Comparison of 7 bridge pickups on ash (498T, Classic 57+, TB-4, TB-5, AT-1)

Final episode of big pickups comparison. Gibson 498T, Classic 57+, Schecter Super Rock, EMG Select, DiMarzio AT-1, Seymour Duncan TB-4, TB-5 - back to back!:) Guitar: Ash Schecter Japan, AMT Electronics SS-11A preamp, Yearsov Classic Vintage 30 combo, Sennheiser e906 + Oktava MK-219 mics, EMU TrackerPre USB interface.

[@JacobChoiGuitarBunker]

4:58 498t 5:08 super rock 5:18 57+ 5:28 at-1 5:38 JB 5:49 TB-5 5:58 emg select 6:07 498t 6:18 super rock 6:28 57+ 6:39 at-1 6:49 JB 6:59 TB-5

[@Mariokinhed]

Gibson 498T Sound Very Good

[@b3aronyt]

Gibson doesn't get enough credit for their pickups. 498T, 500T, 57 Classic Plus are all excellent pickups.

[@dfalknc]

I've been watching pickup comparison vids for weeks trying to decide if I can improve on my 498T's. Yours is the best video I've seen! I'm keeping the 498's... :)

[@chrischu9551]

same boat!

[@skinnymorbid]

498T is my favorite. Great video! It must have been a lot of work to put together.

[@SwordMaster515]

Gibson 498T wins by far for me. Thanks so much for this! I'm getting the 498 for my Tele Deluxe :)

[@Erocku]

Thanks for this demo. I was trying to decide between a 498T and 57 Classic +. After hearing this, I'm going with the 498T. It sounded fatter than the 57 and also had more highs/high mids.

[@bernie9444]

Funny. 9 yrs later and I'm doing the same thing

[@overheadcam63]

Great job. The differences were more subtle than I would have suspected - excluding the volume levels of course. The 498 seemed near the top on the output level. I remember in the 1970's, a stereo salesman told me that whenever people are comparing 2 systems where there was a difference in volume, they almost *always* picked the louder one. Maybe that explains the numerous posts for people liking the 498 here. Now if I could only hear all those again with the volume levels all normalized, the tonal differences would be more evident. That's just me thinking out loud and not a request - you've done a *lot* of work already. Thanks for the demo!

[@Dr.Jekyll]

overheadcam63, the frequency response of the human ear changes with volume. The louder something is, the better you hear highs and lows (to an extent). This is why people try to master music as loud as they can.

[@MRay-zj4ro]

The JB and the 498T for me. Great demo, man!

[@edwardprete]

Impressive to see how much brighter and the clarity across the range from the 498 pickup. The others had strong spots but everything from the 498 sounded good.

[@chrisshura4827]

Love the 498. Have them in 2 Gibson's. I was very surprised by all the mids in them though compared to the other pups. Still my favorite though.

[@mjeffbr]

If you like the sound of bees all around you then the EMG for sure lol

[@JohnnyTsak316]

It's obvious after like 3 different tests and then the rest of the way through the video the Seymour duncan tb-4 JB is the winner - thank you for settling that debate !

[@ceelee5850]

57 classic + is by far my favorite.

[@MrEpidiaz]

Good review, I have the 57 plus and I am satisfied with it ... I liked the 498T especially with overdrive

[@sollyharr]

Holy shit!!! Never thought the 498t would come out on top???

[@kennethcohagen9037]

498T, EMG second. The 498T was crisper and produced what we used to call in the Audiophile world more information, or a much better image of the what the strings were doing. You can really close your eyes and feast your ears to the guitar with these pickups, not so much with the EMG's. To me, if you like the tone of any of the other pickups you can get there by EQ'ing the 498T's. Great comparison! Now I know what I'm putting in my Hagstrom Swede.

[@Zeke8235]

1.Очень жаль, что нет в сравнении 500Т. 2.Насчет безоговорочной победы 498Т - есть подозрение, что аппаратура для каждого теста просто-напросто по нему и настраивалась.(потому в каждой группе тестов он первый) Возможно, следовало тестировать датчики в положении "все ручки на 12". Звук, бесспорно, был бы хуже, но в целом объективнее. Удивило неплохое звучание EMG Select. Возможно, он просто удачно попал в настройки для 498Т :)

[@blacquejacque4708]

Excellent demo. You covered pretty much all the bases for all those pickups in just 9 minutes, superb.

