Gibson 496R Hot Ceramic

Humbucker, passive, specs on Gibson's Website

Installed in a 70's Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. Neck position. replacing DiMarzios from the 70's. I also had a 500T installed in the bridge position. I heard Jimmy Page used this combination. I didn't like the sound of the DiMarzios through the Marshall TSL 122 Amp. I checked out the soundbytes on Gibson's Website, and thought I might like these pickups on the Les Paul.

Strong, powerful output. Very well balanced when used with the 500 T. I play it through a Marshall TSL 122. I use a Snarling Dogs WahWah, A Boss Chorus, and an Ibanez Delay. I would say this pickup gives you a kind of Liquid ,Bluesy sustain sound. I play Bad Company, ZZ Top, Clapton (Cream stuff) Albert King, Mountain, etc. This pickup is good for the Neck stuff that Billy Gibbons and Eric Clapton do. It's good for Blues soloing.

I would replace this pickup if I had to. I've been playing for many years. I also play a Les Paul Junior with Seymour Duncans, and a stock Epiphone ES 335 Dot Copy. I'm definitely satisfied with this pickup. I like to use it for soloing mostly. I like it as much as the Pearly Gates Pickup (Neck Position) in my Les Paul Junior. The sound is a little different though. I chose this one because I liked the sound of it on Gibson's Website. I would suggest getting it installed by a good guitar Tech. like I did. I brought the guitar home, and everything was set up perfectly.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: U tell me!

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez RG
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio EvO
Artists using this pickup: U tell me
You musical style(s): Hard rock, metal, Jazz, blues
Reason for pickup change: stock sucks

Perceived output level: Hot for NEck
Tone: tight bass, nice mid, sweet High
Sonic evaluation: Ibanez RG into Behringer Vamps2 into Boss Advance EQ into Behringer Mixing console into power amp

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Hard rock, metal, Jazz, blues, Its good for "sexy" solo tone

Comments: yes i'd buy again but into some mahogany body guitar, I've tried this pups with 500t in Gibson Explorer and it sounded Awesome, I decided to try it in my Basswood Ibanez, It still retained its character but of course sounded in different way, more treble and slightly thinner. overall its a good pups to try out. Yes I love it, but just wondering any better one out there..haha...thirst for tone!

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '57 Gold top reissue Orville Les Paul
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Orville PAF
Other pickups on guitar: Replaced a stock Orville PAF in the bridge with a Gibson 500T.
Artists using this pickup: Anyone with an unmolested Les Paul Classic
You musical style(s): Hard Rock/Punk Metal
Reason for pickup change: The stock Orville pickups did not put out enough volume. I first decided to try the Gibson pickups because I wanted to keep the guitar as original as possible if I ever decide to sell it. I figured if they didn't cut it I'd just move on to something else more my style, but they do the trick. I'm happy with them.

Perceived output level: Louder then any neck position pickup I have ever played through. Most guitar manufacturers like to put single coils or lower output humbuckers in the neck position, but I'd have to say that this one is about as loud as most factory installed bridge position humbuckers that I have ever played. I never really got into neck position pickups before I played this one. Now I want to go out and look for some more to throw into my other guitars!
Tone: It has a nicely balanced, ballsy-but-sweet sound to it. Less attack then the 500T, but still enough to cut above the mix. Not as crisp on the high end, but not flabby either. It's has a dark, warmer tone.
Sonic evaluation: I'm playing the Les Paul through a Dr Z. KT-45. I set the amp clean, and then I use a Z Vex Super Hard On to boost the amp into overdrive. This pick up is a nice match with the 500T in the bridge because while it's a lower output, it's still loud and clear enough to compliment the other's sound. They mix really well together. It has a nice clear bell-like sustain that isn't too chimey on the high end. When my amp is being over driven it has just about as much chunk to it as the bridge, so I could comfortably do rhythm-to-lead playing with it if I wanted to.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play riff oriented rock, so I need good definition without sacrificing any of the meat. This pick up adds more dimension to my guitar by allowing me to switch between pickups without worrying about loosing the beef. It is a great match for my style.

