Khriss Bliss
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
I've only heard it in a hollow V.
I've only heard it in a hollow V.
Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
- Thread starter JohnnyGuitarCA
- Start date
MikeS
Bengalsologist
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
I think it's a popular pickup to pick on. Sometimes I wonder if I should have left it in my LP. The 490R had to go, but the 498T sounded really good... one of my faves in that guitar. The 498T found a home in a maple-neck through Mockingbird that was eventually sold. of the half-dozen or so pickups I tried in that guitar, including a few duncans, the 498T was by far the best.
I think it's a popular pickup to pick on. Sometimes I wonder if I should have left it in my LP. The 490R had to go, but the 498T sounded really good... one of my faves in that guitar. The 498T found a home in a maple-neck through Mockingbird that was eventually sold. of the half-dozen or so pickups I tried in that guitar, including a few duncans, the 498T was by far the best.
brunogio
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
I agree with the comment that the 498 has plenty of mid, almost too much at times to my ears and to that end, you can say that it's more full sounding than the 57 Classic. It does very well for rock n roll and can deal with getting heavy and taking a lot of overdrive. The description from Gibson is fairly accurate too in that it's a more modern take on the PAF.
Again I wish I had tried it with the UOA5 mag or A8 mag to see how much richer the sound could have been. I agree with the Blueman that Gibson makes some nice pups but doesn't give too much thought to the correct magnet to use.
I agree with the comment that the 498 has plenty of mid, almost too much at times to my ears and to that end, you can say that it's more full sounding than the 57 Classic. It does very well for rock n roll and can deal with getting heavy and taking a lot of overdrive. The description from Gibson is fairly accurate too in that it's a more modern take on the PAF.
Again I wish I had tried it with the UOA5 mag or A8 mag to see how much richer the sound could have been. I agree with the Blueman that Gibson makes some nice pups but doesn't give too much thought to the correct magnet to use.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
Mike baby, you should have tried an A4 or A5 in that 490R, totally changes the EQ. I think the problem guitarists have with the 498T/490R set is that the bridge is pretty bright and the neck is seems so dark. I picked up a few 498T/490R sets that players yanked out of their Gibsons. I swapped the magnets and they sound great now.
To me, Gibson A2 PAF's seem dark and prone to mud in the neck. Duncan's A2 neck PAF's are much clearer and more articulate.
Mike baby, you should have tried an A4 or A5 in that 490R, totally changes the EQ. I think the problem guitarists have with the 498T/490R set is that the bridge is pretty bright and the neck is seems so dark. I picked up a few 498T/490R sets that players yanked out of their Gibsons. I swapped the magnets and they sound great now.
To me, Gibson A2 PAF's seem dark and prone to mud in the neck. Duncan's A2 neck PAF's are much clearer and more articulate.
JohnnyGuitarCA
Active member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
Blueman335, that's all I needed to know. I'm going to order a couple of them. Thank you!
Blueman335, that's all I needed to know. I'm going to order a couple of them. Thank you!
SFW
Well-known member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
I think it's one of those things. Some times you just know that a mag swap isn't going to help. Some pickups just don't suit some poeple. No matter how you try to tweek it. I like the A2JB, but I also think that the stock JB rocks too. Now the JB8 sounds terrible to me. It's all about a players tastes. I will say that this forum is a wealth of knowledge concerning pickups and the ways they can be altered to suit ones tastes and style.
I think it's one of those things. Some times you just know that a mag swap isn't going to help. Some pickups just don't suit some poeple. No matter how you try to tweek it. I like the A2JB, but I also think that the stock JB rocks too. Now the JB8 sounds terrible to me. It's all about a players tastes. I will say that this forum is a wealth of knowledge concerning pickups and the ways they can be altered to suit ones tastes and style.
blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
To be good enough to know if a 'mag swap isn't going to help' you need to have a lot of swaps under your belt, otherwise you're making assumptions based on a lack of experience and information. And if you do a lot of swaps, you'll have learned that magnets will fix the majority of PU EQ issues. With roughcast & unoriented mags now available, there are so many options. Odds are, at least one will do it for you.
Agreed that there are some PU's that are just not suited for a particular situation, and nothing will change that, but that'll usually be because the PU itself is wound too extreme for the intended use (whether too overwound or underwound).
What proved this to me was the JB, which I don't like at all in it's stock form, but love with an A2. It's an example of a PU I tried in several different guitars and decided was totally unsuitable for my style of music, until I tried the most unlikely of magnets in it. It became one of my best-sounding PU's. Even with all my magnet swapping I didn't expect that. So I'm leary of guys with little, if any, mag swapping experience that say they 'know' that a mag swap won't help. To me, that's an excuse by someone too lazy to try it. If you've worked with mags, you'll feel compelled to try a swap or two in just about any PU before you give up on it. There is no reason to ever assume that a manufacturer put in the absolute best magnet for your guitar and rig.
