LP gibson 498 or cc

[madguitar26]

After playing with the duncan custom ceramic for 4 months in my les paul finaly got sick of it.
its just to dam hard and gets way too harsh as treble is increased.
i thought of always having the gibson 498 caUse i just love that tone for pure hard and modern rock(played in a studio LP).
But i got my doubts between the 498´s and switching to a custom custom.
could that stack up with the gibson and feel even better?

ps.:i have no way of messing around with mags here in my country all tecs recomend selling em pickups,and no spare mags are to be found ,so purshasing a cc is more likely than changing mags.

 

[LesPaulRules]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

I just went through this same thing on my Les Paul.
Had a Gibson 500T in the bridge, harsh and bright as hell. I couldn't stand it.

Tried a 498 and the sound was instantly better, though not perfect. (I already had this 498 from a Les Paul studio).
Finally broke down and bought a Custom Custom (everyone here loves them, I figure I might as well try it).

It's the perfect pickup in this Les Paul. Not harsh at all. Just smooth and punchy sounding. This Les Paul is very bright... perfect for the Custom Custom. If you guitar is dark sounding, it might not be the best choice.

 

[Aceman]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

I really like it for some things...but not all. It's a very distinctive pup. really fat/smooth high end (some say not enough treble - just raise the pole pieces a bit), huge mid range boost that cuts and crunches (some say too much mids), and not overly bassy (some say not enough bottom). I really love it for classic rock, fat bridge leads, blues, etc...It would not be my first choice for modern metal, or a lot of metal for that matter....

 

[MikeS]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

There are a lot of differences between the 498 and the CC. Both have strong midranges, but the "mid-spike" on the CC seems to be a little higher than the 498. The 498 has a little stronger bottom than the CC, but both pickups can be a little loose around the bottom (but I'd still say that 498 has a slightly better defined low end than the CC, which I thought was too loose). The CC is a little more buttery than the 498, which some people say the is a little harsh. I can see that being true on a guitar with naturally strong mids, as the treble on the 498 doesn't seem to taper off as quickly as the CC.

Output wise, the two pickups are pretty on par with eachother (IIRC, I measured my 498 at 13.9k, and the CC somes in at 14.4k).

All things considered, I didn't go for either one in my LP. The 498 found a permanent home in my Mockingbird, and the CC just got sold.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

i heard clips of both burstbucker pro´s and 498´s but cant decide.
help me!!!
whats the basic diferences between them?which is the better choice for smoother highs and PAF tone?
i would consider the sethlover but i need more guts.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

up

 

[big_black]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

**Off topic**

Let me know if you want to make the switch. I'm looking for a CC or C5 for my SG, I've got a 498 to trade.

 

[madguitar26]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

i sure would like that but i live in Brazil and taxes for international shipping are HIGH.
what didnt you like about the 498´s?

 

[big_black]

Re: LP gibson 498 or cc

It was a fine pickup...just wanted something more agressive. I think it would sound better in a guitar with a thicker tone to it.