Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

[GuitarguySeattle]

I have a Les Paul Standard equipped with a JB in the bridge and a Jazz in the neck, both nickel covered. The Jazz in the neck is perfect for me because I run through a Mesa mini-rectifier with gain around 12:30-1:00. Without switching channels, I can go from full distortion in the bridge, then flip the pickup selector to the neck (single coil mode with treble bleed circuit and volume between 3-4) and I get spanky/bright clean with just a touch of dirt. It's ideal for me.

Here's my issue - I had the same exact setup in another LP but the pickups were uncovered and both were a bit shrill. The tone knob rolled off kinda worked but that shrill-ness was still hiding in the background. The only difference between the two guitars was the covered vs. open coils so I assume the warmth I'm getting is due to the covers inhibiting some of the high end that came with the uncovered versions. That brings me to today, with a new Les Paul Classic (sold the shrill one). The Burstbucker 61 in the bridge is good, but the neck is too dark and muddy for me, even in single coil mode with treble bleed installed. I'm looking for that same SH-2 Jazz bright sound but in an uncovered version so that I don't get that shrill tone again. It could be any brand - SD, Gibson, whatever. Hoping you experts could be of assistance.

[Clint 55]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Welcome to the forum! Well the Alnico 2 Pro is the Jazz with an alnico 2 instead of 5. You might like that. It's more rounded but still has nice definition.

[Mincer]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

The Sentient is also a great choice. Not as much high end as the Jazz, but still tight in the bass.

[GuitarguySeattle]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

I didn't know that, thanks!

[Teleplayer]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

If you get a Jazz SH-2, you can try swapping the magnet to unoriented-Alinco5. It has a weaker output so it ends up with marginally warmer tone when you adjust the height closer to the strings.
Clint 55 wrote about the APH-1. That will definitely have warmer tone, but you will notice some loss of definition compared to the SH-2. Again you can put a unoriented-Alinco5 to get a tone that is much closer to the SH-2.

[blueman335]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Magnet swap is an easy & inexpensive way to do it. Look at A3 and A4 for softer highs, and UOA5 for less high-end than those. A2 in a Jazz in nice, but it's probably warmer than you want. UOA5 may be too warm for you.

[Chistopher]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Have you fiddled around with pickup height or polepiece adjustment? Lower the pickup a bit and lower the E, A, and D polepieces and you may be alright without buying a new pickup.

And just wondering, what model guitar is it? They might have installed 300k volume pots from the factory, killing brightness.

[GuitarguySeattle]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Welcome to the forum! Well the Alnico 2 Pro is the Jazz with an alnico 2 instead of 5. You might like that. It's more rounded but still has nice definition.

I like the audio clips on the site, just hoping it's bright in real life. Others here are suggesting the A2 might not be.

[Big Mike Blues]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

The Sentient is also a great choice. Not as much high end as the Jazz, but still tight in the bass.

Will they do sentient as shop floor customs in a 'regular' looking bucker? IE shiny plastic bobbins and nickel hardware?

[Mincer]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Will they do sentient as shop floor customs in a 'regular' looking bucker? IE shiny plastic bobbins and nickel hardware?

Color is one of those things that they can/will modify in that program, so I'd say yes.

[GuitarguySeattle]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Have you fiddled around with pickup height or polepiece adjustment? Lower the pickup a bit and lower the E, A, and D polepieces and you may be alright without buying a new pickup.

And just wondering, what model guitar is it? They might have installed 300k volume pots from the factory, killing brightness.

It's a brand new LP Classic with Burstbucker 61's. Yes, I fiddled with pickup height and polepieces, it's balanced but muddy across the whole thing. Seems like other guys online aren't a fan of that in the neck either. I'm not particularly tech-y but inside the cavity is those high tech looking CTS pots mounted to a circuit board so my guess is they are the standard 500k pots they usually use in their humbuckers.

[Clint 55]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

I like the audio clips on the site, just hoping it's bright in real life. Others here are suggesting the A2 might not be.

It does have top end.

[Chistopher]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

It's a brand new LP Classic with Burstbucker 61's. Yes, I fiddled with pickup height and polepieces, it's balanced but muddy across the whole thing. Seems like other guys online aren't a fan of that in the neck either. I'm not particularly tech-y but inside the cavity is those high tech looking CTS pots mounted to a circuit board so my guess is they are the standard 500k pots they usually use in their humbuckers.

Actually, a lot of the Gibson PCB boards come with 300k volume pots. Send a close up of the cavity and I can let you know.

The Burstbucker set is the only set by Gibson to give a quality sound with the same consistency as aftermarket pickup winders. The 61 set, which is for all practical purposes the exact same thing as a BB1/BB2 set, is really only ever muddy when the guitar comes with a 300k volume pot.

[GuitarguySeattle]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

The Sentient is also a great choice. Not as much high end as the Jazz, but still tight in the bass.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm always a little leery when the pickups are marketed as "made for modern metal". :-) I'm also not a fan of how it looks as it wouldn't match the zebra coils.

[GuitarguySeattle]

Re: Looking for similar to SH-2 Jazz neck

Actually, a lot of the Gibson PCB boards come with 300k volume pots. Send a close up of the cavity and I can let you know.

The Burstbucker set is the only set by Gibson to give a quality sound with the same consistency as aftermarket pickup winders. The 61 set, which is for all practical purposes the exact same thing as a BB1/BB2 set, is really only ever muddy when the guitar comes with a 300k volume pot.

Here are pics of the cavity. You can see the treble bleed circuit that was installed on the neck volume, which didn't really work the same as it did with my SD Jazz.