Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

[blueman335]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

Yeah we've heard all this before, the only place that the JB is fussier than any other pickup about wood is on this forum. You absolutely cannot take away the thousands of great tracks that have been recorded over the years from it. We get it you dont like the JB.. suprise suprise there are many who do they just arent in the vocal minority of this forum.

Not everybody's into the kind of music JB's are best in. There are many genres where JB's are nowhere near the best choice.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

Not everybody's into the kind of music JB's are best in. There are many genres where JB's are nowhere near the best choice.

OP asked for hard rock and metal... I cant think of any genres that the JB wouldnt shine more at.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

OP asked for hard rock and metal... I cant think of any genres that the JB wouldnt shine more at.

And he's putting it in a mahogany guitar, which is were JB's sometimes get into trouble. How many of the great JB sounds came from Superstrats?

 

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

And he's putting it in a mahogany guitar, which is were JB's sometimes get into trouble. How many of the great JB sounds came from Superstrats?

Syu the shred-beast from the Japanese power metal band galneryus has a JB in an all mahogany, 24.75 scale rosewood fret-board guitar and it sounds great. why would a bobbin with copper wire and a magnet get into trouble with a piece of tree-steak? Anything is tweak-able, and if OP is also thinking about coil tapping and etc, the JB also does that really well.

and as far as dropping 'strat intended' pickups into a gibson style guitar goes; maybe this will help you out in some way or another

http://www.woodytone.com/2012/09/28/dimarzio-gravity-storms-kick-a/

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

Syu the shred-beast from the Japanese power metal band galneryus has a JB in an all mahogany, 24.75 scale rosewood fret-board guitar and it sounds great. why would a bobbin with copper wire and a magnet get into trouble with a piece of tree-steak? Anything is tweak-able, and if OP is also thinking about coil tapping and etc, the JB also does that really well.

and as far as dropping 'strat intended' pickups into a gibson style guitar goes; maybe this will help you out in some way or another

http://www.woodytone.com/2012/09/28/dimarzio-gravity-storms-kick-a/

I think it has more to do with how thick of a Slab of Mahogany were talking about here and what other woods it is paired with. Remember it's not really the kind of wood that matters but the density and mass of it.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

Syu the shred-beast from the Japanese power metal band galneryus has a JB in an all mahogany, 24.75 scale rosewood fret-board guitar and it sounds great.

JB's can, and do, sound great in LP's, sometimes. That's also where they get into some thin ice too. Next biggest roll-of-the-dice for JB's is probably SG's. If you're able to swap mags and pots, you can dial in a JB for many kinds of woods and guitar designs. But if you're not up to speed on that stuff, a JB in mahogany is a bigger gamble than many other choices. JB's are quirky PU's.

Anyone who doesn't think wood has a huge influence on PU tones needs to spend more time here reading threads and posts.

 

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

I think it has more to do with how thick of a Slab of Mahogany were talking about here and what other woods it is paired with. Remember it's not really the kind of wood that matters but the density and mass of it.

true, I noticed that if the wood is consistent, the amount of wood involved only really changes the volume acoustically speaking.

JB's can, and do, sound great in LP's, sometimes. That's also where they get into some thin ice too. Next biggest roll-of-the-dice for JB's is probably SG's. If you're able to swap mags and pots, you can dial in a JB for many kinds of woods and guitar designs. But if you're not up to speed on that stuff, a JB in mahogany is a bigger gamble than many other choices. JB's are quirky PU's.

Anyone who doesn't think wood has a huge influence on PU tones needs to spend more time here reading threads and posts.

One of these days I'll upload my SG/JB combo, and you'll see that it works just fine. I'll even use a crappy practice amp just to show that it's good even without a help from a nice amp

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

JB's can, and do, sound great in LP's, sometimes. That's also where they get into some thin ice too. Next biggest roll-of-the-dice for JB's is probably SG's. If you're able to swap mags and pots, you can dial in a JB for many kinds of woods and guitar designs. But if you're not up to speed on that stuff, a JB in mahogany is a bigger gamble than many other choices. JB's are quirky PU's.

