Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

[Sune]

Well, I was originally planning on getting a JB in the bridge of my guitar, but since my guitar isn't finished yet and I haven't heard it, I'm kinda doubting what I want.. Since I've heard none of the pickups in real life, I'm having a hard time deciding what I want. For the style of music I play, well.. I like rock/hard rock/heavy metal, and I'll be playing through a Marshall JCM 900 2500 Hi Gain Master Volume.. What I would like you to do is to explain the good and bad things about each pup, and if you can, I would very very much appreciate soundclips also, so I can not only read what you say about them, but actually hear it.

The guitar is; Mahogany body with quilted maple top, bolt on maple neck with ebony fretboard, 25.5" scale fretboard with 22 medium/high frets, tone pro bridge (strings thru' body).. It will be paired with a Jazz neck.

If there's more you need to know, please say so. And we can thank Odie about my newborn confusion :smack:

 

[greendy123]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Have you considered other pickups? The amp you have is high gain, so lower output pickups can provide you clearer more open tones. I use a 59 in the bridge of my guitar and to plenty enough for distorted tones, cause I let the amp do the work.

 

[Sune]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

The problem is I cannot choose from alot of things, I can choose between the JB, Distortion, Full Shred and Invader.

 

[theodie]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

You my boy Sune!!!!!!! LOL!!!!!! I vote DD!!!!!! You know why!!! LOL!!

 

[Sune]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Well, Odie, have you owned a DD? Can you explain a bit about it's sound? How do you think it'll sound in my guitar (see specs) ? Do you have soundclips?

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

The JB and DD are my two favorite bridge humbuckers. Theodie just has a hatred for the JB for some reason (you bastid! may marmots rain on you!).

But it does everything VERY well. With the JB with gain you get clarity, thump, and fatness all at the same time. With the DD you get a tiny bit of the "mosquito" sound that's apparent in all Ceramic magnent humbuckers, it has a fatter midrange, and a little sizzle on top. You can't go wrong with either.

 

[Sune]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Do you have any sound clips, Xero?

 

[JeffB]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Well, I dont think the JB will be so bad in that guitar since it's a bolt on neck.

However, the thing you may like to know is, from what I've read here, the JB and Distortion are the same pup the only diff being the magnet? Assuming thats true, you can buy one, and the appropriate extra magnet and swap out if ya dont like your initial choice.

I'd personally just pay the extra $ to your builder and have him put a 59, Custom, or Custom Custom in it.

High output pups are just going to sound a bit more thin and shrill with a maple cap, ebony board and a higher gain marshall like the one ya just bought. They also prevent more of the guitars natural tone from coming through. The GOOD thing tho is at least you have a mahogany body which will add some meat, warmth and low end.

 

[theodie]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

The JB and DD are my two favorite bridge humbuckers. Theodie just has a hatred for the JB for some reason (you bastid! may marmots rain on you!).

But it does everything VERY well. .

Yea, and a bottom end thats looser than a hooker thats been in the business for 45 years!!! LOL!!!! When you actually get your hands on a pickup that trully does everything well, you will know what I am talking about! The JB isnt all that bad but, it is not as good as everyone say it is! They have bought into the hype also!!!

Speaking of the JB, I have had many rigs over the years and everyone has always raved over the JB. Each time I would get a new setup I would get one again just to see if it may have been my rig. Nope, it has still sucked everytime! I have actually have had it in almost everyone of my guiatrs over the years just to see if I can actually get this so called good sound to come out of it, nope, it still sucked! The longest I have ever had one in one of my axes was about a week! Thats how much I thought it sucked! The only good stuff I have ever got out of one is playing solo's on the 3 treble strings. It is great for that. I also thought it was just OK or mediocre at best with a 500K volume and 250K tone. It was an improvement but, it was still lacking big time! I did use one with a single 250K volume and it had the same results. I have not used it with 250K volume and tone and a .047mf cap like Erik suggested. I like to use all 6 strings on my axes and also like to play rhythm most of the time! I cant stand playing rhythm with it, like I said it is just very loose and unprecise to me. If sh1t had its own sound, it would be a JB!!!! In my experience, the only time one of these sounds good is hitting the bottom of a trash can!!! :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: Maybe I have been spoiled with good tone? LOL!!!!
Maybe I will get one for one last shot at it???? With an alnico II magnet this time though!!!!

BTW,
I got something for your Marmots, I have a Mainecoon (the largest breed of house cat) that will take care of them!!!! BTW, the largest house cat in the guiness world book of records is a Mainecoon! It is something like 35-45 pounds!!! Mine is about 20 pounds and he still has 1.5-2.5 years to grow!!!!

While Albert is at it, I will send him to get rid of those pesky Lemurs also!!! LOL!!!!!!!

 

[Xeromus]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Theodie - No JB, yet you like the Distortion? Explain yourself!

Btw, marmots in groups can overpower a Mainecoon. Last week they took a mountain lion out on command.

 

[theodie]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Theodie - No JB, yet you like the Distortion? Explain yourself!

Btw, marmots in groups can overpower a Mainecoon. Last week they took a mountain lion out on command.

LOL!!!!!
I just think the DD has alot more pleasing bottom end and it dosent have that nasty trashy kind of sound that dominates the JB's tone.

