How bright should a JB be?

S

scarabunga

New member
Hi,

I suspect that there is a problem with the wiring in my Yamaha RGX820Z. It came fitted with Seymour Duncan '59 and JB pickups as stock. The reason I'm suspicious is that so many people have complained about the JB being too bright or having a harsh mid-range spike with 500k pots. I checked, and my guitar has 500k pots. I would say my JB sounds a little dull... I sometimes find myself checking to see if the tone pot is unintentionally rolled off. Without having another guitar to compare, how would you guys suggest I can tell if there's a problem?
 
Re: How bright should a JB be?

let ur ears be the judge my friend. if u find it too bright, then swap the 500k pot to 250k. and if it sounds dull to u, u might wanna consider getting something else.

i've been using the JB for about 7 years now and to me its pretty much what i need.
 
Re: How bright should a JB be?

I thought it was sort of dark over all with a weird bright high midspike.

It's kind of dark and bright at the same time if that makes any sense. I don't see how it could be dull, it was so screechy in my kramer I had to get rid of the pickup.
 
Re: How bright should a JB be?

dark overall? hmm, u were using 500k or 250k pots.
i never found the JB to be dark, more bright than dark. hmmm...
 
Re: How bright should a JB be?

Mephis said:
I thought it was sort of dark over all with a weird bright high midspike.

It's kind of dark and bright at the same time if that makes any sense. I don't see how it could be dull, it was so screechy in my kramer I had to get rid of the pickup.
Click to expand...

That's why I wonder if there's a problem with the wiring on the guitar. If the guitar used poor quality switches, pots, and wires, for example, could that make a guitar sound muddy?
 
Re: How bright should a JB be?

I think the JB is bright and dark at the same time too! It doesn't have the high frequencies of a 59B or Custom 5, IMO...both have more actual highs, IMO.

What the JB does seem to have is a very present upper midrange that is often heard as being "bright"...I hear it as being "hard" or "penetrating". Sometimes if I'm playing a guitar with a JB and I'm in a small room and standing close to the speaker it's a little hard on my ears.

250K pots will tame those upper mids...that's the way Seymour uses the JB in his Tele.

I've tried the JB with 250K pots and I guess I like it a little better that way.

You'll lose a little sparkle on top with the 250K pots, but you can get some of that back with the treble control or prescence control on your amp.


Lew
 
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Re: How bright should a JB be?

well said Lew.
i have it installed in 2 guitars, one with 250k pots the other with 500k pots.
somehow i prefer how it sounds with the 500k. however since my guitar with the 250k pots has single coils in it as well. it matched the JB with them better coz the single coils with 500k was way way too bright for me.
 
Re: How bright should a JB be?

what amp and guitar? When i was using a Kustom Quad 200hd solid state head the JB was boring sounding for some reason and dark. But through any tube amp it sounds pretty bright since tube amps in general are bright. I love it, its probably my overall favorite pickup.
 
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