Custom Shop JB

A

acakatura

New member
Hey Guys what,s up
I have been reading posts on this forum for quite some time and i have a question that i am certain somebody here will have an answer
Here we go....
Purchased a Gibson Goldtop vos and i love the neck pickup (bb1) but not the bridge one (bb2) so i went and ordered a slightly overwound JB with a aged nickel cover . The reason for for geting it overwound is that i hold my hand above the bridge pup while i play and i always lower the pickup so it does not bother when i dig in and i love the sound better as well and since i dont have expirience playing the JB with a cover i asumed it wold have a slightly weaker signal. Was it a smart decision to get it a little overwound? Will it still have that sweet singing tone?

Or did i made a mistake . I have a dimartini in one of my guitars and while it is a beautiful pup i missed the "alive" tone that JB has in spades

Thank you in advance

Alex
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

The best advice I can give you here is, as EVH once said, "if it sounds good, it *is* good"...really, if your ears like what they hear, then you're happy, right?

Seriously though, I would try to play a guitar similar to yours as possible with a regular JB in it so your ears can tell the difference. Or I'll sell you my JB with gold cover for $50 shipped via Paypal so you can have one for yourself! ;)
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

Thanks for looking into my post .
What i need is a purely technical answer though .Thank you for the offer as well ,but i already made an order for the JB and gold cover will not work.
Alex
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

In principle, an overwound JB will be slightly more powerful and slightly darker. It's difficult to say whether or not the dynamic qualities of the upper-mid bump will be in it (which gives it the singing qualities), as the JB is a pretty unique wind.

A covered pickup will not really have a weaker signal, but may have a slightly different tone with slightly less treble (compared to open coils).
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

Since you've already purchased the pickup it is too late now.

But, IMO, you made the wrong decision.

The Les Paul is going to be more muddy than say a DiMartini Charvel with a bolt on maple neck and a Floyd.

Extra windings on the JB are gong to muddy it up.

Not sure why you don't like the BB2, since it sounds great in my R0, but you can

1) Swap in an Alnico V magnet in the BB2 making it a BB Pro bridge. More bright, aggressive and punch.
2) Get a BB Pro bridge to replace the BB2.

- before doing either of the above, go to a GC and check out a Les Paul with a BB Pro in the bridge to see if you like it -

3) Get DiMartini. My SL2H has no issues nailing Ratt tunes wth it's stock JB.
 
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Re: Custom Shop JB

It hasn't been my experience that a pickup backed off from the strings will become more muddy. The tone will be a bit thinner, brighter, and weaker. It can lack the full body of a pickup raised close to the strings.

A JB in a Les Paul can still have plenty of edge. I'd just wait and see how the pickup turns out. I haven't heard anyone talk about how over-wound JB's sound, so it will be interesting to hear feedback on it. And if it really doesn't turn out well and you aren't happy with it, maybe there is a return policy for the Custom Shop? I'd assume so....

So in any case, I'd suspend judgment until you hear it for yourself. Maybe it will sound just right in your guitar?
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

hanumanlangur said:
It hasn't been my experience that a pickup backed off from the strings will become more muddy. The tone will be a bit thinner, brighter, and weaker.
Click to expand...

right. i have never heard a pup get muddy from backing it away from the strings, usually the opposite.

maybe there is a return policy for the Custom Shop? I'd assume so....
Click to expand...

and youd be wrong in this case :D no return policy for the cs. they make pups specifically for you so you are stuck with it. the good news is i think youll be fine.

the dimartini pup is alnico 2 vs the alnico 5 in a jb which will significantly change the character of the pup. i have an old jb (thanks curly!!) that is on the hot side and it is one of the best sounding jb's ive ever tried.

by having the pup a little lower you will lose a little output and body, by putting a few more turns on the pup you should get that back. it wont sound exactly the same as normal jb at normal height but i think youll get the desired result.
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

Who said anything about pickups being further away from the strings makes them muddy?:D
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

Thank you guys for all the advice. The pickup already arrived and i will try to instal it as soon as possible and will post my opinion of the results.
Alex
 
Re: Custom Shop JB

Once a while back someone posted an equation about how distance form strings affects the output of a pup, it was pretty remarkable really. All and all I think you are going to be fine.

Luke
 
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