JB equivalent

[Coma]

Just outta curiosity:

I have Floyded Jackson Dinky, tuned to C standard, with a JB in the bridge position. It sounds fantastic, chugs when needed and cuts through very well. None of the infamous "spike" that some people complain about, at least not in this guitar and this setup.

What would be a good equivalent to put in a Les Paul to achieve a similar tone? Doesn't have to be 1:1, just close enough to do the job. Also doesn't have to be a Duncan, I'm not a brand absolutist.

 

[Mincer]

I'd say Nazgul.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I think a JB also sounds nice in a Les Paul.

But FWIW, I have tried a few JB-inspired alternatives on my Les Pauls, and a few stand out.

1. Standard production JB - You know what to expect. Depending on the Les Paul, it might like different pot values. I find Gibsons to be more biting and cutting than Epis or LTD's.
2. Antiquity JB - A bit smoother and more focused. Killer as well.
3. Suhr SSH+ - More balanced, not as much mid content as a JB. Kinda halfway between a middy JB and a scooped Custom 5. Very balanced with a nice sense of top-end clarity.
4. DiMarzio AT-1 - A tamer JB with less output and a bit more openness. Kinda like a JB Lite.
5. Gibson 498T - Not as closely related spec-wise as the others, but another alternative when you want a "JB Lite" vibe with a sense of that cool rasp that Gibson pickups often have.

You could also start getting into the ceramic cousins of the JB if you want kind of a more aggresive sound like with the Distortion, Black Winter, or even the DiMarzio Dominion. I do agree that there is some overlap between the Nazgul and the JB, but I find the Black Winter the most "JB on steroids" sound out of the ceramic Duncan lineup.

JMO.

 

[ehdwuld]

Isn't the Tone Zone an overwound JB with 17k ohms rather than 16k

If you want super cheap
There are so Fleor and Oripure versions
With 15-16k ohm winds and Alnico 5 magnets that get you in the ballpark

I have a set of Saphue and MaxCheer here at the house

I'm probably not the best one to speak to about bridge pickups
I rarely play the bridge pickup

 

[Chistopher]

Isn't the Tone Zone an overwound JB with 17k ohms rather than 16k

I think thats the AT-1

 

[Chistopher]

Just outta curiosity:

I have Floyded Jackson Dinky, tuned to C standard, with a JB in the bridge position. It sounds fantastic, chugs when needed and cuts through very well. None of the infamous "spike" that some people complain about, at least not in this guitar and this setup.

What would be a good equivalent to put in a Les Paul to achieve a similar tone? Doesn't have to be 1:1, just close enough to do the job. Also doesn't have to be a Duncan, I'm not a brand absolutist.

Nothing will have a spike in C standard

 

[Coma]

Isn't the Tone Zone an overwound JB with 17k ohms rather than 16k

If you want super cheap
There are so Fleor and Oripure versions
With 15-16k ohm winds and Alnico 5 magnets that get you in the ballpark

I have a set of Saphue and MaxCheer here at the house

I'm probably not the best one to speak to about bridge pickups
I rarely play the bridge pickup

I have a Tone Zone in another guitar and I love it. It was actually my first go-to, but it's already kind of dark and warm, not sure how it would act in a LP.

 

[Coma]

Nothing will have a spike in C standard

That makes sense, although I didn't really hear the spike when it was in E standard either.

 

[Bill Dennis]

Just outta curiosity:

I have Floyded Jackson Dinky, tuned to C standard, with a JB in the bridge position. It sounds fantastic, chugs when needed and cuts through very well. None of the infamous "spike" that some people complain about, at least not in this guitar and this setup.

What would be a good equivalent to put in a Les Paul to achieve a similar tone? Doesn't have to be 1:1, just close enough to do the job. Also doesn't have to be a Duncan, I'm not a brand absolutist.

