Thanks B
The SG Special appreciation thread
- Thread starter Sérgio
- Start date
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
B
Biddlin
Guest
Yeah, both are all stock. I think the 490s are a great rock pickup, slightly overwound compared to 57s or PAFs and very ballsy without being overpowering. The 490s in my SGJ seem a little less aggressive than my 03's, less focused "woman tone," but still a very tight top end. (The plastic cover and no adjustable pole pieces may account for that.) If I were to swap, I'd probably put Dirty Fingers in one of the specials, for a harder edge.
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
Thanks Bidd for your assessment. My Walnut Faded has the 490's, while my black '87 Special has the HB-L HB-R Circuit board Bill Lawrence pups.
syscokid
Ambassador of War & Peace
A lot of money is being asked for those when you can find them for sale.
How you like those?
Yup. I get into a Mick Ronson mode or a Michael Schenker mode when I plug my Moony into a Marshally setup...
BlackSG91
Ambassador of Anarchy
Remember Chilli baby that the 490 pickup set is very thick and juicy in tone...just like a mouthwatering rib-eyed steak. Yum yum in the tum!
;>)/
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
A lot of money is being asked for those when you can find them for sale.
How you like those?
Yup. I get into a Mick Ronson mode or a Michael Schenker mode when I plug my Moony into a Marshally setup...
I like em alot. For me, my T Tops are the best in my Epi LP. Then the Lawrences and 490's are a toss up.
OP
Sérgio
Ambassador of CaliZilian Affairs
Gahr
Ambassador of Blues & Brews
If that hate gets to much for you, I will be more than grateful to relieve you of your new SG burden.
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BlackSG91
Ambassador of Anarchy
The 490T is Alnico II for a more classic tone while the 498T is Alnico V for a hotter tone. The 498T is the hottest non-signature pickup that Gibson has. I have the 490R/498T pick up combo in my Gibson LP Studio and they sound great together...great pairing IMHO. The same pickup combo are usually in the Les Paul Custom guitars which are more expensive Pauls.
;>)/
Col Mustard
Ambassador of Perseverance
I was told by a woman that in order to prevent hating yourself in the morning
it is necessary to sleep until noon.
But congratulations Sergio, you have chosen one of the best guitars ever made. Gibson SG '61 RI.
This thread is in praise of the more humble SG special, but the '61 is one we all dream of.
SG specials make good mod platforms... they are plentiful and inexpensive. You can have lots of smokey fun
changing them so they give the tone you hear in your head. But the '61 is already the best, so it's a mistake
to mod them IMHO. Especially an unusual one like yours with the satin finish.
And yes, the Gibson worn brown finish actually does look a little like an old one that was cherry red when new,
but has become brown by the yellowing of the lacquer. I like it, especially on a '61 like yours.
chilipeppermaniac
Ambassador of Decibels
I got my Faded like the Col has but got it used. Right now, my guess is I have the 490's in it. I am sure most have experienced this, my neck pickup has way more volume than my bridge. I have the neck pickup screwed down to almost touching the wood, while the bridge sits up high to even things out. No plans to swap mine.
Goldmember
Ambassador of Golden Yoo-Hoos
My 2016 Special Faded is what I play every day. I love everything about it, especially the open coil 490r/490t pups, which sound better to me than the BBs in my SG Tribute. I won't change a thing on it, though I did put on speed knobs at the time of purchase since I dig the feel, mon.
BlackSG91
Ambassador of Anarchy
The 490T is an awesome pickup! The key to getting a good sound with them is pickup height adjustment. I usually press the high E string on the 22nd fret, using a screwdriver to adjust and measure 1/16" on the treble side and on the bass side, I set the height at 1/8". Then I plug the guitar into my amplifier and tweak the sound just bit. The pickup has a nice edge to it for hard rock tunes. I find it really sings with the extra mids it has.
The 490R is great for rhythm & blues playing including licks. It feels like it has more presence in it's sound compared to other pickups. I use it alot as equally as the 490T. I like to have on occasion the 3-way toggle switch in the middle, then both pickups are on and I set the volumes differently for various tones which seem limitless when combining the tone controls. Both are a great set of pickups and I plan to keep mine for good.
;>)/
LIVE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION TO FOLLOW:
490's - Great pickup for bedroom playing. AWFUL at high stage volumes. They are unpotted (traditional style build) so they squeal like a pig on a small stage at high volumes. They also get really thin sounding as you increase the volume level...
I have a 2016 SG. The 490's are unpotted and I confirmed this by looking at them...
I have a set of GFS double-epoxy potted, Alinco II, vintage impedance covered PAF's to go inot it....
P.S. According to Steve Stewart at Gibson, the "T-Series" (T for Traditional) do not get a wax potted 490. They get a "Traditional" version of the 490 which is not wax potted. The over-the-counter 490's are wx potted with 4 conductor wiring....
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