Seymour Duncan Hot Rodded Humbucker set vs stock Gibson Humbuckers - Gibson 490r and 498t

[@GeoffNelson]

Fantastic video. Thanks for making it! I’m shocked how similar they sound, and how I actually preferred the Gibson.

[@free_electron]

I prefer the Gibson pickups. I’ve never liked the JB pickup as it has an odd cocked wah mid thing going on that emphasizes the top end too much. I much prefer the mid hump in the 498T as it helps the guitar cut spectrally.

[@RobertMurphy-wm3ge]

Been finding I'm leaning back into the low to mid output pups lately myself. Gain can be accomplished by other means, but pickup CLARITY is more important I think

[@michaelray5023]

I think the Gibsons have a slight mid bump that gives it an edge 🔥🔥🔥

[@markmcmurry9657]

It seems like to me a lot of pickups that people change to they could have accomplished the same tonal variation with some eq adjustments and a little more or a little less gain on the amp. I've experimented with a lot of pickups in various guitars in 40 years of playing but seldom have I felt like I needed to replace them in a Gibson... putting Gibson pickups in other guitars often is an upgrade. A lot of people may be better off spending their money on a better amp.

[@JavierPwns]

If they don’t understand where in the frequency range the pickups differ most people would probably opt for the pickup change. You’re right though

[@dbrown6451]

498 is more articulate you can hear every string so clear. I have one in my LTD Xtone. I’ve replaced 2 JB’s.

[@mike1967sam]

Thanks I needed that because it has been a while since I've heard a 498T.

[@maekong2010]

First off, and this is saying a lot, yours was the most useful humbucker comparison video I've seen anywhere. That was a freaking master class on the subject. Second off, your willingness to play multiple rounds - to what must have felt like an obscene number of repeats - gives everyone an opportunity to hear the same riffs, multiple times, replete with human variances - with enough opportunities to hear the "question marks" again, in various permutations, that eliminate entirely the need to rewind and parse out (never quite satisfactorily) the parts of the spectrum we are attempting to focus on at any given moment. I was completely satisfied that I had gotten everything to assess that though I came for the SD's, the Gibsons, maddeningly, are, as a matter of course, profoundly different in ways that would ordinarily obliterate my interest in the competing pickups. But this time, I am lucky. Having sprung for SS frets, I am forced to scoop the mids-to-highs somewhat, and the SD's seem to do that just enough to be the smarter move. I want Alnico 5's and am trying hard not to go over to the dark side (DiMarzio), which I like, but I'm at life's twilight ffs and trying not to shake things up too badly. I am open to suggestions, advice, what have you from you and your subscribers, of which I am now proudly one. Seriously, that was f*cking awesome.

[@PherotoneStudios]

What a brilliant comment to wake up to. “Profoundly different in ways that would obliterate…” is the best phrasing I’ve ever read. Before you make a the decision taking frets into account, I made a video with a neck which has half stainless steel frets and half nickel. From memory I don’t think there was much difference in tone : Which frets have the best tone? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gaDMh3lpe7OmisU

[@maekong2010]

​@@PherotoneStudios Glad I could brighten the wake-up portion of your day. There's no greater accomplishment than to give a brother a boost, in my estimation. We're approaching mid-afternoon in these parts. Thanks to you, I've already decided to move on the pickups and am doing so with utmost confidence. I will happily check out your ss/nickel fret video. But more out of interest to see how you got on with the subject matter. The problem for me stems from one of my parents apparently having K-9 bloodlines. Because, dude, I've got the ears of a German Shepherd. I hear sounds and frequencies that no human should ever have to deal with. So, when I switched my no.1 to steel, suddenly every-dog-danged thing mattered and was impacted: string composition, coatings, gauges, pickup settings, pots and covers were all suddenly called into question. Don't get me wrong, the new tone profile was fascinating, but unless I could somehow kill some of the nerve-endings in my inner ear - and, no, excessive R&R decibels didn't do it - the long-haul was going to be problematic. It took me a few months, but I've got everything pretty much dialed in. I would just like to start with a tamer pickup tonal profile. I should mention I have a heavily modded Epi LP Modern - black graphite, if that matters. Being in SE Asia in the dreaded equatorial zone, Nitro is out of the question. And I've owned enough questionable Gibsons in my lifetime anyway - as well as one or two that were great - but as far as a functional LP chassis goes, the Epiphone has it over everything available here - including Gibson, and now with SS frets, it is a superior player to the stock Gibson Modern and better suited for my particular playing style, which could be loosely quantified as Ballad-driven blues. Moreover, I'm not married to any particular vintage tone, so I have a lot of freedom on this build. It will be my final project - this guitar will go on the pyre with me, when that time comes. We'll see whether or not I can take it with me. Speaking of pyres, at some point I'm gonna have to light things up with a fire-sale of obsolete instruments I've foolishly accumulated here. I am a one-off kind of guy on everything important in life... guitars, motorcycles, whiskeys, women, etc. Unless you can play, ride, drink or deal with more than one at a time, well, then one of whichever really ought to get it done. Thanks for the compliment on my phrasing. My writing isn't everyone's cup of tea, but one of the additional benefits of having surpassed your sell-by date is that, well, the value of others' opinions degrades roughly commensurate with your ability to care. I write for people who get it. Be well. Now, onto that video.

