Gibson 500T Super Ceramic

FIRST OF ALL LETS STOP MESSING AROUND PUTTING THESE THINGS IN STRATS AND TRYING TO PLAY BLUES AND JAZZ.THE ADVERT EVEN SAYS ITS NO HOLES BARRED IN YOUR FACE.ITS A SUPER HOT PICKUP THAT HAS MASSES OF POWER.

I PLAY ALLSORTS OF GUITARS DEAN RAZORBACKS,IBANEZ RG,LES PAULS ECT.I FIRST NOTICED HOW GOOD THESE PICKUPS WERE WHEN I HAD A GO ON MY MATES FLYING V.

THIS SOUND IS MASSIVE ITS AS LOUD AS AN ACTIVE,I PUT THESE IN MY EPIPHONE LES PAUL TO BEEF IT UP AND IT NOW SOUNDS BIGGER THAN MY RAZORBACK WHICH HAS A DUNCAN IN IT,IT SOUNDS BIGGER THAN THE BARE KNUCKLE PAINKILLERS TOO.IT HAS THE BIGGEST GROWLING SUSTAIN YOU COULD EVER HOPE FOR AND THE PUNCH WHEN PALM MUTING IS MINDBLOWING.IF YOU HAVE GOOD GEAR AND PLAY HEAVEY DISTORTED RIFFS THIS IS THE ONLY PICKUP TO USE(PASSIVE).ITS DEFINED AND VERY POWERFUL.I HAVE ALOT OF AWESOME GUITARS WITH EXPENSIVE PICKUPS AND THIS SOUNDS THE BEST EASY,THE ONLY DRAW BACK IS IT ISNT SPACED FOR A FLOYD OR THIS WOULD BE IN ALL MY GUITARS AND THERE ISNT ONE AVAILABLE FOR FLOYDS EITHER.

THIS DESERVES A 10 ITS GREAT THE ONLY DRAW BACK IS ITS VERY RESPONSIVE AND SUCKS EVERY NOISE FROM YOUR STRINGS SO PRECISE PLAYING IS NEEDED,ALSO PINCHED HARMONICS CAN BE A STRUGGLE MAINLEY DUE TO THE HUG MID RANGE BASS EQ.I LOVE SQUELING SO IF THE SQUELS AERNT QUITE AS PERFECT AND THE REST OF MY TONE IS MONSTEROUS ILL EASILY PUT UP WITH IT.WACK UP THE GAIN AND OUT PUNCH EMG 81S!IF YOU PLAY WOOFTER MUSIC DONT BUY A CERAMIC PICKUP IN THE FIRST PLACE LET ALONE A 500T.

Passive ceramic humbucking pickup, I don`t know what the ouput is on this but I can say that it is high and hot. Too hot!

I bought a 1997 Gibson SG Special and someone had put these pickups in it.

This is just pure sh*t!!!! It has way to much high end, and I mean way to much. It has little to no low end what so ever and the mids leave much to be desired. The pickup is shrill, cold and harsh, and it has absolutely no warm or ballsy properties with it what so ever. Maybe, just maybe, it could suit someone else's style or fit in with there tone but not me, I hate it! I even tried my buddy's Les Paul Classic, which came stock with it, and the verdict was the same. He got rid of them and put in a set of Burstbucker's and I am putting in a 498T and a 490R, I think that they are just better sounding pickups and are far more versatile.

Like I stated earlier, I tried it in 2 different guitars and I came up with the same verdict on both trials. I HATED IT!!! They are just not the right pickup for me, but maybe someone else. But, you have to understand how limited it really is that it has no versatility, just hard rock or metal.

Ceramic magnet. Very hot and high output HB.

Stratocaster, Alder body, rosewood fingerboard, Fender original vintage tremolo bridge, 250K pots

Hotter than the JB. Bass is ok, mids scooped a little -but ok, highs are problematic- piercing, thin and too sharp even used with 250K pots. High e and b strings sounded too thin for lead work. It has a serious microphonic-noise problem in high gain application. Tends to sound mushy in high gain situations. It is not so bad, just not transparent, sweet and quite like JB.
500T is pickup for low to medium gain applications-ac/dc, zeppelin, free, zz top. It is ok for rhythm guitar, but I did not like it for lead work. If more dist from the amp is desired or breakup is harder to get, this is a good choice to push the amp harder and make you tone more distorted.
I believe it sounds a little better with mahogany bodies, but I would go for JB for both alder and mahogany. My friend pulled it out from Flying V because it sounded muddy to him. I have JB in my strat where this Gibson was and I am very satisfied. JB is the best HB for strat and alder guitars. My friend went for EMG 81. EMG is great for Gibsons and it does not sound so sterile or artificial through Marshall JMP, for example. It is good not just for metal, but also for hard rock, lead work???500T is in the drover for the time being???waiting for another chance..

Gear: Alder Strat (250k pots), George L???s cables, MXR ZW44 OD, Customized Fender 2 channel 50watts Head, Engl VG412 cabinet with Vintage30 speakers.
I play Heavy Metal, Hard Rock, Southern Rock, live with the band.
Wish it head more organic and tranpsarent tone, more mid-honk, less noise and feedback. Wish it were JB.

passive, although not in personality!

Comes stock as the bridge PU in the '98 Flying V that I recently bought. The neck PU is a 496R, I think.

Output level is high. VERY strong signal. I normally run it into an Orange Rockerverb 50 2x12 combo, sometimes kicking on a Fulltone OCD or Expandora, although they totally are unnecessary with this guitar and amp combo. Holy smokes! I'm not sure what some of the haters are talking about in some of the preceding reviews; I find this PU to be nicely balanced, albeit with an upper mid to treble emphasis. I play hard rock to blues to quiet ballads to country punk to whatever. I absolutely reject the notion that a PU can or cannot fit a certain style of music. Use appropriate technique, tweak the volume and tone on the guitar, mind your amp settings (make sure you have a DECENT amp in the first place), and you can do almost anything with any kind of PU. Shame on everyone who says the 500T is for metal only!

If the V was stolen, yes, I'd get another with the same PU pair in a heartbeat. I've been playing over 30 years, all types of guitars, all types of pickups and amps. It's pretty rare that I've come across a PU and style combination that just would NOT work, with possibly the exception of trying to do death metal with a cheap import single coil guitar. I'm apparently a lot more forgiving than some of the folks who have reviewed this PU...I love the surprises that different instruments and electronics can bring when you play around and use them with an open mind. I plugged the V straight into my Reverend Hellhound 1x12 combo and got the crispiest Albert King blues tone! A couple of tweaks to tone settings and running both PU's together got me respectable jazz and country sounds as well. It's all in the hands, people, not just the pickup. Happy explorations to all of you!

No pick up cover.

500T is stock standard in a '98 Gibson SG-Z.(model only run for 1 year. Google it for pictures. Mine's the "vomit green" one. I've never seen another one so I'm storing it and recently bought an Angus Young series SG...... see what is possible without a girlfriend!!!

Running through a Line 6 POD XT live I just thought...Yeah...just another HOT pickup. After lending the POD to my Bro-in-Law for recording, I had to go through my old boss super overdrive (SD-1)
What a difference!!!!! The "muddy" lows almost disappeared and a seemless match between mid's and hi's. It's too hot for clean tones but still does an OK job but if it's hard'n'fast rock'n'roll your after then get rid of your special effects,Keep your overdrive pedal
and discover the true sole of this pick up (or better still... Drive your amp really hard instead of using the pedal.... just don't forget to think about your neighbours)Great for AC/DC style but the Angus Young signature pickup will make you put your old school uniform on when you play. the 500T won't

If it was stolen/broken I'd definately keep my eye out for another one....but I wouldn't rush out and pay top dollar. I'd look for 2nd hand or cheap newies.(I've got a Gibson 498T bridge p/up in my toolbox which i got brand new REALLLLLY cheap just waiting for an Epiphone Les Paul... so I'll let you know how it sounds)
I've been playing for 18yrs.
OTHER GUITARS---Angus Young SG
50th anniversary Telecaster
Ibanez "S"series.... (boring "shredding"machine
with no character or sole)

This is a ceramic passive humbucking pickup with four conductor wires.

I replaced the stock bridge pickup in Epiphone Les Paul Custom with the Gibson 500T. I left the stock neck pickup in. I essentially wanted more distortion without muddiness, and the ability to series/parallel for classic rock tones with high gain.

This is a high-output pickup, part of the stipulation for most people to buy it. Although I tried it through a plethora of amps throughout its usage, I primarily used it with my own Marshall JCM800 2205 50W tube 2channel halfstack.

