Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

[MetalManiac]

I am under the impression the JB is going to be brighter and livelier and more organic/natural sounding, with greater focus on the mids a somewhat spongier bass, and that the Custom is going to be more modern sounding, with a tight and bigger bass response with more balnced mids and a overall punchier, but more brash presence .
I'm wondering how the highs compare? Would you say the Custom tends to be more strident?
I'm putting together my Jackson DK2 soon, and I'm thinking I'm going to go the route of the JB bridge with 250K pot to smooth the treble as suggested on the Website.
Its a tough choice; I really really like the Custom.

 

[Despair]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

I am under the impression the JB is going to be brighter and livelier and more organic/natural sounding, with greater focus on the mids a somewhat spongier bass, and that the Custom is going to be more modern sounding, with a tight and bigger bass response with more balnced mids and a overall punchier, but more brash presence .
I'm wondering how the highs compare? Would you say the Custom tends to be more strident?
I'm putting together my Jackson DK2 soon, and I'm thinking I'm going to go the route of the JB bridge with 250K pot to smooth the treble as suggested on the Website.
Its a tough choice; I really really like the Custom.

I'd actually say the Custom is more natural sounding, certainly punchier and better for metal rhythm.

The Custom can have harsher presence due to it's ceramic magnet, but it's overall a more flexible pickup, especially with magnet swaps (A8 to tame the presence is a popular swap). The JB has an incredible upper mid spike that can give it an ugly goose honk in the wrong guitar. It's reasonably likely to work fine in the DK2, though.

In the right guitar, the JB is magic for leads, and there's plenty of recorded evidence it's tight enough for speed metal rhythms.

I'd probably do a PATB-1 myself, PATB-2 if it's primary task is metal and I'm not concerned with classic rock/blues tones. Out of your two picks I'd go with the Custom, because it's extremely magnet swap friendly.

Though I should note the JB2 is very popular with people who hate the JB with A5, and the JB8 has a following for metal tones. More & tighter bass, without excess bite, though it's still got the crazy upper mids.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

I'd actually say the Custom is more natural sounding, certainly punchier and better for metal rhythm.

The Custom can have harsher presence due to it's ceramic magnet, but it's overall a more flexible pickup, especially with magnet swaps (A8 to tame the presence is a popular swap). The JB has an incredible upper mid spike that can give it an ugly goose honk in the wrong guitar. It's reasonably likely to work fine in the DK2, though.

In the right guitar, the JB is magic for leads, and there's plenty of recorded evidence it's tight enough for speed metal rhythms.

I'd probably do a PATB-1 myself, PATB-2 if it's primary task is metal and I'm not concerned with classic rock/blues tones. Out of your two picks I'd go with the Custom, because it's extremely magnet swap friendly.

Though I should note the JB2 is very popular with people who hate the JB with A5, and the JB8 has a following for metal tones. More & tighter bass, without excess bite, though it's still got the crazy upper mids.

Well, I still am pretty sure the JB, being Alnico magnet is more organic( not to say that ceramics can't sound natural with the right guitar becasue OMG they really can!), however I really think your review is excellent. Thanks.
You didn't address the treble / highs.I f your still around, waht do you think?
I imagine that both pickups can be pretty bright. Duncans caution to perhaps use 250K pots is an indication of that I would think.
I have heard that the treble stab of the Custom is even more severe than the JB. Thats something I'd like to determine here if at all possible.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

for me the most obvious differences are that the JB has a more pronounced peak in the upper-midrange ("vocal"/"singing" lead sound), where the custom has it in the lower mids.
the custom usually sounds a bit more defined in the bass and low mids, but technically has a higher resonant peak (i think)
even though it's A5 and the SH-5 is ceramic, i hear the JB as being more compressed.

but you being a mad metalhead, and the guitar in question being a floyded dinky, i'd say custom. or alternative 8. or maybe a full shred with a ceramic magnet swapped in.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

The highs people...THE HIGHS??

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

well...
with your guitar not being 20 kilograms of south american rainforest, and having a big steel floating vibrato assembly on the top, the amount of gain you'll be using, and the custom having a high resonant peak, i'm quite confident you'll be satisfied with the amount of high-end coming through...

i find the custom muddy in an LP, but like it in a thinner body with a big metal bridge.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

To be real honest, I'm not too concerned either of those pickups will not have enough top end.
My main worry is of over the top Shrillness.
If I am not mistaken, I have heard the Custom is even brighter than the JB?
Added to the fact that even Duncan recommends that 250K pots be used with the JB (bridge, of course) for certain applications, and you've got to be more than a little concerned.
So what about the respective highs of the JB vs. the Custom?

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

ah sorry man, i misunderstood.

from my experience you'd have to EQ the heck out of any custom to get it to sound shrill, i wouldn't be worried about putting a custom in and having it be too bright or cutting.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

..so that would mean the JB is has a thinner spikier top end, since Duncan states to maybe use 250K pots to smooth out the highs?
Its somewhat confusing, because other reviews I've read consider the Custom to be the brighter sounding pickup. I just don't know.
If you look at the tone chart here, the JB has more of a treble Eq, but the Custom has more Bass...Hmmm.
Hoping someone with experience can straighten things out here.
I've never really heard of anyone using 250K pots with the Custom though.
At some point I want a guitar with a Bridge Custom however, even if I go with the JB for the DK2 Jackson.
I consider it THAT good of a pickup to build an entire guitar around. ..Not many like that!!

