R (and Gibson pickups in general) are very under-rated. But they do have to be in the right guitar for them to really do their thing...
 
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