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Pickup Question


EvoRider

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My 2006 S.G Standard..Came with the 490/498 combo.

 

 

I have found a great price on a Gibson 490T and I am thinking about buying it and trying it out in the bridge position. Would it be worth the effort?

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The 490R, one have one in the neck, swap it to the bridge if you want to try. It has less output than the 498T, less mids, I stick to the 498T, if you want a change pickup an Andus Young for the bridge.

 

I have a Angus young already installed and to be honest i dont like it as much as the Angus young i have installed in my Epiphone SG. It just sounds a little thinner. My Epip sg just sounds a little more meaty than the Gibson. I know this sounds crazy. And i cant belive i am saying this but it is true. My Gibson SG is a 06 Standard with a 490R in the neck and a Angus Young sig. in the bridge. My Epiphone SG is a 2011 with a Gibson 57 classic in the neck and a Angus Young in the bridge. the only thing i can think that could be different is the wiring of the two guitars. Now i have had the Epip the longest and i bought it new. I thought it just might be that i have just had the Epiphone the longest but i have done side by side comparison between the two guitars and the Epiphone just seem to have a little more to it... Basicly what it boils down to is i want to love my Gibson More than my Epiphone...

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To start with I love the 490's...

 

Having said that most often they (Gibson) place a 498T in the treble position to gain some extra bite/output for solos etc. Especially on SG's.

 

The 490's have Alnico II magnets where the 498T has an Alico V magnet, it's a bit hotter...

 

You can switch to a 490T and the tone will probably sweeten-up some, but the output might come across just a touch lower...

 

Here's a great chart for some output comparison etc.

 

782216GibsonChart.jpg

 

The 490T in the bridge will be alot more closely matched to the 490R in the neck for output, but it could sweeten the tone to your liking...

 

It's all subjective preference. Probably the only way to tell will be to try it and see if it is to your liking...

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I have a Angus young already installed and to be honest i dont like it as much as the Angus young i have installed in my Epiphone SG. It just sounds a little thinner. My Epip sg just sounds a little more meaty than the Gibson. I know this sounds crazy. And i cant belive i am saying this but it is true. My Gibson SG is a 06 Standard with a 490R in the neck and a Angus Young sig. in the bridge. My Epiphone SG is a 2011 with a Gibson 57 classic in the neck and a Angus Young in the bridge. the only thing i can think that could be different is the wiring of the two guitars. Now i have had the Epip the longest and i bought it new. I thought it just might be that i have just had the Epiphone the longest but i have done side by side comparison between the two guitars and the Epiphone just seem to have a little more to it... Basicly what it boils down to is i want to love my Gibson More than my Epiphone...

 

That doesn't sound crazy, the Epi pickups are generally a lower output version.

 

The older-school pickups for tone were a lower output pickup than the newer high output screamers which while being more "powerful" and having more potential volume output with the same amp rig, which can give you easier OD & Distortion. The lower output pickups usually have a sweeter/warmer tone and can be less bright...

 

The 490 is an AlNiCo-2 magnet pickup which is old-school, the 498T is AlNiCo-5 which is hotter. That's why it's in the bridge position for solos & bite.

 

That is actually my favorite pickup combination...

 

A 490T in the bridge position will be more mellow than the 498T for sure.

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