After doing even more research and listening to even more clips im starting to believe the pickup that Seymour wound-rewound for Edward was the Duncan JB.It was the first pickup that Seymour made in the early 70s and it was the pickup that was made for jeff beck and some of the early guitar greats at that time.The JB was a underground pickup back then(early 70s)it was also the pickup that Seymour gave those players to try,which the majority liked back then.It was also the pickup that was taken out of Edwards frankenstrat in 1989-90 when Edward went with Ernie Ball that's the pickup that Dimarzio(Steve blutcher)used to make the pickup for the Ernie Ball musicman Van halen model guitar.Im starting to really like the Duncan JB its bright(like Van halen 1)and has less bass, the mids sound very good plus it cuts very well.Its a 16k pickup-alnico V magnet, if you look at all the pickups that were made for all of the Van halen model guitars(Ernie ball-Peavey Wolfgang-EVH Wolfgang)they are all in that DC res.(16k) range.
Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
- Thread starter pittbull
- Start date
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
What's more realistic is that Eddie had at least one JB in his guitar stable. If Eddie had JBs they were custom wound and didn't have the JB's polished A5 mags.
I've copped an EVH tone with JBs but they are always just a bit too hot. I though the Antiquity JB got the closest to EVH's tone... but it was still too hot.
And by too hot I mean that the JB picks up extra: finger noise, EMI/RFI noise & mechanical noise... none of that is present in EVH's earlier recordings.
What you are probably referring to is Eddie's post-1984 5150 era sound... which could very well be a JB. That would explain for the Axis pickups being essentially custom wound JB-stye pickups which I can attest to.
The Axis set was like having a deeper sounding JB with a bit less power (which cuts down the extra noise) and a matched JB neck... closest thing I've ever heard to a "JB neck" IMHO.
Funny that DiMarzio wouldn't (or couldn't) sell them outright. lolz!
What's more realistic is that Eddie had at least one JB in his guitar stable. If Eddie had JBs they were custom wound and didn't have the JB's polished A5 mags.
I've copped an EVH tone with JBs but they are always just a bit too hot. I though the Antiquity JB got the closest to EVH's tone... but it was still too hot.
And by too hot I mean that the JB picks up extra: finger noise, EMI/RFI noise & mechanical noise... none of that is present in EVH's earlier recordings.
What you are probably referring to is Eddie's post-1984 5150 era sound... which could very well be a JB. That would explain for the Axis pickups being essentially custom wound JB-stye pickups which I can attest to.
The Axis set was like having a deeper sounding JB with a bit less power (which cuts down the extra noise) and a matched JB neck... closest thing I've ever heard to a "JB neck" IMHO.
Funny that DiMarzio wouldn't (or couldn't) sell them outright. lolz!
zenmindbeginner
New member
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
The heat seems to be coming from the amp side to my ears but who knows right? Everyone that had access to Eddie's actual sound in those days/who were in the studio or heard the mix sessions all said that the tone on record was much warmer than the insane treble that was initially recorded to tape. It could be the JB, the '78 model... the Alnico 8 Super 70. Could be different pickups on different songs. Eddie's rig in the early days was all about the amp/rig IMHO so you could be right... definitely sounds good on VH.
I agree with GilmourD about some tracks on 1984 sounding like the JB.
This is Eruption with a JB
At 6:07 it should be the same sound but with Eruption with a '78 Model (without the authentic drums)
The heat seems to be coming from the amp side to my ears but who knows right? Everyone that had access to Eddie's actual sound in those days/who were in the studio or heard the mix sessions all said that the tone on record was much warmer than the insane treble that was initially recorded to tape. It could be the JB, the '78 model... the Alnico 8 Super 70. Could be different pickups on different songs. Eddie's rig in the early days was all about the amp/rig IMHO so you could be right... definitely sounds good on VH.
I agree with GilmourD about some tracks on 1984 sounding like the JB.
