490R/498T Pickups In An SE 245?

[KraftyBob]

I've had my SE 245 for over a year now and I'm just not liking the 85/15 "S" pickups. They are too dark for my taste. I have a set of 490R/498T in another guitar that I seldom use so I'm thinking about pulling them out and putting them in the SE 245. Checking to see what other's might have done? TIA

 

[Prina]

Swapping the pups seems to be the #1 mod for SE's like the 245. My SE 245 got a Wolfetone Marshallhead / Dr V set (and a Gibson / Wolfetone P-90 set for the SE 245 Soapbar), others have also been pleased with other PAF variants like Bare Knuckles. The Gibsons would likely work well and it's relatively simple, and reversible, to do. If they sound as good as the Gibson P-90 does in the 245 Soapbar you'll be happy.

If you do it, let us know how it works.

 

[bodia]

I put a set of Bare Knuckle Abraxas pickups in my Bernie. They were fantastic.

 

[SinSir]

If the se245 has 8515S that's a swap. Should be the 245S. The Gibson pups would sound good in there, an improvement by most measures over either of those S.

My go to singlecut pickups, including Les Pauls, are Wolfetone Marshallhead in the bridge and DrV in the neck.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I bought my Bernie used with those in there, they were fine.

I did swap them though