Jazz bridge pickup in neck

[Inflames626]

Hello all,
Context at the beginning with the question at the end.

So some time ago I put together an LTD EC256 with an A2PN in the neck and a Custom 5 in the bridge. The A2PN was nickel covered and the Custom 5 was trem spaced because that was what I had on hand. Rather unique look for a poor man's matte black Les Paul.

Each pickup had Triple Shots, there was a push/pull phase on the neck, and a .047 tone cap to round things out.

Right now I have it in DGCFAD. I call it my chugga chugga "Sad But True" guitar. I use it mostly for tracking rhythms since it is a tune-o-matic bridge guitar. It's nice if much lighter than it looks and cheaper feeling because it isn't a full on Eclipse (which I didn't get because those are usually EMG stock and I wanted a passive guitar).

Except there was a problem. The A2PN was just a bit mismatched by the hotter Custom 5. I put an A2PB in the neck.

Just that extra bit of oomph from the bridge pickup version helped balance out things with the Custom 5, and a bit more emphasis on the upper mids of the A2PB helped the neck pickup cut through while keeping a Slash style tone (and 4 conductor wiring).

I suppose this is the same logic behind putting the 59 bridge version in the neck of the Dime set. I also had a similar experience pairing a Gibson 57 Classic Plus with a 498t. The neck version of the 57 Classic just wasn't quite there.

With the A2PB in the neck, I remember someone mentioning the A2PN/B are basically similar to a Jazz but with Alnico 2 magnets.

This got me thinking I could probably also try the rarely used/discussed Jazz ***bridge*** version in the neck with something hotter in output--I'm thinking possibly a Nazgul (which I haven't tried yet--just one of several theoretical sets I have in mind).

I have a Jazz neck version lying around, but something tells me on hotter pickups (14k+ and definitely 16k+) the neck version may not balance well because it will be overpowered by the bridge.

I know there's more to output than DCR and it also depends on where the EQ is emphasized but very generally I find if a bridge pickup is 2x more the DCR of the neck it probably won't be a good match. I like the neck to be about 60-75% output of the bridge. By output I mean volume and distortion.

I find it's always helpful to have a bread and butter style pickup like a Jazz, 59, Distortion, or JB lying around if you are trying a new pickup you are unfamiliar with. These classic pickups are a good reference point for your ear.

As far as the 59, I have tried both versions and it just strikes me as a bland pickup compared to a Jazz, Custom/Custom 5 in parallel (try a Custom 5/Custom build--you'll be pleasantly surprised), or even more unconventionally a JB in the neck split, which surprisingly gives a great clean tone. I may keep both 59s in a guitar at some point and not pair them with anything.

Some may suggest the Pearly Gates as a neck pickup for a hotter bridge pickup but that's another set I'd prefer to keep together.

So all that context aside, does anyone have a lot of experience with a Jazz bridge version, especially in the neck? I wish it got more attention.

Thanks.

 

[Inflames626]

Edit: I always get 403 errors when trying to edit here so I'll add a last thought below.

I look forward to trying the Distortion neck in the bridge because of when it was called the "Seymourizer." That's written about below. Perhaps I could pair it with the Demon in the neck like the article suggests. I liked the Demon in the bridge for its tight low end especially but found it a little thin and underpowered in the mids and highs. I have been looking for another use for it. Several have suggested the Demon is a great neck pickup.

Meanwhile these days I mainly use the Distortion not as a bridge pickup for rhythm but to track solos only. All that bright, scratchy high end fatigues the ears when I can get a similar sound by using a lower output pickup like a Full Shred with more preamp gain through a software plugin.

The Distortion sits great in a mix soaring over the top as part of a melody, though. Yet, I find I'm preferring the Parallel Axis Original to the Distortion bridge more and more these days.

I plan to replace my Distortion bridge pickup in my Jackson DK2S with the Parallel Axis Distortion and single coil to see what happens. I know the Distortion sounds great when paired with a Sustainiac system. I'm hoping the Parallel Axis Distortion will sound even better.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/blog/latest-updates/seymour-duncans-prodigal-sons-the-sh7-and-the-sh9

 

[GuitarDoc]

I have several guitars with a Jazz bridge pup in the neck, in fact I have only used the bridge model in the neck. That and the Demon are my very favorite neck pups (aside from P-90s).

Yes, the Jazz is the same wind as the A2P, just the magnet is the difference. So if you want to try a Jazz b in the neck and you have an A2P b laying around, just put an A5 magnet in it.

 

[superpete]

i have a jazz bridge in the neck of a les paul custom with an evh frankenstein in the bridge and it sounds incredible.

 

[Mincer]

Sorry about those editing errors- they affect some more than others. For me it is 50/50. Sometimes it is easier to just make another post, like you figured out.

'Neck' and 'bridge' are just labels, so there aren't any laws against experimenting. If you have a particularly hot bridge pickup, a bridge Jazz might balance well. Some might find it too bright and lacking bass, but that is why others really love it.

 

[Inflames626]

Sorry about those editing errors- they affect some more than others. For me it is 50/50. Sometimes it is easier to just make another post, like you figured out.

'Neck' and 'bridge' are just labels, so there aren't any laws against experimenting. If you have a particularly hot bridge pickup, a bridge Jazz might balance well. Some might find it too bright and lacking bass, but that is why others really love it.

Not a problem, Mincer . Those 403 errors have been persistent for quite a few years, though. I wish IT could resolve it.

The reason why I get concerned over neck and bridge is I worry putting them in the wrong order will 1) make an extremely high output neck pickup pair with a lower output bridge pickup and 2) it's my understanding that hotter pickups are darker so this is offset partially by using brighter magnets.

So sometimes I worry that by putting a high output bridge pickup in the neck I may be putting a really dark, distorted pickup in the neck--something I want to avoid as I strongly dislike tones such as the Invader. Although I see lots of clips with people having it dialed in sounding great, for me it rarely works.

If I want a hot solo tone from the neck, that's usually from a completely different guitar than my usual load out which will have something like a Jazz or EMG 60 in the neck through a Roland JC120. It's only in my Custom 5/Custom Mockingbird build that I was able to get a neck pickup that is both warm and bright depending on how the Triple Shots/phase/tone knobs are dialed in.

I have found that EMG HZ1s (which I would say are comparable to a slightly lower output Custom) have a wide variety of tones when paired with a Triple Shot. I put TSes on just about everything now that isn't an active pickup.

Again, genius design on SD's part with the Custom line. Those pickups are so very flexible.

I'm usually not one to use the same pickup in multiple locations. I know a lot of people use two Demons or even two JBs. To me that's like having two Corollas in the driveway. At least have a Corolla and a Civic.

The only time I might deliberately go with a mismatched pickup set is if I'm recording and I want a 1950s single coil sound with a hot bridge pickup. Live it would be awkward but in a recording it might sound like even two different guitars when really it is the same one.

I appreciate you checking in on a holiday with us as well, Mincer .

 

[Inflames626]

Also I discovered from trying an EMG 81 in the neck many years ago that you can approach pickup tone/placement in two ways:

1) Choosing a pickup that accentuates the sound of a given position.

2) Choosing a pickup that offsets the sound of a given position.

By 1) I might mean using an Alnico 5 or 2 in the neck. By 2) I might mean putting a ceramic pickup in a dark guitar's neck pickup position.

My problem with the 81 in the neck is it fought the neck position the whole way. It was like an 81 in the bridge with a blanket thrown on top of it--very muffled.

So sometimes it's hard to know whether one should go with #1 or #2 unless one knows the sound of a pickup well.