Thinking about giving the JB another go......

[alteredbeast]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

JB8. ive still yet to test drive, personally.

[agentzero12]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

I've used a jb9 with good results. Not as boomy as an a8 mag. I'd suggest lowering the pup too. A lower height does wonders for the jb. It's one of my favorite pickups.

[chris effect]

Thinking about giving the JB another go......

It will not. At least that has been my experience.

What were the short comings? I'm looking for a moderately hot bridge with a bump in the mids for metal in standard or drop D tuning.

[rumblebox]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

What were the short comings? I'm looking for a moderately hot bridge with a bump in the mids for metal in standard or drop D tuning.

It typically has a harsh upper mid spike in mahogany/maple guitars, which was exactly my experience in 2 of them.

The same guitars LOVED the custom and custom 8.

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

I think there's actually a lot of misconceptions about the JB that I've seen floating around here. While the Jb can be described as a bit loose or spongey in the low end, or sort of honky in the midrange, I've always been able to dial this out. I mean plenty of other people have gotten very tight percussive sounds out of the JB, like Testament, Megadeth, Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God etc... And frankly I've always found it's sound to be surprisingly flexible under gain and such, like I have an easier time getting the JB to sound like a DD than vice versa. I just think it's not so much a plug and play pickup for tight fast music but I've always found it can do it exceptionally well if you work with it, potentially better than other more modern pickups which can be notorious for being one trick ponies. I've tried it in mahogany, alder, basswood, and it's always came out sounding great so I don't know where it being picky about the woods it's in comes from. It has amazing harmonic content, better dynamic range than most pickups at it's output level but cool enough to get vintage. I don't know, I just think it might be too popular for it's own good or something so people criticize it more. Not dogging Duncan's other pickups or anything or anyone's personal taste, I just think it's a little undersold sometimes.

That being said, chris effect, you're describing the Duncan Distortion pretty well, though it might be a little hotter than you'd like. A JB would serve you very well though if you tend to stay around standard tuning. Heck maybe even a Full Shred. Depends which kind of music you play.

[chris effect]

Thinking about giving the JB another go......

My 6 string will used for thrash metal, some groove metal maybe some hardcore and will likely stay in standard or drop D tuning. I use my 7 string for lower tunings and more modern metal. Custom, JB and Distortion are the three I'm considering most.

Thanks for the all the info.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[GilmourD]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

After ZMB's comparison video I'd have no problem recommending the Antiquity JB.

[darthphineas]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

I think there's actually a lot of misconceptions about the JB that I've seen floating around here. While the Jb can be described as a bit loose or spongey in the low end, or sort of honky in the midrange, I've always been able to dial this out. I mean plenty of other people have gotten very tight percussive sounds out of the JB, like Testament, Megadeth, Five Finger Death Punch, Lamb of God etc... And frankly I've always found it's sound to be surprisingly flexible under gain and such, like I have an easier time getting the JB to sound like a DD than vice versa. I just think it's not so much a plug and play pickup for tight fast music but I've always found it can do it exceptionally well if you work with it, potentially better than other more modern pickups which can be notorious for being one trick ponies. I've tried it in mahogany, alder, basswood, and it's always came out sounding great so I don't know where it being picky about the woods it's in comes from. It has amazing harmonic content, better dynamic range than most pickups at it's output level but cool enough to get vintage. I don't know, I just think it might be too popular for it's own good or something so people criticize it more. Not dogging Duncan's other pickups or anything or anyone's personal taste, I just think it's a little undersold sometimes.

Agreed. The big fad with the Custom and the C8 the past few years seems to promote a general slagging of the model that made it all happen. The JB has been my primary go-to since 1985 and what I generally hear as complaints seems to be from people that install a pickup and forget about the knobs on the front of the amp or how to adjust their technique a bit. Never had a problem getting a JB to work for any tone I wanted...of course, I'm more interested in MY tone than trying to copy someone else's tone.



Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad

[agentzero12]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

I had a time where I was trying to get away from the jb but as I'm maturing as a guitar player and learning how to create my tone better, I've been going back to it for more and more guitars over the last couple years.

[rumblebox]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

i got it in. i'll install it after work and see if it melds with this guitar.

[Aceman]

Re: Thinking about giving the JB another go......

The JB clearly has its issues, particulalrly in Mahogany and/or the bedroom setting. Start/Floyd in a band?

Buty I will never slag it for what it excls at, nor for personal tastes. I for example, love ceramic screamers. I also love the Custom.

Distortion, Pearly Gates, Custom - those rock it for me.

That said, I think the JB8 (in a Mahoany Cadillac) is kind of like a JB turned towards a SuperDistortion sort of. Hot, thick, but even. Less scream, and tighter, with a notch off the mids.