Before anyone buys this pickup, I beg them to please learn the difference between alnico and ceramic pickups. Don't be fooled by the claim that this pickup is for classic rock and don't buy it for the four conductor wires.

It's not that this pickup sounds bad. Gibson uses it in their Les Paul Classics and Explorers (have a listen to Weezer's fifth album Maladroit to get a feel for the sound), and if you like classic 80s (not 70s) rock then this might really work out for you. Anyone looking for that ACDC or Jimmy Page tone should go with a Seymour Duncan Custom 5 (SH-14) or 59, or even better a Gibson Burstbucker Pro.

For a while I thought this sounded really great, but then I compared it to higher end alnico pickups and realized I was really missing out.

The coil tap was almost indistinguishable as well. This pickup has one sound and one sound alone. Poor cleans with razor distortion. If you want 80s distortion without the active pickups, this is what you need. If you want classic rock get a Burstbucker Pro and feel better about yourself.

I give it a 3 because some people will love it and it will be perfect.

I eventually sold the guitar and pickup, and now I have a Fernandes Dragonfly Elite, Crate Class A amp (no more Marshall, although that was a GREAT amp), and a Fulltone GT500.

I wish I had put a Burstbucker Pro in the guitar instead, it would suited my needs a lot better. I've been playing 5 years and have an ear that is honed more to understand pickups and tonewoods so given the chance to do it over again I would have never considered ceramic.

I just write because want everybody know that the best sounding guitar ever is my '95 plus Fender Stratocaster with a Gibson 500T lol

For bridge, of course. Not well balanced with a PRS, so a '59 or a Jazz is the best.
I prefer the Jazz, but have the '59...

Sounds perfect. Metal, rock, blues... Just turn the volume up and down to request the signal u need!

I will try to put these pickups in all my guitar, if I can.
Difficult to make in a YJM strat. My '79 SG has '70s DiMarzios to get the vibe.
Soloist: you are going to be next!!! lol

Humbucker passive

Impedance 14.5K

I istalled it on a Chinese Epiphone SG 400, replacing the crap bridge pickup, and leaved the neck with the stock just to fill the hole.

The output level is monstruous, this pickup is hotter as hell and a tricky horse. It tries to stablish complete domain over everything in the studio.

The tone is sometimes bassy, sometimes extremelly trebly. The highs are well defined but the basses are muddy, specially playing flat E and A (if this pickup was really made for metalheads they would have a real problem using it).

On the other side it is an artificial harmonics machine, very easy to obtain them.

For my style the pickup wasn??t good. I play blues, punked blues, old school hardcore, 70??s punk, garage and and alernative. Even for the noisier side of my sound I felt the 500T too hot (I don??t need tons of output to make good NOISE).

With vintage effects it really doesn??t work. If you are used to old fuzzes/fuzz control with guitar volume, forget about this pickup. It love modern effects, and maybe the best for it are the digital ones.

If you play hardcore I recommend something less metal like, as the 498 Gibson series.

Ok, the 500T is very good to cranck up an amp.

If it were stollen I would cry for the bucks that I won??t make ebaying it.

I play since 1984, thrash metal in the 80??s, punk rock and hard core from the 80??s to the 90??s, punk, alternative and blues in the 2000s.

I think that even if I played metal today I wouldn??t like this strange pup.

I changed it for a 490T on the bridge and ok, thats what I wanted.

Humbucker,Passive, specs are on Gibson's Website.

Installed in a 70's Les Paul Deluxe. Bridge Position. Replaced old DiMarzios from the 70's. Also had the 490 R installed in the neck position.I heard Jimmy Page used this pickup. I never liked the sound of the old DiMarzios through the Marshall TSL 122. I checked out the soundbytes on the Gibson website, and thought these pickups would be a good choice for the Les Paul.

Hot, nasty, high output, good for screaming solos. I cut back on the Volume and Tone knobs on the Guitar, and crank it up come solo time. I use a Marshall TSL 122 100 Watt Combo Amp. This amp and the Gibson pickups are an excellent combination. I use a Snarling Dogs Wah Wah,a Boss Chorus, and an Ibanez Delay. I think the tone is rather well balanced especially for what I play. I play Bad Company, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, Mountain, etc. This pickup with my amp is an EXCELLENT match for this type of music. This pickup is good for slide guitar also.

I would DEFINITELY get this pickup again. I'm 50 and I've been playing for many years. I also play a Gibson Les Paul Jr. with Seymour Duncans, and an Epiphone Dot 335 Copy stock. I'm very satisfied with this pickup, there's nothing I don't like about it. With all the stuff out there, it's nice when take a chance making a modification, and you're happy with it. I would suggest getting it installed by a reliable Tech. like I did. I brought the guitar home and it was set up fantastic, perfectly balanced.

Humbucking w/ coil taps

Installed in a Ibanez S470 in the bridge position. 1st I replaced the stock P/u w/ a Gibson 498T and loved it. For some damn reason, I thought I'd want this new pickup......

Comparing the 500T to the 498T I had is just no fair to the 500T. I didn't like the tone nor the gain on it. While it is a "hot" pickup, it almost sounded like a copy of a Super Distortion. No doubt the 500T is gonna sound great with "dropped nu metal", but I play 80's rock and the 498T is FAR superior in tone for me.

Others will disagree, but for my money, the 498T is a fuller sound without the tinny highs of the 500T. It's coming out of my guitar tomorrow and going back. Long live the 498T!

Humbucking pu. Passive. High output. Awesome!

This pickup came stock on my gibson les paul classic, in the bridge position, which is one of the reasons i bought this model of paul.
It has a 496r in the neck
Jimmy page

The output on this pickup is HOT! One of the hottest pickups i've heard. I run it through an analogman moded tube screamer (awesome overdrive!), a damage control solid metal pedal, boss dd-5 delay, boss compressor, and a visual sound chorus w/ echo, into a mesa boogie nomad 45 two 12 combo amp w/ celestion vintage 30's.

The tone on this pickup is not thin at all, it is huge. Plenty of bass and highs with just the right amount of mids for me. I play classic to modern rock to punk with this pickup and it serves me very well. Definetly a rockin pu, and if I want to cut through the mix a little more I just turn up the mids on my eq a little bit.

If it were lost or stolen I would definitely buy a new les paul classic with this pickup in it the next day. It has such a huge sound and the tone is awesome when paired with my mesa boogie combo. I've been playing for about 13 years and own a few other electrics: Fender strat, gibson les paul jr., Gretsch hollowbody, and for classic to modern rock to metal to punk, this is the pickup for it.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone ES 335
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: 496R In Neck (the sister pickup)
Artists using this pickup: anyone who is awesome
You musical style(s): garage rock, classic rock, and blues (w/ or w/o slide)
Reason for pickup change: wanted a good sound, more umph, more

Perceived output level: enormous, if you want to end a show w/ feedback...look no further. But seriously, fantastic
Tone: My amp is pretty flexible (vfx5212 tube amp) and really really lets you do anything. This isn't a 'play nice' type pickup...if you like rough hardass dirty blues, or iggy pop style garage, or straight up led zeppelin, this is what you want. "smooth jazz" need not apply
Sonic evaluation: Again, using a VFX5212 (crate); 50 watt tube, 2 celestion 12" speakers
pedal chain: wah-->dd-5 delay-->cool cat chorus-->ds-1 distortion-->digitech overdrive pedal.
this is the key. put the ds-1 BEFORE the overdrive (weird, i know). It adds this ridiculous crunch that is amazing. its not a hollow distortion or a "tinny" bullshit sound...this is like a resonating rock machine. great for those frantic garage rock chords or for some nasty slide action.
note: in G tuning this thing is unreal...
This is made even weirder by the fact that these pickups are in a hollow body. its weird, the guitar looks to 'church' to make shuch awesome sounds.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: this pickup is unreal
throw it through any good tube amp and you are locked and loaded

Pickup features: Ceramic Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 16k

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Emporer II Joe Pass
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Kent Armstrong OEM PAF
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Jazz, Rock, Blues, et al.
Reason for pickup change: Muddy sound.

Perceived output level: Too Damn Hot!
Tone: Overpowering
Sonic evaluation: Great on its own, but "QUACKS" when blended with the neck pick up. I had posted previously than I had the 500T in the neck position. Well, too much treble. This pick up does not play well with others. A solid body Hard Rock guitar is where it belongs.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Anytime you want to stick out and dominate, use the 500T.

Comments: Good, but not very versitle.

