The previous model year (2017) is listed as 500k audio taper. Although Gibson didn't specify, I would presume 2018 would be the same. http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2017/USA/SG-Faded.aspx http://legacy.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2018/USA/SG-Faded-2018.aspx
Thanks, it sounds not as clear as I had hoped so I was wondering if they had dropped it down to 300k for some reason. Might just not be enjoying the 490r/t as much as I'd hoped.
Try adjusting the pup height and/or screws. I have a 490R/490T set in my 2004 SG Special. They sound fine to my ears.
thanks, done that quite a bit, have had the neck pickup everywhere from nearly up against the strings to as low as it'll go without the spring popping and it still sounds like the tone knob is half cocked even though it sweeps fine
I've done some various mods but never swapped magnets, have a good guide or source for the magnets? thanks for your help
Do you have other guitars with humbuckers to compare with? While the 490's in my SG Special sound OK, I've never really been a fan of a humbucker at the neck position in any guitar. I favor a P-90 instead. Not as boomy as a humbucker, yet fatter sounding than an F-style single coil. My other SG has a P-90 at the neck and a P-90 size humbucker at the bridge. Best of both worlds that way.
If you're in the USA, here's a good source for magnets: http://www.addiction-fx.com/ If swapping to Alnico 5, I'd recommend the short length. If you haven't done so already, you could also try raising the polepieces while lowering the pickup and/or shorter polepieces too.
So since posting this, I first started by updating the PCB to pots and caps (500k/.022) The tone didn't improve much at all, so I guess the stock pots were within their value I tried flipping the neck pickup around, no, still sounded choked I went ahead and dropped in a set of Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers... perfect! Sounds fantastic. Guess I'm just not a 490 fan.
Measure your pot values (volume not tone) The sound will be darker at lower pot values. 10% tolerance means the pots could be 450-550. A 100K disparity will be significantly different in tone
+1 on measuring actual pot values. Another thing is to use quality instrument cable with low capacitance that is not going to be rolling off the hi frequencies. Mogami Gold W2524 Purchase the cable in bulk and assemble your own.
Unless you're trying to get the November Rain tone, there's little use for an AII humbucker in the neck position, IMO. It's especially ridiculous when they pair it with the 498T in the Standard, which is A5 and WAY hotter.
