thedangle1 Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Hey everyone, Writing this cause I'm usually not one to complain about my instruments, but bought a 2018 Les Paul Tribute model two years ago and I simply love it...until I swapped out the pickups. On their website (and everywhere else you look), they say 490R/498T pickups. Well, boy was I duped!! Check the photo out...490R and 490T! I wanted a little more high end out of my sound, so I went with Duncan hot rodded JB series. Not the point here...thought I was buying 498T when in fact I got 490T. Not sure if I want to send this in to Gibson or wait for some opinions on here. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Firstly 2018 Tributes are described as having the 498T pickup included in retails sites, as you have said. Gibson used to allow navigation for year. I cant find that now. However, I just checked the website & found that 490R and 490T are listed for the Tribute (now). Also this configuration checks out for 2017. So it looks as if the 498T was only fitted in 2018. You say you bought your 2018 two years ago (2017), so presumably that was a sprint run in 2017? Or did you actually buy a 2017 model? Because that would explain it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 4 hours ago, merciful-evans said: Firstly 2018 Tributes are described as having the 498T pickup included in retails sites, as you have said. Gibson used to allow navigation for year. I cant find that now. However, I just checked the website & found that 490R and 490T are listed for the Tribute (now). Also this configuration checks out for 2017. So it looks as if the 498T was only fitted in 2018. You say you bought your 2018 two years ago (2017), so presumably that was a sprint run in 2017? Or did you actually buy a 2017 model? Because that would explain it. Here you go. It appears you are correct. http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA.aspx?Page=1&ModelYear=2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
badbluesplayer Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Prob a 2017 spec guitar. That's when the pickups are dated. What's the serial number say? 2018? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dReit1 Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 12 hours ago, thedangle1 said: Hey everyone, Writing this cause I'm usually not one to complain about my instruments, but bought a 2018 Les Paul Tribute model two years ago and I simply love it...until I swapped out the pickups. You bought a guitar and loved it for 2 years and then decided you didn't like it because you read what it said on the bottom of the pickups. Maybe you learned that you like 490Ts better than you thought. 4 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 My oh my... how quickly we drop the gloves here on the Gibson forum................ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 16 minutes ago, kidblast said: My oh my... how quickly we drop the gloves here on the Gibson forum................ Come on... the man had to pee... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 4 minutes ago, Big Bill said: Come on... the man had to pee... watch hockey at all, or much? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Just now, kidblast said: watch hockey at all, or much? Why, do they wear their gloves when they tap a kidney? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedangle1 Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 10 hours ago, merciful-evans said: Firstly 2018 Tributes are described as having the 498T pickup included in retails sites, as you have said. Gibson used to allow navigation for year. I cant find that now. However, I just checked the website & found that 490R and 490T are listed for the Tribute (now). Also this configuration checks out for 2017. So it looks as if the 498T was only fitted in 2018. You say you bought your 2018 two years ago (2017), so presumably that was a sprint run in 2017? Or did you actually buy a 2017 model? Because that would explain it. I bought it in late 2017, when the 2018 models just came out. Check out my new pics... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 So you got a crossover as they were switching spec's. You're yanking the pickups , so a mute point I think Unless you're thinking of selling the old 490 pickups and thinking you can't sell them as high a price as the 498's?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedangle1 Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 This is my guitar today. As you can clearly see, it's a 2018 model, no weight relief (which 2017 has) honey burst. I removed the pick guard as an experiment and found I liked it better without it, brings out the burst color more. I also removed the PCB board and put in 50's wiring with Bourns 500k pots and orange drop capacitors. I'm going for the EVH brown sound, reason why I removed the pickups and installed the Duncans. As one person pointed out on here with the link, Gibson's website (at the time), said the pickups were 490R/498T, and I was told 498T has a much brighter sound to them than the 490T. I've been making adjustments for two years on my sound with no results until I researched the pickups and PCB board. The changes I made were night to day. I even had a bone nut put on by the luthiers I go to. Everything else I did myself. It took two years cause of money constraints and time, but it was worth it. This guitar is now perfect and love it. My setup is a Blackstar HT 40 with a new WGS Retro 30 speaker I put in using a Friedman BD-OE distortion pedal as my main sound, with MXR EVH flanger, MXR phase 90 (not EVH) and an Ibanez tube screamer. Lexicon MX200 into FX loop for other sounds. