SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

BallsofDoom

BallsofDoom

New member
Thinking about swapping out my SH-6 for a 498t in my 2001 Gibson SG Gothic. Would it be worth the swap? I know the 498t has an alnico 5 mag and is less "hot". Reason for the swap is because I'm starting to dislike the upper mids and harsh cleans on the distortion. I can't seem to find a shootout between the 2 pups. So, if anyone here has both these pups please help me out and put some sound clips of the 2. Also, I won't be swapping out mags.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

498T's have A5's, which gives them some alnico character. They're bright and mid-scooped, and also have a grainy quality to the sound. I like them, but prefer A8 or UOA5 magnets in them.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

I haven't tried an SH-6 yet, but I've found the Custom to be a pretty good 498T alternative. The 498T is bit looser than the Custom, and I like it's cleans a little better, but it can get muddy in the wrong guitar. With an SG, mud shouldn't be an issue. When I tried the Custom 5, it was a bit too scooped for my taste, while the regular custom still had a lot of what I liked about the 498T, while sounding tighter and little more refined. The cleans weren't quite as nice, but everything else just seemed similar but 'better', so to speak.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

I love the DD in my SG. The 498 isnt horrible in the SG if you can live without the extra balls that the DD gives. I guess you can always turn some amp knobs to deal with that though, the same way you can turn knobs to deal with the 498.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

498T works for me in my two SG Standards. I had a DD in a Charvel 750XL and it was just too "much". Still looking for the right guitar for it.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

The DD is weird pickup... sounds pretty good with high gain. Sounds thin and harsh clean. I do think it's better than the 490t I had before... just a little.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

BallsofDoom said:
The DD is weird pickup... sounds pretty good with high gain. Sounds thin and harsh clean. I do think it's better than the 490t I had before... just a little.
Click to expand...

Yeah, its not really a versatility pickup although it is more versatile than some other pups in its range.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

If you're trying to get a good clean sound in the bridge, the DD is the worst for it. However the neck DD has some really warm cleans that I find perfect with a touch of slapback echo and some chorus.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

While I agree with your evaluation of the Distortion (upper mids, harsh cleans...), changing it out for a 498 is just soooo wrong.

Let's talk about the sound you DO want. describe it.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

BallsofDoom said:
Also, I won't be swapping out mags.
Click to expand...

That's too bad, because an A2 in the Dist is just what you want. It smooths out those harsh upper mids, fills in some of the missing lower mids, softens the highs, cleans it up dramatically, and gives it a warmer tone in general.
 
Re: SH-6 vs. Gibson 498t

Aceman said:
While I agree with your evaluation of the Distortion (upper mids, harsh cleans...), changing it out for a 498 is just soooo wrong.

Let's talk about the sound you DO want. describe it.
Click to expand...

I like throaty mids with a tight bottom and buttery highs. (sounds dirty I know)
Basically I like everything about the DD but the upper mids and crappy cleans. What about a Bareknuckle Nailbomb? I hear those sound pretty fat.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top