[@mauriciotav]

1- Gibson 498T 2- Seymour Duncan TB-4 JB 3- DiMarzio AT-1 4- Gibson Classic 57+ 5- Seymour Duncan TB-5 6- EMG Select 7- Schecter Super Rock

[@nicholasflamel1134]

Awesome comparison Eugene! Thanks for taking the time to post this for us. I know how much work that must have been. I'm torn between the 498t and JB.

[@angusorvid8840]

The Custom is the best. I own just about every brand of pickups out there, and even by Duncans very high standards the Custom is an absolute classic. I also love the Custom 5 and Custom Custom. Great pickups. The original Custom, although ceramic, is one of the warmer ceramics I've owned.

[@picadasgalaxias9386]

Best pickup review on youtube. No bull, just playing, let our ears decide!

[@ShredShopVidz]

As you can tell Im a huge fan of the 498T,but I love the darkness of the Duncan TB-5.I think both are great pickups that won't leave it sounding thin.Thanks again for the great vid.I'm going to subscribe =)

[@ronammar5021]

498s seem to be most versatile

[@grufiog]

i liked the 498T...currently i use the 490t which i like it a lot... Great video by the way!

[@davidbuzzin426]

👍🇺🇸❤498T.......the ultimate !!!!!!!

[@youwiee]

1. 498T 2. Classic 57+ 3. EMG great job on the video mate, in fact all of your videos are great with loads of work for u to do. Thanks

[@EugeneOdnoval]

You are welcome and thank you for stopping by!

[@jeromedecock]

I agree with previous comments, 498T and Seymour JB are the top of the lot, for me shecter and Seymour tb5 are the least convincing. Thanks for taking the time to compare these.

[@DavidGriffis]

Great production. Lots of work to do something like this, we appreciate it.

[@maverickdoe6984]

Clean tones - SD TB4, crunch tones..EMG...High gain...Gibson 498T. Overall rounded I'm torn between that 498T and the TB4. Nicely done comparison.

[@VincenzoCaccavale]

Wow love the 498T, very full sound!

[@RA-ot6yr]

498T id go for! I had some duncans but ended back with the Gibson pickups... sound better to me. 500T is really good too!

[@npet6842]

Many thanks for posting all three of these pickup videos . It was a massive effort and most appreciated !

[@danielmontinho5722]

Great demo ! This is what pickup demos should be.

[@raimundoantoniogomesolivei2736]

demo is great but 57+, 498T wins for me

[@chrishorton615]

498T, Classic '57+, or EMG are my faves.

[@chrishorton615]

Watched this nine months later and still picked the same pups

[@beagleguitar]

Really great work on putting this together. I applaud your effort for sure. I only have two suggestions to help make this a stellar comparison (IMHO): 1) Right now, the pickups appear in the same order every time. I think it would be better to make it random, so we wouldn't be able to memorize the order when listening. This is especially true if you're trying to listen without looking, which is the true test. Watching the names while you listen makes a huge difference in the way we perceive and hear things. So if you randomized the pickup order, one could close their eyes and just listen through each riff, marking down their thoughts on each, and then go back and check the names to see which was which. 2) With regards to the above, it might be nice to add a bit of explanatory text at the beginning of the video stating something like: "Each riff will be looped, with a different pickup used for each repeat of the riff. So if you'd like to listen blindly, close your eyes after you see each new riff description." Again, this is helpful the way it is, and it's great work. But in order to alleviate confirmation bias (i.e., the Gibson ones sounding better because someone expects them to)---which is a very real and well-documented phenomenon---you'd need to randomize the order.

[@ToneGrail]

Thank you for posting this video. It really shows the tone of the various pickups rhythm sound which is really important. I liked the 498T and the JB the best. They seemed to have a nice throaty midrange roar to them with enough high end to still cut through.

[@ok0504]

Титаническая работа!!! Огромное спасибо! Сильно облегчился выбор на замену Virtual PAF.

[@danielsouzamail]

Dude, great comparision. Same guitar, perfect video edition, awesome tone and styles separation. Thanks for the contribution. I think the 498T was the best tone too. The worst, FOR ME, was TB-5.

[@raxanci]

Amazing video I think 498T and JB are unbeatable.

