Gibson 496R worth it? Alternatives?

[Rex_Rocker]

I'm thinking about puting the 500T back in my Les Paul. I ordered a 496R some time ago, but I got a pair of P Rails instead by mistake, but the seller let me keep them. So I never got to try the 496R.

What I did with one of the P Rails is grab the nickel polepieces, and I had an SH-6N around, but it had a gold cover and gold polepieces. So I used the nickel polepieces of the P Rails, and I put those in and removed the cover, and it matched the look of the 500T pretty decently.

However, I wasn't in love with the sound. I used to really like the SH-6N, but after trying a few different pickups, I kinda grew to think it was kinda mehhh. I like BW-N and Evo Neck better.
I want to grab something that matches the look of the 500T better. Neither the BW-N or Evo Neck really do. So I'm thinking of grabbing a 496R, but I keep reading this pickup is not really the star of the pairing.

I'm wondering what you guys recommend I grab that matches the look of the 500T, meaning glossy black bobbins and nickel slug/screw setup without a logo. I want something smooth and hot, but clear. I certainly don't want a PAF-type or PAF output level pickup for this pairing.

Opinions? Thanks!

 

[beaubrummels]

I would have just went for the 496R. When I had the set, I loved it. All the sounds worked and they mixed together really well.

With Duncans, the only production pickups that come without a logo are 59, A2P and Slash, none of which I would think of pairing with a 500T.

Have to go outside Duncan I think, which is also outside my wheelhouse, mostly.

 

[Laughing Kookaburra]

I had the 500/496 combo in a 2007 Les Paul Classic. The 496 pairs well with the 500. It’s hot enough and clear enough.

I’m usually meh when it comes to Gibson pickups, but the 500/496 combo wasn’t going anywhere.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I love the 500T as much as if not even more than the Black Winter, but I never got to try the 496R. How is it? What is it like? The DCR might seem to suggest it's bright and open for a hot-ish pickup. I assume it's not as hot as the Distortion Neck?

 

[Top-L]

The Dimarzio bobbins are flat black... but... it might be possible to polish them to a gloss. Just lower or remove the pole pieces, then use mesh polishing cloths. Might work.

I think if the bobbins are glossy on both pickups, the difference in pole pieces wouldn't bother me if they were the same color.

 

[Inflames626]

Somewhat off topic. I apologize but since we're discussing Gibson and folks here seem knowledgeable about them:

I have a 490r/490t and haven't put them in anything. I have tried the 57 Classic and 57 Classic +. Would it be fair to say that the 490r/490t are just 4 conductor Classics?

I love the 498t, and consider the 500t so so. The 496r, to be a ceramic pickup, seems very dark to me, while the 500t is not quite Distortion painfully bright. I'm guessing that's a Dirty Fingers's job.

Anyway, are the 490r/t worth installing?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Somewhat off topic. I apologize but since we're discussing Gibson and folks here seem knowledgeable about them:

I have a 490r/490t and haven't put them in anything. I have tried the 57 Classic and 57 Classic +. Would it be fair to say that the 490r/490t are just 4 conductor Classics?

I love the 498t, and consider the 500t so so. The 496r, to be a ceramic pickup, seems very dark to me, while the 500t is not quite Distortion painfully bright. I'm guessing that's a Dirty Fingers's job.

Anyway, are the 490r/t worth installing?

Not really. AFAIK, the 490's are more along the lines of T-Tops than PAF's. The 490T is underwound compared to the 57+.

No. I wouldn't consider the 490's worth installing. The neck pickup is kinda muddy, dull, and low output, and the bridge pickup is painfully anemic in output and uninteresting. I just personally never like the Gibson A2 offerings, and out of all, the 490T/R have been the weakest.

 

[Inflames626]

Not really. AFAIK, the 490's are more along the lines of T-Tops than PAF's. The 490T is underwound compared to the 57+.

No. I wouldn't consider the 490's worth installing. The neck pickup is kinda muddy, dull, and low output, and the bridge pickup is painfully anemic in output and uninteresting. I just personally never like the Gibson A2 offerings, and out of all, the 490T/R have been the weakest.

I have always gotten this impression about them. The "meh" factor is how I feel about Duncan 59s.

Edit: That said, I love the Classic + in the neck to offset the 498t. I just wish the Plus were four conductor.

 

[beaubrummels]

I love the 500T as much as if not even more than the Black Winter, but I never got to try the 496R. How is it? What is it like? The DCR might seem to suggest it's bright and open for a hot-ish pickup. I assume it's not as hot as the Distortion Neck?

IME I had the 500T/496R in my Les Paul Studio, and the 496R was just the right amount of bright and chimey, but had enough mids and heat to keep up with the bridge and it handled gain for leads. It was bright enough you could roll the tone and choose what the top end you wanted. You could roll the tone off and get it liquid singing leads, or all the way off and get "woman tone" or leave it open for bright clean playing. YMMV.

 

[beaubrummels]

I have a 490r/490t and haven't put them in anything. I have tried the 57 Classic and 57 Classic +. Would it be fair to say that the 490r/490t are just 4 conductor Classics?

Anyway, are the 490r/t worth installing?

No, they are not the same. You probably could mix them fine, but it would be different sounds. And they aren't really like T-Tops necessarily either, though tone-wise in certain guitars they might suffice for that sound. All of them are lower winds than a T-Top, and a T-Top is A5, which is brighter and tighter.

