LP Tribute T recommendations?

C

Chydro

New member
Lots of talk about Les Paul pickup swaps in this forum. I've read a bunch of 'em, but dammit, I want my own thread. So here goes...

So yep, the guitar is a 2017 LP tribute T. The stock pick ups are Gibson 490's. Both in the bridge and neck. I'm playing through a Marshall DSL40c. I play rock. Classic rock and some hard rock. I've got the amped dialed in close to where I want it. But not quite. I'm looking for some clarity. Kinda 'pull the blanket' off my guitar clarity. Articulation. It just needs to be crisper. Not necessarily hotter, just clearer. So what to do? Any opinions of the stock 490s compared to something from SD? Anybody swap there 490s to something different?

Thanks.

Chris.

My first post taboot.
 
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Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Clarity, articulation? A5 magnets come to mind (your 490's have A2's). I'm thinking a '59/Custom in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

I'd say 59/Custom Hybrid bridge and either a Screamin Demon or 59 for the neck.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

If the bridge is fine and hot as you like it then a set of PG or WLH might be just the ticket.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Well, cheap and easy would be to put A5 mags in the 490. Definitely the neck, maybe the bridge.

However - to really kick said guitar in the pants, I'm gonna throw out the following combo's. You want crisp, but not hot?

#1 Put a Jazz in the neck, and a Custom 5 in the bridge. Crisp, articulate, and able to rock! Bridge will be a little hotter...

#2 Put a Pearly Gates in the neck and a 59 in the Bridge

#3 Put a Whole Lotta in the neck, and a 59/Custom hybrid in the Bridge. Bridge hotter than just a 59. More like the C5 in #1
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

blueman335 said:
Clarity, articulation? A5 magnets come to mind (your 490's have A2's). I'm thinking a '59/Custom in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response. Lots of recommendations for the '59/custom. That should be a bit mellower than just a custom, right? Why are A5 magnets clearer than an A2? The 490s I have aren't too bad, they just sound kinda ratty/raspy. An A5 will clear it up, huh?
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Aceman said:
Well, cheap and easy would be to put A5 mags in the 490. Definitely the neck, maybe the bridge.

However - to really kick said guitar in the pants, I'm gonna throw out the following combo's. You want crisp, but not hot?

#1 Put a Jazz in the neck, and a Custom 5 in the bridge. Crisp, articulate, and able to rock! Bridge will be a little hotter...

#2 Put a Pearly Gates in the neck and a 59 in the Bridge

#3 Put a Whole Lotta in the neck, and a 59/Custom hybrid in the Bridge. Bridge hotter than just a 59. More like the C5 in #1
Click to expand...

I could go hotter. I've always just thought if I needed to go hotter I could just drive the amp more. But, if I went a bit hotter what do you recommend? I'm mainly looking for classic Les Paul rock tone. Nothing harder than Early Metallica. Zeppelin. Free. Newer Pearl Jam. Been on a big Skynyrd kick lately. Those types of tones. My guitar just sounds flubby. Like a blanket is over the amp.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Hay, I've got one of those....

I just dropped in a uncovered WLH/covered P.G.N set into mine & I'm quite pleased with the results!!!

image.jpg

As for the stock 490T/490R set they can be quite responsive to magnet swaps & I especially like a regular old polished A5 in the 490R, it's a completely different pup after! The same magnet will clear up the 490T & scoop it out some but personally I prefer the A2's in the bridge. Something else I've noticed with these pickups is that they sound drastically different with or without the covers on them. So if you are happy with them but you want to pull off the sweater, perhaps doing exactly that is the answer to your problem???
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Nostalgic Distortion said:
Hay, I've got one of those....

I just dropped in a uncovered WLH/covered P.G.N set into mine & I'm quite pleased with the results!!!

View attachment 82234

As for the stock 490T/490R set they can be quite responsive to magnet swaps & I especially like a regular old polished A5 in the 490R, it's a completely different pup after! The same magnet will clear up the 490T & scoop it out some but personally I prefer the A2's in the bridge. Something else I've noticed with these pickups is that they sound drastically different with or without the covers on them. So if you are happy with them but you want to pull off the sweater, perhaps doing exactly that is the answer to your problem???
Click to expand...
I can say i put my alnico rought cast from my 498t in 490r and I have one Amazing pickup. I put one alnico 8 on my 498t and is good. I Start other treath because I don't know if The alnico 8 I buy is one real alnico 8.

