jb vs screamin demon

[chadd]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

I love the demon, one of my favorite pickups of all time. It will do what you are looking for, but you will probably have to turn up the gain slightly from the settings you use for the JB.

[Diego]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

What I meant by 'playing harder' is that the JB is a bit more compressed in it's response, so for example it's much easier to get pinch harmonics and fast runs out of it.
Whereas the Demon is a lot more dynamic and open, so if you get sloppy on a legato run, it won't help you.

In the other hand, that 'dynamicness' pays off when playing distorted chords because each note jumps on it's own.
I think you'll end up just like me: Having both pikcups in two guitars, and finding out on your own what you prefer each one for.

If I'll play King's X or Stone Temple Pilots, I'll use the Demon.
If it's gonna be Megadeth or Whitesnake or something, I'll use the JB.

Now, you can always boost a Demon with a Tubescreamer and make it more compressed and louder, but that's a different story.

[babaker1014]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

W

It's a JB with an alnico 8 magnet in it.

When wiring the demon for neck, does it have to be done in parallel? Think I'm going demon with both pickups now. Do they work good as a tandem?

The Demon is very much so more articulate, clearer, more note separation than the JB. But if you like the JB, go with it.

Many people really like a Jazz in the neck. Many like the scooped midrange, PAF tone of the 59. My favorite neck pups for mahogany are Demon or Pearly Gates (in that order). The 59n is way too scooped for my taste. The 59b in the neck is much better IMO. I also prefer it with a UOA5 magnet to soften that high end and even add a little more mid to it.

[babaker1014]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

It's a JB with an alnico 8 magnet in it.



The Demon is very much so more articulate, clearer, more note separation than the JB. But if you like the JB, go with it.

Many people really like a Jazz in the neck. Many like the scooped midrange, PAF tone of the 59. My favorite neck pups for mahogany are Demon or Pearly Gates (in that order). The 59n is way too scooped for my taste. The 59b in the neck is much better IMO. I also prefer it with a UOA5 magnet to soften that high end and even add a little more mid to it.

Do you have to wire the demon in parallel in the neck position? I am using the demon for both positions I think. Do they work good in tandem? Thanks

[KBliss]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

I would base on your picking. The Demon is for people who want their JB to sound Stratier, more single coil bite & expression. But youve already got a Strat. The JB (& better the JB8) is for mean chords then throwing out leads practically onehanded, just lightly kissing the string with your pick hand, & they always come out at the right volume as your chords (compressed.) So the JB would make it play more different from your Strat. How much texture do you want in your leads? & how badass do the chords have to sound? cuz your pick hand will want one more than the other.

[Masta' C]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

Truth be told, both the Demon AND the JB can be a little picky about which guitars they shine in. However, if you haven't tried a Demon yet, I say get one. If it doesn't work out, sell it and stick a JB in...simple as that.

Personally, I'm like Diego...the Demon and JB are two of my absolute favorite pickups and I've often had guitars equipped with one of each sitting side by side.

[babaker1014]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

I would base on your picking. The Demon is for people who want their JB to sound Stratier, more single coil bite & expression. But youve already got a Strat. The JB (& better the JB8) is for mean chords then throwing out leads practically onehanded, just lightly kissing the string with your pick hand, & they always come out at the right volume as your chords (compressed.) So the JB would make it play more different from your Strat. How much texture do you want in your leads? & how badass do the chords have to sound? cuz your pick hand will want one more than the other.

What I love in a neck humbucker is that "nasaly" sound that they get in a les paul. I guess the intro to sweet child is an example, but alot of leads have been played there. I dont think I want it to sound single coil"ish", like you said "I got a strat for that sound". The jb should be an 8? And do you reccommend wiring in parallel in this situation? I can get a great deal on a TB4, would it work in the neck. I've never seen F spacing on a neck pickup, but it has a floyd style trem for both pickups. Not just the bridge. Thanks for the help. Oh yeah, most of the time I use the neck for leads or clean stuff. Actually I typically always switch to neck for clean stuff. It is imparitive that it will get crystal clear in that position. I havent had alot of experience using it for alot of dirty chord work, typically I'm in the bridge for that stuff. The bridge pickup has far more presence, and that "bite" is something I always wait to hear (when playing heavy rythmn)..

[babaker1014]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

Truth be told, both the Demon AND the JB can be a little picky about which guitars they shine in. However, if you haven't tried a Demon yet, I say get one. If it doesn't work out, sell it and stick a JB in...simple as that.

Personally, I'm like Diego...the Demon and JB are two of my absolute favorite pickups and I've often had guitars equipped with one of each sitting side by side.

