Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

hanumanlangur said:
First, I should mention that I recommend the '59 over the JB, because I don't recommend JB's for mahogany guitars.

TwinReverb, are you seriously trying to tell me that pots and wood type don't make a big difference with the JB? That a JB in a mahogany super strat with 500k pots won't sound much different than it will in a maple super strat with 250k pots? Sorry bro, but I think you're way off the mark on this one.
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I'm not saying all the other stuff doesn't matter. However, I think people are leaving out the person and their amp.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

TwinReverb said:
I just feel that too many people are rushing to pots to fix everything, or pickup, or whatever. It's not one thing: it's many. I say evaluate what your needs are first. Do you need a high output bridge pickup or not? Do you need heavy metal or not? Then install that and go from there.
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I agree. Lots of variables that produce the final sound. We haven't even gotten into magnets on this, which do more with EQ than pots.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

hanumanlangur said:
I've heard that a few good guitarists with a little experience have used the JB. Jeff Beck, Trey Anastasio, Kurt Cobain, Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Ihsahn, Michael Amott, Will Adler, Seymour Duncan (for over 30 years), and just about everyone in the 1980's.
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Maybe because I'm a late 1960's British blues/rock fan, that I'm not into most of the '80's players. Must be getting old.

hanumanlangur...no hard feelings?
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Wow this thread took off like a rocket and I stopped getting e-mail notifications of replies!

Catching up -- "good things" about the JB game partly over at TheGearPage.net forums -- not from the metal crowd, but guys who only like $400 pickups. Outside of that forum, there seemed to be more criticism for the JB being too shrill/tinny (probably with 500k pots), as well as more praise from the obviously metal crowd.

So, harsh generalizations aside, it seemed that there were two very divided camps as far as the JB goes. The 490R and 498T I'm running are hot enough that I figured I'd want to try something lower output. That said, I ended up grabbing someone's set of 59's. If I need higher output later I'll go straight for the CC or C5 in the bridge, because that seems to be the universally accepted option above the '59b.

Now, as far as other things come into play - I've never loved the stock Gibson Studio pickups, so all I'm really looking for is a change in general. I installed an RS Guitarworks long shaft pot/wire/cap kit, and it added quite a bit of clarity as well as "fixing" the volume controls, but the overall sound still wasn't what I hoped for.

The RS pots are 500k, so that had me a little extra worried about the JB since people said it worked best at 250k or so.

The Twin is probably my #1 amp, with some Marshall tones from the BoR and the OCD. The Mark III is a sweet amp by itself, with the sparkly R1 cleans, the nice R2 vintage rock vibe, and the Lead for modern or any shred opportunity. I recently had it serviced by Bill Ussery, Eric Johnson's guitar tech/Austone Amp Builder, and it's never sounded better.

Thanks for all the opinions guys, I know the 59s were the right choice... and there will be more SDs in this guitar in the future, I'm sure.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
Maybe because I'm a late 1960's British blues/rock fan, that I'm not into most of the '80's players. Must be getting old.

hanumanlangur...no hard feelings?
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No, of course not. And I like 60's blues/rock tones also, which is why I'm a big fan of 59's.

I just like giving you a hard time about the JB. I think it sounds great with the right guitar/pots (smooth, clear, even warm), for the right types of music. But with 500k pots in the wrong guitar, it does sound hideous.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
"Great things?" Heard from who, players that have actually tried a few different kinds of PU's & have some experience? Check this forum for the other point of view. Just as many complaints about JB's as compliments.
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If a JB sounds ice pick, do what Seymour does and use it with 250K pots. You'll lose alot of treble and ice pick tone, but you can just turn up the treble and presence on your amp and adjust to taste.

It smooths out the JB, and it gets a more buttery tone. I've done that in a Strat and it changes the JB dramatically.

Seymour uses a Jazz neck and JB in his Tele but he uses 250K pots...or at least that's the story! :lmao:
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Lewguitar said:
If a JB sounds ice pick, do what Seymour does and use it with 250K pots. You'll lose alot of treble and ice pick tone, but you can just turn up the treble and presence on your amp and adjust to taste.

It smooths out the JB, and it gets a more buttery tone. I've done that in a Strat and it changes the JB dramatically.