Pickup features: Humbucking Passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Emporer II Joe Pass
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock Epiphone
Other pickups on guitar: Epiphone
Artists using this pickup: Many
You musical style(s): Jazz, Blues, Rock & Classical
Reason for pickup change: Dull muddy stock pickup

Perceived output level: Hot & Punchy
Tone: Bassy & Trebly
Sonic evaluation: Roland Jazz Chorus 120 & Behringer GX110

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly Jazz, Blues & Rockabilly. This pickup works well with them all.

Comments: I have been playing for 28 years. I use this pickup in the neck position and it provides me with brilliant highs, punchy mid tones and plenty of bass. I use flat wound strings that sounded very dull with the stock Epi pickup...... Not any more!!!!!!

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 10 K, or something... Ceramic magnet

Model of guitar or bass: 2003 Tokai Love Rock (lefty)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Tokai Stock bridge pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Stock neck pickup
Artists using this pickup: dunno... Page?
You musical style(s): Classic/Hard Rock (Thin Lizzy, The Darkness, etc. Songs with solos anyway...)
Reason for pickup change: Stock sounded nice, in a sort of classic PAF sort of way.
But it was too weak. I had to struggle with it just to get some pinch harmonics out of it. I had the 500 in another guitar (my Van Halen-mod for a Epiphone-strat with worn frets) which I was about to retire anyway... A friend of mine helped me out with the work.

Perceived output level: So hot you can almost sing through it. (Didn't try that yet, but I'd bet you could)
Tone: Just right for me. A bit on the midrangey side for some, but that's what the EQ's for.
Sonic evaluation: At home, a 1998 Marshall Valvestate 15W. Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak"-sounds jumpin' right out of the speaker. My friends couldn't tell the difference. ("I can't believe it's you!"-sort of phrase)
At the band's practice room, a Marshall MG100CDR head, coupled with a Behringer 412S cab. (I'm not favoring solidstate heads, mind you, I just have a tight budget.) Listening to the sound coming out, personally I thought it was close to Van Halen's first album, or "Fair Warning"-album. I just had to back off ont the gain a bit... It was overkill for me.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I try to play all kinds of music: Jazz to rock to reggae. This pickup isn't that kind for clean sounds, but that's what the volume knob and the neck pickup is there for

Comments: I'm lovin' this pickup. Wouldn't change it for the world.

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson 67 V re-issue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: 496R
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Hard rock-metal
Reason for pickup change: Didnt have a good resonance for the V

Perceived output level: Probably Gibsons second loudest pickup(original dirty fingers are #1)
Tone: definite crunch
Sonic evaluation: The 500T came stock in a 67 V re-issue (mahogany body and ebony fingerboard. I use marshall and peavy tube amps. It sounded dark and crunchy . It really didnt complimemt the V's natural tone very well(leads just got lost )So I put a duncan JB in and it helped the V out a lot(not perfect but better).The 500 laid around for a couple months and I decided to try it in a 1977 Gibson RD . The RD is a total different tone than the V(rosewood fingerboard ,maple neck-body, and 300k pots came stock). WHAT A DIFFERENCE!It was the best passive pu I
ever had in that RD (and I had tried them all).Since the rd sounded very simular to a lp on its own, I must say I think the 500T was developed for a maple top lp and is an afterthought for the other Gibson models! The reason some owners of newer LP's dont care for this pickup may be that they have 500k pots and not 300k pots like the RD has (Gibson used to put 300K pots in a lot of guitars back in the 60's and 70's).The different pots tame some of that nastinest and are a lot cheaper than buying a duncan custom custom.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is basically a bridge pu but you need it in a maple top axe or youll get buried in the mix.

Comments: If used in the right apllication I give it a 9.As it comes stock in a V I give it a 6.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Classic (black)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Non-working 500T
Other pickups on guitar: 498T
Artists using this pickup: Jimmy Page
You musical style(s): Goth+Industrial, metal, 70s' rock, indie
Reason for pickup change: Replace defective pickup

Perceived output level: High output
Tone: trebly & loud like a Duncan Distortion, tight crunchy sound
Sonic evaluation: The Gibson Les Paul Classic comes standard with the 500T.Tone falls somwhere between a Duncan JB and a Duncan Distortion, but with more grittiness in the midrange. This pickup can easily be used for metal. The midrange grittiness is a quality you may or may not like, but it never goes away. It's there even on clean settings. This pickup is standard on the Jimmy Page model Les Paul. I can't imagine why he would use this pickup, it's too metal for his style. If you play metal and aggressive rock & roll this is a very good choice. Real high output with a distinctive Gibson PAF sound, and a slightly scooped EQ curve.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This a good pickup for the goth+industrial style I play with the band I'm in, The God Project. For 70s' rock and indie rock you'll seriously need to back off your treble and overdrive settings.

Comments: If this pickup died I would replace it with the same thing. I like my Les Paul Classic and would prefer to keep it as stock as possible. If I bought a used Les Paul with some cruddy aftermarket puckups like "Dimarzio super distortions" or whatever, I would like to try the Gibson Burstbuckers for a more traditional vintage rock&roll sound. In any case, you can't go wrong with Gibson brand p-ups in a Gibson guitar.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: not sure...

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone Les Paul Standard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Epi garbage
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Epi garbage
Artists using this pickup: errr....
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues/Metal/etc.
Reason for pickup change: stock pickups were junk

Perceived output level: way hotter than stock, not quite as hot as an active
Tone: Pretty well balanced
Sonic evaluation: I put this pickup in the bridge of my brand new Epi Les Paul standard, and play through a digitech RP200 running into my Fender M-80. The M-80 is a solid state paperweight, although not as bad as some that I've played through... and the RP200 sucks for any kind of clean sound - it will KILL your sustain, no matter HOW great your guitar/pickup/amp is. This pickup, however, even sounds great through this pile of garbage. I originally played this pickup in (I believe) a '57 reissue with a 496R in the neck through a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier head and a 4x12 cab at a music store, and the sound was apocalyptic. Harmonics abound, so hot it'll sear your skin off, and a bone-shattering crunch. I was looking for a pickup that was capable of performing a range of tasks - my stock pickups were horrible, with no definition and very muddy. I hooked up this pickup and I was astonished! Playing on a clean channel I went from nasty sounding chords with no mids (stock) to clear-ringing, beautifully sustaining sounds (500T). Playing it dirty (the way I like it) it can bite, growl, scream and crunch. I tried it through a range of settings and could get all kinds of sounds out of it, from an Angus-esque crunch to a steel-shredding Wyldeness. Even through my junk rig, harmonics and sustain are awesome, which is why I wanted a Paul in the first place (wish I could have afforded a Gibson). Playing the stock neck pickup and this combined, it surprisingly sounded pretty darned good... though the neck pickup alone still sounds like junk. This pickup really woke my cheapo Epiphone up!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I think this pickup is very versatile, good for rock, blues, metal - covers all my bases!

Comments: If this pickup were to somehow meet an ill fate, I would probably replace it - this guitar is my versatility guitar, and I feel this pickup meets that task well. I AM dying to try out an EMG-81/85 combo tho... planning on those for a goth Paul when I get the cash!

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 2002 Les Paul Classic
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: 496r
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): light finger picking to heavy n fast
Reason for pickup change: Looking to replace it

Perceived output level: Hot, loud. Easy to distort on a clean ss amp.
Tone: Overpowers everything. Way too trebly, too bassy.
Sonic evaluation: I am currently using a Randall rg75 with a Zinky 2x12 cab. Had a Fender Hot Rod Deville and Zinky MOFO that I played this through, but downsized to the solid state amp until I find the tube amp for me. Constantly use different effects or none at all. No matter what amp I play this guitar through, it sounds like poo. I have to roll the treble and bass back on the amps, the sound is too big, so much so that notes don't sound articulate. I play with the volume and tone knobs on the guitar rolled back to half. Sure, the sound is fat and powerful and distorts easy, but there is no singing tone, no definition, no magic. Just balls out, overload everything mud. The Les Paul has a beautiful acoustic sound, and I want to capture that accurately. If you know how to do that, please email me with your advice. Thanks.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Wouldn't buy this pickup. Might try it in my Carvin V220 for kicks. The overpowering boost in tone might be just what the all maple Carvin could use to give it a unique tone. Or kill it with way too much treble. Who knows. I've been playing for about 17 years? I really haven't liked this pickup no matter what I've tried. I hate that it overpowers the amp so much that the tone just turns to mud. Any recommendations for a les paul pickup combination that lets the tone come through, retains definition from clean to distorted with effects? Please let me know. Thanks. BTW - The neck pickup is crap, too.