Thats the plan. I think I'll love the clarity of the demon anyway. I'm trying to tighten up my left/right coordination now (in anticipation of the change).

[CountFeedback]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

Are you saying that the power chords sounded thin in clean to medium gain only, or with high gain also?

I wouldn't say the demon is thin but I found it to have more... percussiveness Attack and clarity. Not as smooth as a 59 or a JB. At medium gain (old marshall set for warm clean + old RAT dist set 10oclock) I find it easy to dig in and get a typical rock power chord sound out of a 59,JB,or SH-5. The Demon always stayed too clear for me.

[Aceman]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

Either will do what you want. The JB may have a bit of distortion in it that the Demon doesn't. But I don't think it is a matter of which one will do those types of music better, but which has the tone that you like best. The Demon has a very even EQ while the Jb has an upper mid spike that many people just don't like or get tired of after a while. Also, the Jb is very quirky about mahogany guitars...sometimeds it sounds great other times it just doesn't seem to work at all. The Demon is very universal.

Those two pickups have been my favorites for years and at this moment, both sit at the bridge position of my two humbucker-loaded guitars.
I've had them in alder, ash and mahogany guitars. JB loves alder and ash, the Demon loves mahogany. But that's not written in stone because each guitar has it's own thing.
You just have to try.

For 80s metal the JB is better than the Demon IMO.
Leads are thicker and because it has more mids and output, it crunches more easily than the Demon, which sounds more open and it's less compressed.

For classic rock the Demon should be better, particularly if paired with a vintage-style overdriven amp or pedal.
The JB is too hot for that and not open enough, so it will be mushy and flat, while the Demon's clarity will cut through the mud and make everything sound OK.

If you style has lots of distorted chords, particularly with voicings like 7ths, 9th and what have you, the Demon will win because notes are very distinguishable with it,
whereas the JB will turn to mashed potatoes with that sort of playing.

If you're gonna pummel power chords and flashy solos away, you'll like the JB better.
For more elaborate, varied playing and a more unique sound, you'll love the Demon. But you'll have to play a bit harder because it's more unforgiving.

And I don't think there are gonna be any better answers than this.

I have never played a Demon, honestly. But I do know that the name is really misleading. And of course, George Lynches sounds also...a lot of that is the amp and fx, and to that end, it makes sense he would use a lower output PAF style for what he does. It WOULD sound better through all that dirt and delay etc...

[GuitarDoc]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

If you want "crystal clear" in the neck, then the choice between JB and Demon is obvious.....Demon.

[dotsdad]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

If you get your distortion from power tubes begging for mercy, then the Demon's the way to go. If you prefer dstortion pedals and preamp distortion, go with JB.

[darthphineas]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

What was the difference in tone between the two? The demon seems to have more of a presence, where as the jb has a mushier kind of sound. On the duncan soundbites the demon sounds alot clearer, like I can hear the note seperation better (in the chords etc). I liked that about the demon. But I have always preferred the jb. Truthfully I'd imagine either would serve my purpose, and would be worlds better than the EMG designed pickups that are in it now. They are terrible, and I havent even put them in a high volume situation. I wouldnt even want to. How do you feel about the jazz in the neck for that music. I love the tone from that pickup, but alot of people go with the 59 for the paf tones. Its a confusing prospect for sure. Thanks for chiming in, I appreciate the help.

sorry dude, lost track of this thread.

the Demon is actually a moderate output pickup, and that's why I think you're going to hear a clearer sound from it. the Demon was designed for someone that had said they're tried the output models (JB and DD) and wanted more tone and then tried the tone models (Pearly Gates) and wanted more output. so it sort of rides the fence. while the Demon doesn't have the output, I think they both have a bite to them, it just depends on where you want to get bit. I've tried them both in alder and maple and mahogany and maple neck-thru with alder wings and they both work fine in all those applications for me. like you, the JB is my preference and has always been the one that I'd choose if I could only pick one.

both the Jazz and the '59 are fine for the neck. I prefer them with a polished A4. the Full Shred neck is an option if you want something with a little more cut and a tighter low end... also prefer with a polished A4. I can't go on enough about the DMT Nostalgia neck model pickup by Dean guitars. it has the best of the '59 and the Jazz while coming out of the box with a more articulate low end and highs that come through without mushy mids. very cool pickup.

[chadd]

Re: jb vs screamin demon

If you have the gain dimed with a JB, you won't be happy with the Demon. You can always add a little more gain from the amp to make up from the loss of output with the Demon.