[@m3tafunj]

This is the best pickup comparison I've seen on the web!

[@etyramone2000]

I watched a lot of demos and am wondering why I never saw this one before ! «Castaway» riff made the whole difference ;)

[@chrisdee5032]

Exactly how a pickup comparison should be done. Can I ask what pots you have in the guitar, 500k? 498t was the best I feel.

[@EugeneOdnoval]

Thank you! 500K pots they were.

[@josephfalcone1078]

Nice job, especially the sequence editing you had to do. This allows for a true consistent pickup demo. Gibson 498T/490R combo is the way to go.

[@kcfunart]

By far the best video to compare pickups! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this. Really helped me choose between the 57 Classic & 498T. Cheers!

[@LouieLandsCandyTreat]

Thank you for a great review.. Best = 498T Least Best = EMG

[@TheMrLoucrazy]

Great! The wood really interfere and you warn that on the video. Perfect! And i love alder and mohogony bodies. Tks a lot man!

[@DangerousOne326]

Classic 57 then 498T. Gibson makes the best pickups, honestly.

[@rodneycham6204]

can i say the 498t sounded the best for metal?

[@emreemre369]

Apparently depends on the application.... 498 did very well until the gain rose up to a level, then the Superrock took over. Interestingly the Classic 57 did great in the final crunchy rock'n roll riffage, and that is the only time it was any good for me.

[@atpaulo2009]

Best feedback for the BEST DEMO I EVER HEARD!!!! Congratulations from Brazil!!!!!

[@jkf9167]

498-T. Funny, I never liked them much on Les Pauls, but on the swamp ash Strat they sound really nice.

[@malcolmhardwick4258]

I just swapped the 498t in my sg for a SD 59. Sounds much nicer. But in this strat the 498t sound best.

[@captainwhizz]

I'm not 100% happy with the 498t in my Les Paul studio, was thinking of putting a Seymour Duncan SH-5 in, but the Gibson pickup is my favourite in this video. Completely different guitars suit different pickups I guess? Or am I about to waste money?

[@RolanTHUNDER]

AT-1 sounds quite a lot better than the JB and the TB5 Custom sort of sounds like it's in between the two. The EMG Select sounded very impressive!

[@ГуглЭдвордз]

498T наиболее универсален, везде хорошо звучит. Seymour Duncan TB-4 на перегрузе приколен.

[@Simmsie]

498T surprisingly held it's own.

[@EugeneOdnoval]

Simmsie yes, it sounds good on bright guitars: ash or all maple guitars! But no so good on alder)

[@brianfalls7128]

Fantastic video!!! I will have to say I am impressed by the Gibson 498T!!

[@medbad5150]

brilliant mate..best review I've seen..only shame was everything was played staccato not showing sustain on pickups..superb I've subscribed mate!

[@TonySkyRush]

I liked the AT1 overall all but the last riff and the 498 was strong & versatile at all settings. The schecter pickup actually sounded better with more gain than most of them. The clean sound was weak on that pickup. The EMG was pretty muddy. There was a definite deep sound to the SH5 which would be a nice change for some songs. I would definitely have 3 guitars for the different sounds. The TB4 was pretty good too but I personnally like the AT1 the best.

[@hanserikrosen4774]

I'm about to put together a guitar again. The budget is kind of low. Just for learning actually. I will build the body mysef from wood taken from my homeland in Sweden. I own an old Hondo II by SD Curlee. Love that microphones and the combination of a humbucker at the bridge and a single coil at the neck. So, that will be the combination. Firstly, I thought about getting a DiMarzio Super Distortion at the bridge position together with a single coil of the same type at the neck. Just like on the Hondo. The sound of these are so good. But, as the budget is set, I ran into a Gibson 498T at an Internet auction. Your comparison togehter with others made me to decide that the Gibson 498T and the DiMarzio Super Distorton have a lot in common. Actually, I think the 498T is a straw better. They are cousins. So, I grabbed it. Sounds awesome compared to the others here on your video. Time to find a single coil, equal or better to a Super Distortion at the neck now. Problems are nice sometimes :)

[@EugeneOdnoval]

True:) Good luck finding the sound!:)

[@behemothokun]

yeah, I think so. Interestingly, after the first 2 clean examples the Custom was my favourite, but that changed with more distortion. Maybe it doesn't work with this guitar like the AT1. Overall I think that the 498T worked best, maybe not the best on each setting, but it sounded always good. I think I will give it a try when I feel in need of a new Bridge PU. Currently, the Dimarzio D Activator X is my favourite PU, you should give it a try, if you have the time.

