JB 8 too compressed..

Shooter.556

Shooter.556

New member
So, I have had the JB 8 in my Lester Studio for about 2 months now..
I love everything about it except it's way too compressed..
It's a deal breaker at this point. I like my pickups a little spongy but not too spongy.
The JB 8 is compressed to the point that its all attack and zero chew.. You can't dig into a note and go into another without both note picked being in your face..
It's hard to describe but this is the first pickup I've ever played that doesn't have any give.. There ain't no chew when you dig in, it's all in your face, like more in your face than an EMG 81 or an Invader, it makes my Invader feel like a low output PAF.. No ****, true story!
I need a little chew.. Is there anything I can do to the pickup to take out some of the compression and attack?
I love this pickup otherwise, the tone is fantastic thru my EVH, I just need this tone to open up and bloom a little..
I know I am asking for a lot but at this point I may use the JB 8 as a starting point and have MJ make me what I want if I can't fix this myself..
The JB 8 is one of the best sounding humbuckers I have ever used, it just needs that punch in the face fixed..
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

Any JB I have ever played sounded compressed to me, with many different magnets. You can try an A2, but outside of that, you might have to go to a lower output pickup like the Perpetual Burn or even the 59/Custom Hybrid to get a little dynamics back. Anyone else have any other ideas?
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

Just my first two thoughts here: 1. Are you using the one with two rows of screws? and 2. Have you tried a UOA5 in the JB?

I don't know if this is the direction you are wanting to go, but hvae you ever played a Gibson 500T? In my last Mahogany HH Strat I had the 500T in the bridge but replaced the Flat Head pole peices with Hex Screws...what I hear you are wanting is what that was BUT I definitely could be completely wrong on that :D
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

I love the 500T. It's a fantastic pickup in a Les Paul..
I was afraid I was at the end of the road with a JB in a Les Paul..
I am going to probably go back to a PAF set.. My ears have seemed to started to gravitate towards low out pafs for some reason?
My ears have changed and I don't like hot pickups in Les Pauls anymore.. They lose that open woody tone I love and they don't sound good in mahogany at low gain..
That being said I will probably be posting a zebra JB8 and a Zebra 59 with an A4 pretty soon.
I just contacted a guy in Canada about some a PAF set. He is a boutique winder, I can't find much on him but his 59 set is exactly what I am looking for.
Tone Emporium.. I'd order from the custom shop but I dont wanna be without my favorite Lester for that long so I may get these and if I dont like em, I'll play em until I can get what I want wound..
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

I always thought that higher output pickups in a Les Paul were hit or miss. Obviously some people sound great with them, but they seem to take all the dynamics away to me. They are great for heavy music but I can't get em to work for me with cleaner styles, which is mostly what I do. That being said, a set of Seths in an LP are a beautiful thing.
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

I second the recommendation for a UOA5.

Sent from my MotoE2(4G-LTE) using Tapatalk
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

Mincer - that Silverburst I play has a JB8 in it.

I hear what you are saying though Shooter.

And Crusty - JB/Custom hybrid…..oh msn…..must hear!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

well you could degaus the A8 mag to the same strenght of an A5 or even an A2, that way you will keep most of the tone while effectively lowering the output and compression
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

I hear you, man. I put a Distortion set in my Les Paul Studio, couldn't really handle the lack of dynamics all the time and went through an A5, A2, and A8 before finally settling on the A8, which is very close to a JB8. I was sort of happy, but after a while, I realized I was settling. I bought a Custom and decided on the Custom 8 for quite a while before my tonal tastes changed. (I have an A2 Screamin' Demon in there now.) But the Custom is a great pickup and does what I feel the Distortion (in all its incarnations) does not.
 
Re: JB 8 too compressed..

I just ordered a set of Tone Emporium PAFs for now. I'm going to play these and figure out what I want then get em made in the custom shop. I agree with everyone, hot pickups in a Les Paul kinda kills the dynamics but it also adds serious balls with a high gain amp. I'm in a paradox with that because I play everything from low gain blues to heavy blues rock southern rock country rock and classic rock. I live on the blue channel of my EVH. My ears have changed this year, honestly joining this forum and learning has opened and developed my ear. I am hearing things in guitars that I've never heard before.
 
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