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Is the JB jr. right for me?

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  • Is the JB jr. right for me?

    Hello, I'm here to ask about the JB jr...

    So just some background about my sound. I have an HH Tele, and it sounds AMAZING, and part of the reason is because it has a duncan custom in the bridge. It sounds....it's just the best

    Now I'm not into the tone-wood game or the nuances of "tone". If I plug it into my rig and I hit an open E and it goes "SHHWWAAANNNGGG" I'm in love!

    But I've got my eyes on a strat and I was of course looking at what kind of single size buckers can capture that same AWESOME sound of the SD Custom for my strat...

    I've read some reviews on the JB jr and it kind of seems like this might be right for me. While I do love the Custom, I wouldn't hate a SLIGHT decrease in output and treble, which I've heard the JB jr has because of the physically smaller pole pieces...

    What are your thoughts, since there is no Custom Jr or Lil Custom
    Last edited by greg.delta; 02-13-2020, 11:36 PM.

  • #2
    Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

    Welcome to the forum!

    The Custom Shop could certainly build a Little Custom if you wanted it. The JB Jr is pretty high output with this cutting high mids, possibly 85% of a full size JB. Great if you always use some gain, but better in parallel for clean tones. If you wanted something closer to a Custom, I think a Red Devil has a closer EQ to a Custom than a JB Jr.
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    • #3
      Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

      Originally posted by Mincer View Post
      Welcome to the forum!

      The Custom Shop could certainly build a Little Custom if you wanted it. The JB Jr is pretty high output with this cutting high mids, possibly 85% of a full size JB. Great if you always use some gain, but better in parallel for clean tones. If you wanted something closer to a Custom, I think a Red Devil has a closer EQ to a Custom than a JB Jr.
      Interesting. I had read that the Red Devil (proably my choice for neck and mid) was muffled and kind of disappointing because the pole pieces are so small and it's alnico

      The JB jr is high output, but surely it's not more than a Custom? I like higher output pickups, I just know that output becomes lower than a comparale full size HB because the pole pieces seeing the string it smaller

      To me, seemed like the JB Jr was a ceramic, higher output pickup, which I like. The custom is great and all, but if it was a tad quieter, I wouldn't mind

      Even if I got a CS pickup, surely the output and EQ would be different than a full size Custom, or at least I would think

      BTW, noticed you're from Tampa Bay, so am I. In St. Pete

      EDIT: I have a JB in a les paul and I like it, but the custom is better to me, presumably the ceramic mag being the big difference contributing to the "sparkle" and highs I love about it

      I guess what I want is a Duncan Custom in mini form...I guess the CS would be a logical option, but that's so pricey and may be a diminishing returns thing to my ears. What if the JB jr (or whatever) just sounds like a high mids, high output ceramic and I won't be able to tell much difference to anything else
      Last edited by greg.delta; 02-13-2020, 11:08 PM.

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      • #4
        Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

        No, the Red Devil is not muffled, it has some high end to it. Don't let the magnet type fool you...the Pearly Gates uses A2, and has a ton of high end. With the JB and the Custom, it is more of an EQ change than anything. I probably couldn't tell the difference in output of a few k, but I can certainly feel it. I can hear the difference in EQ, too. The Custom is open, like a good PAF, while the JB (and Jr) has sort of this honky mid thing going on.
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        • #5
          Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

          Originally posted by Mincer View Post
          No, the Red Devil is not muffled, it has some high end to it. Don't let the magnet type fool you...the Pearly Gates uses A2, and has a ton of high end. With the JB and the Custom, it is more of an EQ change than anything. I probably couldn't tell the difference in output of a few k, but I can certainly feel it. I can hear the difference in EQ, too. The Custom is open, like a good PAF, while the JB (and Jr) has sort of this honky mid thing going on.
          maybe I'm barking up the wrong tree...maybe the "PAF on steroids" sound of a custom isn't possible in a mini size? I just supposed the Jb jr, I guess because of marketing, but it seems very different at least based on youtube demos

          The Red Devil may have the EQ similarity, but does it have the output? the very few videos I've seen seem to be standard blues rock medium gain tones with a lot of twang, but that could just be the rig they're playing

          I guess I can certainly try this or that, but it's all so expensive swapping out pickups and stuff all the time
          Last edited by greg.delta; 02-13-2020, 11:47 PM.