Pickup features: black open coil passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ask gibby

Model of guitar or bass: esp ltd-100 flying V
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock duncan designed hb103b
Other pickups on guitar: same, but for rhythm (hb103)
Artists using this pickup: nomad
You musical style(s): nomad rock - see sepultura
Reason for pickup change: wanted something earth shattering.

Perceived output level: high output ceramic humbucker, on bar with the duncan custom or thereabouts.
Tone: hot, dark and sizzling. decent clean, malevolent distortion.
Sonic evaluation: flying v -> orange twin channel -> mesa 2x12 custom with eminence (patriot series).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: this is a good metal guitar pickup.

Comments: heavy and dark, might have to roll down the bass a bit on your eq. it could be the tonal characteristics/sustain properties of this guitar, but i digress. a bit too muddy and dark, high end is clear but not singing enough. output level is ok. i would use this for rhythm primarily but as it does not bode well for guitar switching (in terms of eq) i will pry not keep this one. nice pickup, just not for me. i'm putting a JB model humbucker in my V like mustain has in his custom model. made the switch, the mids/highs and high output has done wonders to compensate for the V's sustain and depth.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Slammer by Hamer XP-1 Standard (explorer)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: trash
Other pickups on guitar: 496r
Artists using this pickup: The Edge...anyone with a 76 explorer
You musical style(s): Edgy Pop Rock
Reason for pickup change: The original pickup simply wasn't bright enough and would not overdrive at all!!!

Perceived output level: Hotter and brighter than a Les Paul. It always seems to be slightly overdriven...which is PERFECT!!!
Tone: The tone is has balanced frequency response with a small spike in the treble. this makes for a very bright pickup with tight bass and mids...just like Gibson says.
Sonic evaluation: This is run through a tuner, A/B box, and 7 pedals into a Line 6 Spider 210. 99% of the time i use the Twang channel (which emulates the snap of 50's fender amps) and with this pedal i get a creamy slightly overdriven sound. Very very very nice!!! I just wish i had real tubes to use this pickup with but oh well...I can really see why The Edge uses these pickups in his Explorer.
I would almost go as far to say that this pickup is the opposite of the Bridge pickup of a Les Paul.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I find this pickup very versatile. I use it on songs that use heavy powerchord riffs and on songs that have sections of cleaner arpeggios and funk chords.

Comments: I simply replaced the pickups in this guitar so i can have the sound of a 76 explorer without shelling out 1500 bucks. Eventually i will be selling this and putting the money towards a real Gibson explorer.

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs: LOUD

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Flying V 98
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A. This is stock on the V.
Other pickups on guitar: 496R
Artists using this pickup: Me
You musical style(s): Metal and Prog
Reason for pickup change: N/A

Perceived output level: More output than any other passive pickup I have used.
Tone: Balanced tone, lots of treble but also bassy when played clean with vol turned down.
Sonic evaluation: This pickup is on my favorite guitar, a '98 V. It is well balanced, and its sound can be varied with amp settings. It is best for distorted leads, but can also be made to sound bluesy. Played clean, it is punchy like a P-90.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a great metal and hard rock pickup.

Comments: I have found my dream pickup!

Pickup features: humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Epiphone LP
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock epiphone
Other pickups on guitar: gibson 498t in neck
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): metalcore/hardcore
Reason for pickup change: The epiphone pickups weren't bad, but they weren't great either.

Perceived output level: hot, but not too hot (for metal)
Tone: Pretty balanced, just eq your head right
Sonic evaluation: I'm running my epi with the 500t in the bridge, into a Peavey 5150, into a straight mesa 4x12 recto cab. no effects.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: good for metal, maybe not for other stuff

Comments: This pickup rules for metal. The output is high enough to drive the 5150, and it's still clear when playing in drop c. The gain on my 5150 only needs to go to 5 or 6 and that's enough. The palmmutes sound good, pinch harmonics sound good, and so does everything else. It's not horrible clean, but not great either. My epi is my main guitar now (i also use a tele with a hotrails in the bridge). I wish I had my epi with this when we recorded, but i didn't so i used the tele. www.purevolume.com/lenore

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: high output ceramic

Model of guitar or bass: flying v faded and 1985 flying v
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: came in faded flying v
Other pickups on guitar: 496
Artists using this pickup: don't know
You musical style(s): neo-classical
Reason for pickup change: the 500T itself

Perceived output level: high output ceramic
Tone: on the trebly side.
Sonic evaluation: i had to return for comments. here's the scoop. this pickup came in the bridge position of the faded gibson v. i really tried to fine tune the sound thru different o.d.s such as the dod yngwie model, as well as, boss o.d. and boss super o.d., but no matter what the sound was always on the harsh side. i really couldn't get truely smooth melodic tones a la satriani or schenker, close but a certain harshness always cut thru. so i decided to swap the 500T with a duncan jb. wow what a difference, the mahogany body really shine thru the duncan. it changed from acdc to schenker tones, and combined with the 496 on the neck what a combo, sweetness at both positions. i gotta add the 500T is probably a great pickup for bar chords, blues based hard rock whatever, but for singing flute like tones it doesn't cut it. now here's the part that blue me away i decided to experiment and place the 500T on the NECK position of my 1985 gibson v, which has a duncan custom on the bridge. now i know this is meant to be a bridge pickup, but i gotta tell you, this pup made a complete 180. all of a sudden the harshness i just couldn't get rid of dissapeared. sweet flute like tones were coming out of the guitar, again a great compliment to the customs midrangy frequency. i can realy say that i've found the tone for these two flying v's with completely different pickup combinations.
if you'd like to share any comments or similar experiences or difficulties with tone please e-mail me at alvarezz5@aol.com

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: again, mostly neo-classical.

Comments: probably would except now i know i would place it in the neck position.

Pickup features: humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs: only the sound matters

Model of guitar or bass: flying-v faded
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: gibson 496 on neck position
Artists using this pickup: have no clue
You musical style(s): neo-classical
Reason for pickup change: again, it came in the guitar

Perceived output level: output seems a bit higher than duncan jb and custom models which i also own,
Tone: honestly i haven't run it thru my boogies. here's what i know i ran it thru my practice peavey 30 classic tube amp, linked thru a dod yngwie dod, also thru boss overdrive and superoverdrive pedals. it seems to work better thru the dod. the mids on this pickup cut thru quite well, as well as the low end. artificial harmonics pop effortlessly, along with great power. can really get those schenker type tones. many seem to complain about the harsh high end. here is my advice number 1: lower the pickup to a point where the smoother high end sounds comfortable to your ears of course in accordance to your musical style and taste. number2: adjust the treble, once again, according to your taste, i say in most amps you need to be at about 4 or 5. boost the mids to about 6 or 7, and the lows at about the same. then let it rip.
Sonic evaluation: explained above.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: again, neo-classical. as far as good match, i would say yes, but not the best.

Comments: not sure if i would buy it again, i tend to love some of the duncan pickups. i have been playing since the age of thirteen, i'm 37 now. i currently own two gibson v's. jap and american strats, and a custom ibanez. as far as amps, i own mesa boogie old 50 watt-heads and a peavey classic 30. as far as searching for the perfect tone...still looking.

Pickup features: Humbucker Passive
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Faded Cherry Red 67' Reissue
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: 496T Neck
Artists using this pickup: Probably not enough
You musical style(s): METAL
Reason for pickup change: I did'nt change

Perceived output level: Hotter than Hell
Tone: All of the above
Sonic evaluation: Gibson Flying V thru a Boogie F-100, thats it. No muss no fuss no pissing around. I don't need any effects to make this combo howl. The onboard distortion of this amp, with this pickup is heavy metal thunder.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal, that's it! But its a LOT!!!

Comments: For playing my tunes this pickup is MY sound. Playing other peoples tunes a person may want something more versitile. With my "V" and my boogie this is my sound I FOUND IT!!!

Pickup features: humbucking passive
Impedence or other specs: i don't know

Model of guitar or bass: custom rhoads model
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: duncan custom
Other pickups on guitar: duncan jazz (neck)
Artists using this pickup: I hope none
You musical style(s): metal
Reason for pickup change: I couldn't stand a les paul sound like crap, so I put this pick up on my RR

Perceived output level: more output than the duncan custom
Tone: muddy like a hot stock pickup
Sonic evaluation: I use a RR model (made by myself, I'm a luthier)--> brunetti preamp-->mesa boogie 500 stereo power amp---> 4x12 celestion vintage 30. Few effects (crybaby, boss chorus, boss distortion and korg digital delay). This pickup sounds muddy and makes everything sound like cheap crap. Lots of mids and highs and no tone at all. The duncan custom is 1000 ways better

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: metal, it's not good for it though its power

Comments: I took off from my guitar this thing as soon as I heard it. I play from 20 years and I'm a luthier, I've got 4 guitars (fender st., gibson lp classic, a RR and a ~soloist made by myself). I hate this pickup because it devalues all the gear through is played. I wish it had less power and more tone.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: not positive, but it sounded great so I didn't ask many questions.