Why not just another JB? If you want crazy cheap, the Guitar Madness 1984 is pretty darn good but is definitely not a JB clone

 

[marcello252]

I think tonerider generator is in the ballpark

https://tonerider.com/products/generator?variant=40072441233544

magnet, inductance and impedance are similar, although I've never heard it

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I think thats the AT-1

Isn't the Tone Zone an overwound JB with 17k ohms rather than 16k

No, the AT-1 is 16-something. It's roughly the same DCR as the JB. I don't know how close the wind of the AT-1 is to the JB, but the AT-1 has the virtual vintage thing as well as the airbucker tech. To me, the AT-1 kinda sounds like a JB Lite.

The Tone Zone is not just an overwound JB, but the Tone Zone does borrow some inspiration from the JB. Specifically, they tried to get close to EVH's JB's that one of its coils not function well. The Tone Zone has the asymetrical coils and the brass baseplate, though. So it is loosely JB-inspired, but it's also kind of its own thing.

 

[Coma]

Why not just another JB? If you want crazy cheap, the Guitar Madness 1984 is pretty darn good but is definitely not a JB clone

I could. But the construction of the two guitars is vastly different, both in terms of materials, neck attachment, hardware and scale length. So I don't think simply sticking the exact same pickup into the latter would yield similar results.

 

[Chistopher]

I could. But the construction of the two guitars is vastly different, both in terms of materials, neck attachment, hardware and scale length. So I don't think simply sticking the exact same pickup into the latter would yield similar results.

Not to mention the bridge pickup is in a different spot

 

[Bill Dennis]

I could. But the construction of the two guitars is vastly different, both in terms of materials, neck attachment, hardware and scale length. So I don't think simply sticking the exact same pickup into the latter would yield similar results.

Why would you want them to be the same? That's the whole point of having different guitars is it not?

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Not to mention the bridge pickup is in a different spot

Thissssss.

Depends on what the Les Pauls is, but I know Gibsons in particular have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge itself than most.

 

[Coma]

Why would you want them to be the same? That's the whole point of having different guitars is it not?

Because I would much prefer to play the Les Paul. 24.75" scale length is just a lot more comfortable for me to play. And like I said, they don't have to sound exactly the same. I like what the JB does in that particular guitar, so I want something similar in a different setup.

 

[Coma]

Thissssss.

Depends on what the Les Pauls is, but I know Gibsons in particular have the bridge pickup closer to the bridge itself than most.

Les Paul Studio Gothic. Basically the 90s Les Paul Lite with a different paint job.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Les Paul Studio Gothic. Basically the 90s Les Paul Lite with a different paint job.

I'd say give the JB a try in the Gibbo. I like the JB in my Tribute and the Ant JB in my Modern Lite.

Maybe consider the Suhr Aldrich if you feel like you need a bit more fatness or the Suhr SSH+ if you feel you need a bit more sparkle.

 

[ehdwuld]

I have a JB in an Ibanez RG and in a Gibsom LP and they both sound like JBs





I have one in my semihollow LP sized Ehdwuld branded signature



I have a Donlis knockoff in my Ehdwuld branded modern double cut signature




I have another Amazon knockoff in the bridge of my Censtar Headless




I have several more but I think I made my point

Different woods Different scales
Different brand names
Same 16k alnico goodness

Ok the Censtar has ceramic magnets and sounds awesome as well

 

[freefrog]

The Tone Zone is not just an overwound JB, but the Tone Zone does borrow some inspiration from the JB. Specifically, they tried to get close to EVH's JB's that one of its coils not function well. The Tone Zone has the asymetrical coils and the brass baseplate, though. So it is loosely JB-inspired, but it's also kind of its own thing.

+1.

Regarding a same pickup in different guitars: powerful humbuckers tend to put the same loud voice in any instrument and are often played overdriven, which tends to mask the difference between instruments. It doesn't deny potential tonal differences due to scales, pickup locations relatively to the bridge, and wiring (unless the listener is not sensorially receptive to differences, of course). A JB in a superstrat with a Floyd Rose is something noticeably different compared to a JB in a LP, IME. Heck, even in Epiphone or Gibson LP's, same pickups don't sound the same to me...

In a LP, I'd put something "lighter" in DCR and inductance than a JB if I wanted a similar tone. Not a Tone Zone, for sure - but I don't know what I'd try so I'll just shut my big mouth of frog now.