Neither. For a pickup that hot I like the Custom, Custom Custom and an early 80's Super Distortion that came with my Hamer Special.
The JB I'll use only in certain guitars for certain sounds (strats). The C5 sounds best in a LP type guitar through a Marshall style amp. In anything else, it just seems too flat for me.
I don't hear it as sounding flat but that's just a word...I think Benjy and I are hearing the same thing.
The C5 sounds best through a cranked/loud Marshall or similar cranked/loud amp. Played at quiet to modest volumes through a blackface Fender it just doesn't sound ballsy and lively enough for me...maybe that's what Benjy means by flat.
The C5 made my dark sounding Dean Hardtail come alive. Way better than the JB.
The JB sounds good in my bright les paul, but could use more punchy low mids.
I don't hear it as sounding flat but that's just a word...I think Benjy and I are hearing the same thing.
The C5 sounds best through a cranked/loud Marshall or similar cranked/loud amp. Played at quiet to modest volumes through a blackface Fender it just doesn't sound ballsy and lively enough for me...maybe that's what Benjy means by flat.
I think that's why Seymour didn't release the Custom 5 right away, although he undoubtably tried the Custom with an alnico 5 magnet long before members of this forum started experimenting with that mod. Just a guess...