Model of guitar or bass: Hamer USA Custom
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio Steve Morse in the neck position.
Artists using this pickup: Not sure, really. Quite a few, I assume.
You musical style(s): Hard rock, lots of chugging chords, also blues
Reason for pickup change: Well, the other guitarist in my band is a HUGE fan of the EMG-81 active pickup. He has them in almost every one of his guitars. I really liked his tone. The unknown stock Hamer pickups were pretty weak and not very "metal". I didn't want to hassle with adding a battery cavity to accomodate the EMG to my Hamer, so I went for what I was told would be the next best thing. I read reviews and asked as many people that I could find that had the 500T in their Gibson what they thought. So I ripped the guitar apart, had a little trouble with the schematics, so I had my tech friend put the final touches on it.
So I plugged into my practice rig (Crate GLX15) and holy crap, it was bright. That's what EQ's are for. I made some adjustments to the pickup height and plugged it into my live rig (Marshall JCM2000 DSL100). Now that's the stuff right there. I was pleased as hell.

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: Balanced
Sonic evaluation: Well I already mentioned the amp, but I'll start from the guitar. Samson Airline Wireless--Boss Super Overdrive--Boss V-wah--Boss TU-2 pedal tuner--Boss NS2 Noise Supressor--Marshall DSL100 head. In the Effects loop I run a Boss DD-5 delay and a Boss BF-3 Flanger. Everything is wired with high quality cables. Anything over 1 foot long is a Monster 500 series.
Hey, the 500T in the configuration I'm using it in, is KILLER!!!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Great match for hard rock and even some metal. A little to grainy for blues. I prefer a neck pickup for that style anyway.

Comments: I would definately replace it if it were stolen, but in order to steal it, you'd have to steal my favorite guitar, which would lead to a severe ass whooping and as soon as you ALMOST heal up, I'll find you and repeat the process until you die.
I have been playing for 17 years. Besides the aforementioned Hamer, I also play a 1978 USA Strat, a Mexi-Telecaster, an Epiphone FlameKat, Chet Atkins acoustic, Ibanez acoustic, Martin Backpacker, and various other cheapo/project guitars.
I love how the 500T cuts. It's got a nice high/mid boost, but not peircing and annoying. Sounds pretty bad at high volumes with a solid state amp, but who the hell plays those anyway?

Pickup features: Passive Humbucking
Impedence or other specs: big

Model of guitar or bass: Steinberger Spirit
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: EMG / Select
Other pickups on guitar: 496R
Artists using this pickup: Various amp bludgeoners
You musical style(s): basically rockish blues or bluesish rock depending on caffeine levels
Reason for pickup change: The EMG/ Select are boring beyond words

Perceived output level: very hot
Tone: bright ceramic hot tone, tough not pretty (but can do pretty as well with the neck pup)
Sonic evaluation: Vox AC 15 reissue w/ Blue Celestion speaker
Fender Vibrolux "Custom" 2x10 , Mesa V-twin, varous vintage effects

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Definately good for rock, but with the neck 496R I can get clean and bluesey!

Comments: The reason I am submitting this review is that I totally dissed this pickup and the matching neck 496R. I am a snob. When I acquired my Les Paul Classic, I removed the 500T and 496R immediately and put in some vintage PAF style pickups, and I`m not sorry I did. I just had the 500T and 496R lying around when I decided that anything would be better than the EMG/Select pickups that were in the Steinberger Spirit. My guitar tech installed them, and holy mackeral!! No fancy wiring, (2 conducter versions only) but I can get three very good tones neck, both, or bridge and all have a lot of merit. This little Steiney is just a dangerous little sawed off runt now! I get such a kick out of it! Kinda like packin` a sawed-off, cut down, double barreled 10 gauge, loaded with double-ought buck under your coat........like I said before, I am a snob; but this pickup has its place; and I like having one guitar that brings out the savage in me. My Steinberger with these things in it is THAT guitar

Pickup features: Humbucking. passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Paul Reed Smith Custom 22
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: PRS Dragon II treble
Other pickups on guitar: PRS Dragon II bas
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Incubus collides with Creed and Further Seems Forever
Reason for pickup change: PRS makes wonderfully crafted, beautiful guitars.
They shouldn't make pickups

Perceived output level: Nice N Dirty
Tone: semi muddy. really good at overdriving my tubes
Sonic evaluation: Mesa/Boogie 3 Channel Triple Rectifier Solo Head
Mesa/Boogie Trem-O-Verb 100 watt head
Rivera Knucklhead Reverb
Bogner Esctacy.
Sounds like alot, but i know the right people and have semi-endorsements.
Mesa 4 x 12 cabs
Marshall 1960 cabs
Bogner cabs

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: hard. drop d

Comments: yes.
7 years. LOTS of rack effects
dirty tone
yes. 496 and seymour duncan. this one is by far better for my style
satisfied with pickup

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 57' gold top reissue Orville Les Paul
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Orville PAF
Other pickups on guitar: Replaced stock Orville PAF neck with Gibson 496R
Artists using this pickup: Anyone playing unmolested Gibson custom shop guitars.
You musical style(s): Hard rock/Punk metal
Reason for pickup change: The Orville PAFs were not putting out enough volume for me. I wanted to soup the guitar up without losing any of it's character so I went with the hottest Gibson pair available. I thought about going with a Duncan Distortion, or JB, but I decided on trying the Gibson brand first to try and keep the guitar as original as possible.

Perceived output level: Pretty frickin' hot. A lot of people complain that they are too hot, but I can get some really nice clean tone out of this puppy.
Tone: It is a good midrange pickup, but it has a sharpness to it that some may consider too piercing for leads.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using the Les Paul through a Dr. Z KT-45 amplifier. I keep the amp's volume clean, and use a Z Vex Super Hard On boost pedal to kick it into distortion. The pickup maintains a nice chunky sound to it when I rake the strings, use palm muting, etc. It has good harmonic response, nice bell-like sustain, and a sharp attack (as my guitar tech put it, "Like a saw cutting through a tree"). It has all of the characteristics I like in a bridge pick up.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play riff oriented rock, so I need a lot of tone definition without loosing the meat. I think this pickup does the trick well. It's a good enough match for me that I don't feel inclined to replace it.

Comments: I had my tech put nickel covers on the pickups to try and maintain the original look of the Les Paul as much as possible. I don't usually bother with aesthetics, but this guitar looks beautiful and I wanted to keep it that way. Plus, my tech was willing to do it for really cheap so I went for it. I don't know how the pickups sounded before they were covered, but I doubt it changed the sound substantially. I'm sastisfied with what it does, and I don't really have any complaints, although I would not recommend anyone who isn't a fan of overdriven amp tone to look into it. I think this one is best suited for sharp, chunky, loud rock. Perhaps some blues players could find a use for it, but someone going for a more traditional country or jazz sound should steer clear. Although I am satisfied with the sound Gibson looses a point on the high price (suggested retail for this pickup is over $110), poor availability (I couldn't find a new one anywhere so I had to order it used. Got a better price though!), and on a more pickier note the lack of double creme in the available color selection. The pickups are only available in black, or "zebra" which in my opinion did not compliment the look of the guitar at all. Once again aesthetics, but hey, this is a review. Aside from these critiques concerning Gibson's service outside the sound, I would recommend it.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG Special Faded
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 490T
Other pickups on guitar: 490R
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Hard Rock and Metal
Reason for pickup change: Output

Perceived output level: Hot
Tone: Trebly, but balanced -good bass
Sonic evaluation: Roland Jazz/Chorus 120 amp w/ a Zoom 707 effects processor

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal and Rock

Comments: Awesome value. This is the best sounding high output humbucker I've ever had for the price. I see a lot of submissions from ppl who hate it; however, I've noticed that most of those people do not play harder rock and metal. This pickup is everything you need for an awesome sounding guitar to play metal w/out going for EMG active's. It's value is great. You probably won't like it if you arn't interested in playing heavy music. I personally find that too many humbuckers are still really muddy and weak when distorted. This pickup is clear as a bell, and perfect for all of you hard rocking needs (leads and rythmn playing).

