Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

[Silver]

The guitar:

25.5" scale, set neck
Strat body, basswood with maple top
Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard
Wilkinson trem
Humbucker-Humbucker pickup configuration, one volume, one tone
5-way megaswitch with Ibanez/PRS style splitting of pickups in the 2nd and 4th positions.

I want something that can really cover as many bases as possible. This needs to be my 'jack of all trades' guitar.

The JB/Jazz combo have always been hailed as the 'do everything' combo, do you agree?

I'm concerned about the JB in particular. It's been used on countless albums, but I've also heard people complain that it's too ice-picky.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I don't know if it was ever a benchmark for versatility, as much as a benchmark for doing a few things extremely well. I'd think a 59 set, or a 59 & 59/Custom Hybrid set (with the option to split coils) might have an edge in the 'versatile' category.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

Seymour uses that Jazz/JB combo in a Tele with 250k pots and that rounds the sharp edge off of the treble some and makes it easy on the ears.

With 500k pots, the JB can be a little "intense". I've never been comfortable with it.

It's not a favorite of mine.

With a really good overdrive pedal and a really good amp I can get a huge array of clean to heavy and harmonically rich sounds from any of my PAF style pickup sets: 59's, Seth Lovers, Pearly Gates....

I don't need an overwound bridge pickup like the JB.

But that's me. Not you.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I've never understood the complaints about the JB being ice picky. Even with 500k pots.

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[Zheddar]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I agree with Mincer, except one thing. If you want it to get Megadeth/Metallica heavy then the 59/custom starts to fall behind where the JB starts to take off. They are really close though, and the 59/custom has never ending harmonics (more then the JB, which is lots). If you lean more toward hard rock, blues, jazz, or twang, then the 59/custom is great, then again so is the JB. The JB just seems to have a little more of an edgy heavy metal hue over the 59/custom, not to mention a little more output. I think the 59/custom gets better cleans in full humbucker. I also seem to remember the JB and 59' having slightly better twang when together and both split to the north coils. If your other in between position is the neck in parallel, the the 59' is good for that as well, kind of quiet though, which is where the 59/custom becomes a little better of a match. Who knows though, one is really nit picking at this point and the mismatched coils on the 59/custom make for fantastic tone and is more of a "will please all" pickup. People seem to love or hate the JB, which I think can be an acquired taste, because I didn't like it at first, but I also didn't like coffee at first, and now I love plain black espresso. COFFEE COFFEE COFFEE!

 

[Silver]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I don't know if it was ever a benchmark for versatility, as much as a benchmark for doing a few things extremely well. I'd think a 59 set, or a 59 & 59/Custom Hybrid set (with the option to split coils) might have an edge in the 'versatile' category.

The Pickup Selector on the Seymour Duncan website throws out 'JB/Jazz' as a recommendation whenever you select 'More Versatility'... regardless of any other factors such as the style of music, type of tremolo, or woods used. So certainly the company thinks it's the all-rounder combo?

Also, is it not the basis for OEM pickups that aim to cover all bases, such as those on the Parker Fly Mojo? It's also been the default OEM combo for a looooong time.

Never seen any other combo get that much attention.

 

[gregory]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

Another JB appreciation thread!

Say what you will about the pickup with gain, it is not normally praised for cleans.

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

The JB is just funny to me. I don't think it's icepicky. It's a lot smoother and looser than people expect from a high output pickup. The bass response feels sort of funny to me for higher gain rhythm, and the mids are always yelling at you, like the pickup really wants to be soloing. It doesn't have a great clean tone. It solos really we'll, but I don't think it's versatile. The Jazz maybe balances out the JB by being a brighter neck pickup that you can use for a lot of things you wouldn't think would work in that position, but the two pickups are so different that it feels bipolar.

I think a Screamin Demon/Jazz combo is more versatile as far as cleans, tightness, while retaining a lot of the singing horn-like character for leads.

 

[beaubrummels]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I have 2 JBs, a new production and one from the late 1970's. I haven't experienced either as ice-picky, but I haven't used them in 500k Super Strats, which they weren't designed for in the first place.

I found Pearly Gates to be more versatile than JB/Jazz. Or 59/Custom and a Jazz neck. Or a 78 Model with a Seth neck. None of them would I consider a benchmark of versatility, however. If any of them were, I wouldn't have swapped them out so much.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I've personally never gotten the complaints about the JB's cleans.

Having a neck pickup or the middle positon as an option, I don't see why anyone would choose any bridge humbucker for cleans. I mean, bridge pickup cleans are ok if you're doing some country twanging on a tele, I guess, but as far as humbuckers, I think even the vintage-voiced Slash and '59 I've had have been super brash and not much better than a JB.

JMO.

 

[NeedForPower]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

Have you listened to Blow by Blow? Does Beck sound "ice-picky"?

 

[gregory]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

500k Super Strats, which they weren't designed for in the first place.

Not the 500k part, at least. The Telegib does have the same scale length as your typical Super Strat and a floating bridge isn't that big a deal.