Comments: I really like this pickup. I bought it in a set with my 500T off of ebay. I was more concerned with getting the 500T in the bridge, but I wanted to match the neck and the bridge according to Gibson's specifications in order to keep the guitar's resale value somewhat intact. I'm pleasently surprised by what I got.
I had my tech put nickel covers over both pickups to retain the original look of the '57 gold top, and to avoid having these ugly black pickups offset the guitar's lovely color scheme. I actually had a lot of trouble locating a set of these pickups on the new market and when I did I was dissapointed to see that they didn't offer them in double cream. All I could find was black, and "zebra." Neither of those colors would look good with this guitar. These are simply aesthetic issues, but issues nonetheless. After all, a better looking guitar has more resale value. Looks aside, I would highly recommend this pickup to anyone who wants another place to go beyond the bridge for that thick chunky sound.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Les Paul Classic
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: 500T
Artists using this pickup: Slash, Page
You musical style(s): classic rock, metal, some folksie stuff (trying to expand my repetoir)
Reason for pickup change: Came as the stock neck hummer on the Les Paul Classic

Perceived output level: medium-hot
Tone: dark, rich, full
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is the acoustic equivalent of Hershey's Dark Chocolate! Less bell-like chime than an alnico magnet, but oh so smooth, rich, full, and somewhat dark sounding. I don't use neck pickups much with distortion, but almost always when going with a clean signal. When plugged straight into my Crate TV120 tuber with nothing but the built-in reverb for effects - it sounds like angry sex! By the way, I replaced the 500T (bridge) because whenever I played any notes below the 12th fret on the high E or B string I felt like I got hit in the eardrum with an icepick (my amp was partially to blame as it's very loud and bright - but many others have written reviews on harmony central with the same complaint about the 500T). Anyway, I replaced it with a Rio Grande BBQ and viola! Can you say Billy Gibbons? With the 496R and BBQ working together in humbucker mode you get some fearsome thick tones. I don't honestly think that there's a better, more versatile pickup combo out there for blues and rock.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This may not be the best pickup for chickin-pickin and country, but for blues, and the clean parts of your favorite metal tunes - it's GRRRRREAT!

Comments: I love this bugger! Granted, it's planted in a 7 lb. Les Paul solid mahogany body and neck and I don't know if it'll sound as good in a chintze Ibanez or other such toy - but MAN it's a cool sounding pickup!

Pickup features: passive ceramic-magnet humbuckers
Impedence or other specs: ???, different pole spacings for bridge and neck positions

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Flying V, then a custom made special
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: stock Epi units
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: those who play Gibson Explorers, Vs ...
You musical style(s): klezmer/punk/folk mix
Reason for pickup change: wanted a better sound :)

Perceived output level: 496R: slightly hotter than 490R in my LP Studio; 500T: stronger than the 498T in my LP
Tone: Well balanced, pronounced but not piercing, slightly less mids and presence than I like
Sonic evaluation: I run my guitars through a Laney LC15 and a George Dennis VA30 Mighty Mouse. Sometimes I add Marshall Jackhammer for extra lead crunch. In the Epi, the sound quality improved like 200% over the stock units. The Gibsons sounded brighter, clearer, more focused, with better string-to-string definition, and less "grainy". I like it when an overdriven sound is grainy but this was different. The pickups are well balanced for my style - i.e. the bridge unit is hotter for OD leads whereas the neck unit is for clean rhythm playing or some really singing leads. I prefer middy sound, which is what the Epi does not deliver - but this is not the fault of the pups, they just amplify the guitar's inherent sound.
The other guitar I later put the pups in is a custom, maple-on-mahogany, bolt-on mahogany/rosewood special I had made to my specs. This guitar is neither middy sounding - it sounds rather dark, but the sound is strong, rich and beautiful. Here also, the matched set works perfectly. However, I am thinking about replacing them. Does anybody know pickups that enhance midrange frequencies of a guitar? I know that pups cannot do it all, and that what matters most is the guitar wood, but I've noticed that pickups can help it somewhat. I will be glad to get any suggestions.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Ranging punk to klezmer to Tom Waits-ish leads within one band, the pup set works perfectly in their respective positions.

