Gibson Changing It's Pickups???

Inspector #20

Inspector #20

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Noticed a 2017 Gibson Les Paul Tribute at the local Guitar Sinner. I was reading some of the paperwork on the guitar and was surprised to read the following information about the pickups - particularly with respect to the highlighted areas below:

Pickups Rhythm Lead
Style: 490R 490T
Winds/Coil: Screw side/Slug side: 5250 / 5250 5250 / 5250
Material of Wire (gauge): Copper (42) Copper (42)
Coil Dimensions (per coil): 2.61 x 0.68" 2.61 x 0.68"
Coil Material: ABS ABS
Coil Winding Process: Machine Wound Machine Wound
Pole Piece Material: Nickel Nickel
Pole Piece Position from Nut: 18.625" 23.438"
Slug Material: Nickel Nickel
Slug Dimensions (diameter x length): 0.187 x 0.489" 0.187 x 0.489"
Magnet Material: Alnico II Alnico II
Magnet Position from Nut: 19" 23.125"
Magnet Dimensions: 2.5 x 0.5" 2.32 x 0.5"
Polarities: Screw side is the south pole of magnet Reversed Polarity
Cover: Nickel Nickel
Qfactor: 5.62 5.62
ResistanceDC: 7803 Ohms 7803 Ohms
Resonant Frequency: 2715.71 Hz 2715.71 Hz
Tonal & Resonant Advancements: Better Hum canceling w/rev polarity Better Hum canceling w/rev polarity - wax potted to reduce microphonic feedback

I must say this intrigued me....Has anyone heard of this???
 
chilipeppermaniac said:
Nope Robert, first time reading that info. Can't believe you got that much detail anywhere. Pretty darn specific.
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Interesting, isn't it????

A friend of mine is a guitar technician and we got to talking about this earlier tonight and he says, "Oh yeah, Man...the 2017 pickups are supposed to be trick...by the way, I just yanked a set out of a 2017 Les Paul Tribute. You want them???:)
 
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7803 Ohms per coil.The 3 Ohms are most important, of course. Do the also have a Magician or a Witch who treats the pickups with some magic?

Anyway: slightly overwound humbuckers with relatively weak magnets (Alnico 2, not 5). Says ist all, doesn't it?
 
Not sure.....could be....I like Alinco 2 and impedance in the 8k range...i don't like "hot" pickups....
 
bea said:
7803 Ohms per coil.The 3 Ohms are most important, of course. Do the also have a Magician or a Witch who treats the pickups with some magic?

Anyway: slightly overwound humbuckers with relatively weak magnets (Alnico 2, not 5). Says ist all, doesn't it?
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Oh, Bea...everyone knows they're made by Hobbits in the Shire.

I'm surprised you didn't know this!
 
bea said:
Well i always thought they were made after Midnight in Pentagrams.
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I think some may be...I will tell you this....I've had Bare Knuckles, Frailn, Benson Lawrence and Lollar and, to be totally honest, they were no better than most of the stock pickups I've had over the years...they were, however, better for the pickup manufacturer in terms of income...gave most of them away...
 
From my research, this is a type of Peter Green Modification along with improved wax potting, which used to be absent in the "Traditional" and "Reissue" instruments...
 
Robert Herndon said:
I think some may be...I will tell you this....I've had Bare Knuckles, Frailn, Benson Lawrence and Lollar and, to be totally honest, they were no better than most of the stock pickups I've had over the years...they were, however, better for the pickup manufacturer in terms of income...gave most of them away...
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I've never had any of those, so I can't confirm or deny. But, I will say, I attempt to give stock pickups their due opportunity to impress me. I think many people yank stock p'ups before they've really sat down to explore what they bring to the table.
 
I too have spent a lot on trying many different Brands of Boutique PUP's and I only found ONE set that sounds exceptionally different to MY Ears.
Those are my Bernie Marsden Beast Buckers. They just sound more alive and the sound seems to jump out at you.

I'll pull the LP out later and play it then expound on this...memory just isn't sufficient these days...
 
Interesting that the Lead, or treble pickup is equipped with a short A2 magnet (2.37") as opposed to the rhythm pickups long A2 magnet. Is this the way the 490 pair have always been? While on the subject of 490 magnets', a 490 with the magnet changed to a short A5 = T top. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
Interesting that the Lead, or treble pickup is equipped with a short A2 magnet (2.37") as opposed to the rhythm pickups long A2 magnet. Is this the way the 490 pair have always been? While on the subject of 490 magnets', a 490 with the magnet changed to a short A5 = T top. Cheers
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Apparently this is a change for 2017....all pickups wound after August 2017.
 
Yes, the reverse polarity (Peter Green thing), which is also the treble pickup. The rhythm pickup's screw poles being south is how humbuckers have always been, but I'm wondering if they've always used the long/short magnet combination with the 490 pair or if that's also new. Can anyone shed any light. Cheers
 
ivan H said:
Yes, the reverse polarity (Peter Green thing), which is also the treble pickup. The rhythm pickup's screw poles being south is how humbuckers have always been, but I'm wondering if they've always used the long/short magnet combination with the 490 pair or if that's also new. Can anyone shed any light. Cheers
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Good Question!!!!

I've seen pics of Angus Young with the screws on the neck pickup facing south, but he hardly uses it I am told....
 
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