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

Hoping someone with experience can straighten things out here.

:dot:

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

^ LOL ..Not that you didn't of course. Its just sometimes the points become obfuscated to the lay mind and need further clarification.
>>I'm sure you understand.

 

[saladin]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

JB is brighter by a mile. I'm using a Custom in the bridge of my Strat and it sounds wonderful, the JB I had only stayed in it of 2 days before I pulled it out and sold it.

 

[TSE]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

I see a hybrid in your future! It's easy to make and you get the best of both worlds. If you're a more metal oriented player go with a ceramic mag, if you do a bit of everything A5 JB/Custom hybrid.

 

[Despair]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

Well, I still am pretty sure the JB, being Alnico magnet is more organic( not to say that ceramics can't sound natural with the right guitar becasue OMG they really can!), however I really think your review is excellent. Thanks.
You didn't address the treble / highs.I f your still around, waht do you think?
I imagine that both pickups can be pretty bright. Duncans caution to perhaps use 250K pots is an indication of that I would think.
I have heard that the treble stab of the Custom is even more severe than the JB. Thats something I'd like to determine here if at all possible.

I really didn't find the JB exactly bright. It just has insane upper midrange, which is awesome for solos, but can sound very odd with the wrong amp or guitar. In the right setup, it's magic for 80s rock and metal. Of course, so is the Custom. Leads can sound quite organic, but rhythms and cleans often sound strange. In the wrong guitar, people compare the JB to a dentist drill.

The Custom wind is very organic. Punchy, warm, and with the ceramic magnet it has a bright cut and tight bass. In some rare guitars it can wind up too biting and the highs dominating, I've heard it in an ebony fretboard maple neck-through guitar where it wasn't really recognizable as a Custom. Interesting tone, but a bit tiring. I've never heard it sound like that in any other guitar.

The JB has biting upper mids, the Custom has more treble and presence. Which sounds harsher depends on the guitar, amp, speakers and even strings and pick used. No pickup works in all situations for all guitarists. Playing style and tastes vary.

I personally tend to avoid ceramic pickups because I don't get along with the raspy presence they almost all have, even though I like everything else they do. It's not that they have piercing highs, just this edgy upper frequency grit that I find very irritating to listen to for more than a few minutes. But that's not the same thing as being shrill. I'm much more sensitive to that frequency than most.

Really, it may be more useful to discuss what guitarists or songs you are aiming at for tone, and the rest of your rig, if you want to narrow down pickup choice and abstract discussion of pickup behavior isn't helping.

 

[MetalManiac]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

I really didn't find the JB exactly bright. It just has insane upper midrange, which is awesome for solos, but can sound very odd with the wrong amp or guitar. In the right setup, it's magic for 80s rock and metal. Of course, so is the Custom. Leads can sound quite organic, but rhythms and cleans often sound strange. In the wrong guitar, people compare the JB to a dentist drill.

The Custom wind is very organic. Punchy, warm, and with the ceramic magnet it has a bright cut and tight bass. In some rare guitars it can wind up too biting and the highs dominating, I've heard it in an ebony fretboard maple neck-through guitar where it wasn't really recognizable as a Custom. Interesting tone, but a bit tiring. I've never heard it sound like that in any other guitar.

The JB has biting upper mids, the Custom has more treble and presence. Which sounds harsher depends on the guitar, amp, speakers and even strings and pick used. No pickup works in all situations for all guitarists. Playing style and tastes vary.

I personally tend to avoid ceramic pickups because I don't get along with the raspy presence they almost all have, even though I like everything else they do. It's not that they have piercing highs, just this edgy upper frequency grit that I find very irritating to listen to for more than a few minutes. But that's not the same thing as being shrill. I'm much more sensitive to that frequency than most.

Really, it may be more useful to discuss what guitarists or songs you are aiming at for tone, and the rest of your rig, if you want to narrow down pickup choice and abstract discussion of pickup behavior isn't helping.

I think it would be safe to proceed on all further discussions here about pickups with the understanding we all meant the pickup was to be used in an Alder body Superstrat ( which is a balanced tonewood) just to have a firm ground on which pickup to assume a pickup in question would respond reasonably the same across board.
Then one could site instances of any aberrations with more exotic applications.
Your description was very helpfull, Thanks.

 

[Jackson Distortion]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

I wouldn't put a 250k pot on my JB.

 

[Despair]

Re: Compare /Contrast the JB with the Duncan Custom for me

I think it would be safe to proceed on all further discussions here about pickups with the understanding we all meant the pickup was to be used in an Alder body Superstrat ( which is a balanced tonewood) just to have a firm ground on which pickup to assume a pickup in question would respond reasonably the same across board.
Then one could site instances of any aberrations with more exotic applications.
Your description was very helpfull, Thanks.

I got that from your mention of it being a DK-2, which is why I asked about amp/music.

My mention of the Custom being too bright in an incredibly bright guitar was pointing out that it wasn't likely to be an issue in your guitar, unless you luck into a bizarrely bright DK-2.