JB/C5 hybrid... switch to A2???

[sungod]

I have a JB/C5 hybrid in two of my PRSi, both of which are fairly bright guitars (see my signature)... the JB/C5 is almost the perfect pickup, the cleans have an articulate shimmer usually not associated with humbuckers, slight overdrive has meat and definition, and high gain patches are thick and clear with a lot of complex overtones... the only issue (albeit a small one) is that i'd like to tame down the treble slightly and add a little mids and low-mids...

short of turning down the tone to 6 or 7 (when i play live i usually hit the knobs inadvertantly and it's much easier to keep it locked on 10)... my first instinct is to change out the A5 to an A2... i assume this would tame the highs, while shifting the peak from the high-mids to lower mids.. my only concern is that i will lose too much bottom end and that the bottom will get a little to flabby... the JB/C5 has good (not great) tightness on the bottom that i would not like to sacrifice...

i love the complex tone the hybrids have and want to keep these PRSi with higher gain pickups because i like what the slight compression does to the mids... i know that the switch from a C5 to a CC is quite drastic, especially in the mids and bottom..

if any has tried an A2 in a JB/C5 hybrid, please let me know what the change did tonally...

 

[Iron Horse]

Re: JB/C5 hybrid... switch to A2???

JB hasn't got a lot of bass, A II version should have even less bass, and CC hasn't got much bass either, and it's not so thight either.
But You could change only the JB coils mag into a AII. (BTW Seymour uses he's JB's and Jazzes with AII mags.)

 

[hamerfan]

Re: JB/C5 hybrid... switch to A2???

Go with a A3. I have Custom with a A3 since the Custom Custom was too warm for me and the C5 was to scooped. The A3 has mids of a A2 but more shimmerings highs, but be warned a low volume like the A2.
An A4 is a bit flatter than A5, the A8 has more volume, mids and balls than the A5.
My recommendation if you like more of everything (except highs) take an A8, if you like it more vintage soft take an A3.

 

[jimijames]

Re: JB/C5 hybrid... switch to A2???

Actually, if you like the pickup as much as you do with A5, you might want to try degaussing it. I'm not an expert, but I believe I heard someone say (a long time back) that degaussing A5 should bring down the highs and bring out the lower mids without sacrificing the overall character of the magnet. Although as for just how much you should degauss it, I haven't the faintest clue.

 

[sungod]

Re: JB/C5 hybrid... switch to A2???

since it was a 30 min job, i took an A2 out of one of my CCs and replaced the A5 in the JB/C5 hybrid... i don't know what to call it now, CC/?? hybrid....

anyhow, it was a pretty big change tonally, although it now has the most awesome midrange character i've experienced... the midspike of the JB/C5 was further reduced and seemed like it was shifted drastically from the high-mids to mids, i lost a little on the bottom end, but gained some mid-bass... the CC/?? hybrid is definitely not as open as the JB/C5, but still much more articulate and complex than a stock CC... i'm kind of digging it and am gonna have to play it live to see how it responds...

degaussing seems like a great option that i would like to try... it would probably get me to the middle ground between the A5 and A2 JB/C?? hybrids, which would be better yet, i think.... guess i'll have to search the forum to see how it's done....