Thoughts on 490R and 490T pickups

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

I agree with that too. I’m convinced some people like to tinker with things more than they actually like to play guitar and also love the thrill of spending money on things that are perceived as high end along the way .

I go through phases where I play all the time, or play rarely at all. I am also all over the place in terms of gear, with my one deciding factor being the tones or purposes I want out of said gear. I don't purchase based on price, prestige, or forum cred points. I buy based on what I want.

That said my favorite Gibson pickups are P90's, Staples, and the tried and true 490R/498T set.

 

[Tsongas]

I have been playing only Telecasters forever but recently got my first Les Paul and it has these pickups. I got the guitar because it sounded so good and played so well that I couldn't resist. I don't have enough experience with Les Pauls to compare it to other models/pickups as I have only played a few over the years and none for an extended period of time.

I agree completely with Offshore Angler that pickups play less of a role in how their guitars sound than many people think.

 

[bobalu]

I have them in my 2023 Tribute, and are the reason I bought the guitar. They sound fabulous and are very versatile. I have an R8, a Modern and a 60's Standard as well (all different sounds!), and my Tribute is the most fun to play. Really enjoy it.

 

[jb_abides]

All-rounders, "Modern Classics" for a reason [a la more modern than 57 Classics], indeed: PAF-ish, A2, potted for pushing things a bit more, tuned with pronounced upper-mids. 4-wire for push-pull. Versatile.

People downplay Gibson pickups, usually they have a set that invariably haven't been dialed in, doesn't match their application or style, or least likely just is a not a proper fit for their particular guitar.

Which is not to say other makers winders don't sound better to them, as there's a lot of subjective aspects to our ears.

 

[Hiwatts-n-Gibsons]

Of my favorite Humbuckers ever as a dyed in the wool single coil lover the 490R/490T combo is in the top 5 of my all time favorite humbuckers.

1. TV Jones SuperTron
2. Gibson 498T
3. TV Jones PowerTron
4. Gibson Tarback
5. Gibson 490R

 

[jb_abides]

Most of my pickups are vintage-y when you look at my stable.

That said ... still have the 496R/500T ceramics in my 2000 LP Classic 60 which deliver formidable 90s 'hard rock' toanZ!

Why not have a broad palette available, if you can?

 

[RiverRatt]

There’s almost too much information out there to make sense of. I have read on the Gibson website (go to the site and select either 490R or 490T) that the 490R and 490T were introduced in the late 1960s as a modern evolution of the original PAF. They included wax potting and 4-conductor wiring.

I don’t know anything for sure, except that Seth Lover’s model number for the original humbucker released in 1957 was P-490. It’s fun to speculate! That seems to lend credence to the 490R and 490T being the natural evolution of the PAF. Again, just speculation. I’m probably FOS as usual

 

[c_wester]

You can also remove the extra magnets and experiment.
I have done it a couple of times.
And I like it.