Calling Aceman for LP pu advice !

[JB6464]

I just picked up a Gibson Smartwood LP studio that's chambered and it plays and feels great. It came loaded with 490/498T pickups but i can't stand them, to thin sounding to me. But i'm not sure if it's the pickups or the chambered body that makes it sound like it does at this moment.
Anyway i'm going to put a 59 in the neck and i'm not sure about the bridge pickup choice because of it being chambered. I've norrowed it down to a 3 pickups. A Custom,JB,or DD with 500k pots. This guitar does not have a maple top and it's not mohogany either. It states the top wood is Carved Muir from a rainforest. And the fingerboard is Preciosa.
I'm a 80's style Rock/Blues player and i will be playing it through 77 Marshall JMP 2203 amps with 4X12 cabs loaded with greenbacks.
Which pickup would you choose being the LP has a chambered body ?
Thanks.

[Bones]

Obviously I am not Aceman. I would pick something else besides those but if you are deadset on one of them, I say the Custom.

[JB6464]

Not deadset on those but it's what i know so far that works for 80's style rock that i play,thanks.

Pickups that i have tied so far:
C5/C8=C5 to scooped for me,C8 to modern sounding.
CC= No Ass and all mids.
59B-to thin and not enough mids.

[bigheadood]

The 498t is probably closest to the Custom5. These sound too thin. So Let's see.

A Custom (ceramic) would give more mid beef, and a rattier top end.

A JB would give a snotty high-mid scream and a bit more power. Less bass, which could be sloppy in some guitars.

A DD would give more mid beef, snotty high-mid scream, a rattier top end, a bit more power, and less bass (but it doesn't tend to be sloppy).

This is my description of your 3 choices based on my experiences with these pickups in my Les Paul Studio Lite. Which sounded awful and thin with the Custom5. I ended up with a JB, which will remain in that guitar forever.

Good luck

[JB6464]

The 498t is probably closest to the Custom5. These sound too thin. So Let's see.

A Custom (ceramic) would give more mid beef, and a rattier top end.

A JB would give a snotty high-mid scream and a bit more power. Less bass, which could be sloppy in some guitars.

A DD would give more mid beef, snotty high-mid scream, a rattier top end, a bit more power, and less bass (but it doesn't tend to be sloppy).

This is my description of your 3 choices based on my experiences with these pickups in my Les Paul Studio Lite. Which sounded awful and thin with the Custom5. I ended up with a JB, which will remain in that guitar forever.

Good luck

Interesting, thanks for you input.

[hamerfan]

The 498t is probably closest to the Custom5. These sound too thin. So Let's see.

A Custom (ceramic) would give more mid beef, and a rattier top end.

A JB would give a snotty high-mid scream and a bit more power. Less bass, which could be sloppy in some guitars.

A DD would give more mid beef, snotty high-mid scream, a rattier top end, a bit more power, and less bass (but it doesn't tend to be sloppy).

This is my description of your 3 choices based on my experiences with these pickups in my Les Paul Studio Lite. Which sounded awful and thin with the Custom5. I ended up with a JB, which will remain in that guitar forever.

Good luck

This is the best description i have read in this forum so far!

[blueman335]

I have a couple 498T/490R sets, and I don't care for them in their stock form either. The bridge is bright and scooped, the neck dark & muddy. Not a good match. But, put an A5 magnet in the neck, and it becomes clear and articulate. Put an A8 in the bridge, and you have more mids and less treble. You don't need new PU's, just $5 worth of magnets. This is a simple, cheap fix. Your guitar will sound very different.

[JB6464]

I have a couple 498T/490R sets, and I don't care for them in their stock form either. The bridge is bright and scooped, the neck dark & muddy. Not a good match. But, put an A5 magnet in the neck, and it becomes clear and articulate. Put an A8 in the bridge, and you have more mids and less treble. You don't need new PU's, just $5 worth of magnets. This is a simple, cheap fix. Your guitar will sound very different.

The stock 490 neck pickup is actually not muddy.
Could it be because the body is chambered though ?
A5 could make it more alive sounding,good idea.
As for a A8 in the bridge,tried that with a C5/C8 combo and something is just not right in tones for me.

[blueman335]

As for a A8 in the bridge,tried that with a C5/C8 combo and something is just not right in tones for me.

Actually my favorite bridge magnet these days is an unoriented A5, which has more mids and reduced treble, along A2-type dymanics. Not as high output and 'stiff' sounding as an A8. Worth a try.

[JB6464]

Actually my favorite bridge magnet these days is an unoriented A5, which has more mids and reduced treble, along A2-type dymanics. Not as high output and 'stiff' sounding as an A8. Worth a try.

Another great idea,thanks.

[hamerfan]

I have a couple 498T/490R sets, and I don't care for them in their stock form either. The bridge is bright and scooped, the neck dark & muddy. Not a good match. But, put an A5 magnet in the neck, and it becomes clear and articulate. Put an A8 in the bridge, and you have more mids and less treble. You don't need new PU's, just $5 worth of magnets. This is a simple, cheap fix. Your guitar will sound very different.

+1 The 59 could be a little too scooped if the guitar does not deliver some mid growl. In this case a Seth Neck or a PG neck helps

[Funkfingers]

Do you want the guitar to sound as close as possible to a regular mahogany/maple/rosewood LP or would you prefer to choose pickups that are sympathetic to the natural tonality of the Smartwood timbers?