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Don't know

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Flying V 98
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A, came on guitar
Other pickups on guitar: 496R
Artists using this pickup: Don't know, but sure sounds like Page
You musical style(s): Rock, hard rock, metal.
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: High output
Tone: Balanced. Plenty of treble, but not harsh. Looking at the posts below, eveyone either really loves or really hates this pickup. People who have removed these pickup sshould send them to me ! These pickups are oozing rock tone. Not for jazz, obviously, but if you like Led Zeppelin, you will love this pickup.
Sonic evaluation: I play through a Carvin SX200 half stack. This is a solid state amp with a relatevely warm clean channel, and major overdrive. The pickup came on a Gibson Flying V, whick is a massive slab of mahogany.
This pickup brings out the best in my amp. I guess the high output was needed to make this solid state amp's overdrive sound warm.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a good pickup for both clean and overdriven rock sounds.

Comments: This pickup gives me THAT sound. Others have mentioned Dave Grohl, Billy Gibbons, Jimmy Page. Yes, finally I have found that sound ! Also, Pepper Keenan, Dimebag.
Really, I don't like flaming people for giving their honest opinions, but, if you think this pickup sucks, you either should be playing in a country band, or replacing your little practice amp with something real. This pickup is the real $#!*.

Pickup features: Humbucking passive pickup
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '76 Gibson Explorer Reissue
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: None, it's the stock pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 496R (also stock)
Artists using this pickup: Hmm...well think, it's on all Les Paul Classics, Explorers and Flying Vs as well as some SGs and Hollwbodies. Anyhow, Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters has Explorers which means I can nail that sound (which is what I want), also Chris Shiflet (Foo Fighters) has numerous Explorers and Flying Vs, I can get his sound. Also using this pickup; Billy Corgan of Zwan, Wayne Static of Static X (until after the recording of machine where he changed it for a Duncan on his Gothic Explorer and V), Rivers Cuomos (Weezer), The Edge (U2) and anybody who uses an unmodified Gibson Flying V or Explorer, there are loads!
You musical style(s): Rock (ala Foo Fighters), a tiny bit of metal (Metallica and Pantera only). Basically rock and hard rock. No nu metal shit. I also like to play the blues and classic rock, but the other pickup in my Explorer (the 496R) is warmer and more LP-sounding, it sounds better clean
Reason for pickup change: I didn't friggin change any pickup!

Perceived output level: High output. Not like EMG high output where it's so high it sounds sterile but high as in it doesn't lose the ability of good cleans.
Tone: Very trebly, which I like, the 496R is bassier and warmer, but this pickup is a good bridge pickup, lots of attack. Perfect for Foo Fighters music!
Sonic evaluation: I'm using this Explorer with my Line 6 Flextone II and it's amazing. I can get any tone I want from Foo Fighters to Nirvana to Metallica to happy strummy pop stuff. With the 496R it's perfect, also remember things called tone and volume knobs, I don't think any of the other reviewers have heard of them. With not even a 1 point change in each knob, the tone changes dynamically. This Explorer is a tone monster!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This suits my style, rock, hard rock and grunge. This can sound very twangy if you put the tone up to 10, almost strat like, which is handy for stuff like RHCP. Only use this in the bridge, in fact, only get this pickup stock in an Explorer, Flying V or LP Classic.

Comments: How can you steal a pickup?....Anyway.
Bottom line, you neeed both this and the 496R pickup combination for it to shine, with any other pup I can't see it working. The 496R handles cleans beautifully and has lots of useful bass while the 500T has a hot hot hot sound with plenty of Treble that DOESN'T mud out in distorted tones. One for distortion, one for cleans, both can handle the other pretty good too. Flick the selector in the middle and WOW a wet-dream for one guitar songs.
Don't change to this pickup, buy a guitar that already has it. Of course try it out, many people hate this pickup, but it has the sound I was looking for. Guess I'm weird eh?

Pickup features: open coil humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson '67 Flying V RI
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Gibson 496R
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Blues, Rock, Sessions
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Too fucking hot
Tone: Harsh at the top, muddy at the bottom
Sonic evaluation: Through anything that isn't a ultra haigh gain rectum-frier type amp these sound like a total shit! If you play metal, and need that hot as hell pickup to fire up your high gainer, then maybe these are ok, but you could get a nicer pickup, for less money which does a better job of anything.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: If I played metal ONLY I'd get some EMG's.....loads better.

Comments: As soon as I could, I changed the stock gibson pickups. Sure, they drive the hell out of the preamp, but unless you're "it's metal or nothing", you don;t want that. If you are, then get some which are more balanced and tonally transparent, so that you aren't handicapping the signal. I don't know anyoune who like these on a Les Paul either - everyone witha good ear changes them.
If you want to know what these sound like, listen to some earlier Faith No More. I'll say no more.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: 14.8

Model of guitar or bass: LesPaul Classic 1960 re-issue gold top
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: 496R
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Very Hot , more than I like
Tone: Trebly
Sonic evaluation: Very hot output, I was using a JCM 900 combo amp. I since changed amps. I am now using a modded Traynor/Plexi. This p/u is not the p/u it was through my Marshall. I guess the different amp made the p/u sound way different.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Classic Rock/Blues. It is better for Hard Rock

Comments: With the semi- clean Traynor sound, my guitar was a little too gainy and the highs were too much. Loud and crunchy but a little too trebly for my taste. I have since changed both p/u's.

Pickup features:
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass:
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation: I was going to submit a review but the guy below said exactly what I was going to say. If you want abbrasive this pickup will do it. But if you want great tone, look elsewhere.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: Because it's not total crap. Just not the quality of pickup that Gibson should be putting in guitars that list for $2,000.

Pickup features: Passive, but tastlessly hot
Impedence or other specs: don't know, don't care

Model of guitar or bass: 67' Flying V reissue sunburst (1990), but I also have a 1990 Explorer sunburst with a 500T
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: this one
Other pickups on guitar: 496R, replaced also
Artists using this pickup: Apparently Gary Moore and Jimmy Page? Although I can't imagine why!
You musical style(s): Classic Rock, old ZZ TOP b.s.f.g. (before spinning furry guitars), Led Zeppelin, old AC/DC, Rush, before Signals, old Black Sabbath, old Judas Priest, good stuff like diamonds and rust
Reason for pickup change: A better question would be "why would anyone want to leave these nasty things in?"

Perceived output level: So hot it sounds like crap hot, I can't stand them! This is by far the worst sounding pick-up that I've ever played thruogh, but keep in mind that I've never played any of those Epiphone knock offs, but I've been told they sound pretty crappy too.
Tone: Gritty, like sand in your shorts after a day at beach. This pick-up has an unpleasentness about it that won't go away now matter how I tweek my amps or effects. This pick-up is TOO HOT for anyone with a good ear for tone, but wonderful for those who confuse Hot for "great tone"
Sonic evaluation: I own and play lots of guitars, I love guitars espesialy gibsons and I know what really good tone is. Good humbucker tone comes from P.A.F. style pick-ups that sound smooth and creamy but with a slight edge. Distortion should come from your amplifier, not your pick-up. But you say louder is better, hotter is better, WRONG! Make a pick-up too hot and you destroy most of the tonal character and rolling back the volume knob can't correct it. These pick-ups are bad by design and totally unsatisfactory for REAL classic rock. There's a grittyness in the mid range that bothers me to no end. I've read other reviews by people who say they have to roll back the volume because this pick up distorts too much. I've replaced these nasty pieces of dung with real "grown up" pickups in the form of a nickel covered 57 classic in the neck and a 57 classic plus in the bridge. So after I installed the 57s, I'm like "Jeeezzzzz this thing sounds great". The 67' reissue Flying V has been the number one guitar in my rotation ever since.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Usless for anything except mindless thrash metal. The 496R is better than the 500T but I replaced them both.

Comments: I like the comment from one reviewer "If they were stolen, I'd invite the thief over for dinner to repay the favor" My thoughts exactly. I have a love/hate relationship with Gibson, I love Gibson guitars but hate some of the dumb marketing choices they've made over the years like putting these crappy pick-ups in a great guitar like a 67' flying V to some how appeal to all the Slayer/Megadeth types who just want to play load and don't care about tonal quality. In my opinion these pick-ups are a waste of wire and magnets. If you want a good humbucker, get a 57 classic plus or a lindey fralin

Pickup features: Dual coils triple magnets...one row of screws, and one row of slugs. Humbucking and passive.
Impedence or other specs: Don't know...maybe, naw nevermind.

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson Soloist
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Bill Lawrence L-500xl
Other pickups on guitar: L-250xl x2.
Artists using this pickup: Me.
You musical style(s): melodic hard rock
Reason for pickup change: Needed more mids, and a sweeter high end.

