NZGuitars.com

Assuming things because it is internet guitarist orthodoxy.

So I got the 1997 Les Paul Studio. I like it a lot more than I thought I would. I thought the 490R/498T would not be so good and I would replace them. I still might because I like this other set of pups I have a lot. But after setting up the guitar how I like it and having a blat, I think these much maligned pickups are not bad at all. They are definitely not sh!t like I hear a lot. I got some tones I really liked out of them. I'll be keeping them for sure, even if I do swap them out.

Makes me wonder how much of what we do to our guitars and stuff we buy is based on what we read online rather than what we hear with our ears. Or if we are not liking what we hear it could be because we are not playing to that piece of equipment's strengths etc. I thought the pups were a little funky sounding at first, but tweaked the amp and got them singing.

The pic is off the net to give the post some eye candy / eye sore depending on what you think of these pups

p.s. other times I have played these pups I thought they were a little wimpy sounding. To get them to sound good for sustaining lead tones I had to get the amp working a bit harder and dig in with my picking. Then the pups do the thing and reward with some good tones..

Same pickups that went into the customs for a while. Probably still in a couple models.

Also just write fuck, we’re all friends here

Similar thing with my se - g&b pickups in that are tops.
Modded the tele to all fuck cuz I love the guitar but not the usual tele sound lolol

Yeah, the idea that you have to spend several hundred bucks to get pups that sound good is nonsense. They might sound good, but cheaper ones can too.

so your the guy that snagged the cheap studio!

I think it’s often the difference between ‘chancing it’ and ‘knowing it’. Cheaper can def sound awesome, but can be a lottery. Expensive is usually so for a reason, so while yes it costs more (sometimes ridiculously so) you can be reasonably sure of what you’re getting.

chrisbower wrote:so your the guy that snagged the cheap studio!

Yep. I thought about it for a few minutes after it was listed and grabbed it. A punt, but if it did not work out I could always sell it and not lose. It worked out. Very nice guitar.

See: seymour duncan vs. gfs

null_pointer wrote:I think it’s often the difference between ‘chancing it’ and ‘knowing it’. Cheaper can def sound awesome, but can be a lottery. Expensive is usually so for a reason, so while yes it costs more (sometimes ridiculously so) you can be reasonably sure of what you’re getting.

That's a big part of it. Buying guitars online can be a crapshoot; nice to take something out of the equation. Still no guarantee you'll like them, but unlikely they'll be trash.

null_pointer wrote:I think it’s often the difference between ‘chancing it’ and ‘knowing it’. Cheaper can def sound awesome, but can be a lottery. Expensive is usually so for a reason, so while yes it costs more (sometimes ridiculously so) you can be reasonably sure of what you’re getting.

Yeah, we pay for that known quantity and reputation thing. With regard to the 490/498 pups, They are very unpopular, but i am not sure it is totally fair and views not influenced by online talk somewhat. I can see why peeps do not like them. First impressions are not great, but sticking with them and finding their sweet spot can pay off. Maybe not for every style of music though.

Another assumption was me thinking a Les Paul Studio would not sound or play as well as a good Standard. So far it seems to have it all except the extra bling.

If you want a hot pickup the 498T are fine.

Nothing wrong at all with 490R as a PAF type.

I think a lot of the criticism is that they're weird as a pairing.

I always found it an interesting human study to see people constantly changing pick ups in guitars like Gibsons. fenders PRS etc because obviously they know better than the manufacturers what is the right tone for that instrument

joking ... sort of

Aquila Rossa wrote:Another assumption was me thinking a Les Paul Studio would not sound or play as well as a good Standard. So far it seems to have it all except the extra bling.

I always thought a studio was just a "plain Jane" version of a standard

BurstBuckers in my LP std are luverly. Thought they’d be swapped out when I bought it, but they sound great, so there they’ll stay.

Fancy that though, Gibson picking a good pickup for the guitar they made!