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          • #6
            Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

            I think you'd like it. You could also get a new pickguard for $10.
            The things that you wanted
            I bought them for you

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            • #7
              Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

              Originally posted by Clint 55 View Post
              I think you'd like it. You could also get a new pickguard for $10.
              So many conflicting opinions :/

              SD's marketing certainly ins't helping. They call the Custom a "medium output" pickup, but the Red Devil is too? like, what?
              Last edited by greg.delta; 02-13-2020, 11:51 PM.

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              • #8
                Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                It's a good sound imo. That slanted single coil size humbucker. I don't think you'd end up bummed no matter what you chose in that slot.
                The things that you wanted
                I bought them for you

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                • #9
                  Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                  Originally posted by Clint 55 View Post
                  It's a good sound imo. That slanted single coil size humbucker. I don't think you'd end up bummed no matter what you chose in that slot.
                  I know, and truly my experience has been typically, at least through my rig, every bridge humbucker sounds great. JB in a les paul, C5 in my SG, Custom in my Tele, ceramic fender tele pickup in another tele I have, random whatever is in my greco les paul...all sound great...the only one I didn't like was the 57 classic in a buddy's les paul

                  So history would suggest that I just like high output, brighter humbuckers for the bridge pickup in my guitars...maybe the JB jr will fit that mould..

                  But a lot of videos I see on youtube have it set up to sound twngy, like a beefy single coil, which is not really what I'm looking for. Plus, I want it to really SLAM in output like a custom or C5

                  I'm a funk player (sort of) and we like our strats to SCREAM and cut. If the Jb jr is high output and has a nice open mid range bump, then I suppose it might be for me
                  Last edited by greg.delta; 02-13-2020, 11:59 PM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                    You could try the Hot Rails, then. It slams and cuts. Also has a neutral sound like the Custom.



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                    Last edited by Clint 55; 02-14-2020, 04:32 PM.
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                    • #11
                      Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                      To me, a Custom just isn't the output though, it is the EQ. There isn't a stock single coil sized humbucker with both the output and the EQ of the full size Custom. The JB Jr has the output, but the EQ is different, same as Hot Rails. If you really want that sound, either put a full-size Custom in there, get a Little Custom made in the Custom Shop, or find a used JB JR and see if the EQ is close enough for you.
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                      • #12
                        Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                        I am with mincer on this one.
                        in a strat it shouldn't be too hard to go fullsize humbucker.
                        their is no duncan jr/lil pickup with the output of a custom that has a simliar EQ that i know of.

                        tried the lil screamin and lil 59 bridge and i don't get the vibe like from the fullsize humbuckers.
                        to be fair it wasn't in the same guitars, but i think that would make the comparison even worse.
                        they single sized ones are more compressed and mid heavy and not as open sounding to my ears.

                        @clint 55: the hot rails is anything but neutral to my ears. it's all mids too my ears, maybe not as bad as the livewire metal or blackout ahb-2b, those are the kind of pickups i take out after 10 minutes playing. can't stand it!
                        this has nothing to do with the sh-5 custom sound.

                        maybe the bare knuckle cobras can do it?
                        but again i would mod the strat for fullsize
                        Last edited by ToneFiddler; 02-14-2020, 04:55 PM.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                          Neutral tone color wise not flat eq wise. Read his latest post where he says what other pickups he likes.
                          The things that you wanted
                          I bought them for you

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                          • #14
                            Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                            Originally posted by Clint 55 View Post
                            Neutral tone color wise not flat eq wise. Read his latest post where he says what other pickups he likes.
                            now i am confused!
                            flat eq is neutral tone color or am i missing something.

                            Originally posted by Clint 55 View Post
                            You could try the Hot Rails, then. It slams and cuts. Also has a neutral sound like the Custom.
                            i don't know. what's neutral about the hotrails.
                            hotrails: big fat midhump!!!

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                            • #15
                              Re: Is the JB jr. right for me?

                              ^ What don't you get? There's a difference between having mids or not and being tilted to a certain sound like twangy, or chimey, or fendery...

                              Originally posted by greg.delta View Post
                              But a lot of videos I see on youtube have it set up to sound twngy (JB Jr), like a beefy single coil, which is not really what I'm looking for. Plus, I want it to really SLAM in output like a custom or C5
                              The hot rails slams output wise and isn't titled in any one direction tone color wise like the C5.
                              Last edited by Clint 55; 02-14-2020, 05:33 PM.
                              The things that you wanted
                              I bought them for you

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