Anyone who doesn't think wood has a huge influence on PU tones needs to spend more time here reading threads and posts.

Any pickup in any guitar is a roll of the dice. There is no mystery quality to the jb that makes it hate mahogany automatically. Between the variability wood and the subjective nature of what works for people everything is a gamble. The only place that the JB is this finicky beast is this forum.

 

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

The internet has a way of distorting the difference between science and speculation

 

[mremic01]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

One of these days I'll upload my SG/JB combo, and you'll see that it works just fine. I'll even use a crappy practice amp just to show that it's good even without a help from a nice amp

The JB in an SG can sound good. But there are so many better options.

I tried it and very quickly decided it wasn't anywhere nearly as suited to the SG as any of the Custom series, or even the stock 498T. Sure, the JB is a great pickup, and will be a vast improvement over a lot of stock pickups. Some people just put JBs in there because they assume the stock pickup needs replacing by nature of it being stock, and the JB is Duncan's flagship pickup. It's sort of the default. "Want to change your pickup? Try a JB for Duncan or a Super Distortion for Dimarzio." That's what a lot of guitarists are going to hear before they dig a little deeper and learn about all the various models that are available, if they ever bother.

Now Gibson tends to put 300k pots in their SGs where 500k is considered typical for humbuckers. This will cut a little more high end, and help to smooth out the harsher aspects of the JB. So I'm sure a lot of guys who put them in their SGs probably hear the extra high end and think that that's better, when really something like the 498T would be more suited to the guitar and have extra clarity with 500k pots. And then if you're replacing cheapo Epiphone pickups, the JB will probably just be 'better sounding' by comparison. It's a quality pickup, but you can do so much better with just a little bit more thought put into your choice.

 

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

Depends on what you mean by better. First of all, 'better' is a matter of opinion. If you mean better by, a 'better version of what it is'; being an SG+ then maybe, but I didn't want it to sound like a conventional or suped up SG at all. My SG is lake placid blue, with 1 piece 61' body, and an SG standard neck, so it already looks and feels different than what you'd expect. What everyone on the board seems to deem 'better' or 'befitting' is really personal from style to ear to rig to player.

 

[mremic01]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

Yes, better is a matter of opinion. But generally, the JB in a Super Strat is considered a classic combo that most guitarists find pleasing, even if it's not their thing. The JB in a LP or SG is a combo that a lot of guitarists don't like, while some do (and my guess is that most of those that do haven't tried much else). My own take is that it's a good sound, but not a great one. It's too much. It's less pleasing to the ear, in general. Whether that's due to wood, scale lengths, bridge type, or any number of factors, Gibson style guitars tend to be considered less suited to the JB by guitarists. That is why we recommend against putting a JB in one. You may like the way it sounds, even compared to a C8 or a '59, but most guitarists are going to find the natural EQ curve that the JB puts out uncomplimentary to the natural sound of SGs. You might also like the high gain tones from a Line 6 Spider better than those from an Uberschall or SLO, and because 'better' is subjective, and we can't say that you're wrong, but we're certainly going to question your ear for tone and we're most certainly going to steer anyone away from the Spider. Likewise, we're going to steer the OP away from the JB, because he'd probably like one of the Customs better, even if you love your JB.

 

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

I don't see myself as a player who goes the 'classical' direction, it's boring. Everyone who sticks a custom in a Les Paul or SG just sounds like they cranked the hell out of the treble and seem to call that 'pleasing to the ear.' The JB in a Mahogany guitar is pure mid range...and that's what the guitar is about. This complimentary response thing is just to get a flat EQ, so then you can dial in the amp the way you want...but if you can dial in how you want, why change pickups in the first place? You don't know what the OP would probably like, he has to try things for himself.

 

[mremic01]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

I don't see myself as a player who goes the 'classical' direction, it's boring.