Perceived output level: It's killer. Smooth, sweet,high output. It has a tight bass response, has a cool tonal colering.
Tone: It's balanced, with fairly full mids, and good treble. No fizz to it like in many DiMarzios, just clean tone.
Sonic evaluation: I've used a bizzilion different amps. Sounds great through any of them.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play melodic hard rock, shred metal. It won't fit in a single coil route.

Comments: This is one hell of a pickup. I've been playing 23 years. I've owned and played most all the gear on the planet. I change my sound every now and then. I love the L-500xl, but for now I want to hear the 500T. It's a great pickup, take it out of your Les Paul and stick it in your Strat.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: '96 Gibson SG
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Classic 57+
Other pickups on guitar: 490R
Artists using this pickup: ?
You musical style(s): Technical hardcore, doom, metal
Reason for pickup change: Needed more clarity, attack and articulation

Perceived output level: Hot like hotcakes
Tone: middy/trebbly
Sonic evaluation: SG into a 5150II to a 4x12 recto cab.
This thing sounds RUTHLESS in this guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Hardcore, metal... I wouldn't put it in the neck position

Comments: BALLS TO THE WALL TOUGH AS HELL SOUNDING. Similar Duncan Distortion but with a gibson edge if that makes any sense. For metal I'd recommend this or a Duncan Distortion bar none. It's a BRUISER.

Pickup features: humbucker. passive! you nuts? no active for me!
Impedence or other specs: don't really know that stuff

Model of guitar or bass: handmade mahagony baritone Flying V
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none, the guitar is brand new
Other pickups on guitar: none other than this one, don't really need it
Artists using this pickup: Don't know. The ones who wants to rock?
You musical style(s): Rock - neurosis, sleep, melvins, electric wizard, high on fire, today is the day, converge. It means heavy on mids and bass - but much more mids. That's the difference between rock and metal (althought I consider the REAL rock like Sabbath, sleep, neurosis... to be METAL), rock guys want pleanty of mids, and the "real" metal guys cut mids (thier own fault).
Reason for pickup change: No change. The guitar is brand new, and I wanted to make a ROCK guitar - and I friggin' did it!!!

Perceived output level: Well, when I open it completely, the feedback comes ringing, and I like that A LOT! So, I think that's loud enough. It is mighty. Kills!
Tone: People say it lacks bass. Are you fucking mad?! I almost can not use this one on my Orange replica amp!!!!! It has everything - The amount of highs is what you make it, it can be there or not,; depends on what you want, basically. But - mids and bass simply kill. It is not muddy AT ALL! Separation of tones is..like...awesome! The sound is soooo fat, it's crazy. Instant Sleep, Electric Wizard, Neurosis... sound. Old metal like Sabbath. Really.
Sonic evaluation: Like I mentioned, I like old skool stuff. I have people making me amps, guitars and cabs on specs I get from Orange, Gibson and those manufacturers. I like to experiment. A lot. I now have a Flying V baritone guitar and that's what I was looking for. On the baritone guitars their is more control on the low register, which is a VERY useful feature, because I like sludy and crushing sound of rockish lo-mids. I also have a handmade speaker cab having 4 Celestion Vintage 30 monsters. It is a bit strange to play on a guitar that has 122 cm, but the sheer looks of it is...whoa!! Plus all the people will look at it and won't believe their eyes. Great, isn't it! I like the sound to be loud and present, that's why I hate solid state gear, and modern guitars. Although 500T is a modern pick up, it sound all like 498T, but with more of everything. The sound that goes out from this Flying V is amazing. The feeling you get from playing with this pick up on this guitar on Orange and Vintage 30's at like 120 something dB is uncomparable to anything I felt before. Has a soul of it's own. God dammit, it has. Really.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Well if you're addicted to heavy rock like I am, there's nothing better. Metal guys will like it, but there's no predominant highs or bass - mids baby, this thing is ALL about mids. Suits my style perfectly.

Comments: CAN NOT be destroyed, MUST NOT be destroyed - that would be a sin. There's no way I'm gonna leave it without supervision. NO WAY. I play for about 10 years now, and went thru all the guitarists problem - like what stuff I need, what strings, maybe this, maybe that. But now I know. I exactly know what I'm all about, what guitar I need, what amplification and speaker combination I need; and what pick up I need, which was, believe me, the hardest of choices and combinations. Finding the right one is so hard. But I did. Thank God it's over, now I'm just need to concentrate on playing. Don't have to think about gear, yippy!!! You oughta try it, maybe you'll like it as I did. Who knows. But the bottom line is - it'll give you that old, midish, heavily overdriven guitar sound. To me sometimes it sound like horn on some goddamn huge, kilometter long ship, and you know how terrifieing would that be. Rock on my brothers.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Dont know

Model of guitar or bass: '01 Explore '76
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: 496 ceramic in neck i believe
Artists using this pickup: me
You musical style(s): rock,metal,loud blues and new country
Reason for pickup change: Didnt.left stock pickups in

Perceived output level: Nice crunch,lotsa treble,good mids, very tight bass!! thought it would sound like it did in the Les Paul classic but its much different.Really great in solid Mahogany guitar such as the Explorer.
Tone: fairly balanced depending on how you run your rig,as a very hard edge on the treble.
Sonic evaluation: I really like the 500T in my Explorer,did'nt work well in the Les Paul,a bit thin due to the maple top. This pickup has a very hard peak treble response,i run the guitars stock tone pot around 7-8. I run my guitars vol about 3-5 and turn up to 7-8 for leads, as you wic up the volume, the distortion seems to blossom nicely however if i turn the guitars vol. all the way up its too much distortion for me. I am running Marshall reissues,stock SLP,1987x and JTM 45, the 45 works nicely as its not so loud an amp as the others. I get a nice bit of natural sounding distortion with my guitar's volu. down low, very nice sound for rythm, when i wic it up a bit to 5 i get a nice growl,it starts singing around 7 and past that it over saturates the closer you get to wide open. Responds well to adjustments at the guitar.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Mostly rock,early metal,marshallized blues, and NC(new country which is Rock with harmonies and sweet vocals that the girls love

Comments: I like this pickup, i picked up a pair of very rare zebras someone pulled from a first year classic on ebay for 100. just to have around in case someone swipes my guitar(s)Playing 35+ years. I have a couple Randalls and a Hell Hound head and 410cab(besides my Marshalls). I have several other pickups from DiM,S.D., I really liked the JB's that were in my Hammers Standards but they have too much distortion and loose everything when you turn down at the guitar.The sound im looking for is a the original 490 with a little growl in it when you turn it up all the way on the guitar, Remember im not a set everything on ten and if it doesnt sound good forget it-youve got to turn those knobs.

Pickup features: Ceramic Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Flying V Limited Edition
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: To high to do me any good
Tone: fizzy and without any kind of depth or body at all. totally without balls.
Sonic evaluation: 90s Gibson Flying V Limited Edition through ibanzez Tube King into HiWatt DR 103 into HiWatt 4x12 with Celestion GT75s.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play old school metal (stoner rock to you kids). Sabbath, Blue Cheer, etc.

Comments: I bought my Flying V at a pawn shop, and after one practice I knew I'd need to yank these ceramic doorstops. Why Gibson would equip a nice guitar with these things is a mystery to me. I have since replaced the ceramics with some used 70's gibson 'buckers that sound GOOD.

Pickup features: HB
Impedence or other specs: Not checked

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Explorer LE
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: the front is a ceramic as well
Artists using this pickup: Gary Moore
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues
Reason for pickup change: none

Perceived output level: Medium, tons of treble and very tight bass great on solid mahogany guitars
Tone: Clean treble and tight bass and very clear thru the whole range
Sonic evaluation: My first experience with this pickup was in a LP Classic, I think the maple top made it unbearably "thin" sounding.Main characteristic in the LP is treble. Then I got the explorer with a solid mahogany body and WOW, I mean WOW, came to life. I run thru a Rat then either a Marshall 1987x reissue or a JTM-45 with a JCM 800 slant cab w/75 watt speakers (similar to Gary Moores set up). I read at least a couple others here have found similar results as i too back the treble off to about 7-8, the volume about 3-5 which leaves me plenty of headroom for leads- but i usually never wic the guitar up past 7,I am amazed at the sound!! Excellent-Super tight bass and sparkly mids and highs!! If i want more dist. i run it up on the Rat or open the vol. up on the guitar. And at the lower vol. its a nice clean sound with a bit of a GLOW-responds well to tensioned pick attack!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock/Blues/Metal/Alter.just about everything!!

