Another JB thread....

[Gtrjunior]

Ok so the Breed pickup was delivered today and sure as sh*t, I popped it in there.
It has much bigger low end compared to the JB and it sounds great. Nice and thick.
It doesn’t quite “sing” like the JB but I feel like it’s more versatile in this guitar.
I’ll keep it in for a while and see how it goes. So far so good.

Now I just need to find a used Classic Stack.

 

[Gtrjunior]

I used the Breed at rehearsal last week. Sounded good. Less present than the JB and not as easy get pinch harmonics with. Its definitely a fat pickup. I'm wondering what a ceramic magnet might do to it? Thoughts?

 

[Ronnie_Snow]

I think a roughcast A8 works well regarding the low end and does something to the mids which works really well. I think the roughcast takes the edge off compared to the polished. I think it is a much different pickup with a Roughcast A8.

 

[Gtrjunior]

I think a roughcast A8 works well regarding the low end and does something to the mids which works really well. I think the roughcast takes the edge off compared to the polished. I think it is a much different pickup with a Roughcast A8.

Are you talking about an A8 in the JB or Breed?
And where do you get the RC A8? I have a seller for A8 but I believe only for polished A8.

 

[Top-L]

Re: Another JB thread....



I agree. Those Ibanez models always seem to lack something in the low end and seem to lack a bit of sustain. Kind of spongey.

I don't think the Custom Custom would be an improvement over the JB in this situation.

Isn't the Duncan Distortion pretty much a JB with a ceramic magnet? Might be worth a try.

Really though, I think there's a good chance it's the guitar, not the pickups, and a perfect solution may not be possible..

Maybe true of maple neck bolt-on basswood guitars in general. Or just bolt on imports with whatever wood.

I've been in the Dimarzio camp since the beginning, and my impression is that the dimarzios generally are thicker and have more bass. Every time I've tried a Duncan, it sounded trebly and thin compared to equivalent Dimarzio. I think Duncan designs pickups that assume a nice resonant guitar, which isn't always the case.

If you haven't sorted this guitar and want something along the lines of a JB with more bass, try a Dimarzio Norton. The Norton sounds huge. A Tone Zone is the usual recommendation, but that has too much bass imo.

 

[Top-L]

I used the Breed at rehearsal last week. Sounded good. Less present than the JB and not as easy get pinch harmonics with. Its definitely a fat pickup. I'm wondering what a ceramic magnet might do to it? Thoughts?

The breed is too dark. A norton has the harmonics the breed is missing.

 

[LLL]

If the JB has everything you dig except low end, why not slap a tone-sculpting EQ (in front of amp, after amp, or both) and boost the low end a bit?

 

[Gtrjunior]

If the JB has everything you dig except low end, why not slap a tone-sculpting EQ (in front of amp, after amp, or both) and boost the low end a bit?

I thought of that....but I really don’t want to add another pedal to my board. It’s already a Pedalstar Galactica as it is. Lol
Plus this particular guitar is my back up for live gigs and I really only use it for a couple of songs that need the whammy bar.

 

[Gtrjunior]

The breed is too dark. A norton has the harmonics the breed is missing.

Yeah, it is pretty dark. A lot more than the JB, for sure.
I also have an AT-1 I could try. I recently bought it used and haven’t installed it in anything as of yet.
What do you think of that pickup?

 

[Ronnie_Snow]

A roughcast A8 in the JB. Philadelphia Luthier Tools has them on ebay.

 

[Gtrjunior]

A roughcast A8 in the JB. Philadelphia Luthier Tools has them on ebay.

I’ will check it out....thanks

Edit:

....And done.

 

[Top-L]

Yeah, it is pretty dark. A lot more than the JB, for sure.
I also have an AT-1 I could try. I recently bought it used and haven’t installed it in anything as of yet.
What do you think of that pickup?

I've never played the Timmins pickup, but his sound has a chopped treble so I bet that pickup is dark too.

The Norton is one of those pickups you owe it to yourself to try. I thought the breed was bland and generic.

 

[misterwhizzy]

Re: Another JB thread....



The only example I can think of where an RG (I assume) has good low end is the guy from Firehouse’s tone. He’s got a really full, thick tone. I have no idea what pickups he uses.


https://youtu.be/caVQoAs9J1s

Who cares about the pickups? Let's talk about whoever's on the cover of that album.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Who cares about the pickups? Let's talk about whoever's on the cover of that album.

