Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker Gold

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

I have a 1972 Les Paul Custom which I bought used in 1982. It has the second generation "T" PAF pickups. I believe Gibson quit putting this type of humbuckers on Les Pauls around 1975. I bought the 498T Humbucker about three years ago to give the bridge pickup a little more balls as I was playing classic rock at the time. Personally, I don't see it having made much of a difference. I recently played some blues at an open stage with the Les Paul through my Carvin SX200 solid state amp( this is my practice amp) and the guitar wailed. I couldn't tell any character difference between the 498T and the original PAF still in the neck. So, depending on what style you are playing, this is what I think: if you are looking for a sound more like a PAF, such as the Allman Bros. ,Freddie King, this is the way to go. If you want more of a Zak Wylde/Randy Rhoades type tone, try something hotter. I'm going to switch back to my PAF bridge pickup. The 498T is a nice pickup but not much difference from what I already have. If you want a PAF sound and aren't getting that from your current pickups, try this. It's a lot cheaper than original PAFs.

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

The 498T has the classic tonal character you expect from a Gibson humbucker, but with a little brighter edge. Gibson's best pickup for that tight, bright, crunchy 80's hard rock/hair metal kind of tone.

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

I got a Gibson Les Paul Standard Traditional Pro back in 2010. I loved the feel, and the features. Over time I found the Burstbucker 3 to be too shrill and harsh. Also it sounded very thin compared to the Dragon II's on My PRS. I went out and played dozens of Gibsons. I wanted to keep the "Les Paul" tone but get a warmer, fatter, and higher output sound. The 498T was my answer. It is voiced very similar to the Burtsbucker 3, but its warmer (while still clear as a bell), has more output, and a much fuller sound. It was perfect for me. I wanted that classic Les Paul growl. On the other hand. asking [$] for ONE pickup is seriously wrong. I mean the everage Seymour Duncan, or DiMarzio, is priced at about $75. But no other pickup company makes pickups that sound like Gibsons. So you get what you pay for. The high price is the only reason I didnt give it a full 5 rating. Bottom line: If you want the full, powerful growl of a Les Paul, this pickups delivers. For a Price...

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

The 498t brings out the best of the Les Paul guitar. It offers powerful,articulate, warm,fat/full musical sound that is expressive as you vary your picking. I am able to get huge bottom and blistering highs but not harsh. The 498t allows you to express your voice thru your guitar as if saying words - hard to explain but it has that ability to translate and transfer your feelings and thougths better than other pickups I'used. Very versatile...A++++ choice!

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

For 2 years my Traditional Plus with the 57 and 57 Plus did not sound like a Les Paul. the stock pickups did not have the mojo, there was something missing - it lacked the bite and warm grip/rip of a certain pickup I was looking for. The 498t gives that mojo back, GRIPPING, BITING, ARTICULATE, LOUD ,FAT, AND WARM all the same time. The 57s are to muddy and if you max the volume and treble of the bridge pickup it becomes annoyingly thin sounding -probably the shortcomings of Alnico 2 pickups. The 498t has more authority and musicality than the 57s. With the right strings, tube amp settings, and cables, the 498t on a Les Paul gives you tone heaven.

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

While it's not a "OH MY GOD GUITARGASM GOING TO CRAP MY PANTS THIS IS SO GOOD" pickup (and beleive my, I've played some), its versatility is hard to match.
Well... It's four wire. That's about as good as you can get for "Features" on a humbucker.
The split sound is fantastic, by the way. Sounds very much like "All Right Now" by Free.
With those alnico Vs and roughly 13k of resistance, this pickup is the epitome of a blend between modern and vintage. It doesn't break up when you want to go clean, and doesn't sound weak with distortion. In both settings it has a very full and powerful tone. In a band setting it's perfect for high gain leads, I've found.
The value of this pickup is low. Why? Gibson charges $100 for a pickup. That's ridiculous!

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

I am a huge fan of almost all of the Gibson humbucker pickups and am very familiar with the differences between them. To me the 490/498 combination is the best choice for anybody playing the bar band scene.The 498 has balanced windings in both coils and is wax potted. It differs from the '57 in that it has a few more windings and is 'hotter' and 'brighter' that it's '57 Classic (or even the '57 Classic Plus)cousins. In other words, just perfect to give your solos a 'little extra' to get up over the rest of the mix in a bar band situation.I prefer 490/498's in my LPs that I use on stage. The 498 has the typical great Gibson humbucker sound. It's just a little hotter and brighter than the '57s or the BurstBuckers.I gave them a 4 for 'value' although these are actually reasonably priced for a Gibson.I highly recommend them for any LP lead player who desires a little extra power in his bridge pickup without giving up any of that Gibson tone.

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

This pick up came stock in my Gibson Les Paul Studio Silverburst (which is a fantastic guitar by the way) and it is one of the most versatile pickups I've heard. It can go from Texas Blues, to classic rock, to heavy metal. I play through a Mesa Boogie Single Rectifier and this pick up is the perfect match. Seriously, get this if you want more variety in your tone.

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

This is by far one of my all time favorite pickups. I just installed it in one of my Gibson Flying Vs and doing so reminded me why I liked the pickup so much. This pickup represents a great mix between the high output sound of a ceramic pickup yet with the warmth of a more traditional ALINCO magnet. I have tried many different pickups in my Gibsons including Seymour Duncans, Dimarzios, and different Gibson pickups (Dirty Fingers most recently)and this pickup by far in my opinion has the greatest most authentic Gibson tone..especially when used with my older Marshall halfstacks..a great rock pickup for sure!

Comments about Gibson 498T Alnico Humbucker:

I have a ESP Viper 400 that came stock with the EMG bridge/neck combo and was NOT happy with the majorly compressed sound(even after taking out the bridge pickup and moving the neck pickup back in it's place).After putting the 498T in the bridge position I was really amazed at the clarity of the guitar!Crisp highs,pronounced mids,and tight defined low end made me not even think about looking anymore for a distortion pedal between my guitar and my Marshall JCM2000.For classic punk or metal this is the sound!