A mountain Lion huh? Albert does have brothers and sisters!!!! 4 of them actually!!!! :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

I am telling ya, Marmots first, Lemurs after that!!!! Mainecoons are going to take over!!!!!!

 

[Jeff5]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Imo JB. Great pup, great crunch, sweet singing highs. I thought the DD was too harsh and just didn't sound as sweet overall as the JB or the CC.

 

[walt]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

get a 59 and let the amp do the work, you won't be sorry

 

[ex-250]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Yea, and a bottom end thats looser than a hooker thats been in the business for 45 years!!! LOL!!!! When you actually get your hands on a pickup that trully does everything well, you will know what I am talking about! The JB isnt all that bad but, it is not as good as everyone say it is! They have bought into the hype also!!!

Speaking of the JB, I have had many rigs over the years and everyone has always raved over the JB. Each time I would get a new setup I would get one again just to see if it may have been my rig. Nope, it has still sucked everytime! I have actually have had it in almost everyone of my guiatrs over the years just to see if I can actually get this so called good sound to come out of it, nope, it still sucked! The longest I have ever had one in one of my axes was about a week! Thats how much I thought it sucked! The only good stuff I have ever got out of one is playing solo's on the 3 treble strings. It is great for that. I also thought it was just OK or mediocre at best with a 500K volume and 250K tone. It was an improvement but, it was still lacking big time! I did use one with a single 250K volume and it had the same results. I have not used it with 250K volume and tone and a .047mf cap like Erik suggested. I like to use all 6 strings on my axes and also like to play rhythm most of the time! I cant stand playing rhythm with it, like I said it is just very loose and unprecise to me. If sh1t had its own sound, it would be a JB!!!! In my experience, the only time one of these sounds good is hitting the bottom of a trash can!!! :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2: Maybe I have been spoiled with good tone? LOL!!!!
Maybe I will get one for one last shot at it???? With an alnico II magnet this time though!!!!

BTW,
I got something for your Marmots, I have a Mainecoon (the largest breed of house cat) that will take care of them!!!! BTW, the largest house cat in the guiness world book of records is a Mainecoon! It is something like 35-45 pounds!!! Mine is about 20 pounds and he still has 1.5-2.5 years to grow!!!!

While Albert is at it, I will send him to get rid of those pesky Lemurs also!!! LOL!!!!!!!

but you cant deny that other people get kickass tone with the JB (i like to consider myself one of them)....i guess its just in your hands, you + the JB dont fit

 

[theodie]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

but you cant deny that other people get kickass tone with the JB (i like to consider myself one of them)....i guess its just in your hands, you + the JB dont fit

If it works for you bro! Personally, I have heard other folks playing the JB in their guitars through their rigs and I didnt think it was all too hot sounding then also! Kickass tone??? They may think so!!! LOL!!!!!!!!

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Odie smells funny.

if its only b/t a JB and a DD go with the JB, the DD i find to be too harsh.

-Mike

 

[Sune]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

I'm still having doubts.. I don't know whether I should try a JB/Jazz, DD/DD, DD/Jazz, JB/JB or similar.. The problem is there isn't enough soundclips of the pickups, and I can't get to play them before I decide. You all say low output pickups, but I don't know, what is the difference? why does low output buckers work better with high gain amps? Erik H has a JB and he says it works fine with his Marshall... I just thought a high output bucker would shine through one of those amps, that they really could get each other working.

BTW. This demo was done with a Distortion bridge (don't know what he has in the neck) :

Real media streaming: http://www.eskildsen.dk/Upload/HtmlArticles/Article1137/Marshall_Fast.ram

Windows media player streaming:
http://media.eskildsen.dk/eskildsen/Marshall/MarshallMedia9.wmv

Is the Distortion as versatile in all kinds of guitar, or only certain kinds of woods etc.? BTW. I don't know what's in the sunburst guitar, and I don't care.

 

[Sune]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

And the thing that worries me about the JB bridge is not the solo sound, of course, but the rythm sound.. I don't know how it sounds, and everybody says the solo sound is the best thing from the JB.

So maybe DD/JB could be an option? Or JB/DD?

 

[Sune]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

The Full Shred could also be an option.

 

[Breogan]

Re: Getting doubts about pickup choice..JB or Distortion?

Low output pickups better reflect the nuances of your playing when playing clean.

If you like playing clean with the bridge bucker then you should look for a low output in that position. But low output pickups have a disadvantage. If you use low output pickup in the neck and bridge the final output will ve unpaired. Strings have wider oscilation over the neck pickup than the bridge so the output it is bigger in neck spot. To compensate this lack of volume some people use high output pickups in the bridge.

If you only play distorted tones on the bridge then high output are a great chance since you'll get the same output in all the pickup selections.

If you want to hear a JB in action check my clips. First clip was played with a 59/JB combo, the first solo was the 59 and the second solo (1:30) was the JB. 59 it's similar to the jazz but it has a bit more bass and a bit less treble.

On the third clip I've used a JB split for the rythm and split and mixed with a 59 for the solo.

Both clips the guitars were the home made #1, now has Phat Cats but it used to have a 59/JB combo. (check my sig)