You know, I always though that looked like a man.
Lol

 

[Gtrjunior]

I got the RC A8 installed in the JB and the JB installed in the guitar.
The low end is quite thick and tight now. It still has the clarity it had before and the singing high end. I make a few adjustments to the screw poles and I think it helped.
It will be a few weeks before I can try it in a band mix though.

I actually tried a Super Distortion in this guitar but I didn’t care for it. It had a sort of weird fizz on the high end.


And coincidentally I discovered my ground connection to the output jack had broken loose. It was still touching so I was still getting sound but it was cutting in and out and was making a weird type tone that I can’t really explain. Maybe that’s what I was hearing in the Super Distortion...?
Anyway, I resoldering both connections on the jack and it’s all good now.

 

[Gtrjunior]

Maybe true of maple neck bolt-on basswood guitars in general. Or just bolt on imports with whatever wood.

I've been in the Dimarzio camp since the beginning, and my impression is that the dimarzios generally are thicker and have more bass. Every time I've tried a Duncan, it sounded trebly and thin compared to equivalent Dimarzio. I think Duncan designs pickups that assume a nice resonant guitar, which isn't always the case.

If you haven't sorted this guitar and want something along the lines of a JB with more bass, try a Dimarzio Norton. The Norton sounds huge. A Tone Zone is the usual recommendation, but that has too much bass imo.

I’m intrigued by the Norton as well as the Fred and Mo Joe.
From what Ive read they all have a similar harmonic type content.
Would you agree? And out of the three which is your pick?

 

[UnderTheFlame83]

Re: Another IB thread....

Duncan Distortion has low end the JB doesn't, IME

Yes, I agree. Distortion has plenty of low end. JB is a great pickup, but I like the Distortion better.

 

[Top-L]

I’m intrigued by the Norton as well as the Fred and Mo Joe.
From what Ive read they all have a similar harmonic type content.
Would you agree? And out of the three which is your pick?

I love the Norton and Fred, I disliked the mo Joe.

The mo Joe is bland and mid-thick without the satch harmonics. Like someone told him his early album tones sucked and he was on a quest to get a legit rock tone..yet the mo Joe goes too far in that direction imo.

The Norton hits hard is really thick and hi fi. It's the biggest pickup I've tried. I played it for years. It doesn't have a strong upper mid or treble peak, so its probably best matched with mahogony but it sounds great in everything. It has the Fred harmonics.

Fred is just a really wild pickup that is alive for high gain solos..but if you roll back the gain and presence can do typical rock. But with the treble and gain cranked it can be really cutting while sounding bigger than the paf pro.

I have done long stints with both the Norton and Fred. The Fred gets slight preference from me, but I was using really high gain pv amps at the time. I think the Norton will drive classic amps much better.

 

[AlexS7320]

Hi, havent read all the answers here (disclaimer)
Did you know: if u put a SD Invader inside a basswood body, it will become a flat one trick pony, or worse .. If you put it in mahogany, it will be a more lively and it sounds in crunch options quite useful...

​​​​​​I havent had jb in basswood and i know some guitars do have that, but i guess, the designs for humbucker to suit in basswood or often scooped designs. (any luthier would sense a decreased relevance of Alnico5 over ceramic, and dimarzio produces a high amount of ceramic now which could be considered proportial to an increase of production of basswood guitars)[the invader has ceramic magnets too, but its design is more mid dependend]

What i would actually do is, tweak passive componants like capicitors maybe even transformer coils (which might not even be super succeessful in this case)...
But not playing jb in basswood is what i would do if tweaking components wasnt a hobby of mine

 

[Gtrjunior]

I love the Norton and Fred, I disliked the mo Joe.

The mo Joe is bland and mid-thick without the satch harmonics. Like someone told him his early album tones sucked and he was on a quest to get a legit rock tone..yet the mo Joe goes too far in that direction imo.

The Norton hits hard is really thick and hi fi. It's the biggest pickup I've tried. I played it for years. It doesn't have a strong upper mid or treble peak, so its probably best matched with mahogony but it sounds great in everything. It has the Fred harmonics.

Fred is just a really wild pickup that is alive for high gain solos..but if you roll back the gain and presence can do typical rock. But with the treble and gain cranked it can be really cutting while sounding bigger than the paf pro.

I have done long stints with both the Norton and Fred. The Fred gets slight preference from me, but I was using really high gain pv amps at the time. I think the Norton will drive classic amps much better.

I thought Joe’s Surfing tones were amazing!
What was he using at that time, do you know?

I’m playing through a Splawn Quickrod so yes....high gain. Lol