Gibson 496R? Or what to match a 500T with?

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Rex Rocker

Rex Rocker

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I have a Gibson 500T that I think I'm going to put back in my Les Paul Tribute. It's such a killer pickup. More balanced yet still dirtier and nastier than a Duncan Distortion, and much beefier and easy to play through than Vintage winds.

I used to have it paired with a Duncan Distortion Neck. But that pickup was kinda mehh. A bit bland overall. Not particularly great cleans, better lead tones. But I kinda like the DiMarzio Evo Neck for that better.

I tried ordering the 496R off Ebay some months ago, but the seller screwed up, and sent me a pair of Duncan P Rails, LOL. I hate those, but agreed with the seller that I was going to keep them, since I had to wait like a month to get them imported anyways.

Not sure if I'm missing much with the 496R. Reviews don't seem to make it seem like it's the star of the pair.

What I like in a neck pickup is smooth but not overly bassy. Clear, but not scooped or plinky. I like vintage-style winds as much as anyone, but I just never found they pair well with hot overwound distortion-types. So I prefer hotter neck pickups (when I'm using a blistering hot bridge pickup like the 500T).

So... opinions? Should I try my luck with teh 496R or should I look into something else?
 
A couple out of the box options but my two favorite next pickups have been a zhangbucker woodbucker and oddly enough a Duncan Screamin Demon

That being said, I really dig 496Rs

I like 490s a little better, but wouldn’t scoff at either
 
How to the 496R compares to the 490? I had a set of 490's that my Les Paul came with. I didn't like the 490R. Way too underpowered for hot bridge pickups.
 
496R is great IMO with the 500T, that's the combo I have in 3 of my 4 LP's.
 
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What's the 496R compared to other pickups? The DCR seems to suggest it would be bright and open for a high-output pickup.
 
Rex Rocker said:
What's the 496R compared to other pickups? The DCR seems to suggest it would be bright and open for a high-output pickup.
Click to expand...

I'd say that's a good description of that pickup. I don't like most Gibson pickups but the 496R and 500T are outstanding.
 
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