Re: All JBs are NOT created equal, Why Has SD Insisted They Are? <Old JB Photos>
Re: All JBs are NOT created equal, Why Has SD Insisted They Are? <Old JB Photos>
A few people always get way too hung up on this. Are there differences in construction between the original JB and the current production model? Yes. Are any of those factors significant enough to justify the idea that the current and "old" JBs are somehow "different" pickups? No.
The fact is that nothing major has changed in the TONE formula of the JB. And THAT is what Seymour Duncan has stood by all these years. As for the actual differences between old and new, they have been VERY forthcoming (more than ANY other manufacturer I know of!), despite how some feel.
Butyrate Bobbins? NO difference in tone.
4-Conductor wiring? NO difference in tone.
Slightly longer legs? NO difference in tone.
Maple spacer? NO difference in tone.
The only variables that have been documented to have a small affect on tone:
1) Wax potting - JBs have always been wax potted, but the old butyrate bobbins had to be potted at lower temperatures, allowing the coils to retain slight microphonics in some cases (but not in any predictable way that was consistent from pickup to pickup).
2) Rough cast magnets - Rough casting does tend to soften a pickup's response slightly, but, even then, the nature of rough casting means no two magnets are exactly the same. Some have finer casting that behave more like polished mags and some have much rougher casting that plays more tricks with the magnetic field. Regardless, those experienced in mag swaps will tell you that the difference between a rough cast and polished version of the same magnet (composition, size and charge) is generally very subtle...certainly not enough to consider the current JB with polished mags a "new" design. Also, keep in mind that the switch to polished mags was made in the '80s and a LOT of the "magical" JBs have polished magnets!
As for comparing the marketing of pickups like the Seths to the Antiquity and Anniversary JB...DON'T! These products were made to appeal to two completely different niches and most of it is just that...marketing! Most guys looking to outfit their Les Paul with a set of Seths aren't even thinking in JB territory and vice versa. They're in it for the novelty of a historically-correct piece, which is why S.D. emphasizes the design subtleties in that case.
Side Note: For those that don't know, the original "Tele-Gib" bridge pickup created for Jeff Beck is NOT the same as the "JB" that went into production. The Tele-Gib bridge pickup was further tweaked and improved by Seymour himself to become the JB we know today and have known since the late '70s (same with the Tele-Gib neck, whose formula was tweaked until it became the production "Jazz" model). Recreations of the actual Tele-Gib pickups are available by special order from the S.D. Custom Shop.
Back to the JB:
Think about what most of those stickered " The JB Model", "JB" and "JBJ" pickups have been through...multiple owners, multiple guitars and tons of environmental variables (hot/cold, sweat, oxygen, uv, etc.). That doesn't even take into account the 20-30+ years of AGE, which causes material degradation and degaussing (i.e. slight loss of charge) of the magnet!
There have been many posts over the years talking about the "magic" in JB versions that were manufactured IDENTICALLY to the current versions. The only difference between a JB from 1993 and 2013 is
20 years of aging!
AGE is the "magical" element that a few just don't want to acknowledge it seems.
To Quote Frank From Last Year:
The 35th Anniversary commemorative JB/Jazz...included butyrate bobbins, maple spacer, long legs, single conductor, and rough cast magnet...isn't potted at "full temperature" because it would soften and deform the butyrate. This means it could be ever so slightly microphonic. Not in a bad way, though. It is potted so it shouldn't squeal, but there's a little more "mechanical noise" which some like, and feel it has a little more resonance.
The Antiquity JB/Jazz take that same recipe one step further, and age the magnet and the rest of the pickup. These are definitely different. You'll hear it. A degaussed magnet is probably >90% of the reason someone plays an old JB and thinks it sounds different or better than a new one.
Once again,
AGE is cited as the largest reason why your "old" JB is smoother and more mellow than your brand new one. Who cares if you think the new model is "different" because it has shorter legs and different bobbin material? Seymour doesn't and he's the man with his name on the box!
Honestly, I can't wait for 30 years from now when everyone will be lusting after the "printed sticker" Duncans from the early 2000s because of their "great tone"...ha ha! :smack:
