59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

[dsguitar1]

Got an 09 fender american standard Strat, 250k pots all round and the the bridge pickup is wired to the bottom tone pot which is the Fender dallas tone pot where when its on 10 its out of circuit.

There is an sh-1 JB in there at the moment and although I don't hate it there is something about the tone that's a little bit behind the veil so to speak, in my les pauls I use vintage output paf type pups a set of 59s and BKP mules. I find the paf type pickups much more organic sounding than the JB.

I have a spare 59 bridge pickup here that i'm going to try in the strat and just wanted to get some feed back on how people who have tried both pups in the bridge (in a strat) found them.

How does the 59 take to the 250k pots compared to the JB?

The singles are an after thought the stock ones sound fine with the JB to me.

 

[marcello252]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

I had them both with 250K vol.
I've never completely loved the JB for its mid high spike, although it's killer to jump out the band mix playing live.
The 59 in a strat is a bit 'hollow' and even with 250K there are too many cutting highs going around, but I recognize this could be a matter of taste and it could depend on the rig you use.
The best HB for a HSS strat in my opinion is a A2 driven low impedance PAF type HB, A '59 with an A2 magnet instead of the A5 or a APH-1, or a Pearly Gates (the PG could be too much sparkly but compared to the A5 59 is much more usable).
Low output A2 magnet HB suits better the other two single coils too

 

[Masta' C]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

The '59 bridge works fine with 250K pots. It's bright and punchy with decent output and works great with single coils.

That said, if you want to switch it up a bit, but keep it in "PAF" territory, definitely check out the Pearly Gates. It cuts without being harsh and has a great vintage-hot character with exceptional dynamics. Super versatile. It's one of the only Duncan pickups Fender has used in their guitars, along with the PG's hotter brother, the Pearly Gates "Plus". It would be a cool contrast to the '59/Mules you already have without straying too far from that style.

 

[Falloffthebonetone]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

Sh-1 JB? I thought the JB was Sh-4, isn't it?

Sh-1 should be a 59.

 

[dsguitar1]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

Yeah no sorry yeah the sh-4 is the jb that's in there now and the sh-1 59 is what i'm going to try.

Did you guys find the JB muddy compared to the 59 when playing chords under gain?

 

[Masta' C]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

The JB is one of the greatest rock and metal pickups of all time for a reason. It's not "muddy", but it's a hotter, alnico-based design, so it's not as crisp and articulate as some other pickups out there. It has a nice organic quality to its response, in my opinion, with a lot of nuance and expressiveness and great harmonics.

The '59 can be really boomy on the bottom in some guitars, but the added brightness up top can add perceived clarity there. If the JB sounds rather "muddy" in your guitar, the '59 might not be a huge improvement...or it might...really depends on the guitar

That said, I like my JB with 500K pots. It opens up the upper mids and keeps the top bright, but not over the top end.

Lots of players think pot values affect the "top end" only, but pot values really affect the resonant peak of a pickup (the humped part of the response graph, if you've seen one), which is different on every design. In my opinion, the JB really breathes and has the most character with 500K pots, but it can be a bit "in your face" for some players at that point. On the other hand, 500K pots with the '59 can be a bit piercing up top because the resonant peak (hump) occurs at a slightly higher frequency than the JB. Therefore, 250K pots, which also work well with most single coils, tend to bring the '59 into more comfortable territory and balance its response out a bit.

 

[stupendous silly]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

Not directly relevant but I went little 59 instead of a JB junior for my Strat bridge, under the similar impression that JB junior 'sounded as if behind a veil' , distant and not very natural. Little 59 was however more than a little too trebly and harsh, and hardly thick/creamy as I expected it to be with my particular strat and rig. So this is my story about littles and juniors that may or may not tell anything about the big brothers and sisters.

 

[marcello252]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

Lots of players think pot values affect the "top end" only, but pot values really affect the resonant peak of a pickup (the humped part of the response graph, if you've seen one), which is different on every design. In my opinion, the JB really breathes and has the most character with 500K pots

I'm with you with the resonant peak, that said the JB with 500K in my basswood 80s strat with rosewood fingerboard was WAY too much, and the single didn't work quite right, I used the 250K.
JB was my main pickup in that guitar through all the 90s, coupled with a pair of SSL1.

EDIT the JB was directly bolt on wood, Van Halen style

 

[marcello252]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

It's one of the only Duncan pickups Fender has used in their guitars, along with the PG's hotter brother, the Pearly Gates "Plus".

As far as I know the PG+ had A5 magnet, so quite a different pickup than the standard A2 PG that I do prefer by far

 

[Masta' C]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

The PG+ does use an A5 magnet, along with extra turns of wire to bump the mids and tame the top end slightly.

The intention was to stay close to the original PG's flavor and tone, but boost the output.

Both the PG and the PG+ work well next to single coils in most Strats. Which is "better" is down to personal taste.

 

[Mincer]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

I used a 250k volume for my HSS with a 59/Custom Hybrid (it autosplits in combination), with its own 500k tone control. It has a great mixture of vintage/modern and doesn't sound compressed at all.

 

[Archer250]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

Try it. I myself have come to the conclusion that PAFs work better than hot humbuckers in HSS guitars.

 

[Demanic]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

Unless you use QP's for the singles.

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[blueman335]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

The '59 bridge works fine with 250K pots.

I hope Lew doesn't see this. You realize there's been knock down, drag out fights here over the use of 250K's with HB's (which is referenced in my signature line). You'd think someone insulted their sister. Broken furniture, glass all over the floor, the police were called. A couple guys cuffed. Not a pretty sight.

 

[blueman335]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

The '59 can be really boomy on the bottom in some guitars, but the added brightness up top can add perceived clarity there.

On a more serious note, the cure for that is an UOA5 in the bridge '59, and an A4 in the neck. More warmth, fuller sound, problem solved.

 

[Demanic]

Re: 59 compared to JB in bridge of hss strat?

+1

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