The JB is such a ubiquitous pickup that it still winds up in many players' Gibson style guitars. It's certainly not unique enough to be anything special. It sounds like you just got the Duncan Hot Rodded set and dropped them in your guitar like many guitarists do. Guys like blueman have tried it all, and while I wouldn't always choose the same pickups he would, he's probably tried a lot more pups in an SG than you or I ever will, and my experience is mostly in line with his. It's not just about what's classic or not. It's about the best recommendation for the poster of this thread. He's free to try the JB, but he's most likely not going to audition everything in the Duncan catalog. He's got to start somewhere. Any other pickup mentioned here is a better place to start. The JB would be towards the bottom of my list of pickups for him to try. Worth a shot, maybe, but not if you've can only try a few.

You don't know what the OP would probably like, he has to try things for himself.

Neither do you

But we're trying to steer him in the right direction. He's free to try the JB if he wants. I did, even after being advised not to, and I thought "Well, I like it, but I guess they were right. I like the Custom and 498T a lot better in this guitar." A lot of my favorites bands get great sounds out of a LP or SG with a JB in the bridge. And after I tried it, I now wonder how much better their tone would be if they had tried a few more pickups instead of just going with the usual aftermarket swap. Actually, I wonder how many would settle on the JB at all after first trying out of few Customs, the C/59 hybrid, PG, or Screamin Demon.

Everyone who sticks a custom in a Les Paul or SG just sounds like they cranked the hell out of the treble and seem to call that 'pleasing to the ear.' The JB in a Mahogany guitar is pure mid range...and that's what the guitar is about.

That hasn't at all been my experience, and that's the first time I've heard that. I found the JB in my SG much more like how you're describing your perception of the Custom. I don't hear people calling any of the Customs 'ice pickey', but the JB gets called that a lot. And there are other variations of the Custom to try out, almost all of them well suited to SGs. Not to get an even EQ at all, but to get prominences in difference frequencies to lend them different flavours.

so then you can dial in the amp the way you want...but if you can dial in how you want, why change pickups in the first place?

Because an amp's tone stack is a fairly limited tool for shaping your signal. You can dial out some highs if your top end is harsh, but the harsh quality could be coming from the pickup or amp itself. What if you want the same amount of high end, but want it smoother? What if the frequency you want to tweak isn't what one of the knobs controls? And you can't dial in what isn't there to begin with. Pickups are one of the things you can swap out to get your signal the way you want it before it hits your amp.

So how many pickups have you really tried in your SG?

 

[Maidenheadsteve]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

If you're budget is high enough, I'd pick the Bare knuckle pickup Nailbomb. Despite being a big mid range pickup (lower mids), it also has a good treble response that cuts through without being shrilly. The bass rsponse is also noticeable (I like it's low end better than a JB's). The output also allows it to do the whole spectrum of rock and metal.

 

[0v3nm4n]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

The JB is such a ubiquitous pickup that it still winds up in many players' Gibson style guitars. It's certainly not unique enough to be anything special. It sounds like you just got the Duncan Hot Rodded set and dropped them in your guitar like many guitarists do. Guys like blueman have tried it all, and while I wouldn't always choose the same pickups he would, he's probably tried a lot more pups in an SG than you or I ever will, and my experience is mostly in line with his. It's not just about what's classic or not. It's about the best recommendation for the poster of this thread. He's free to try the JB, but he's most likely not going to audition everything in the Duncan catalog. He's got to start somewhere. Any other pickup mentioned here is a better place to start. The JB would be towards the bottom of my list of pickups for him to try. Worth a shot, maybe, but not if you've can only try a few.




Neither do you

But we're trying to steer him in the right direction. He's free to try the JB if he wants. I did, even after being advised not to, and I thought "Well, I like it, but I guess they were right. I like the Custom and 498T a lot better in this guitar." A lot of my favorites bands get great sounds out of a LP or SG with a JB in the bridge. And after I tried it, I now wonder how much better their tone would be if they had tried a few more pickups instead of just going with the usual aftermarket swap. Actually, I wonder how many would settle on the JB at all after first trying out of few Customs, the C/59 hybrid, PG, or Screamin Demon.




That hasn't at all been my experience, and that's the first time I've heard that. I found the JB in my SG much more like how you're describing your perception of the Custom. I don't hear people calling any of the Customs 'ice pickey', but the JB gets called that a lot. And there are other variations of the Custom to try out, almost all of them well suited to SGs. Not to get an even EQ at all, but to get prominences in difference frequencies to lend them different flavours.



