GIbson releases "22 new pickups"?, ah, actually 8 pickups, in variations

[beaubrummels]

I love the 500T/496R also. First time I put them in my Les Paul, I realized why they were used in the first Jimmy Page Signature models.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I love the 500T/496R also. First time I put them in my Les Paul, I realized why they were used in the first Jimmy Page Signature models.

Jimmy Page used them? They're pretty fierce for that style of music. I bought them because of Amon Amarth and Dark Tranquillity, LOL.

 

[Aceman]

I don't know. I bought a 500T and 496R sepparately for my Les Paul.

I would buy a 498T as well if I had more guitars to put them in. It would be nice to upgrade an Epi LPC, for example. Not a 490T. I don't like it, but I don't like the A2P either, for example. That doesn't make them bad pickups.

And the 49x pickups are not expensive either. About as much as Duncans. You may not like them, but they're not poorly designed or poorly built pickups either.

Yeah - but like I said - you are here, so in a small minority of Gibson buyers probably.

I'm sticking with the 498 wants to be a Custom 5 but isn't. I don't know what the 490R wants to be.

And a 500T is practically a Duncan Distortion. I'd leave that in a Les Paul too!

 

[beaubrummels]

Jimmy Page used them? They're pretty fierce for that style of music. I bought them because of Amon Amarth and Dark Tranquillity, LOL.

No, Jimmy didn't use them, but they were in the first version of his signature Les Paul, in the 90's. 500/496 is like a really loud JP set. The neck has chime and brilliance, and the bridge has bark and bite. It does that music well, particularly through a NMV Marshall, doesn't require so much gain, doesn't require the vol full up, you can nuance the sound with the volume and tone. It's not perfect, so I didn't settle there, but it is yet again a very serviceable do-all Gibson pickup set.

 

[nienturi]

I like Gibson pickups in general, personally.

Burstbucker 2/3, didn't love, didn't mind. Just too low output for me.
Burstbucker Pros, loved them, they remind me edgier of Duncan '59's. If they made a potted Burstbucker 3 Pro, that'd be perfect.
500T, fantastic, I like it as much as the Black Winter and more than the Ducan Distortion.
498T, fantastic, I like it for being kinda like an edgier, more open JB.
490R, horrible, weak, dark, and generic.

.

490T, on the other hand, is very nice Strat bridge humbucker that suits nice with the neck&middle single.

 

[Cdwillis]

Gibson makes decent pickups, just not the 490r or 490t. I've had them in several guitars and never could dial them in to sound decent. The 490r was always too muddy and the 490t had no balls. I did try swapping the alnico 2 magnet out of the 490r and replacing it with a short alnico 5 to make it closer to a T-top. It was a marginal improvement. Ended up replacing them with Pearly Gates in my SG. Way better in every way. Had a set in my LP Tribute and those got replaced with Wolfetones. Got a 59 and UOA5 magnet JB in it right now. Gonna try the JB with an A2 next.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

490T, on the other hand, is very nice Strat bridge humbucker that suits nice with the neck&middle single.

I honestly didn't even try it when I got my Les Paul Tribute, LOL. I just immediately yanked it out for a Black Winter, LOL.

I'm now back to lower output(ish) pickups, but I don't think I'll ever love a pickup that low-wind and A2 on top of that.

 

[nienturi]

I honestly didn't even try it when I got my Les Paul Tribute, LOL. I just immediately yanked it out for a Black Winter, LOL.

I'm now back to lower output(ish) pickups, but I don't think I'll ever love a pickup that low-wind and A2 on top of that.

As i said, low wind A2 PAFs work very nice with 5,5-6,5K A2 or A5 strat singles. They suit pretty well. My favourite is pearly gates actually. Neck version sits on bridge position very musically on a fat strat. 490T was well, too. But at the end i have sold 490T and still keeping PG