Enviado do meu SM-G935F através de Tapatalk
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Chydro said:
I could go hotter. I've always just thought if I needed to go hotter I could just drive the amp more. But, if I went a bit hotter what do you recommend? I'm mainly looking for classic Les Paul rock tone. Nothing harder than Early Metallica. Zeppelin. Free. Newer Pearl Jam. Been on a big Skynyrd kick lately. Those types of tones. My guitar just sounds flubby. Like a blanket is over the amp.
Click to expand...

When I see Free/Zepp/Skynyrd....

I gotta call Whole Lotta set or PG/Whole Lotta or PG/59.

Yeah - great amp; that is likely NOT the problem. That amp will let you do do early Metallica with a 59.

That said - by a little hotter, the 59/Custom hybrid (which is awesome and I have in an LP copy) is super flexible with the volume, and still very PAFish. By hotter I mean it is a solid middle ground between classic and hot. The Custom 5 is at the upper end of medium output, or the lower end of hot. That said - it is certainly not a "scorcher" or at least never felt like it to me. It's got a heavy mid scoop that really keeps it tight and crisp, without punching you in the face.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

LOL, I stuck a A9 into a a 498T once... It was bloody awful!!!

A9's, for when you want the power of a ceramic but the midrange clarity of a Louisiana swamp....
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Nostalgic Distortion said:
Hay, I've got one of those....

I just dropped in a uncovered WLH/covered P.G.N set into mine & I'm quite pleased with the results!!!

View attachment 82234

As for the stock 490T/490R set they can be quite responsive to magnet swaps & I especially like a regular old polished A5 in the 490R, it's a completely different pup after! The same magnet will clear up the 490T & scoop it out some but personally I prefer the A2's in the bridge. Something else I've noticed with these pickups is that they sound drastically different with or without the covers on them. So if you are happy with them but you want to pull off the sweater, perhaps doing exactly that is the answer to your problem???
Click to expand...


Are the covers soldered on? Hard to pull off? Also, did you pull out the PCB? Thanks for the reply!
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

The covers are soldered on, if they were not they wouldn't be grounded. That said they aren't too hard to remove as long as you have a good hot iron & a razor blade. They also come off pretty easily with a Dremel & a cutting bit but unsoldering them is probably safer? There's a bunch of YouTube videos that show you how to good about removing & re-installing them, I suggest you check one out but it's not at all a hard process...

As for my L.P. Tribute I don't have the PCB anymore... One of the first things I do to any Gibson that has one is pull it, get some decent capacitors, & re-purpose the potentiometers/anything else salvageable to build a more traditional one so I can change pickups without having to mess around with those stupid quick connections! However it shouldn't really matter, you should be able to keep it & the quick connectors if you want to? I mean I don't see why you'd run into any problems as long as you are carful & remember to put your magnets back in the same way you take them out if you end up changing them?
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Chydro said:
Thanks for the response. Lots of recommendations for the '59/custom. That should be a bit mellower than just a custom, right? Why are A5 magnets clearer than an A2? The 490s I have aren't too bad, they just sound kinda ratty/raspy. An A5 will clear it up, huh?
Click to expand...


Depending on the metals in the magnet, the magnetic fields vary and 'read' string vibrations differently. A5's have a lot of treble and (firm) low end, with scooped mids. Great for clarity. A2's are almost the opposite, they have a rounded, warmer high end, lots of mids, a looser low end, and more texture to the sound.

To do this for the least cash outlay, you could put an A5 in the 490R, which opens it up a lot. Then all you'd need is a '59/Custom for the bridge.

I've got a set of WLH's, and they're wound to be on the warm side, definitely not 'crisp.' PG's have A2's magnets, and while they certainly have their fans, I find the neck too warm for my tastes. From what you've said, I don't know if that's the direction you want to go. Why not try an A5 in the 490R first and see if that gives you what you want. There's a good chance it will. Sounds like a different PU. That'll cost several dollars, vs around $100 for a PGN.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

A double Jazz set gets my vote if you want clarity. Or, a double Antiquity set. If you have any traces of mud, both of these will clear it up.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Mincer said:
A double Jazz set gets my vote if you want clarity. Or, a double Antiquity set. If you have any traces of mud, both of these will clear it up.
Click to expand...

The Jazz just doesn't get the respect it deserves for hard rock. I think/know the name throws people off. I have a Jazz in my Iceman and the guitar screams.
 
Re: LP Tribute T recommendations?

Mincer said:
A double Jazz set gets my vote if you want clarity. Or, a double Antiquity set. If you have any traces of mud, both of these will clear it up.
Click to expand...


Ok. I'm going with a Jazz in the neck. Still not sure about the bridge. Thanks to all for the responses. Anybody else want to chime in?
 
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