To be good enough to know if a 'mag swap isn't going to help' you need to have a lot of swaps under your belt, otherwise you're making assumptions based on a lack of experience and information. And if you do a lot of swaps, you'll have learned that magnets will fix the majority of PU EQ issues. With roughcast & unoriented mags now available, there are so many options. Odds are, at least one will do it for you.
Agreed that there are some PU's that are just not suited for a particular situation, and nothing will change that, but that'll usually be because the PU itself is wound too extreme for the intended use (whether too overwound or underwound).
What proved this to me was the JB, which I don't like at all in it's stock form, but love with an A2. It's an example of a PU I tried in several different guitars and decided was totally unsuitable for my style of music, until I tried the most unlikely of magnets in it. It became one of my best-sounding PU's. Even with all my magnet swapping I didn't expect that. So I'm leary of guys with little, if any, mag swapping experience that say they 'know' that a mag swap won't help. To me, that's an excuse by someone too lazy to try it. If you've worked with mags, you'll feel compelled to try a swap or two in just about any PU before you give up on it. There is no reason to ever assume that a manufacturer put in the absolute best magnet for your guitar and rig.
JohnnyGuitarCA
Active member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
Well, turns out this isn't the pickup for me. (At least not in my current setup.)
I'm having some difficulty with my sight, so magnet swapping isn't an option. (My friend who helps me with pickup installs, etc. moved away last week.)
I've got it up for trade for...? Let me know if you've got something you'd like to trade. Thanks!
Well, turns out this isn't the pickup for me. (At least not in my current setup.)
I'm having some difficulty with my sight, so magnet swapping isn't an option. (My friend who helps me with pickup installs, etc. moved away last week.)
I've got it up for trade for...? Let me know if you've got something you'd like to trade. Thanks!
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LtKojak
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
You lazy dog!
That's what I use, you should be able to get something similar if not the exact same somewhere near where you live; it's the best next thing since sliced bread to repair small objects and specially to work on guitars and p'ups.
http://www.dmail.it/prodotto/175614...Visiera-con-luci-e-lenti-d-ingrandimento.html
NO MORE EXCUSES NOT TO TRY IT! (and to add insult to injury, I'm older than you are!)
C'mon, give it up, man... you KNOW you want to!
HTH,
You lazy dog!
That's what I use, you should be able to get something similar if not the exact same somewhere near where you live; it's the best next thing since sliced bread to repair small objects and specially to work on guitars and p'ups.
http://www.dmail.it/prodotto/175614...Visiera-con-luci-e-lenti-d-ingrandimento.html
NO MORE EXCUSES NOT TO TRY IT! (and to add insult to injury, I'm older than you are!
)C'mon, give it up, man... you KNOW you want to!
HTH,
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chris_tw21
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
I had a studio and it sounded clear as day and fat.
I had a studio and it sounded clear as day and fat.
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blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
+1. And I'm older than you Kojak baby, and my eyesight without glasses is 20/650 (meaning the detail I see at 20 feet away is what the average person sees at 650 feet). Anyone can swap magnets.
NO MORE EXCUSES TO NOT TO TRY IT! (and to add insult to injury, I'm older than you are!
+1. And I'm older than you Kojak baby, and my eyesight without glasses is 20/650 (meaning the detail I see at 20 feet away is what the average person sees at 650 feet). Anyone can swap magnets.
JohnnyGuitarCA
Active member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
OK, fair enough guys. I'll give it a shot. I have an A2 here that I'll put in the 498T and see what happens. (Blueman335, I think you gave that A2 to me if memory serves!) If I don't accidentally destroy the pickup after putting an A2 in it, then maybe I'll order a UOA5 & some other types of magnets as well. I'll keep y'all posted. *Fingers crossed!*
PS: My vision issues are different from what you guys spoke of, and I can't afford to get the glasses I need to see up close. Soooo...we'll see how it goes!
OK, fair enough guys. I'll give it a shot. I have an A2 here that I'll put in the 498T and see what happens. (Blueman335, I think you gave that A2 to me if memory serves!) If I don't accidentally destroy the pickup after putting an A2 in it, then maybe I'll order a UOA5 & some other types of magnets as well. I'll keep y'all posted. *Fingers crossed!*
PS: My vision issues are different from what you guys spoke of, and I can't afford to get the glasses I need to see up close. Soooo...we'll see how it goes!
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MattThorpe
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
Take care with that magnet swap in your 498T. I swapped the magnet in my 498T (from a 1990 Gib LP Std). I was extremeley careful and went at it real slowly however the coil plastic had become brittle and a chunk fell away ripping the inner coil wire from the terminal and I've been unable to repair it. The pup had no spacers and relied on the two pieces of very thin moulded plastic per coil that acted as spacers around the screws from the baseplate. These just disintegrated when the screws went back in and caused too much stress on the coil plastic that was falling apart also. The slug side coil was just suspended like a bridge nothing underneath it. The pole piece side was supported by the pole pieces as they screw into the baseplate. I had noticed tiny cracks in the bobbin between the polepieces before I started - should have left it alone I guess. I saw a newer version of this pickup on ebay recently and it seems to be completely different now. My pickup had the Pat No 27-------whatever stamped on the bottom they just have Gibson USA on the current ones I think.
