Reappraising the 490R and 498T

Caffeine_Vampire

Just put a set back in my LP.  Harmonically rich, crunchy as all hell, good definition... why are so many swapped out?

poopot

Grass is always greener innit!

Philtre

I have them as stock in my 2016 SG Standard. I like them.

gringopig

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Ronantian

I found them really unbalanced - neck way darker. But changing the cap on the neck pickup has worked for me.

chrisj1602

I was reasonably happy with the 498T, not keen on the 490R though. I have read about people switching the magnets to brighten the neck and take the edge off the bridge.

Caffeine_Vampire

@gringopig ;

So you have your guitars fitted with £10 Chinese humbucker clones then?

I'm playing clean through an EL84 Marshall.  No pedals.

TTBZ

I think they’re perfect in an SG if you play anything heavy and aggressive which imo is what SGs are best for. I’ve used shit loads of pickups in mine and I wish I didn’t sell off the stock pickups as I’m now on the lookout for a set again as they’re great all rounders. I didn’t like them so much in a Les Paul where they go a bit muddy and dull. The 490r balances fine with the 498t in an SG. I don’t like super low output bridge pickups for an SG, it just sounds a bit limp to me.

Kittyfrisk

Philtre said:

I have them as stock in my 2016 SG Standard. I like them.

2005 SG Standard, lovely, lively, crunchy  

Caffeine_Vampire

Mine are in a '91 Studio, not a hint of mud

Alnico

I think my '05 Firebird Studio has these fitted but I'd have to look to be sure. 

It sounds amazing whatever they are.

tony99

I think they're fantastic, they used to be stock in a lot of LP customs no?

randella

tony99 said:

I think they're fantastic, they used to be stock in a lot of LP customs no?

Yeah I have them in my ‘04 Supreme. Agree with the OP’s summary. Never felt the need for anything different in there, even having played a lot of guitars with a lot of different pickups down the years. 

impmann

TTBZ said:

I think they’re perfect in an SG if you play anything heavy and aggressive which imo is what SGs are best for. I’ve used shit loads of pickups in mine and I wish I didn’t sell off the stock pickups as I’m now on the lookout for a set again as they’re great all rounders. I didn’t like them so much in a Les Paul where they go a bit muddy and dull. The 490r balances fine with the 498t in an SG. I don’t like super low output bridge pickups for an SG, it just sounds a bit limp to me.

Each to their own but an SG with lower wind pickups sounds great to me. I ripped out those original pickups because unless I was playing with da crushin gainz toan it sounded dull and lifeless. I’ve still got the original pickups in the drawer but I can’t ever see a time I’d shove them back in.

For me, an SG is more about Robbie Kreiger, Paul Weller, Pete Townsend etc than da brootahlz or that mad bugger in a school uniform. And fitted with those original 490r/498t units, my SG didn’t sound anything like what I wanted it to. Now it does...

Like I say, each to their own.

TheMarlin

I hated them. I much prefer a lower output humbuckers  I quite like the Classic 57 in an SG,  it if I was buying an SG, would have P90’s. 

roberty

I had them in the early 90s studio Les Paul that I regret selling on a weekly basis. They actually sounded fab. The combo of 300k pots, zinc tailpiece and 498T bridge pickup makes a proper rocker out of a Les Paul. The 490R neck pup is sweet and plummy 

sweepy

I always find them brash, shouty and lacking dynamics but I threw a set in an old Korean Tokai Les Paul with a factory Bigsby and they suited it nicely tbh

p90fool

I know I always bang on about this, but a 498T with an A3 magnet is a great pickup. 

It loses the brashness and gains a softer, more dynamic feel, but is still hugely powerful. 

It always seems a waste not to spend a fiver trying it instead of spending a fortune on replacements. 

TTBZ

impmann said:

TTBZ said:

I think they’re perfect in an SG if you play anything heavy and aggressive which imo is what SGs are best for. I’ve used shit loads of pickups in mine and I wish I didn’t sell off the stock pickups as I’m now on the lookout for a set again as they’re great all rounders. I didn’t like them so much in a Les Paul where they go a bit muddy and dull. The 490r balances fine with the 498t in an SG. I don’t like super low output bridge pickups for an SG, it just sounds a bit limp to me.

Each to their own but an SG with lower wind pickups sounds great to me. I ripped out those original pickups because unless I was playing with da crushin gainz toan it sounded dull and lifeless. I’ve still got the original pickups in the drawer but I can’t ever see a time I’d shove them back in.

For me, an SG is more about Robbie Kreiger, Paul Weller, Pete Townsend etc than da brootahlz or that mad bugger in a school uniform. And fitted with those original 490r/498t units, my SG didn’t sound anything like what I wanted it to. Now it does...

Like I say, each to their own.

I am guilty of using ALL THE GAINZ a lot of the time to be fair I don’t mind a hot PAF (9-10k) in them but i found my Bare Knuckle Mules really dull and characterless in this guitar. Although if it wasn’t my only guitar I’d probably just get another mid-hot output P90 for the bridge since I feel like they’re the ultimate match for an SG for raw and aggressive rock tones

gringopig

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Boromedic

498T is a great pickup in my LP Standard, Dan from the Darkness uses them to good effect. Shame the 490R is a massive mudpie though.....