It might be wiser to aim for a 335-type tone. Hence, Antiquities, Pearly Gates or, if you can find one, a Brobucker.

[JB6464]

Do you want the guitar to sound as close as possible to a regular mahogany/maple/rosewood LP or would you prefer to choose pickups that are sympathetic to the natural tonality of the Smartwood timbers?

It might be wiser to aim for a 335-type tone. Hence, Antiquities, Pearly Gates or, if you can find one, a Brobucker.

Very good point you have there. Maybe it's just a different monster all together,and nothing like a regular Gibson LP.
I am open to other ideas,but i will admit i'm a 80's type player and i don't want to set the guitar setup for something that's not going to cut the mustard when i crank it through my Marshall.
A 335-type setup could be real cool though.

[DJ Catchem]

Is this one of the original Smartwoods? (The thinner body style?)

Either way, you're going to see a *huge* difference between one of these and a traditional LP. My brother has one of the original Smartwoods, as well as an '88 Standard, and the sound is night and day between the two. The Standard is deep and smooth, while the Smartwood seems to be more in line with a PRS...a little crisper, lighter sounding, with less sustain, but a bit more definition.

--->DJ

[JB6464]

Is this one of the original Smartwoods? (The thinner body style?)

Either way, you're going to see a *huge* difference between one of these and a traditional LP. My brother has one of the original Smartwoods, as well as an '88 Standard, and the sound is night and day between the two. The Standard is deep and smooth, while the Smartwood seems to be more in line with a PRS...a little crisper, lighter sounding, with less sustain, but a bit more definition.

--->DJ

(2007 Gibson Smartwood Studio LP)
No it's regular size like a Standard Gibson LP but it's chambered and has no binding. I would say the fretboard is very simular to a rosewood fretboard. But the body is mahogany with that Muir top. My guess is the top would be closer to a LPC than a hard maple LP guitar.
It does kind of remind me of the PRS tones with a clear definition to it. But the Muir top is not like any i have ever had. It's not super warm like a LPC or Top End Snappy like a regular LP.

[dr. ad]

of the ones you're interested in, i'd get the DD and hold onto the stock gibson pickups (potential magnet donors).
i'm not familiar with those particular woods, but chambered LP shapes do tend to react very differently than solids, in terms of pickup selection.

[Aceman]

Well, I have played smartwoods before. Both Corupay? and Precosia boards. One of them is like the Stevie ray fretboard (what was that? Pau ferro????) but i can't remember which. I think it was the curupay.

Anyway - before we go picking pups, I have no idea what Muir sounds like. However, let's get back to basics. Give the guitar a few strums acoustically, unplugged, and score the bass/mid/treble from 1-10 each. Let's see what the fundamental tone curve of chambered full thickness muir is....

Off hand, however - I have to say I am feeling Dimarzio here...

[JB6464]

Well, I have played smartwoods before. Both Corupay? and Precosia boards. One of them is like the Stevie ray fretboard (what was that? Pau ferro????) but i can't remember which. I think it was the curupay.

Anyway - before we go picking pups, I have no idea what Muir sounds like. However, let's get back to basics. Give the guitar a few strums acoustically, unplugged, and score the bass/mid/treble from 1-10 each. Let's see what the fundamental tone curve of chambered full thickness muir is....

Off hand, however - I have to say I am feeling Dimarzio here...

Ok i'll do my best to describe it unpluged.
4/6/7
Not much low end but smooth,the mids seem kind of flat to me but not scooped like a 59B,and the top end unplugged sounds bland. Like it's there but not very articulate.
Overall just smooth and balanced just not loud like some of my strats and teles.
Plugged In it sounds thin and bright with no ass. Which throws me off thinking the chambered body is effecting the electrified tones or the 498t is a big thin piece of ****.

[ken361]

Ok i'll do my best to describe it unpluged.
4/6/7
Not much low end but smooth,the mids seem kind of flat to me but not scooped like a 59B,and the top end unplugged sounds bland. Like it's there but not very articulate.
Overall just smooth and balanced just not loud like some of my strats and teles.
Plugged In it sounds thin and bright with no ass. Which throws me off thinking the chambered body is effecting the electrified tones or the 498t is a big thin piece of ****.

Gibson pups you need to raise the pole pieces in the middle , I like to bring up the 4th and 5th string more and a little on the others. Dont know about your woods but the 498t works pretty good in my SG, I like it more since I had a pro mess with it and set the poles up right. The bass 6th string is a bit tight but the chords ring out nice. i really though the pickup was a bit compressed for me but since the poles were set right I dig it more, good luck. Oh also raise the neck pup a little that will thicken the bridge tone.

[JB6464]

Gibson pups you need to raise the pole pieces in the middle , I like to bring up the 4th and 5th string more and a little on the others. Dont know about your woods but the 498t works pretty good in my SG, I like it more since I had a pro mess with it and set the poles up right. The bass 6th string is a bit tight but the chords ring out nice. i really though the pickup was a bit compressed for me but since the poles were set right I dig it more, good luck. Oh also raise the neck pup a little that will thicken the bridge tone.

That's the first things i do to any guitar i get. Complete setup,adjust the pickup heights/pole screws and so forth to get the best out of a pickup before deciding if it needs a mag swap or replaced.
There is a big difference in tones with it unplugged and then plugged in and electrified. When plugged in,it sounds thin and bright.
It still baffles me if the chambered body is effecting the tones along with the pickup.