This is Eruption with a JB
At 6:07 it should be the same sound but with Eruption with a '78 Model (without the authentic drums)
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
Sorry to chime in so late on this one, but I have used the JB on a LOT of my recordings along with the PG+. What I have found is that the JB is actually WARMER than the PG+, at least on my recordings, but I also use 250k tone or no tone pot at all. As far as that HOt sound, remember he used a variac back in the early days so that old marshall was CRAAANKED and then turned down with the variac, which contributes a lot to that hot sound on the early stuff. Also contributing to that trebly sound is the fact that he used no tone control a LOT of the time.
Again what was said about his tone changing during mixdown could be VERY true as I have had engineers dick with my tone and ruin it (but I do LOVE his tone, both then and now).
As far as my experience goes, I have no trouble getting the JB to warm up, but have also found that regardless of which guitar/pickup combo I use, my sound doesn't change very much. A lot of it is everything from strings, pick gauge, and more than anything, your hands. I have gotten on other people's rigs and sounded horrible and vice versa.
just my two cents on it, I do know about the early rig, and some of his insights into his sound from early interviews, but I could be way off base on everything else, and usually am.
have a great night,
Al
Sorry to chime in so late on this one, but I have used the JB on a LOT of my recordings along with the PG+. What I have found is that the JB is actually WARMER than the PG+, at least on my recordings, but I also use 250k tone or no tone pot at all. As far as that HOt sound, remember he used a variac back in the early days so that old marshall was CRAAANKED and then turned down with the variac, which contributes a lot to that hot sound on the early stuff. Also contributing to that trebly sound is the fact that he used no tone control a LOT of the time.
Again what was said about his tone changing during mixdown could be VERY true as I have had engineers dick with my tone and ruin it (but I do LOVE his tone, both then and now).
As far as my experience goes, I have no trouble getting the JB to warm up, but have also found that regardless of which guitar/pickup combo I use, my sound doesn't change very much. A lot of it is everything from strings, pick gauge, and more than anything, your hands. I have gotten on other people's rigs and sounded horrible and vice versa.
just my two cents on it, I do know about the early rig, and some of his insights into his sound from early interviews, but I could be way off base on everything else, and usually am.
have a great night,
Al
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
The only guitars that were used on Van halen 1(recorded in 1977 and released in 1978,first album)was the Ibanez Destroyer and his black and white frankenstrat.When Edward started to make money then he started to buy many guitars.Also van halen 1(first album) was very bright and cutting.The marshall cranked variac thing doesn't add the distortion that you hear on van halen 1 its been tried many time so a hot pickup or something in front produced that type id distortion that's for sure.No cranked stock plexi variaced can.As for the Duncan JB I would use a 500k volume pot for that type of sound.
The only guitars that were used on Van halen 1(recorded in 1977 and released in 1978,first album)was the Ibanez Destroyer and his black and white frankenstrat.When Edward started to make money then he started to buy many guitars.Also van halen 1(first album) was very bright and cutting.The marshall cranked variac thing doesn't add the distortion that you hear on van halen 1 its been tried many time so a hot pickup or something in front produced that type id distortion that's for sure.No cranked stock plexi variaced can.As for the Duncan JB I would use a 500k volume pot for that type of sound.
Last edited:
LLL
New member
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
For 1st album - the JB is not it; nor any other high output humbucker (Super Distortion for ex). Because they do not clean up.
You don't need a hot pickup to get that tone.
The following 3 clips have Ed's original 1st album tone panned to the left, and my guitar panned to the right; you can hear a direct comparison:
You Really Got Me (Ed on Left, Me on Right)
Runnin' With The Devil (Ed on Left, Me on Right)
Feel Your Love Tonight (Ed on Left, Me on Right)
And here's how I got that tone:
LLLGA&E EP02: Getting The *Real* Eddie Van Halen 1st Album Brown Sound
You essentially need:
- a variac'd Marshall plexi-style circuit amp
- a slightly overwound A5 PAF type humbucker
- an EP3 preamp using a real TIS58 running at ~22-24 volts.
You can add a little goosing with the MXR 6-band EQ if necessary.
The rest is studio magic... EQing, compression and a healthy dose of echo chamber/reverb.
For 1st album - the JB is not it; nor any other high output humbucker (Super Distortion for ex). Because they do not clean up.
You don't need a hot pickup to get that tone.