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 (edited) 1 hour ago, Big Bill said: Why, do they wear their gloves when they tap a kidney? it's all part of the accoutrements. (now there's a word we don't use all that often....) Edited October 11, 2019 by kidblast Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dReit1 Posted October 11, 2019 Share Posted October 11, 2019 Nice looking guitar. Sorry about the earlier comment. Sometimes I forget the "never post until after the meds kick in" rule. D. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedangle1 Posted October 11, 2019 Author Share Posted October 11, 2019 1 hour ago, arcticsg said: Well, shoot.... they pulled the same thing on my 2018 Tribute as well. Should have been a 498T for the bridge for sure. From Gibson's website: 2018 Les Paul Tribute pups 490R/498T Sweetwater Ad : 2018 Gibson Les Paul Tribute Kind of hard to believe this was an accident or a mistake when it's done on multiple Les Paul Tributes that are built months apart! Sure leaves a bad taste for sure 😞 Does leave a bad taste. Makes you wonder if this was a marketing error with wrong info or deliberate to get sales for a low end Gibson, which is a nice guitar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 "Specifications and materials subject to change without notice". rct 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 11 hours ago, rct said: "Specifications and materials subject to change without notice". rct So he might have got a Firebird Zero 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 On 10/11/2019 at 1:05 PM, Eracer_Team said: ... so a mute point I think .... A "moot" point, actually. And, no, I'm not a retired English teacher. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted October 12, 2019 Share Posted October 12, 2019 Okay, so a mistake. Did you inform Gibson of the mistake, and ask them to fix it? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eracer_Team Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 5 hours ago, Mr. Natural said: A "moot" point, actually. And, no, I'm not a retired English teacher. Haha, I'll call it the phone "auto incorrect " 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Natural Posted October 13, 2019 Share Posted October 13, 2019 19 hours ago, Eracer_Team said: Haha, I'll call it the phone "auto incorrect " Yeah, sometimes one has to correct the "auto correct". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karloff Posted October 15, 2019 Share Posted October 15, 2019 On 10/11/2019 at 2:07 PM, thedangle1 said: This is my guitar today. As you can clearly see, it's a 2018 model, no weight relief (which 2017 has) honey burst. I removed the pick guard as an experiment and found I liked it better without it, brings out the burst color more. I also removed the PCB board and put in 50's wiring with Bourns 500k pots and orange drop capacitors. I'm going for the EVH brown sound, reason why I removed the pickups and installed the Duncans. As one person pointed out on here with the link, Gibson's website (at the time), said the pickups were 490R/498T, and I was told 498T has a much brighter sound to them than the 490T. I've been making adjustments for two years on my sound with no results until I researched the pickups and PCB board. The changes I made were night to day. I even had a bone nut put on by the luthiers I go to. Everything else I did myself. It took two years cause of money constraints and time, but it was worth it. This guitar is now perfect and love it. My setup is a Blackstar HT 40 with a new WGS Retro 30 speaker I put in using a Friedman BD-OE distortion pedal as my main sound, with MXR EVH flanger, MXR phase 90 (not EVH) and an Ibanez tube screamer. Lexicon MX200 into FX loop for other sounds. you're right. I can clearly see it's not weight relieved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kidblast Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 15 hours ago, Karloff said: you're right. I can clearly see it's not weight relieved. !!! LOL !!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Navy Vet. Posted October 16, 2019 Share Posted October 16, 2019 How do you like them apples. I just pulled the pups on my 2019 SG-Special and what do you know, those P90’s have a 490T and 490R sticker on the bottom. 😜 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thedangle1 Posted October 18, 2019 Author Share Posted October 18, 2019 On 10/15/2019 at 4:03 PM, Karloff said: you're right. I can clearly see it's not weight relieved. Well, I meant "clearly see" from the photo of the back of the headstock cause some were questioning if it was a 2017 or 2018, and the '17 model is weight relieved, which I don't believe in when it comes to a real Les Paul. Was one of the main features that made me buy it, but pretty funny sarcasm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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