[@JonnyRailgun]

Awesome video, thanks! To me, the best pickups are the Gibson 498t and the EMG select. But the select just costs half of the gibson, so i'd prefer the emg.

[@frankie28web]

great shootout! much to my suprise, I liked the 498 the most. the custom tb-5 was one of the worst, even though it's one of my favourites usually. seems to depend on the wood, the guitar etc...

[@21whitman]

Great Test! Very consistent! I have used all these except the emg select. The AT-1 and TB-5 are generally very good pickups for a maple or harder fretboard. Everytime I have used them on a Rosewood they sound mushy and generally crappy. Gibsons and the SD JB generally work good on rosewood and maple but sometimes get a little to peaky on ebony (unless its a mahogany neck). Good stuff man, Props on the vid!!

[@frantisca]

Thank you for the test & the upload ! IMO the 57' is the most versatile, the 498 best for rock AC/DC type tones & the SD TB-4 for crunch-blues. If I have to choose just 1, I'd stick to the 57's... \m/

[@kevinjokipii4260]

Most of the pickups have at least a few settings where I just winced. I didn't think the 498T sounded the best on every setting, but I did think it at least sounded good in every single setting, and I didn't think there was any setting it sounded bad in. That means i can trust the 498T to give a usable tone no matter how I set the amp or pedals.

[@isaiahmarquez9717]

I think I liked the 57 Classic Plus overall. It wasn’t the best at any of the tones but it also wasn’t the worst. It was near the top in all categories. It is definitely a jack of all trades, master of none.

[@EugeneOdnoval]

Thanks! Sustain also depends on guitar itself. However you are right, this review needs some sustainy solo licks:)

[@donthewatcher8835]

great job , I have 490r/498t in my Gibson LPJ and after years of playing my faves are 1. 498t 2.emg 81/85 3.57;s 4.seymore Duncan tb 4 5. burstbuckers 6.bareknuckles 7.p-90

[@ethereal117]

Both Gibsons are great and I like the mid-range sound of the Dimarzio and then probably the emg. The schecter was mynleast favorite

[@ChuckNorrisCutsMyLaw]

Giibson 498T FTW

[@BryanTorenn]

No way, The Gibson 498T was my favourite and from far. The Schecter was not bad at all as well.

[@JHil35]

Like the 498 ... Great guitar btw .

[@sometimesjames1]

Dude, thank you again for another AWESOME comparison video! This helps me so much!

[@behemothokun]

I got the D Activator on my Prestige RG and I play mostly Higainy stuff, so that high output is quite welcome. But I got an older LP style laying around, and the 498T and a Seymour Duncan SH1 sounds like a good combination for a more vintage sound. thanks for the comparision and the talk.

[@ubertwerpify]

57 followed by AT-1 Update :5 years later i suppose my ears changed 498t the best by far- JB next after many experiments over the years some findings 1- i prefer the nuances of passive over active 2- i prefer alnico 5 over other magnets with ceramic good for bridge too - alnico 2 sucks for me except for cleans 3- prefer slightly hotter PAF over higher output or low output 4-Prefer pickups without metal covers - although the covers look cool, the dim the tone in a way i dont like Have fun folks

[@EugeneOdnoval]

Best thing about 498T that it makes that ash-maple (bright and midscooped) guitar sound good with distortion and even when it's split. As I understand D Activator is a pickup with more output, when 498T is moderate output (like Seymour Duncan SH-4), so you should take it into account if you want to try another pickup.

[@jimclip2012]

Fantastic comparison, very helpful, thanks !!! Most of them had their moments either clean or dirty, but overall I think the 498T and regular Ducan SH-4 JB sounded best, at least in that guitar. The SH-5 Duncan sounded too bass-heavy IMO. I thought the Classic 57 sounded nice too, especially in its articulation with some medium crunch. I was really hoping to like the AT-1 but it didn't impress me much in this application at least. Great video.

[@SisterSandoz]

Sh-5 duncan custom loves mahogony body guitars. Perfect fit for a les paul. Was suprised at how well the 498t sounded. In your demo its between that and the 57 classic.

