Gibson LP pups

[Budweiser]

Just bought a LP Studio that has 490R neck & 498T bridge pups.

I'm a HUGE Seymour Duncan tone fan & have installed Duncans in all my other guitars with great results, but I don't want to touch my LP. I think the Gibson pups sound great in it & I don't want to mess with it. Plus, I want to keep everything original in that guitar.

I do feel a bit guilty for not getting Duncans for it, but still, I'm going to leave it as is. Am I a traitor?

 

[papersoul]

Re: Gibson LP pups

Of course not! Use after market pickups only on guitars that need a tonal improvement. Why fix what ain't broken?? I love the Burstbucker Pros in my LP Standard. They sound as good as any Duncans I've had.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: Gibson LP pups

I think 490R is not a bad pickup, at least mine from 95 LP standard measuring 8.00K is quite a good pickup. I cannot say the same thing for my 14.00K 498T. It is not the worst but there are cheaper and better Duncan's around, like c5.

Use your guitar for a while, digest its tone. Then if you are not completely satisfied with it, come back and tell us what you don't like.

B

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Gibson LP pups

I like the stock neck pickups of the studio too. The bridge though sounds compressed and enclosed, too 80's... maybe it's just my ears?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Gibson LP pups

Only 2 of my guitars have the stock pickups. One is my 2000 flametop McCarty.
The sound of those pickups is as Ted McCarty intended, so I left them in, and they sound great. The other guitar is my California Custom Schecter Tele. It came with stacked singles resembling Anderson or Quarter Pound Teles. They split using a pullup tonepot. I can get Hellecasters to AC/DC out of that tele, so I'm not pulling them out, and chancing something lesser. I did repot them, tho.

 

[Simon_F]

Re: Gibson LP pups

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

I've changed the pickups, pots and caps in my '96 LP Standard and I love the way it sounds now. But I played it for three years stock before that, so it can't have been that bad.

Just enjoy playing it. You'll know if and when you want to change anything.

 

[JammerMatt]

Re: Gibson LP pups

You could be like me. I keep my stock pups in a drawer in case I ever want to sell, or just put them back in. I thought the 500T in my Classic sounded friggin' hot, and I toy with the idea of putting it back in if I decide to use that guitar for hard-rockin' again.

 

[theboatcandream]

Re: Gibson LP pups

But the 500t is so fuzzy.... perfect for husker du though.

 

[Kelsey]

Re: Gibson LP pups

After adjusting them lower, I really like the 490R and 498T in both my LP Studio and my ES137 Classic. Although I won't claim that they'll stay forever, I'm certainly in no hurry to swap 'em. Can't say the same for my newest Tele.