Gibson "T" and "R" series

[Zhangliqun]

A topic of mild debate elsewhere but when did the 500/498/490T and 496/490R pu's come out? I tend to think early 90's but some folks say they appeared in some '86/'87 Gibson models.

[LtKojak]

Originally Posted by Zhangliqun

A topic of mild debate elsewhere but when did the 500/498/490T and 496/490R pu's come out? I tend to think early 90's but some folks say they appeared in some '86/'87 Gibson models.

Quoting Dave Hunter's book, they've appeared in the early '80s, also with the Dirty Fingers, all developed under Tim Shaw's guide, apparently to contrast Di Marzio replacements.