Comments: If I lost them in whichever way, I would like to get them again, they're fine. However, the prices are ever-increasing so I might look for something more affordable. I've been playing for 13 years, have about 5 other electrics mostly with HBs. I got the Epi real cheap at a sellout, so even though the Gibsons were rather expensive, the resulting price was on par with the retail price of a new stock Epi. Now I'm using the Epi with Schaller Hot Stuff in both positions, and they sound more middy and present than the Gibson, if not as strong (especially the bridge unit does not match the 500T's output), and the Gibsons power my custom special. I will have to give that guitar time to show what's in it as I have it for some 4 months only. Anyway, it's the wood what makes most of the guitar's sound, the pickups only amplify it, and I'm still searching for the perfect sound. Now it looks like trying to get the right guitar for them, maybe having a set-neck or neck-through custom made to accomodate them. However, these Gibsons are fine and I recommend them (in my country, they are costly imports, yet they are more affordable than Duncans, other costly imports:). All in all, if they were capable of enhancing the midrange, I would rate them better. As is, they are fine but not perfect for me.

Pickup features: HB, ceramic
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '96 Les Paul Classic
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: 500T
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Please see my review of the 500T. I really meant the set, as found on many Les Pauls, and they're very balanced with each other, so that review speaks for both pickups.

Pickup features: ceramic magnet, passive, dual coil
Impedence or other specs: not known

Model of guitar or bass: les paul classic
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: original equipment
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: they say jimmy page...and that guy from kiss, ace ventura
You musical style(s): all types
Reason for pickup change: didn't change them, but will

Perceived output level: hot, big, not shiney like alnico magnet units though.
Tone: strong bass, but not flabby. treble and mids seem a bit hard/harsh
Sonic evaluation: playing thru a marshall jtm 45 with a 4-12 cabinet: not as aggressive as I had feared. a bit darker than alnico magnet units...not quite as 'pretty' sounding though (you loose most of that nice glassy sound)

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: good match: rock, metal. Very usable for other styles though--but not my first choice.

Comments: If i needed a high output pu, i'd buy them before i'd get dimarzio or other high output model. still a better all-around working pickup.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Single coil
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 500T
Artists using this pickup: Don't know
You musical style(s): Heavy metal
Reason for pickup change: Wanted a bigger sound. Plus it goes with the 500T

Perceived output level: High output
Tone: Full big tone. Dark with alot of bass
Sonic evaluation: Fender strat with a mesa/boogie .50caliber stack. Some effects.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: never tried it in the bridge.

Comments: I really don't play the neck pickup much, I mainly bought it to go with the 500T. It does have a nice full sound, good sustain, and like I said it sounds dark. I would buy another one mainly because it goes with the 500T, A pickup that I love.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Ceramic, high output level, 4 conductor cable

Model of guitar or bass: 97' Flying V
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: 500T
Artists using this pickup: Don't give a shit!
You musical style(s): Thrash Metal/Doom Metal
Reason for pickup change: These were stock pickups

Perceived output level: High output to fit with the 500T
Tone: It's a bassy sound.
Sonic evaluation: My amp sucks (the worst you can imagine). Even that way, I've got a good sound from this pickup.
Totally satisfied with it, I've got a sound like Ingwie Malmsteen and more like the Helloween
solos. I love this shit! It's a good match for the 500T, which is another awesome pickup
for Heavy stuff.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play only Heavy Metal. This is a neck pickup, I never tested at the bridge position.

Comments: If the 500T were stolen, I would put another one most to keep it
original than 'cause of it's sound, which I like very much. But the
496R, I would definately buy another! I'm plenty satisfied! The match
with the 500T is perfect!