'57 Classic - 6.9k, A2, was potted
'57 Classic Plus - 7.4k, A2, was potted

490R - 7.0k, A2, was potted, "enhanced highs" Gibson calls it
490T - 7.1k, A2, was potted, "enhanced highs" Gibson calls it

 

[Rex_Rocker]

7.1? For a bridge pickup? No wonder I didn't like it, LOL.

 

[Inflames626]

Amazing what .5k makes. I preferred the Plus in the neck so much over the Classic.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I've honestly come to the realizatin I don't really like 7.anything, LOL. I like the DiMarzio 36th Anni, but I always wished it wasn't as weak. But that's probably more to do with the Airbucker thing. But I also really like the Phat Cat N (when matching low output PAF types in the bridge). That one's really cool as well.

 

[ToneFiddler]

the 496R is one of the few gibson pickups i liked (like?) and still own, altough i have not installed it in anything for a long time but want to at some point again.
it came with a 90's les paul classic which a lot of mids and not much balls. didn't like the 500T in it, so i sold the Bridge PU, but i don't remember the neck to be very underpowered.
It's too long ago but i had it paired with a JB at one point and the output balance wasn't too bad, too.
i remember it as easy to play, and the notes jump right at you. it wasn't bassy but that might just have been the guitar and could be fixed with a series cap. I should reinstall it in something, it's just i am one of the guys who rips out the gibson stock PUs out pretty quickly, but i definitly had a quality i want to revisit. will be funny how i feel about it after all those years and different signal chain.
Mine is a 7,9k wind (probably poly AWG42) with a std ceramic sized mag. the SH-6n is 13k AWG43 with a double thick mag and has definitly more output.
The HB-103n has a similiar recipe as the gibson but i don't know if they are actually similiar in tone.
i have all 3 of them (496R (uninstalled), SH6-n(installed) & HB103n (never installed)), but i am thick of PU swapping for quite some time now. i do have around 10 guitars with good pickup pairings and let the not so great matches rest. winter is coming.
And i am also more about amps and speakers/cabs and praciting (unplugged) currently. Practicing unplugged is the best way to get a break from the tonequest

 

[Inflames626]

the 496R is one of the few gibson pickups i liked (like?) and still own, altough i have not installed it in anything for a long time but want to at some point again.
it came with a 90's les paul classic which a lot of mids and not much balls. didn't like the 500T in it, so i sold the Bridge PU, but i don't remember the neck to be very underpowered.
It's too long ago but i had it paired with a JB at one point and the output balance wasn't too bad, too.
i remember it as easy to play, and the notes jump right at you. it wasn't bassy but that might just have been the guitar and could be fixed with a series cap. I should reinstall it in something, it's just i am one of the guys who rips out the gibson stock PUs out pretty quickly, but i definitly had a quality i want to revisit. will be funny how i feel about it after all those years and different signal chain.
Mine is a 7,9k wind (probably poly AWG42) with a std ceramic sized mag. the SH-6n is 13k AWG43 with a double thick mag and has definitly more output.
The HB-103n has a similiar recipe as the gibson but i don't know if they are actually similiar in tone.
i have all 3 of them (496R (uninstalled), SH6-n(installed) & HB103n (never installed)), but i am thick of PU swapping for quite some time now. i do have around 10 guitars with good pickup pairings and let the not so great matches rest. winter is coming.
And i am also more about amps and speakers/cabs and praciting (unplugged) currently. Practicing unplugged is the best way to get a break from the tonequest

I find it ironic how much people seem to almost universally love Les Paul tone but seem to be polarized about the pickups that come in them.

 

[Mincer]

I find it ironic how much people seem to almost universally love Les Paul tone but seem to be polarized about the pickups that come in them.

Most people in this forum change the pickups, though.

 

[Inflames626]

Most people in this forum change the pickups, though.

True. I was thinking of the tone from the 50s-60s-early 70s pre-aftermarket pickup days, though.

Some seem to be all about the vintage Les Paul tone from a time when there were pretty much only Gibson and Fender pickups--pickups that those companies still supposedly produce to vintage spec.

Original 1959 Gibson humbucker taken from a vintage instrument=Yes! It's old! It sounds great!
New pickup made to 1959 spec made by Gibson and perhaps even "aged"=It sucks!

I guess that's like anything else, though. How many people would prefer to own a 1957 Chevy Bel Air vs. a new Chevy?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Original 1959 Gibson humbucker taken from a vintage instrument=Yes! It's old! It sounds great!
New pickup made to 1959 spec made by Gibson and perhaps even "aged"=It sucks!

Not all Gibson PAF-y pickups have a bad rep. The Custombuckers are overall well-regarded. The Burstbucker 1/2/3 kinda are as well. The '57's and the Burstbucker Pros are indeed polarizing, though. I love the BBP's, personally.

In general, I like Gibson pickups. I love the BBP's, the 500T, and the 498T better than many Duncans. Even the ones that I don't like, the 490's and the A2 Burstbuckers, I recognize I just don't like them because they're not my thing. But they're not really poorly made at all either.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Most people in this forum change the pickups, though.

I don't know if I'm the minority, but even if I love the pickups in my guitars, I tend to swap them out eventually because I don't like playing throught the same pickups all the time, and I like trying new stuff out.

 

[Aceman]

First call: Distortion neck. But you don't like that

Next call: Leave the 496.

Next up: 59 neck, but that is the same as a 59/Distortion-BW combo. Vintage neck, Uber-hot bridge if you are into that.

Bold move: JB