[@PherotoneStudios]

Nearly spat my breakfast out at that German Shepherd comment 😂

[@jlbrpt]

"But one of the benefits of having surpassed your sell-by date is that, well, the value of others' opinions degrades roughly commensurate with your ability to care." 😂 Truer words are rarely spoken!

[@rhoff7272]

This video is just what I needed right now, well done

[@ilovecops5499]

excellent video. thansk youe. i am definitely sticking to 490r and 498t!

[@steve-bb8nt]

I hear the darker you are referring to with the Seymours, but when you picked individual strings as opposed to flat strumming, the clarity and separation was better with the seymour duncans (to my ear).

[@ericlarsenhbeleatherworks4992]

I like the SD’s in alot of guitars but like the 490 better in the neck. It’s warmer. Has better bottom end.

[@kas1755]

It's the midrange of the JB that sets it apart from the 498t. If you do another one of these (this one was awesome btw) maybe have a backing track and play over it with both bridge pickups to see how they cut through a mix? Thanks

[@danceswithbadgers]

Honestly, the difference could easily be put down to picking technique. The SH2 seemed consistently thinner and brighter - ish, but not enough for a decision one way or the other. The SH4 comparison was completely inconclusive, demonstrating how similar it is to the stock pickup. I've been using SH4's for nearly 40 years, in anything that would take them. I have a rebuilt JBJ from the mid 80's in my 1990 Les Paul Studio and a mid 90's JB in my 1996 Standard (they sound identical) - stock uncovered Gibsons at the neck.

[@TristanDesnos]

Good video, thanks for posting. Actually, I’m trying to find some lower output pick ups for my Chapman ML3 modern pro (same as yours, which is how I came across your channel in the first place) just to make it a bit more versatile and neutral for pedals etc. Any recommendations? Thanks Tris

[@PherotoneStudios]

Yes actually. I’m about to release a video where I’ve fitted two BAREKNUCKLE single coil pickups into the neck of my ML3. It’s done in a way where it looks like a humbucker but it’s now effectively HSS

[@lespaul3757]

What the heck. How can you compare these pickups without turning up gain? The only reason for switching to the JBs is to get more gain.

[@Piracsek]

I have the Hot Rodded set in a Epi SG, and its a nice sounding "thing".

[@rocknrollmouseuk]

Didn't expect the Gibson's to sound that good, loved um in the SG (in an LP I found see myself looking for something a little warmer). Liked both sets, but the Gibson's seemed better balanced across the strings, they're the ones I'd go for 👍

[@RobertMurphy-wm3ge]

I thought the HR sounded much more full and open. Both SH pups sounded super thin

[@heyzag]

I honestly thought the SD pickups were significantly clearer ...crisper.

[@lone-wolf-1]

I expected the SD to sound brighter too. I liked the uncovered Gibson pickups on the SG slightly more. On bridge pup the wound strings were more pronounced. With a bit brighter sounding thin strings, the resulted scooped sound was to my taste. Both sets in the Telly didn't quite inspired me. Just a matter of preference…

[@ilovecops5499]

TELCASTER AHS DIFFERNT RESITANT FOR POTENTIOMETER AND CAPACITORREWS! THANSK YOU AND THUBBM,ERESS UPPERSES!!!!

[@Cameron9788]

Great comparison!. I honestly really liked em both lol. Didn't have headphones on so it might change if I did. The Gibson ones definitely seemed to sound a little brighter. Personal preference. But I'd be happy with either in my guitar lol.

[@drzainnas]

Thank you for the great work, just it would be much accurate comparison if the pickups mounted to the same guitar with the everything is the same to rule out other factors at the time of judgement. Thank you again 👍🤘

[@chriswebb383]

They are... Watch again lol

[@jlbrpt]

Interesting. Overall, I thought the Gibsons sounded darker and SDs sounded brighter when you strummed the open strings, as well as when you transitioned to playing, until the 3:49 mark in the video. The SDs sounded a little darker there. Then at 4:51, when you switched to playing the bridge pickups, the Gibsons initially sounded darker to me than the SDs, then the SDs sounded darker again at 5:17. Maybe just a difference in strumming in those spots? In the end, my humble opinion is the Gibson pickups sounded better than the Seymour Duncans. They seem to have a bit more midrange punch. I don't know why, but I was expecting the opposite result. Maybe it's because the SDs are aftermarket and I was expecting them to be an upgrade? The reality is that after hearing them, I thought the SDs were a downgrade from the Gibsons. I guess those Gibson folks know what they're doing.

[@therealmonster1209]

Hi, good video! One question, would you recommend the 498T for modern music? Like Plini, Intervals, and that stuff. If the answer is no, which Pick ups would you recommend me? I have a Les Paul and i'm looking to change some of my sound.

[@perro_8688]

Was the pickup height the same for Gibson and Seymour? It has a huge difference on the tone "brightness". Maybe Gibson pickups were slightly closer to the strings.