The following 3 clips have Ed's original 1st album tone panned to the left, and my guitar panned to the right; you can hear a direct comparison:
You Really Got Me (Ed on Left, Me on Right)
Runnin' With The Devil (Ed on Left, Me on Right)
Feel Your Love Tonight (Ed on Left, Me on Right)
And here's how I got that tone:
LLLGA&E EP02: Getting The *Real* Eddie Van Halen 1st Album Brown Sound
You essentially need:
- a variac'd Marshall plexi-style circuit amp
- a slightly overwound A5 PAF type humbucker
- an EP3 preamp using a real TIS58 running at ~22-24 volts.
You can add a little goosing with the MXR 6-band EQ if necessary.
The rest is studio magic... EQing, compression and a healthy dose of echo chamber/reverb.
Last edited:
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
I take it you've never played through a cranked 1959 circuit amp with a lowered B+ voltage, huh?
Heavy picking with a PAF with long legs screwed straight into the body will get you close with that amp.
Also, remember there was an EchoPlex (in a bomb casing, BTW) pushing the front end.
I've gotten pretty close with a non-Variac'd 1959 dimed into a resistive attenuator (remember, the big cigar resistor feeding H&H power amps Ed used after his Marshall, except on VHII). If it were fed 92VAC by a Variac the B+ would have lowered significantly allowing much more distortion to be created.
Sent from my Moto X 2014 using Tapatalk
I take it you've never played through a cranked 1959 circuit amp with a lowered B+ voltage, huh?
Heavy picking with a PAF with long legs screwed straight into the body will get you close with that amp.
Also, remember there was an EchoPlex (in a bomb casing, BTW) pushing the front end.
I've gotten pretty close with a non-Variac'd 1959 dimed into a resistive attenuator (remember, the big cigar resistor feeding H&H power amps Ed used after his Marshall, except on VHII). If it were fed 92VAC by a Variac the B+ would have lowered significantly allowing much more distortion to be created.
Sent from my Moto X 2014 using Tapatalk
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
Funny thing is that is that 5150 is when Eddie stopped using the big resistor and started using a Palmer Speaker Simulator, but he always had the H&H power amps on the early stuff, except for when they recorded VHII where it was straight from "The Magic Marshall" into the basketweave 4x12.
Funny thing is that is that 5150 is when Eddie stopped using the big resistor and started using a Palmer Speaker Simulator, but he always had the H&H power amps on the early stuff, except for when they recorded VHII where it was straight from "The Magic Marshall" into the basketweave 4x12.
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
Edward didn't use HH power amps unitil 1986 he didn't use them in the early days.Edward didn't use basketweave 4x12 cabs in the early days he used 70s marshall cabs check out the van halen II studio photo of the band recording his cabs were mid 70s marshall cabs.
Edward didn't use HH power amps unitil 1986 he didn't use them in the early days.Edward didn't use basketweave 4x12 cabs in the early days he used 70s marshall cabs check out the van halen II studio photo of the band recording his cabs were mid 70s marshall cabs.
Last edited:
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
Bottom cabinet was his main cabinet. He did use other cabs, loaded with JBLs to mix with the Celestions in his main cab, but the basket-weave 1960B was his main cab.
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
We're turning this into one of those threads everybody here hates.
However, maybe you should go read up on MetroAmp.com, EddieVanHalen.com, and VHLinks.com. Guys like VelvetGeorge, Jimi11580, garbeaj, and others have been researching the snot out of all this stuff for years. Any knowledge I have is due to those guys, but I've been obsessing over EVH tone for years enough to know the basics of where it comes from.
We're turning this into one of those threads everybody here hates.
However, maybe you should go read up on MetroAmp.com, EddieVanHalen.com, and VHLinks.com. Guys like VelvetGeorge, Jimi11580, garbeaj, and others have been researching the snot out of all this stuff for years. Any knowledge I have is due to those guys, but I've been obsessing over EVH tone for years enough to know the basics of where it comes from.
GilmourD
Burritotoneologist
Re: Seymour Duncan JB Van halen
Uh... OK. Well, if you don't want to get your knowledge from people that actually know stuff... OK...
Uh... OK. Well, if you don't want to get your knowledge from people that actually know stuff... OK...
Similar threads