 

[Zheddar]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

The Screamin' Demon and Pearly gates are great suggestions as well, they both have good bright and clear cleans, plus a little attitude. I think the Demon does a little better for neo classical and turbo/sweepy/legato shred stuff, but it's really close between the two. I have a newish production model JB in a 500k, alder, all maple neck strat, an it's not icepicky at all. I would also like to add that if anyone has a JB in the bridge of a strat with 250k pots and there is no tone control on the JB, it sounds the bloody same as 2x 500k pots. The only thing that sounds different fully open is either 1000k or the pickup going straight to output (which also isn't icepicky). If your getting icepick on the JB, you have the treble side too close to the strings (or a really trebly amp). The thing sounds perfect at 3/32' bass side and 2/32' treble side with the screws almost flush and using the screw poles to measure that distance with the 21st fret being fretted (even on 24/22/whatever fret guitars, considering that the string height is the same at the 12th fret no matter how many frets you have). That way of measuring gets the same output and volume no matter if your on a strat or les paul, although a covered pickup changes things because you have to raise the screw poles to make it flush with the cover, and they don't tilt in angled rings like uncovered pickups do. If you like em quieter you can back em off, but that way of doing it has given me incredibly consitent results (after a hours doing it by ear and all kinds of other stuff, some of us don't hear the bass as much as the treble and over adjust the bass side). If you don't get that angle right on the pickup and or your strings aren't radiused and the bass side is closer to the strings then that angle, you get mush city in the palm mute area. It's a picky pickup and not as forgiving as the customs. Probably why it can be hated.

 

[ICTGoober]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I've been installing JB's in guitars for clients since the mid 80's. In all that time, I've had ONE GUY complain about the sound. One guy out of thousands of JB's. Clean, dirty - makes no difference, JB's rock.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

I had a Rhoads that came with that combo... I didn't care for them but I'm not a big humbucker guy so what the hell do I know? They had a nice lead sound but I didn't think they did anything else well. The only humbucker combination use these days is a Screamin Demon (which isn't nearly the scorcher the name implies) in the bridge and an Alnico II pro in the neck. I use 'bucker guitars mostly for sessions, and I've never once had a producer ask me to use another guitar no matter what flavor of 'bucker tone we're going for. THAT is versatility.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

Not for me. I don't care for either pickup.

The JB is not versatile at all. It sounds good distorted and sounds like mud clean.


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[Zheddar]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

The JB is for sure not as sparkly crystal clear clean as a 42 gauge 8k'ish humbucker or 6k'ish single coil. I am not sure what they use in the demon, but when I took mine apart to make a 59/demon neck humbucker (I didn't like it), the coil part of the bobbins had lots of space, and with the clarity plus little bit of growl, it really seems like it could be 43 gauge wire, like a very underwound custom type thing, there was way too little wire for it to be 42 gauge (that would be popping off of the bobbin, or they would have to be taller bobbins like on the Fender Vintage Twin Head Humbucker that I took apart). I can't imagine 44 gauge wire at the Demons resistance having positive tonal characteristics. The JB isn't muddy though, just warm and sharp, instead of sparkly and snappy.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

IMO for a do-it-all guitar, an overwound bridge might not be ideal. Though undeniably a rock classic the JB has a specific, very characteristic sound that always is present. I think a less colored pickup would be more appropriate for all-round use. Demon and Pearly are good suggestions. Also maybe the Jazz bridge.

The PATBs are versatile & great-sounding too, excellent for Strat types and often overlooked. I have a PATB-1n with a PATB-3 in one of my Floydcasters and recommend 'em highly.

 

[2ndhandband]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

The JB is for sure not as sparkly crystal clear clean as a 42 gauge 8k'ish humbucker or 6k'ish single coil. I am not sure what they use in the demon, but when I took mine apart to make a 59/demon neck humbucker (I didn't like it), the coil part of the bobbins had lots of space, and with the clarity plus little bit of growl, it really seems like it could be 43 gauge wire, like a very underwound custom type thing, there was way too little wire for it to be 42 gauge (that would be popping off of the bobbin, or they would have to be taller bobbins like on the Fender Vintage Twin Head Humbucker that I took apart). I can't imagine 44 gauge wire at the Demons resistance having positive tonal characteristics. The JB isn't muddy though, just warm and sharp, instead of sparkly and snappy.

Clarity plus growl... that's how I would describe the demons as well. They remind me a little of some of the PRS bridge pickups I've encountered.

 

[Zheddar]

Re: Is the JB/Jazz combo still the benchmark for versatility?

Clarity plus growl... that's how I would describe the demons as well. They remind me a little of some of the PRS bridge pickups I've encountered.

Yeah, like it reminds me of the Pearly Gates in a way. But when comparing the Demon and Pearly, the Pearly has sass, but the Demon has attitude. It's Texas Blues sass vs 80's spandex metal attitude. They are both a little extra syrup in your soda then normal, but one is lemon and one is lime, kind of thing. To me anyway. I love them both.