[@PherotoneStudios]

It was. That was one of my checks. Bit gutted as I’m mow seriously considering swapping the pickups back

[@perro_8688]

@@PherotoneStudios I guess the amp is also important. More bright gibson pups may actually sound worse with a high trebble amp like vox for example. They do sound better to my taste though too :)

[@koryjames8361]

This is a great comparison video. Thanks for sharing this so we can all make our own judgments. I hear the same thing that the Duncan's are a little darker, but for some reason, my ear prefers them. Great video and great feedback by everyone in the comments section. I'm hitting the subscribe button as we speak. 👍

[@usynthesis4749]

.....Also I think the potentiometers might have something to do with the brightness. I believe Gibson uses 300k pots and Seymour Duncan usually recommends 500k pots for their Humbuckers.

[@cujo8762]

I thought the gibsons sounded warmer, the seymors sounded thinner to me at times.

[@metaltrucker97]

Yeah I've discovered that my jb is a bit darker, but it's way better for high gain tones.

[@axoh3202]

what's your life like dave

[@Davedarave6661]

is there a tonerider humbucker set that will give me that foo fighter tone? please anyone cheers

[@PherotoneStudios]

Tonerider Alnico ii classics into a Vox AC30

[@Davedarave6661]

@@PherotoneStudios cheers 👍

[@chutneyferret3569]

I much prefer the Gibson!

[@danielmaher5326]

Gibson pickups are definitely clearer I found the Seymour Duncan’s where a little muddy .thanks for the comparison I was thinking about changing pickups don’t think I will now . 😀🎸

[@SabiaCDO]

Hands down...the Gibson. It's unique warm sound. I have TELE with tele pickups. I have Two Gibsons with Gibson humbucke/P90. Just buy the guitar you want and accept its sound.

[@michaelquintana7142]

I thought the gibsons sounded brighter but more of a produced tone while the seymore duncans sounded more naturally toned .

[@Brykk]

It sounded to me like each one had spots that they excelled. I cant really say i think there was a clear “winner”.

[@AveragePoké]

I actually prefer the Duncan's. But both sound good and you have to really know what you're listening for and know the tone you like but yeah Duncan's for me.

[@edidurs]

Gibson 498T in the Bridge and leave the Seymour Duncan SH 4 in the neck position! For the SG or Les Paul it smokes I've done it and the 498T is not as super hot as the JB Humbucker, so I find it pairs better with SH 4. The SH 4 is clearer and a superior neck pickup my opinion. Cheer from Canada dude!

[@PherotoneStudios]

Love this. This is a proper comment with proper info. I may well do this. Currently I have a SD Phat Cat in the neck but it’s not quite doing it for me

[@lmawd]

I expected the SDs to sound better but the Gibson did

[@bernardosanglard2048]

Gibsons are made looking for anyone who tries the guitar, the tone is intented to sell. Duncans are rough and slightly muddy, but the JB mid-high figerprint and the Jazz deeper, complex trebble and bass, also the sustain much harder to handle make the difference between a stock and a personality guitar.

[@Burkhimself]

No overdrive ?!? 🤦🏼😢

[@KevinBerry-c6p]

You did a great job comparing with alternating clean sounds! I do prefer the Gibsons. Just a thought, I assume you were playing real Seymour Duncans and not fakes from China (in case China has copied the Duncan Hot Rodded set), because the China fakes don't sound as good as the real Duncans even though China duplicates the packaging and labels, etc.

[@guidosalas7089]

Totally agree, Gibson sound better for an SG.

[@funkynelg]

Gibsons have higher mids. More dynamic. More rockin. Love the 498. Duncan distortion is more comparable.

[@stopcensoringmyfreespeech3280]

It would be probably a different story if you cranked it up with over drive. Push those pick ups for a distorted rock guitar sound. Personally cant see much difference clean..

[@BlackWolfTribe]

The Duncan neck is so much better than that Gibson neck tho dude. So much more dynamics and just sounds better to me.

[@nokuse]

Seymore Duncan's I've found cleans up the noise a bit. That's one thing that draws me to them. I'm kind of a messy player, and other pickups "pick up" all my sloppy picking. But Seymore Duncan's help me personally in that area. They may sound darker, but to me, they sound cleaner.

[@FunWithMastaAce]

Gibsons are more lively and full frequency. 👍🏻

[@alexeloi1563]

Same conclusion here

[@KennedyIvy]

Holy cow. They sound 99.9% the same. Anyone who says otherwise is majorly coping

[@lewistunbridgemusic6884]

I completely agree. I have a gibson with these Gibson pick ups. I was going to upgrade to SD. I won't bother after watching this.

[@millmakerfarmsllc962]

I agree the gibson sound Better, Brighter...

[@axoh3202]

god bless

[@wagnercartagena3783]

Gibson have more sustain

[@davidhurley5032]

Gibson

[@hollowpoint3188]

Orange amp in back No distortion what the hell. Maybe you play alot of clean or something but um People who are trying to see hot Rodded pickups i would say genuinely isnt gonna be looking to hear them clean🤨🤬 every video 100s of videos of clean pickups what are we hot rodden the monkeys for crying out loud.