Best Hybrid with JB Coil

S

SweetClyde99

Active member
Hi, everyone. Long-time listener, first-time caller.

I want to try my hand at creating a hybrid pickup. I currently have a JB in the bridge of my Les Paul copy (mahogany neck and body, maple cap, and ebony fretboard). I would like to make use of the JB in the hybrid and was wondering what coil would offset it best. I have heard good things about both the Full Shred and the Custom in JB hybrids, though I believe these are the same cool with different screws/slugs. Any comments/recommendations are appreciated--i.e., best coil/slug arrangement, best magnet to use with the hybrid.

In case it helps, I'm playing through a Jet City JCA 2212, and I'm looking for something with useable cleans and tight, relatively modern high gain tones. I don't need super high output as I won't be playing all-out metal, but I do want to be able to pull off some tight, chunky palm-muted riffs.

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience with the new guy.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

First thought: Grab a Distortion Neck (SH-6n). It's essentially an underwound Custom and is enough "different" from the JB that it would make a good hybrid platform. Plus, you can try the JB/Distortion Neck hybrid with both with the JB's A5 and the Distortion Neck's Ceramic magnet to see which you like best.

Here's another one I've always been curious about that might do just what you want, thought up by the famous Frank Falbo:

frankfalbo said:
I haven't tried this one, but I'll bet an Alternative 8/Demon hybrid (with the A8) would be awesome.
Click to expand...

You could do something similar with a JB/Demon hybrid and an A8 magnet, as well...

frankfalbo said:
..if you like the Dimarzio Norton, try a JB/Demon hybrid.
Click to expand...

The A8 magnet would tame the brightness and increase the output over a standard JB/Demon using a regular A5. Might make a killer combo!
 
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Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

My fav is the FullShred with the jb. Gives it a bit more fullness than the underwound Demon.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

I ended up finding a Full Shred at a decent price and pulled the trigger on that. I'll keep the Demon and Distortion neck in mind if I can't get turn the Full Shred/JB into something that works for me.

Just out of curiosity, anyone know where I could pick up some fillister screws? From what I've read, JB screw coil, FS hex coil, A5 is supposed to sound best, and Custom screw coil, JB slug coil, ceramic is supposed to sound best. I figured I could basically turn the unused FS coil into a Custom screw coil if I had some extra fillister screws and end up with two usable hybrids out of the deal. Of course, that's assuming the hex screws and fillister screws are threaded the same.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

I'd love to see/hear this when you get done. I am curious on how it would sound.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

Sure. I'll try to get some sound samples--it sounds like I'm going to end up with four pickups to test out by the time I'm done. I will probably be recording with my Line 6 POD HD500, so don't get your hopes up about being able to hear all the subtlety and nuance of the changes.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

orpheo said:
My fav is the FullShred with the jb. Gives it a bit more fullness than the underwound Demon.
Click to expand...


Orpheo, I actually based my decision to try the Full Shred hybrid on some of your glowing posts for the combination. Do you have a definitive magnet preference? I was leaning toward A5, but i then read another post about the A5 sounding loose in a Full Shred/Distortion hybrid, which should amount to pretty much the same thing as a JB/Full Shred hybrid, right? That post said an A8 or ceramic would be a better match.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

I like the Full Shred or Custom coil with a JB coil, with Alnico 8, as well as the aforementioned Demon/JB combo.

I think you will really like the FS/JB, A5 will be okay but A8 is my preference.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

Are you going to keep the hex heads in the FS coils? If so, that should be interesting. You'll probably get a tighter attack with the hexes. Also, don't rule out a double thick ceramic if you have one. I have one in a JB and it sounds killer. I can only imagine what it would sound like in your hybrid.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

Demanic said:
Are you going to keep the hex heads in the FS coils? If so, that should be interesting. You'll probably get a tighter attack with the hexes.[/QUOTE

I'm still kind of in the fence about the hex screw. I'll probably use them in the hybrid with the JB screw coil, but I may convert them to fillister screws in the hybrid with the JB slug, so the latter is closer to a Custom--though I'm not really sure where I can buy a spare set of fillister screws. I'll probably start with an A8 in the pickup with the JB slug since I've heard such good things about the Custom 8, at least until I can get my hands on a ceramic magnet, though probably not of the double thick variety. My clean channel breaks up really early as it is. I'm already hesitant to hit it with an A8.
Click to expand...
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

I used to luvvvv alnico8 but now I'm more of an a5 guy. I like thesnap, bite and crunch it gives me. It suits my playing better I suppose. A8 is a bit too thick for me. But... I can imagine others liking it!
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

The Full Shred and Screamin' Demon are worlds apart as far as their respective winds...meaning, hybrids using each won't sound the same
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

SweetClyde99 said:
Do you mind if I ask what magnet you're using and which coils from each pickup you prefer?
Click to expand...

I *think* it has an A5 in it, and as far as which coils, I have no idea. I bought the pickup from fellow forum user Myaccount, hopefully he'll chip in with more valuable insight.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

Thanks for all the help so far. The Full Shred came in the mail today. I didn't have a lot of time with it, but I did make a baseline recording with the JB I had in my guitar and another with the Full Shred I got tonight. I'll try to put together the hybrids tomorrow night and make some more recordings this weekend. Do me a favor though and take it easy on my playing once I'm able to put up the sound samples. I'm not much of a lead player but I decided to try to record a little lead as I assumed that would be helpful for some.
 
Re: Best Hybrid with JB Coil

Okay, so I'm not going to pretend that my Line 6 POD HD500 high gain patch brings out all the subtleties of each coil combination, but here goes. For the recording, I just decided to do a Seether song for the rhythm track as it's got both a palm muted part and a more open power chord part. I then improvised a lead part over the end, which I had to repeat in each subsequent recording (i wish I'd spent more time coming up with a better lead part since i had to record it six different times). The rhythm and lead tracks both use the same settings on the HD500 and were both rerecorded using each coil combination.
Part 1: Stock JB
Part 2: JB Screws, FS Hex
Part 3: JB Hex, FS Hex--i.e., I put the hex screws from the other FS coil in the JB screw coil
Part 4: Stock FS
Part 5: FS Hex, JB Slug
Part 6: FS Screw, JB Slug, A8 magnet--i.e., i put the fillister screws from the other JB coil into the FS hex coil and swapped out the A5 magnet for an A8 i had lying around.

I know it's not the best of pickup demos, but i hope it's at least a little bit helpful.

View attachment Stock JB.mp3View attachment JB Screws, FS Hex.mp3View attachment JB Hex, FS Hex.mp3View attachment Stock FS.mp3View attachment FS Hex, JB Slug.mp3View attachment FS Screw, JB Slug, A8.mp3
 
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