Also my 498T would only take a short magnet (2.36") as there was solder terminals on the bottom of each coil at each end that prevented 2.5" magnet from going in !
Not a great loss I suppose. I liked the pup when I first got the Les Paul years ago but went off it quite quickly. I find the 498T a bit sickly sweet and inoffensive though it does have more power than the burstbuckers and derivatives. Tried it again recently - liked it and went off it again ! Now it is no more.
Anyway Take Care !
Take care with that magnet swap in your 498T. I swapped the magnet in my 498T (from a 1990 Gib LP Std). I was extremeley careful and went at it real slowly however the coil plastic had become brittle and a chunk fell away ripping the inner coil wire from the terminal and I've been unable to repair it. The pup had no spacers and relied on the two pieces of very thin moulded plastic per coil that acted as spacers around the screws from the baseplate. These just disintegrated when the screws went back in and caused too much stress on the coil plastic that was falling apart also. The slug side coil was just suspended like a bridge nothing underneath it. The pole piece side was supported by the pole pieces as they screw into the baseplate. I had noticed tiny cracks in the bobbin between the polepieces before I started - should have left it alone I guess. I saw a newer version of this pickup on ebay recently and it seems to be completely different now. My pickup had the Pat No 27-------whatever stamped on the bottom they just have Gibson USA on the current ones I think.
Also my 498T would only take a short magnet (2.36") as there was solder terminals on the bottom of each coil at each end that prevented 2.5" magnet from going in !
Not a great loss I suppose. I liked the pup when I first got the Les Paul years ago but went off it quite quickly. I find the 498T a bit sickly sweet and inoffensive though it does have more power than the burstbuckers and derivatives. Tried it again recently - liked it and went off it again ! Now it is no more.
Anyway Take Care !
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JohnnyGuitarCA
Active member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
Decided not to swap magnets. (Not this time anyway.) Selling or trading the 498T. Changed my mind after I slapped a cheapo Asian pickup in the guitar and HOOOOO BOY! Absolute BLISS. Surprised the heck outta me, but the cheapo no-name pickup kicks tail.
Decided not to swap magnets. (Not this time anyway.) Selling or trading the 498T. Changed my mind after I slapped a cheapo Asian pickup in the guitar and HOOOOO BOY! Absolute BLISS. Surprised the heck outta me, but the cheapo no-name pickup kicks tail.
Mark Cearlock
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
Looks just like mine, only mine has a a-8 in the 498t now, and 11's, nice and thick now.I just bought my first Gibson Standard SG with the 498t it sounds just fine. Its thick, warm and the high end spanks nicely. Gotta have both pups set just right and tweek the poles.
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Soulcrusher_X
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
it's been a while since being on this forum, and this talk on the 498 is up my alley. For one, maybe Im a snob, but I kinda like my LP custom to have gibson pups in it, even though the JB/59n combo has been one of my most favorite pickup combos in this guiitar. I keep thinking about giving the 490/498 combo another try and swapping an A8 into the 498 and an A5 into the 490n. I hear that the 498 is very comparible to the Duncan Custom 5, which I didnt like all that much, but I also hear guys raving that swapping an A8 into the Custom series works really well. What I would love to do is get a mix of the sweetness and upper-mid bite of the JB and the chunk of the ceramic mag Custom. Maybe the A8 in the 498? What do you guys think?
it's been a while since being on this forum, and this talk on the 498 is up my alley. For one, maybe Im a snob, but I kinda like my LP custom to have gibson pups in it, even though the JB/59n combo has been one of my most favorite pickup combos in this guiitar.
I keep thinking about giving the 490/498 combo another try and swapping an A8 into the 498 and an A5 into the 490n. I hear that the 498 is very comparible to the Duncan Custom 5, which I didnt like all that much, but I also hear guys raving that swapping an A8 into the Custom series works really well. What I would love to do is get a mix of the sweetness and upper-mid bite of the JB and the chunk of the ceramic mag Custom. Maybe the A8 in the 498? What do you guys think?blueman335
Mojo's Minions
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
+1. Exactly what I did with my 498T/490R, and it is a big improvement. Very good in mahogany. Gibson should be doing this at the factory.
+1. Exactly what I did with my 498T/490R, and it is a big improvement. Very good in mahogany. Gibson should be doing this at the factory.
Soulcrusher_X
New member
Re: Gibson 498T - 1st impressions
you just did the mag swaps to A5 in the 490 and the A8 in the 498? To me, the 498 is a pretty good pickup, but sometimes feels/sounds a little "blah" I guess. The A8 magnet woke it up? How is it with cleans? I thought it was pretty decent, not sparkly at all, but it had a fatness/thickness. I could use a little more sparkle on top, but then again, I could just change the circuit in my amp's clean channel to get more sparkle.
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