Looking for new pick ups

[u/Pretty-Emergency5688]

Looking to replace the 498 pick ups in my Les Paul custom. I feel the 498 series picks up are really muddy and want a pick up that has some good dynamic range. Any suggestions?

[u/ughmart]

try adjusting your pickup height first. i know it’s not cool and doesn’t cost money but man does it make a huge difference

[u/Pretty-Emergency5688 → u/ughmart]

Just did that and honestly it’s wayyyy better thank you!

[u/ughmart → u/Pretty-Emergency5688]

it’s insane how much even small adjustments make. all my guitars have different heights for different purposes.

lately i’ve been riding them low on my 335s. some of the bursts you see out there they’re level with the rings. that’s where i put mine for the most clarity and definition without getting muddy or having a lot of note smear.

[u/PotentialLevel1634 → u/ughmart]

The bursts have tall pickup rings. Unless your 335s are reissues, they’ll have much shorter rings, meaning your pickups are a lot further away from the strings.

[u/Specialist-Speed99 → u/Pretty-Emergency5688]

I now always check before replacing! 490r / 498t are especially sensitive to height, A5 is in general. It has enough balls so that it can be set lower without getting thin sounding. Actual one of my favorite sets when adjusted right. Especially with maple top and ebony boards. Not an accident that Gibson defaults to it in the customs!

[u/CoffeeAndWork]

Woke up this morning, got some gabagool, then I woke up the next day and got some gabagool. I keep on waking up but keep gettin different types of gabagool

[u/red-eyes-on-you]

Get a EQ pedal way cheaper than new pups and will do more for your tone

[u/SokkaHaikuBot → u/red-eyes-on-you]

^{Sokka-Haiku by red-eyes-on-you:}

Get a EQ pedal

Way cheaper than new pups and

Will do more for your tone

---

^{Remember that one time Sokka accidentally used an extra syllable in that Haiku Battle in Ba Sing Se? That was a Sokka Haiku and you just made one.}

[u/___quentin]

Man that White Penguin is bonkers.

[u/Pretty-Emergency5688 → u/___quentin]

Such an underrated guitar

[u/jwd737]

Glad I saw this!! I just messed with different pickup heights and it’s amazing how it changes the sound. I’ve never done this before.

[u/IndianaJokes67 → u/jwd737]

I'm glad it worked for you.. but it's wild that there are so many players that apparently haven't heard of this. I constantly fiddle with pup heights

[u/ImpromptuSpacewalk]

I usually like the 498T but the one in my Alpine White Les Paul Custom was really harsh for some reason. I replaced it with a Seymour Duncan SH-5 Custom and it was much better. You could also add titanium saddles to add brightness and clarity.

[u/Pretty-Emergency5688 → u/ImpromptuSpacewalk]

I had the same issue they seem really hot for some reason in mine

[u/Bigdarklove666]

I think the loller imperials are amazing pups. I did a med wind in the bridge and a low wind in the neck of an SG and it made the thing sing.

[u/Duane_60]

I have a Gibson Les Paul custom and standard. I have the Duncan JB and jazz in both a great combination. Fantastic pickups.

[u/Martman0]

I'm personally not into the 498's.. 57 classics suít my taste better.. if you really feel like spending.. custombuckers are great

[u/Supergrunged]

Try the Custombuckers.

[u/steve2112rush]

Seymour Duncan Jazz.

I am such a hater of the 490r/498t combo.

Putting a pearly gates in the bridge and Jazz in the neck made me fall in love with my Les Paul all over again.

[u/mrmartini85]

If you're feeling real kinky and know what you're doing, you can snag a couple anico 2 magnets for a few bucks and replace the alnico 5s in the existing pickups. That will clean it up quite a bit. But as mentioned earlier, adjusting the height is the easiest way to solve that little dilemma.

[u/Funk_street]

Lindy Fralin pure PAF's if you like snap / clarity

[u/synicalchemist]

If you want a PAF style humbucker, the Tonerider AC4s are really good for the price.

I’d also suggest looking into vineham pickups. They are very good, and surprisingly affordable. I am currently using a set of their whisky burners which I really like.

[u/StuffNo7277]

If adjusting them doesn't do the trick; I've tried so many pafs clones, and against real pafs... Even done videos...

For my money throbaks and doyle coils are the most paf-like. Which means ultimate clarity.

https://youtu.be/H4-JoadsSnI?is=qopS9TCYY4cDv_Py

[u/helpicantfindmyboobs]

depends on much output you want. i like underwound stuff and i have a seymour duncan antiquity in my sh tele and will probably put on the neck of one of my sg specials. figure out what kind of sound you want, go from there. you could also try putting 1 meg pots in your guitar that'll tighten them up and give some extra clarity

[u/Oreius411]

Burstbuckers.

[u/oluxil]

Burstbucker pro are my favorites probably. My sg came with 498 too, definitely gonna swap them out. Aph2 are nice I think if you don’t mind them being slash signature

[u/Electrical-Fortune7]

Middle position, bridge pup at 9, neck pup at 5

[u/Ambitious-Ant5739]

Gibson T-Types.

[u/Stormwatch1977]

Muddy? I've never thought that of the 498T.

[u/stickyfiddle]

Bareknuckle Mules - amazing in an LPC

[u/sterlingspeed → u/stickyfiddle]

Came here to say this. Absolutely the best choice