Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Recently I've been playing a Strat with a J.B. in the bridge and as many other people have said "I find it a bit lose in the high & low end"? I don't really want to go & buy another pickup, @ least not until someone takes the two JB's I've already got off my hands so I'm looking for ways to make it work? The best tool I've found to combat this lose sound has been a Compressor? I usually don't use one outside the studio because I don't like the extra noise the level adds & unless I have the level turned up to where it adds noise I don't like the signal?
Anyway, I've found my compressor's sweet spot as far as the JB is concerned but I was hoping some of you JB lovers out there can tell me how it is you deal with this great sounding pickup that doesn't always sound so great? I've put them into some guitars & it's been perfect, I've played Strats, just like mine with one & loved it but for some reason in this pictlaur case no matter what I do I can not get the low end any tighter than it is now? Am I just doomed or are ther other things that I should try first???

 

[BriGuy1968]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I really like the sound I get out of my JB... but I've only ever had it in the one guitar. From reading others' comments, it seems that it's kind of a finicky pickup... sounds great in one guitar and like crap in another. Make and model don't seem to matter, almost as if it's an individual nuance thing with different guitars. In fact, the comments I've seen have made me feel a bit like I got lucky with mine! (I'm sure that phrase will be good for a couple smart-a$$ comments from our brethren, but you know what I mean!) I'm afraid that I know nothing about modding a pickup, but I can't help but wonder if it just doesn't work with your particular Strat. :dunno:

Have you tried it in any other guitars to see if you get the same problem?

 

[jtougas]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

In fact, the comments I've seen have made me feel a bit like I got lucky with mine! (I'm sure that phrase will be good for a couple smart-a$$ comments from our brethren, but you know what I mean!)

Whatever floats your boat, brother, we don't judge.... much...

Would changing out the screws to hexes fix the issue?

 

[Archer250]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

Shortening the low strings' pole pieces help.

I don't do it anymore, though. I kinda like the looseness.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

Would changing out the screws to hexes fix the issue?

The type doesnt influence the attack as much as the length does.


But from what the OP is saying im almost thinking that what he wants is a A8 instead. Hes using a compressor the effect that a screw swap or shortening would have is actually kinda opposite what a compressor would do.

 

[Snake Aces]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I know you said you do not like using a compressor outside the studio because of the noise it adds. Well, the problem there is that the compressor is exactly what you need but you haven't used the right compressor yet. Either buy a high end compressor or buy a modified lower end compressor. Believe it or not they do make quiet compressors that really make it difficult for you to ever want to play without one.

 

[Nostalgic Distortion]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I'm running a MXR Super Comp., now that you said something I think I remember some MOD that will quiet it down a little bit? I think it's probably going to come down to buying another pickup? Call me boring but my absolute favorite Duncan pickup is the SH/TB-1 59, unfortunately a 59B is not going to keep up with my neck pickup so normally I'd just get a TB-11 but I've already got a few guitars with one & id like to try and get something a bit different? Something from the 59 family but with more output, Custom Hybrid maybe???

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I put a brass baseplate on a JB today with a ceramic magnet and it totally transformed the pickups sound. It sounds a lot more like a Norton now than a JB. It really filled out the bass and midrange and toned down the piercing treble.

 

[B2D]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I put a brass baseplate on a JB today with a ceramic magnet and it totally transformed the pickups sound. It sounds a lot more like a Norton now than a JB. It really filled out the bass and midrange and toned down the piercing treble.

Interestingly enough I just bought a Norton to put in the bridge of my Music Man.

I've had a love/hate relationship with the JB for a long time. The closest I ever got it to sounding the way I want was to do two things. 1) Buy the Antiquity Version which has a much nicer, smoother, well-rounded tone without losing the character or 2) Make a JB-8 with an A8 bar magnet.

The thing about the JB8 is that it does all the right things to the pickup tonally and feel-wise, but its a very hot, hard, aggressive sound that I and some other users got tired of quickly - it fatigues your ears.