[@malmstring]

Big props to you for putting in the effort and making this video. I didn't like pretty much any of the pickups. Thanks nonetheless.

[@EugeneOdnoval]

this is Schecter Japan NV-RI-CTM ash superstrat from 2000s. They make custom-quality guitars in Japan.

[@danswon]

amazing demo, thank you. i thought the 498t was the best all-rounder. i thought the JB was the best at high gain. the emg select is suprisingly bright

[@dominiquejr1]

498T all the way. i have one in my gibson, nd one in my off brand strat xD

[@KH-mn3si]

The 498T is the best allrounder. He sounds in all styles the best for me.

[@SuperGuyAmp]

12/10 for the demo, the best i heard. Short riff between each pickup. IT's very easy to compare. IMO the 498T is the best PU overall, too much treble as the gain is up but i think just a small tone asjusment on the amp and you will have sound close to the 57+ witch is the best PU at high gain ??. The EMG is overall good too. I have try Classic 57, BBpro, JB, 500T, 498T with my LP Custom BB 57 2pu, the 498T have a lot of caracter from clean to overdrive .As this demo.

[@kevinjokipii4260]

498E hits like a sledgehammer. The EMG has most clarity. The Duncan Custom might work if the purpose was to restrict the tone to a narrower band so it would fit in a denser mix, but that could be also achieved with EQing the track in the mix.

[@ChoppaWhoppa1]

498T without a question. The Di Marzio sounds pretty good and articulate too. The 57 Classic just sounds muddy and weak and the Duncan is dull and lifeless. To my ears, but we all have our personal favourites I guess.

[@DarkVengeance0938]

The 498T Definitely sounds sharper than the others. But I have to say, that EMG comes as a close second.

[@KyleCarrington]

I've always said I hated EMG's but it's funny, they actually stand up pretty well here, on this particular guitar.

[@BigEdWo]

you're right. the emg's were not that bad.

[@beagleguitar]

Funny ... I always thought I'd like EMGs, but I consistently disliked their tone on this comparison. Just goes to show, to each his own.

[@onzkicg]

Great video.. For me i like 498T, 57, TB-4. Well, the AT-1 to me seems like trying to fight to join my list but always finding a sign "sorry all slots taken".:) by the way, on description ash Schecter, you mean ash body? Thanks for comparison. I have similar guitar but Alder body so I guess tone won't be 100% close even if `i get 498T.

[@Usb1111]

Well thanks ti this video i bought myself an EMG select, and i'm glad i did so! This EMG is 5 times cheaper then Seymour Duncan custom 5 and it's better...

[@israelwolf]

Nice vid! The Gibsons sounded pretty good in this setup!

[@helixworld]

I think these tones are a bit dark sounding. Because of this, people are saying the bright pickups are best, ie. the Gibson ones. The AT-1 sounds especially dark in this demo, and its true that its dark compared to JB. With a more neutral sounding amp, the AT-1 would have a very balanced tone and have some quite bright harmonics on the distortion tests.

[@EugeneOdnoval]

It's true! Thank you!

[@atpaulo2009]

I will not forget this demo either the world explodes today (21/12/12)!!!! Thanks a lot!!!! Bad english...sorry :)

[@mikyqwerty]

I really appreciated the 498T, really strong pick up.....i didn't like very much the 57 classic, his sound seems to me with too middle and lust less power than 498 whit no particular sound characteristics.....that's my sensation listening to this great video for the first time... oh, the EMG is great to ;)

[@MrMagnificents]

Thanks.Really helpful.I am about to order parts for a project guitar(that's why I am checking these videos out) and you helped me to decide on the 498T for the bridge.Now onto the neck.Still not sure there.I want to compliment the 498T but not sound like every other guitar out there if that makes sense.Thanks again

[@guitarpoetone1]

WoW The Best Comparison Yet thats the Way to do it Thanks ...How Do You Like The ss-20 Pre amp Amt Elec. Keep up the good work

[@scotthowes1869]

Great comparison! Thanks so much. I like the 498T, especially when split on the Peps' song. My main guitar is a bit midrangey (alder/rosewood Strat) and I have to be careful what I put in there or it just gets to be too much. Very helpful!!!

[@ariannagiorgione8283]

Tunnel of love ! Very nice !!