Any experiences with the JB, Air/Tone Zone, and Super Distortion?

[zpalms]

Hey all,
I'm looking to replace the bridge pickup in my guitar, which currently came with a Super Distortion. I don't hate it, but I want something that sounds a little better clean and has less of a 'brittle' character when played clean. The neck pickup is a 36th PAF.

I've narrowed it down to the Air or Tone Zone or possibly JB. Can anyone comment on how these all may compare to each other, and to the Super Distortion? The Air Zone is the one that looks the most interesting, and while I'm ok with a warmer sounding pickup, I'm worried it may not have enough highs? I should also mention the guitar came OEM with 1meg pots, and I don't want to change them. The guitar itself is a bit dark, and the pots help more high-end come through.

Thanks for reading.

 

[ErikH]

I've used all 3. Still have a Super Distortion and love the Air Zone. The JB is my least favorite of the 3. The Air Zone is a less hot version of the Tone Zone but to me, it's more open sounding than the TZ, has some more highs than the TZ and can go from mild to wild in a friendlier fashion. That my experience with it. The Super Distortion, IME/IMO, is the ultimate hot pickup. It covers such a broad range, splits great (as do all the others), has slightly more highs than the AZ as well. Height adjustments can go a long way here. The JB has more upper mids and may help with the darkness of the guitar but if it were me, based on what is in the bridge, I'd try the Air Zone first and if that doesn't do it for you, try the Super Distortion. Either one of those match great with the PAF 36th.

 

[zpalms]

I've used all 3. Still have a Super Distortion and love the Air Zone. The JB is my least favorite of the 3. The Air Zone is a less hot version of the Tone Zone but to me, it's more open sounding than the TZ, has some more highs than the TZ and can go from mild to wild in a friendlier fashion. That my experience with it. The Super Distortion, IME/IMO, is the ultimate hot pickup. It covers such a broad range, splits great (as do all the others), has slightly more highs than the AZ as well. Height adjustments can go a long way here. The JB has more upper mids and may help with the darkness of the guitar but if it were me, based on what is in the bridge, I'd try the Air Zone first and if that doesn't do it for you, try the Super Distortion. Either one of those match great with the PAF 36th.

Thanks for the insight. The AZ is definitely interesting. I'm just hoping the 1meg pots will help bring out enough high end for me. I actually like the EQ curve of the Super Distortion, but just don't like that it sounds a bit stiff and brittle when clean. I attribute this to the ceramic magnet. So really, a slightly less hot, Alnico version of the SD would ideal.

 

[Cynical]

I've used the SuperD and the JB. I'm not a fan of the JB, it manages to both have very little bottom end while being loose in what little bottom it has. Compared to the SuperD, it's going to have less top (the SuperD has more treble than it's usually given credit for), less bottom, a much brighter midrange, and it's going to be somewhat looser and lower output.

EDIT: After your last post, have you considered a Pegasus? It's very tight/stiff under distortion, but it does cleans quite nicely IMO. Similar EQ curve to the SuperD, less output, A5.

 

[ErikH]

I love the AZ. The "air" of the coils to the magnet certainly helps with the high end on it. Gives it a "PAF-ish" quality, and I use that term lightly because it doesn't make it a PAF, it simply helps it be more open and less stiff. The SuperD can certainly be stiff. For all out rock, it's perfect. Looser amps, perfect. If you're running a Mesa or some other amp that is really tight in the response, the SuperD will have that stiff sound to it. Through an old Marshall JMP, JCM 900 or 800 or a Plexi, it's Heaven.

 

[Mincer]

While the JB does one thing well, clean is not it. If you want a good clean pickup, it will have to be less power with less compression.

 

[devastone]

Of the 3 you mentioned, I would recommend the AZ. My personal recommendation would be the Norton (not aired). Great bridge pickup, sounds like just what you are looking for.

 

[dave74]

I know you said the pots stay, but it might be the 1meg pots tipping the scale with the SD's highs.

 

[zpalms]

I know you said the pots stay, but it might be the 1meg pots tipping the scale with the SD's highs.

I do think the pots possibly exacerbate the highs a bit, but I think the issue with the brittle and stiff feel of the pickup would still remain with lower value pots, albeit maybe slightly less noticeable.

