jazz pickup louder than my '59

[Ragingguitarist18]

My jazz pickup in the neck position is a lot louder than my '59 in the bridge, dramatically louder. Aren't they supposed to have about the same output? Neither of them are high output pickups, at least from what I know. Any help is appreciated.

 

[Marinblues]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

Have you tried lowering the Jazz?

 

[Ragingguitarist18]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

well theyre both set at about the same height, should I have the neck lower than the bridge?

 

[Marinblues]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

Yes.

 

[Ragingguitarist18]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

cool, I lowered the jazz pickup and now its a little more even, the jazz is still a little bit louder but I'm comfortable with the way it is. Won't lowering it affect the tone though?

 

[Young Angus]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

Lowering it will affect the tone, but only depending on how much. You dont want to comprimise the tone by lowering it too much though, you're better off getting a pickup that matches either one of your current ones better otherwise you could really be comprimising the tone. You just have to listen to it and try to see if the tone gets comprimised.

That doesnt surprise me though, the 59 is a humbucker with a vintage output rating (the softest) and a jazz humbucker has a medium output rating (which is higher)....plus if i remember right (please verify this someone with more experience) the neck pickups are more powerful than bridge pickups in general.

So if that is the case (which im pretty sure it is) then you've got a lower output pickup in the position on the guitar which is generally lower output anyway...hence there is a pretty noticable difference.

 

[59paul]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

I'm using a Jazz neck and a 59 Bridge in one of my Les Pauls. I noticed that the Jazz is a little more " Boom-y ", for lack of a better word. I set the Jazz just even with the pickup mounting ring, and it all balanced out. The 59 is bright, like an old 59 PAF, and I think the difference in Tone between the 2 pickups makes the Jazz sound " Louder ". ( I also noticed this same thing with a Pearly Gates in the Bridge)

 

[korinastratkyle]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

Grab a ruler and and a screw driver. bar the 12th fret. Adjust the bass side of them to about 3/16" (about 4 1/2mm) off the bottom of the string. Adjust the treble side to about 1/8" (about 3mm) off the bottom of the string. Adjust to taste, but I find it about perfect for me.

 

[Ragingguitarist18]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

I popped in my sd custom in place of the 59, and they seem to more matched output wise, with the jazz still a little louder, one thing that's weird is that the custom is louder when I have it coil split. I miss the 59's tone though, and i'll probably be putting it back in even if I have to deal with a significant volume difference.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

Custom louder with coil split??? I dont know much about this stuff but that doesnt sound right to me.

 

[brinton]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

Custom louder with coil split??? I dont know much about this stuff but that doesnt sound right to me.

Yeah thats super skrewy I think your wiring wrong our you got a skrewy pot, take it to someone, also I wouldn't think the Jazz is louder than the 59 unless you got a jazz bridge in the neck and a 59n in the bridge (at least for DC res.)

 

[sammy]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

You're right there. Neither are high output. I would try lowering the jazz pickup and/or raising the '59 to accomodate the difference in volume.

sammy

 

[Davey]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

i got a JB bridge and a '59 neck .. i got them both set that when i fret the 22nd fret, they are about 2mm's lower than the strings (my action is set at 2cm's) .. i find the tone perfect

 

[Ragingguitarist18]

Re: jazz pickup louder than my '59

thanks for the help guys, appreciate it

as for the custom being louder split, very strange, I think i've got the wiring down right, (white+red to a push pull pot, with a wire from the middle lug in the pp to a volume, have had no problem with this) the pot just might be buggy, the volume won't go all the way down on the neck, unless I have the bridge volume set to 0 as well, if i have the bridge set to 10 and the neck set to 0, I can still hear the neck pickup a little bit from the amp.

well today Ill probably pop back in the 59, and probably in the future Ill check out a JB since they get such good reviews.

BTW Brinton, I thought they only made neck models for the jazz? I didn't think there was a bridge version.