Banshee or Blackjack- Which one gets the JB?

[Sun King]

I just picked up an SH-4 JB, but need some opinions on which guitar to put it into. The decision has to do with which guitar build and tone-woods would be the best match. The candidates are a Schecter SLS Blackjack, and a Schecter Banshee Elite (in "Cat's Eye Pearl" finish). Both are hardtails. The stuff I like to play ranges from 80's rock/metal, to more modern alternative and metal. I had once owned an older model Blackjack with a JB/59 combo and liked that sound pretty well. I'm also into both Tool and Alice In Chains, so I know the JB should be a good choice for either sound. But, which guitar?

The Blackjack SLS has an ebony fretboard with 3-piece maple set neck, and the body is a pretty lightweight "mahogany" of some kind. It has a TonePros bridge. This guitar resonates beautifully when unplugged. For some reason this set-up takes quite well to down-tuning, compared to the Banshee. Pretty sure it has to do with the bridge height, compared to the Hipshot bridge on the Banshee. It currently has a Jazz neck and Full Shred bridge installed. The Full Shred just sounds kind of thin and sterile, to me. Otherwise the guitar plays quite well.

The Banshee Elite has an ebony fretboard with stainless steel frets, with a 9-piece maple and walnut neck. It is a neck-through design, with a Swamp Ash body and maple top, and a Hipshot bridge. This guitar is quite a bit heavier than the Blackjack, definitely very solid. It currently has a Sentient neck, and Black Winter bridge installed. I feel like the Black Winter is a little too thick in the mids or something, maybe a little hotter than I want- I'm guessing an SH-6 Distortion might be where I'd like to go with this. I've had a Distortion before in a different guitar, and liked it a lot, especially for 80's rock and metal.

Both guitars are running 500k pots, by the way. My other guitar is another Banshee Elite (in "Natural Gloss" finish), which has a 59 neck with a Custom bridge. That one is perfect the way it is. I guess in the end, I may end up with a Custom, JB, and Distortion for bridge pickups in these three guitars. (Although I may also swap that Black Winter into the Blackjack, as a last-ditch effort.) Finally, to me, the Blackjack has a "warmer", fuller sound when unplugged, compared to the Banshee's kind of thinner, brighter tone, in comparison.

So, where would YOU put the JB- in the Blackjack, or the Banshee?

[ArtieToo]

I can't really answer your question, but over the last few days, I've been looking at that Banshee. I love that thing. (In Cherry Burst.) The only thing I'm not crazy about is the 24 frets. IMHO, those last two frets push the neck pup out of its "natural" position. But I'd still buy one in a minute if I could justify another guitar.

Oops. I meant the Banshee-6 Extreme. Not the Elite.

[Demanic]

I'd put the full shred into the Banshee and the JB into the Blackjack.

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[UnderTheFlame83]

I'd put the full shred into the Banshee and the JB into the Blackjack.

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Yeah that would be my choice.

I used to have 02 Schecter C1 Standard with JB and 59. It was an awesome sounding guitar.

[Demanic]

I have an older Blackjack, not sure about the year because I got it from a pawn shop. It came with a 59 JB set and a 5 way switch. I did do some magnet swapping, A4 into 59, RCUOA5 into the JB. It's my favorite for 80's rock and metal.

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[Sun King]

I think you guys are right about the Blackjack. Demanic, my previous Blackjack was about the same as yours. It did sound good, too. I had some nitpicks about the build quality, and so I moved on. But I'm very happy with these newer Schecters! The neck shape is just right, and the playability is great.

I'll start there. Thanks for the responses so far!

[Demanic]

I've been quite pleased with the build quality of mine. I always wonder if it's set neck or neck through, only because when I was messing with the pickups it seemed like the neck extended quite far into the body. Great tone and sustain, the only thing that might need replacement is the 5 way switch.

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[Sun King]

I've been quite pleased with the build quality of mine. I always wonder if it's set neck or neck through, only because when I was messing with the pickups it seemed like the neck extended quite far into the body. Great tone and sustain, the only thing that might need replacement is the 5 way switch.

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Yea this Blackjack is their somewhat newer "Slim Line Series." It has two volumes, a push/pull tone pot for coil split, and a 3-way switch. That can add more versatility to it, I suppose, but I do like the original volume/tone/5-way switch better. The SLS neck is also thinner than the original. I got it used for about half of retail. Definitely great bang for the buck, and even though it was relatively inexpensive, it's a keeper!

[Sun King]

Update- So I put the JB in the Blackjack. I've been following Aceman's JB thread and found Zenmindbeginner's JB comparison video very helpful. To me the Antiquity and 35th Anniversary models sound better than the "stock" JB, so before even putting the pickup into the guitar, I swapped in a rough-cast A5, in place of the polished one. Not bad! Definitely able to cover stuff from Ratt, to Alice In Chains, to Tool adequately. (The amp is a Marshall DSL-40CR.)

But I got an itch to just see what the stock magnet sounded like, so I later put the polished A5 back in. Meh...

Couldn't get that thing out of there fast enough, BUT... I already knew I liked the JB with rough-cast A5, but why not experiment a bit more? So I threw in a ceramic magnet that I had left over from a Duncan Custom. I love it! Very useable for a whole lot of rock and metal. Chords are full yet tight, with nice crunchy mids, and single notes have a nice cut and attack to them. Overall a very nice pickup, and I'll probably leave it as-is. (But if I ever swap it back, it'll be to the rough-cast A5.) That makes it Custom, JB-ceramic, and Black Winter for me now. I guess I just prefer ceramic for my bridge pickups!

[weepingminotaur]

I guess I just prefer ceramic for my bridge pickups!

Me too. I like the bite for bridge playing.

[Magic]

Glad to see you like the JB in your blackjack because I'm thinking about the SH4 JB in the bridge of my Schecter Blackjack A6. Originally it came with the Nazgul but it was oversaturated and very boomy on the low end. I put EMG 57 in and it was great at first, but now it seems so bright and saturated so I'm looking for a new pickup. I'm also looking at the Black Winter set as well. Never tried BWs but I did enjoy the TB4 JB in my brother in law's Charvel San Dimas, but that swamp ash guitar is very bright sounding so not sure how an SH4 would be in my Mahogany Blackjack. I worry about the boomy low end that the Nazgul had.

[Sun King]

Ha, and my other possible candidate for the JB is swamp ash (Schecter Banshee Elite). Good to hear that it sounds decent in the Charvel.
Had a Nazgul in a Schecter KM-6 Mk II, it actually sounded pretty good. Another swamp ash body. That guitar was awesome but the neck was just too thin for my taste. Anyway, i'll bet your Blackjack will do fine, good luck!