The Antiquity version, as I've said, is a great sounding pickup and it's an awesome rock pickup. For metal some people may want something tighter but either way it gives up awesome lead tones.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

Mag swap with a warmer magnet. If you have a problem with the high and low ends, A5's have a lot of both, maybe too much in your guitar. I like what A2's and UOA5's do to JB's.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

Play with the adjustable screws' height a bit before attempting any mods. Raise the poles so that they're noticeably higher up than the slugs. That makes the pickup a bit brighter and thinner.

I don't find the JB to pe particularly trebly or bassy, personally. To me, the JB's "harshness" comes from its emphatic high-mids, but I don't think there's much more going on above that in the spectrum range with the JB. The low-end is more stuffy low-mid oriented than the bold low-end of a Distortion, for example. Maybe the stuffy low mids is what makes it come out as loose? I like it, I guess. I think it sounds chunky installed in the right guitar.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I like what UOA5's do, but I have to say I like that double thick ceramic even better. Once of these days, if I can get spacer magnets, I'll try a UOA5 with ceramic spacers.

 

[LatsMcGee]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I'm going to echo the JB8, I've always been curious about using the allen screws they use on the FS with a JB...

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

Mag swap with a warmer magnet. If you have a problem with the high and low ends, A5's have a lot of both, maybe too much in your guitar. I like what A2's and UOA5's do to JB's.

A2 will warm up a JB... but wont do anything to tighten it.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

make a hybrid with the fullshred. best of both worlds, actually. works great in nearly every guitar: ash, alder, mahogany... you name it. It gives you the tightness of the FS, the fluidity of the JB. Use an alnico8 if you want more power, thump and meat, use an a5 if you want cut, sizzle and a howling tone. I love both magnets, that's why it's my standard to-go bridge pickup if I want a hotter tone.

 

[Rand-O-Monium]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

Lerv teh Norton!!!
:headbang:

 

[blueman335]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

A2 will warm up a JB... but wont do anything to tighten it.

Right, but it dials down the amount of bass and treble, which is what the OP is having a problem with. That may fix it for him. In some guitars the combination of a wind and A5's abundance of low-end causes undesirable results. I have no interest in JB's in their stock form, but with a different magnet they can have a whole new personality and work in more guitars. Since the OP wants to make his JB's work for his needs (as opposed to selling them), replacement magnets is where I'd start.

 

[AZ Picker]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I've only tried this in one guitar, my Chavel San Dimas, and the Jb Already kills in that guitar, but it seems like a roughcast A5 ( I got mine fully charged from addictionfx on eBay) took off a bit from the top and bottom end, and kept the aggressive sound, and it seemed to tighten the low end. I also tried Unoriented A5 and it just made the JB a little too mild, a great sound mind you, but not enough of the JB attitude. I'm sure you've done this, but lowering the pickup a little usually helps tighten it up too. Listen to the excellent video by Zenmindbeginner on you tube comparing the production, 35th, and antiquity Jb models. I loved the 35th anniversary model in this video, and it makes me pixxed that I sold a set of them I pulled out of a junk Epi Les Paul that I bought on CL back in 2011. The 35th has a roughcast A5 in it. I guess the antiquity does too, but I assume it's degaussed a little..

 

[Boogie Bill]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

I love the TB-4 I have in my ASAT Deluxe, with the understanding that I'm not using metal type gain levels. My guitar has the '59 neck, and it has 250K volume and tone controls.

I know everyone says, "Use 500K pots for humbuckers!", but in my limited experience, I like the JB better with the 250Ks.

Pots might be an inexpensive way to address the problem.

Bill

 

[Aceman]

Re: Best Ways to Tighten Up A JB, God Knows They Need It!

JB8 - more of everything you want, less of everything you don't.

One of my main stage guitars (Mahogany Dean Cadillac) is a JB8, Love it.