 

[Aceman]

I've used all 3. Still have a Super Distortion and love the Air Zone. The JB is my least favorite of the 3. The Air Zone is a less hot version of the Tone Zone but to me, it's more open sounding than the TZ, has some more highs than the TZ and can go from mild to wild in a friendlier fashion. That my experience with it. The Super Distortion, IME/IMO, is the ultimate hot pickup. It covers such a broad range, splits great (as do all the others), has slightly more highs than the AZ as well. Height adjustments can go a long way here. The JB has more upper mids and may help with the darkness of the guitar but if it were me, based on what is in the bridge, I'd try the Air Zone first and if that doesn't do it for you, try the Super Distortion. Either one of those match great with the PAF 36th.

Ditto - everything here.

 

[skelt101]

Thanks for the insight. The AZ is definitely interesting. I'm just hoping the 1meg pots will help bring out enough high end for me. I actually like the EQ curve of the Super Distortion, but just don't like that it sounds a bit stiff and brittle when clean. I attribute this to the ceramic magnet. So really, a slightly less hot, Alnico version of the SD would ideal.

Why not try a magnet swap in the Super Distortion?

 

[ErikH]

Why not try a magnet swap in the Super Distortion?

Good luck with that. The magnets are glued to the base plate. There’s a greater chance of destroying the magnet.

 

[skelt101]

Good luck with that. The magnets are glued to the base plate. There’s a greater chance of destroying the magnet.

Never done it myself, but have read posts from folks that have. I didn't get the sense that it was too big of a deal...

 

[alex1fly]

I've had the JB and Air Zone in several guitars. Here's what I think their strengths are:
Air Zone - Great cleans. Leans fat and warm but not lacking highs at all. Dip that guitar volume down to 8 to open it up for more dynamic response (if you have 50s wiring). Massive palm mute high gain chugs. It put a classic PAF-In-A-Gibson sound in several guitars while retaining some of each guitars' natural tonalities and being useful through a bunch of different scenarios - pedalboards, modelers, tube amp, band jams, recording, etc. It does kind of cover up my guitars' natural sounds. It has a slightly softened attack from the airbucker tech.
JB - I disagree with the oft-pushed narrative here that the JB is only good at one thing, can't do cleans, etc. I set it low and work my guitar controls and it's as responsive as any other of my other medium output humbuckers (again, 50s wiring so those highs come through when you turn the guitar volume down). What makes the JB interesting is that, compared to "voiced" pickups like the Air Zone, all I hear with it is the amplified sound of the strings at that position. No added character, no "make it sound like xyz" attributes. This can be good or bad depending on what you're looking for, personally I love it in the neck position of my SG because that guitar is full of harmonics and life at that position so doesn't need any extra voicing from the pickup; but I didn't like it in the bridge of that guitar, nor in a couple of other guitars that are a little more dull-sounding naturally. Turn the guitar volume down to 8 and the mids open up a bit. Again this is a pickup that I'd recommend trying if you love the unamplified sound of the strings at that position. Just my experience.

 

[ErikH]

Never done it myself, but have read posts from folks that have. I didn't get the sense that it was too big of a deal...

For Duncans it's not a huge deal as the wax holds the magnets in place. With DiMarzios, it's a little more involved because the magnet is glued to the baseplate. It's not as simple as sliding it out after loosening the bobbin screws on the bottom. The whole thing needs to be taken apart to work the magnet off the baseplate.

 

[Juanhanglo]

Airzone.

No contest.

It works great with the 36th neck too.

 

[Benjy_26]

I've used all 3. Still have a Super Distortion and love the Air Zone. The JB is my least favorite of the 3. The Air Zone is a less hot version of the Tone Zone but to me, it's more open sounding than the TZ, has some more highs than the TZ and can go from mild to wild in a friendlier fashion. That my experience with it. The Super Distortion, IME/IMO, is the ultimate hot pickup. It covers such a broad range, splits great (as do all the others), has slightly more highs than the AZ as well. Height adjustments can go a long way here. The JB has more upper mids and may help with the darkness of the guitar but if it were me, based on what is in the bridge, I'd try the Air Zone first and if that doesn't do it for you, try the Super Distortion. Either one of those match great with the PAF 36th.

Agree with this 100%. To me, the AZ is almost as friendly as the Super D, but is warmer in the highs, and can get chunkier in the lows. It really thumps when you palm mute. As far as the cleans, have you tried going to parallel on the Super D? It's not a bad pickup, but it can use some help in the clean department. Being in parallel can help with that.