Custom or JB

[CaughtINAMosh]

I need a new pick-up for my guitar. I was thinking either the Duncan Custom or the JB pickup. I need something that's good all around but mostly for hard rock. Something extremly clean, Marty Friedman style (i know he uses the JB) and something extremly responsive, i need everything i play to come out. And it needs to sound good in a all maple, one pick-up guitar. Thanks.

 

[Russ]

Re: Custom or JB

I need a new pick-up for my guitar. I was thinking either the Duncan Custom or the JB pickup. I need something that's good all around but mostly for hard rock. Something extremly clean, Marty Friedman style (i know he uses the JB) and something extremly responsive, i need everything i play to come out. And it needs to sound good in a all maple, one pick-up guitar. Thanks.

Welcome to the SD Forum, CaughtINAMosh!

..The JB may sound overly bright in an "all maple" axe. ..I'd get the Custom.

 

[lateralus]

Re: Custom or JB

..The JB may sound overly bright in an "all maple" axe. ..I'd get the Custom.

yeah id have to agree. though im a big fan of the jb (i have one in my gothic flying v), id have to go with the custom on this occasion

 

[GuitarGuy503]

Re: Custom or JB

I have a JB in the bridge of my Fender American Strat. with a maple fretboard. Most people on this forum would say that the JB is to bright in a strat with a maple fretboard but I personally love the tone it puts out and am fully satisfied. :32:

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Custom or JB

..The JB may sound overly bright in an "all maple" axe. ..I'd get the Custom.

The Custom is brighter than the JB. A bit flatter as well. The JB has a peak in the mids and a more rounded off top.

The Custom has a ceramic magnet that is not quite as warm as the alnico V in the JB.

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: Custom or JB

I have a JB in the bridge of my Fender American Strat. with a maple fretboard. Most people on this forum would say that the JB is to bright in a strat with a maple fretboard but I personally love the the tone it puts out and am fully satisfied. :32:

+1

 

[Russ]

Re: Custom or JB

The Custom is brighter than the JB. A bit flatter as well. The JB has a peak in the mids and a more rounded off top.

The Custom has a ceramic magnet that is not quite as warm as the alnico V in the JB.

...You can go on all you want about ceramic magnets making a pickup brighter then the ones that have Alnicos, but that doesn't make it so. ..The gauge of wire & the number of winds around the coil plays a large part in a pickups tone. ..Your theory would make the Invader brighter than the JB too.

...The JB has a spike in the Upper-Mids. ..The Custom has a spike in the Low-Mids with a dip in the Upper-Mids, making the High-Highs give the Low-Mids clarity, sparkle & enough snap to cut-through.

..Don't be quick to judge all pickup just on magnet type.

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Custom or JB

Russ it's not really a judgement, more like an indication

Doesn't George Lynch use a JB in his all maple strats nowadays? I'd get a JB if I were you. Marty once used the V220 Carvins I believe they were always all maple guitars, at least the ones he used. I'm not quite sure but I believe he also used the Jb pick ups in those in the last days of Cacophony. I'm absolutely sure he used it on Dragon's Kiss.

The JB isn't as agressive as the Custom, but more singing. It can get very piercing but with your amp set up right it with the reverb on 3 or so, it'll get you a really open and "airy" sound. Jason Becker used a Custom in the alder bodied Carvins he used to play, and he always sounded more tight and agressive.

 

[Russ]

Re: Custom or JB

..Don't get me wrong. ..I use the JB in my LP & had one in my SG. ..But, Mosh only has room for one pickup & the JB's spike in Upper-Mids in a bright guitar, just seems like it would too one-dimensional in a single-pickuped guitar, IMO.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Custom or JB

Custom

 

[MattPete]

Re: Custom or JB

The Custom is brighter than the JB. A bit flatter as well. The JB has a peak in the mids and a more rounded off top.

The Custom has a ceramic magnet that is not quite as warm as the alnico V in the JB.

I'd have to disagree. *maybe* the high-highs are high in the Custom, but I find notes on the high strings are thicker and rounder when soloing than compared to the JB. And this is comparing a Custom with 500k pots to a JB with 250k pots.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Custom or JB

The Custom is brighter than the JB. A bit flatter as well. The JB has a peak in the mids and a more rounded off top.

The Custom has a ceramic magnet that is not quite as warm as the alnico V in the JB.

I agree. The JB is warmer and rounder. The Custom is very thick but to me a little cold and hard.

 

[Blazphemer]

Re: Custom or JB

would the JB be too bright for a Poplar(or Alder) guitar?

 

[MetalChef]

Re: Custom or JB

I pulled the JB out of my Jackson USA axe(poplar/Alder body with maple top) because it was a bit too bright and had no low end.

Some people like that sound-I don't. And keep in mind that Friedman/Mustaine's guitars are made of Mahagony, hence the tone they get out of the JB.

Installed a L-500XL I bought from Bill himself, and could not be happier! If you really like the duncan sound, I suggest a Custom in a Alder guitar.

 

[italic zero]

Re: Custom or JB

Maybe a JB with 250k pots?

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Custom or JB

would the JB be too bright for a Poplar(or Alder) guitar?

Most people will say yes, but then again this crazy guy right here (I mean myself) would even dare trying it in an all maple guitar. I personally think you can mostly eq the heck out of it and still obtain that bite, those wonderful harmonics and rich tone. I wouldn't try it with any solid state amp, because it will indeed always end up too bright.

 

[Creepydeth2000]

Re: Custom or JB

I use a custom with my maple fretboarded, alder bodied Ibanez, and it just doesn't get any better. I tried a JB with another guitar which was nowhere near as bright as an all maple (talk about heavy) guitar, but I found that the sound was too warm for me. And as far as eqing, maybe it's cause I'm on a flat eq kick right now, but if you have to eq the hell out of your rig just to make the pickup work, isn't that why you wanted to change pickups in the first place?

 

[Neeradj]

Re: Custom or JB

You're absolutely right Creepy, but those all maple bodied sound characteristics not to mention the JB's smoothness and harmonics are real benifits, which are very unique. You just can't beat that IMO