Seymour uses a Jazz neck and JB in his Tele but he uses 250K pots...or at least that's the story! :lmao:
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All that said, I like the 59B or 59TB better than the JB. And I like 500K pots and .02 caps best with the 59's.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

I can't comment on the '59's as I've never tried them, but I don't find the JB "shrill", "tinny", or like an icepick at all in my Jackson Soloist. I love the pickup - it's very versatile.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

I have a JazzN & 59B combo and they work very well together. I have these in a Custom Tele thinline. Mahogony body, maple cap and coil tapped. Its a great combination, but if you are looking for a more vintage sound (this is a pretty good sond no doubt) you might want to consider the AlnicoII pros. For a vintage sounding guitar this is my favorite. It is beautifuly clean yet overdrives with a lot of clarity. Very warm and articulate.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Lewguitar said:
If a JB sounds ice pick, do what Seymour does and use it with 250K pots. You'll lose alot of treble and ice pick tone, but you can just turn up the treble and presence on your amp and adjust to taste.

It smooths out the JB, and it gets a more buttery tone. I've done that in a Strat and it changes the JB dramatically.
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+1.
Diocletian said:
I can't comment on the '59's as I've never tried them, but I don't find the JB "shrill", "tinny", or like an icepick at all in my Jackson Soloist. I love the pickup - it's very versatile.
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From what I understand, Soloists have 250k pots. I'm not sure if this is true for all Jackson USA's, but Zerberus has commented that all of his came with 250k's.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

hanumanlangur said:
I think the JB sounds great with the right guitar/pots (smooth, clear, even warm), for the right types of music. But with 500k pots in the wrong guitar, it does sound hideous.
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Zhang said it has narrow coils & thin wire, which is what creates the brightness & infamous spike.

I've tried a few JB's in LP's, SG's, and 335's, all with 250K pots. It's just too bright for me in everything. Maybe a warmer magnet would tame it, but at that point I gave up & went to a C5 for my high output needs, also with 250K's, and it's much smoother.

I just have an uncontrollable need (actually a medical condition) to share my JB experience with others. Sometimes medication keeps these impluses under control. But then there's nothing wrong with livening up things once in a while.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
I agree. Lots of variables that produce the final sound. We haven't even gotten into magnets on this, which do more with EQ than pots.
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Liar Liar Pants On Fire:firedevil

You believe the root of all bad tone is the A2 mag!
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Alnico II pro's give a real nice vintagey tone. I've only tried the neck model but I imagine the bridge model is just as good.


And for the record, I used to have a JB in my all mahogany LP and it didn't have ENOUGH treble, and was too loose and undefined on the low end. But the lead tone was insanely thick and sweet. It got replaced with a custom which was overall better except that the leads aren't as nice as the JB's. The custom is voiced like a PAF but with much bigger cojones :lmao:

But really, the only guitar the JB has been thin/icepicky for me was in a thin bodied mahogany superstrat.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Got the 59s in the mail today. I hope to record some clips of the stock pickups and then drop in the 59s and aim for about the same height on each to show a little before/after.

Also, a saw a friend of mine play this weekend (Heritage Les Paul-type), and loved the tone. Asked him about the pickups afterwards -- they're 59s, too.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

ARch said:
Got the 59s in the mail today. I hope to record some clips of the stock pickups and then drop in the 59s and aim for about the same height on each to show a little before/after.

Also, a saw a friend of mine play this weekend (Heritage Les Paul-type), and loved the tone. Asked him about the pickups afterwards -- they're 59s, too.
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Good luck, and let us know...
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

Aceman said:
You believe the root of all bad tone is the A2 mag!
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The A2 mag in the neck position is the cause of many of the problems in the world today, including, but not limited to: rap music, inflation, home foreclosures, & childhood obesity.

In the bridge position, an A2 is a viable option (although an A3 would probably be better, for a dash more treble & bite).

So there.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

My JB sounded too bright in the alder strat and not bright enough in the all mahogany LP - Go figure. I thought I read here the Seymours JB might have an A2 magnet? The BB pros in my VM LP Studio are growing on quite a bit...versatile.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

blueman335 said:
The A2 mag in the neck position is the cause of many of the problems in the world today, including, but not limited to: rap music, inflation, home foreclosures, & childhood obesity.
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HAHAHA. word up. except the PG, PG rocks in the neck.
 
Re: Gibson LP Studio: set of 59s, or 59/JB for "normal" rock tone

JB bridge in my Epi SG with 500K and .022 cap sounds great (w/ Jazz neck 500k .015 cap - both p/ups uncovered), especially with the gain turned up a bit. But even on clean (I have a Fender hot rod deluxe amp), it sounds sweet. If you like good honking midrange - the JB is a great pickup. While blueman335 finds it icepicky, I find it simply cuts through - ie. complete antithesis of muddy. I wouldn't necessarily call it creamy smooth (more like a clean smooth), but it's definitely not shrill to my ears. Personal preference I guess but for stuff like Nirvana, SP, Tool, etc. style music, it's a very versatile pickup. I'm 32 and grew up listening to alternative. That might be the difference. ;)


peace
 
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