Comments: This is my first time ever to this page, i originally wanted to check out the burst buckers for my Les Paul as the stock pickups (alnico's) the bass kinda waffs out and they (burst buckers)sound like the way to go- though a tried my bud's historic w/Duncan antiquities and those are very sweet, they have a sound all there own. That dude below who says they are **** I feel embareassed by his comments, i apologize to future readers for his lack exoerience!

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker.
Impedence or other specs: Don't know.

Model of guitar or bass: Flame top Raven.
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Singlecoil in middle, Stock Humbucker in bridge.
Artists using this pickup: Don't know
You musical style(s): Metal.
Reason for pickup change: The stock pickup sounded pretty good, but I wanted something heavier.

Perceived output level: Tons of crunch on Rhythm, lots of Treble for leads.
Tone: Good Treble and Mids. Not too much Bass, it more blends in well.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using a Flame top Raven, that looks like an Ibanez copy. I have run the guitar through a Crate Redline, a Crate 2x12 combo with an Ibanez Smashbox, and a couple of other amps.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Metal, and its perfect with this guitar.

Comments: The pickup seems to be a flame thrower in this guitar. Tons of crunch and Treble. It really cuts through with a really heavy gain amp. It didn't get muddy with a 5150 with its gain dimed. The cleans not bad neither, but I always use the neck pickup for that anyway. If it was stolen, I would flip and buy another one. I tried a bunch of Pickups, but this one had the sound I wanted.

Pickup features: ceramic magnet (i think)
Impedence or other specs: ??? way up there

Model of guitar or bass: unknown les paul copy
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock p.o.s.
Other pickups on guitar: matching neck pickup, 496R i think...
Artists using this pickup: hopefully nobody
You musical style(s): various
Reason for pickup change: the stock p-up was even worse

Perceived output level: super-duper-way-too-f**king-hot
Tone: muddy as hell
Sonic evaluation: played through a mesa studio .22+, an '84 jcm 800, a new jcm 2000 (both heads throught marshall 4x12s), it doesn't matter... this thing sounds like sh*t through anything.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: maybe if your into crappy, super-heavy, solid-state sounding music, you'd like this turd.

Comments: it is absolutely useless. the only reason i got the damn thing was because it was so cheap. i could've saved myself some time by flushing $30 down the toilet and taking a sh*t on my guitar.

Pickup features: Ceramic Magnet Humbucking Pickup
Impedence or other specs: Not Tested

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul Classic
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 500 T
Other pickups on guitar: 496 R
Artists using this pickup: See other reviews
You musical style(s): Classic Rock, Jazz, Blues, Bluegrass, Metal , Funk
Reason for pickup change: Pickup comes stock in Les Paul Classic guitars.

Perceived output level: Considerably higher output than alnico pickups.
Tone: Trebly, nice mids , loose bass
Sonic evaluation: I play the Les Paul Classic through a Fulltone Fulldrive2 and into a Fender Reissue Super. I have mixed emotions on this pickup and in this guitar. For the money the Les Paul Classic is a terrific instrument, although I have seen the price jump for 2001. Still the 500 T pickup puts out an incredible amount of treble. I tame this pickup by setting my tone knob no higher than 7 on my guitar. I usually keep my volume between 3 and 7 as well. This pickup is also very sensitive, and you will not lose much output by backing it away from your strings. In fact, you just gain string resonance. I use this pickup with a 496 R in the neck and keep the toggle set to both pickups. I generally keep both volume knobs at 3 for a balanced sound. If I desire more treble, I turn my bridge volume knob up to about 6 or 7. If I desire more bass, I adjust the neck volume. If I want to venture into metal territory, I throw all knobs to ten.
I am only dissapointed by the unbalanced treble to bass output. The bass suffers as one would expect, but can be compensated for with some knob turning. I also depend on the Fulldrive2 for tightening up the bass. This pickup has beautiful sustain when playing at high volumes on the high E and B strings, particularly after about the tenth fret. This is the main reason I haven't replaced it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Usable for all styles. Designed for high gain sounds.

Comments: If diversity is your thing, this pickup can do it. If you are a blues, country, or jazz player, you will undoubtably need to turn some knobs down. Still it lacks some of the characteristic warm bass of a PAF. I will eventually replace it with a Seymore Duncan Antiquity that is ridiculously overwound. I have an overwound original PAF in my 57 Black Beauty that is my benckmark for humbucking tone.

Pickup features: passive
Impedence or other specs: 9.5 (gibson website)

Model of guitar or bass: epiphone les paul std
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: epi "498"
Other pickups on guitar: epi "490"
Artists using this pickup: me and my buddy jimmy page
You musical style(s): discodeath metal,gospeljazz and hard rock,Bj?rkmetal...etc
Reason for pickup change: the epi squeeled when playing at high volume,and i needed some more output,the epi seemed quite weak.

Perceived output level: much hotter than the epi``s
Tone: makes my epi lp sound more" focused" and less muddy when distorted
Sonic evaluation: epi lp and marshall!!!I am quite happy with this pickup.The epi wasn``t bad,but the feedback it created made the guitar hard to control at high gain settings,so now it should be smokin`.haven``t tested it at rehearsal

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I think it suits every style,really..might not be good in neckposition.

Comments: I am going to get me some more 500``s to put them in my other guitars.if it where stolen,the I guess that my guitar would be gone too...but it``s not gonna happen..been playing for 15 years now,,own 13 guitars(ibanez,gibson,epiphone and a few others).I think its balony that some people say you cannot get a clean tone out of this pickup,I had no trouble whatsoever,,,niiiiiiiiiiiiice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

Pickup features: Ceramic Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Hamer Standard
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Duncan Designed piece of crap
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan Designed piece of crap
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Punk and Rock
Reason for pickup change: I just bought the Hamer Standard based on looks alone - it's got that sweet flame paint job (check out my review in the guitar section). I was highly disappointed in the sound of the guitar though. No tone, no sustain.

Perceived output level: I'd say quite a bit hotter than your normal passive humbucker but not close to an active.
Tone: Tone is trebly, but only sligtly
Sonic evaluation: I'm using this pickup in a Hamer Standard import. The tone was lacking and there was no sustain to speak of...i mean NONE. I put the 500T in the bridge position and it cured the problem immediately. Good tone (for the music I play) and great sustain. I have it running into a BOSS GT-3 and then into the return loop of a MESA DUAL RECTO.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play mostly punk and rock. Heavy distortion 95% of the time. This pickup suits that style perfectly.

Comments: If destroyed or stolen i would definitely get this pickup again. It's pretty friggin' hot and my guess is that it would make a piece of dental floss on a twig sound pretty kick ass. Bear in mind that I play punk and rock, and I use a lot of distortion. If going for a cleaner, more mellow sound, this isn't the pickup for you. It really made my Hamer sound a lot better. I have a Gibson Les Paul with a 498T at the bridge. The 500T is a lot hotter. I had to turn my amp volume down for this pickup. Comparing the two they sound almost the same, it's just that the 500T has a higher output. I never use my neck pickup, so I kept the crappy duncan-designed one in. I'll probably never change it because i'll never use it. I highly recommend the 500T if you play distorted rock or punk.

Pickup features: Ceramic Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: Volcanic

Model of guitar or bass: 2001 Gibson Les Paul Special SL
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: 498T
Other pickups on guitar: 496R
Artists using this pickup: Jimmy Page I think?
You musical style(s): Blues, Hard Rock, Funk and Jazz
Reason for pickup change: I needed a pickup with more balls!!!!

Perceived output level: WAY MORE HOTTER THAN THE 498T!!
Tone: overall balanced with a dash of treble. Thick, warm, crisp and has a LOT of SUSTAIN!!!!!
Sonic evaluation: I am playing a Gibson Les Paul Special SL. I run that through a Morley
WAH Pedal to a Fender Deluxe 85 (solid state 65Watts).I have also replaced the neck pickup with a 496R. Great Combonation. If you want your LP to sound like Gary Moore's LP then buy both these pickups. These pickups RULE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sustain for Years!!!!!!!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play Blues, Funk, Hard Rock and Jazz. This pickup combo(496R and 500T) is suitable for everything!

Comments: If it was stolen I would snap the theif's arms and legs! I've been
playing for 18 years. I own a Fender strat. The 496R clean has a warm,
crisp,articulate snap to it. Distorted its creamy and thick with screaming sustain. The 500T is balls-to-the-wall volcanic scorch!!!! These pickups are the best I've heard in a long time. Their worth every penny spent!!!! Go out an buy these right now!