Because an amp's tone stack is a fairly limited tool for shaping your signal. You can dial out some highs if your top end is harsh, but the harsh quality could be coming from the pickup or amp itself. What if you want the same amount of high end, but want it smoother? What if the frequency you want to tweak isn't what one of the knobs controls? And you can't dial in what isn't there to begin with. Pickups are one of the things you can swap out to get your signal the way you want it before it hits your amp.

So how many pickups have you really tried in your SG?

Then use a different amp or try some stomp boxes. The journey never ends

Custom, a Custom 5, a PhatCat, a fuglybucker, air norton, the stock 480 and the JB.

from the custom series, I liked the custom 5 more (for this guitar). The ceramic Pups were way to harsh in it. and the alnico 2 was a bit soft(?)

BTW my pots are 500k. I don't use 300s

The JB on the other hand, was not harsh. It sang each note and did not get ice picky at all. actually it stayed in the mids and produced a nice amount of bass.

The Air Norton had to go for aesthetic reasons (I use gold hardware on this particular SG)

Guitars are funny things man

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

I think some of you all are forgetting that the JB was made in mind to have 250k Pots so people who complain about the Ice pick should keep that in mind. Me I rather have the high end and take it off a bit with the tone knob. But i'm not one of those guys who keeps everything on 10 all the time.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

The JB in an SG can sound good. But there are so many better options.

I tried it and very quickly decided it wasn't anywhere nearly as suited to the SG as any of the Custom series, or even the stock 498T. Sure, the JB is a great pickup, and will be a vast improvement over a lot of stock pickups. Some people just put JBs in there because they assume the stock pickup needs replacing by nature of it being stock, and the JB is Duncan's flagship pickup. It's sort of the default. "Want to change your pickup? Try a JB for Duncan or a Super Distortion for Dimarzio." That's what a lot of guitarists are going to hear before they dig a little deeper and learn about all the various models that are available, if they ever bother... It's a quality pickup, but you can do so much better with just a little bit more thought put into your choice.

Agree completely. JB's are often a knee-jerk reaction, and sometimes there are better choices.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

The JB is such a ubiquitous pickup that it still winds up in many players' Gibson style guitars. It's certainly not unique enough to be anything special. It sounds like you just got the Duncan Hot Rodded set and dropped them in your guitar like many guitarists do.

But we're trying to steer him in the right direction. He's free to try the JB if he wants. I did, even after being advised not to, and I thought "Well, I like it, but I guess they were right. I like the Custom and 498T a lot better in this guitar." A lot of my favorites bands get great sounds out of a LP or SG with a JB in the bridge. And after I tried it, I now wonder how much better their tone would be if they had tried a few more pickups instead of just going with the usual aftermarket swap. Actually, I wonder how many would settle on the JB at all after first trying out of few Customs, the C/59 hybrid, PG, or Screamin Demon.

That hasn't at all been my experience, and that's the first time I've heard that. I found the JB in my SG much more like how you're describing your perception of the Custom. I don't hear people calling any of the Customs 'ice pickey', but the JB gets called that a lot. And there are other variations of the Custom to try out, almost all of them well suited to SGs. Not to get an even EQ at all, but to get prominences in difference frequencies to lend them different flavours.

And again, well said.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Gibson SGJ purchased, recommend a versatile hard rocking bridge pickup

because 'better' is subjective, and we can't say that you're wrong, but we're certainly going to question your ear for tone and we're most certainly going to steer anyone away from the Spider. Likewise, we're going to steer the OP away from the JB, because he'd probably like one of the Customs better, even if you love your JB.

So I get it your an elitist your one of the kool aid drinkers around here that I described in my first or 2nd post. You run right to the "No true scotsman" fallacy. You tell him oh you like the JB so you cant really know tone if you knew tone you would agree with me. What a huge steaming pile of horse puckey. I love how you assume that the OP will like the Custom better because it suits you better and that your opinion is somehow superior than Ovemans. What a crock.