JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

[strangegrey]

Hey guys,

I think I'm settling on putting the JB in my strat. Been listening to Hair Nation recently and I think I need to give this strat a healthy dose of aquanet...However, I still want the middle and neck pickup to serve faithfully for blues and country...think Stevie Ray, Henry Garza, etc...

What can you guys suggest that will go well with the full sized JB in the bridge? I understand that the JB will overpower the singles, especially if I want vintage tones from them. However, I also would like some good mid/bridge quack...and knowing that the JB, when split, does a good aproximation of a single coil, I feel it'll match up well with the other singles....So it's my intention to split the JB in position 4, when matched with the single middle (and also split the single middle if I go stacked single coil).


Any suggestions are greatly apreciated...

Thanks,
Frank

 

[Dirt123]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

My strat has a JB and 2 vintage-type strat pickups, an SSL-1 at the neck and a Fender american in the middle. The has a bit of distance between the JB and the strings, so the reletive output fof the singles are close to that of the JB. The JB (split) in combination with the singles gives good quack. The only thing missing is a decent single coil bridge sound; the JB split sound by itself is usable, just not great. I set mine up this way so I could get the usual strat sound & the give it a boost with the JB when I needed it. It's wired to a 5-way super-switch like this:
1 = Neck alone
2 = Neck & middle, Parallel
3 = Neck & JB Stud coil, Parallel
4 = Middle & JB screw coil, Parallel
5 = Full JB (splitable with tone control)

 

[strangegrey]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

1 = Neck alone
2 = Neck & middle, Parallel
3 = Neck & JB Stud coil, Parallel
4 = Middle & JB screw coil, Parallel
5 = Full JB (splitable with tone control)

Bob, that's an interesting wiring scheme...do you have a schematic or a diagram for that? What type of switch did you use?

-Frank

 

[strangegrey]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

Can anyone else offer some assistance in some singles that will mate well with a JB?

Thanks,
Frank

 

[strangegrey]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

One more bump and I'm giving up! :2:

 

[Zerberus]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

I´d use hot stacks or a hot stack mid and a Cool Rails neck

 

[itbepopples]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

Id like to know too as I'm considering switching out the SCN pickups from my HSS strat. The humbucker in my strat only overpowers the singles by a small amount but in the #4 position the stiffness of the split bridge hum + the chewy warm single-esque tones from the middle pickup make for the perfect Albert Lee tone you'll ever hear. I'm just wondering if I'd lose that by going with a higher output bridge pickup.

 

[strangegrey]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

itbepopples,

Is your position #4 totally noiseless, like the rest of the guitar?...I was under the impression that the middle SCN is not split, to counter the humbucker getting split...

-F

 

[Telesexual]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

I have a buddy with a lil59 in the neck, Duckbucker middle and a JB bridge. This strat is sick. one of the most verstile sounding strats I ever played. the lil 59 is good for a nice bluesy solo, i believe and spliting the hums with the duckbucker gives a nice clean sound tone.

 

[strangegrey]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

My problem with going to the lil59er in the neck is the fact that I want a single coil sound there, not a humbucker sound...

 

[Dirt123]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

Bob, that's an interesting wiring scheme...do you have a schematic or a diagram for that? What type of switch did you use?

-Frank

I'll have to sketch it up & post it later. I only have a hand drawing. I used a 5-way 4-pole super switch, I love those things. You can do lots with 'em.

 

[itbepopples]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

itbepopples,

Is your position #4 totally noiseless, like the rest of the guitar?...I was under the impression that the middle SCN is not split, to counter the humbucker getting split...

-F

Yeah its definitely noiseless but it really is amazing. If I could have only 3 tones out of the seemingly endless combinations with the SCN and S-1 switching it would be 1 (neck) 4 (Middle Pickup and Inside Coil of Bridge Humbucking Pickup in Parallel (Lead Tone Control) and 5 (bridge pickup in regular humbucking mode).

 

[Dirt123]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

OK here's my schematic. Positions 2-5 are all hum canceling, only position 1 (Neck only) is not. T1 is the tone pot for positions 4 & 5, & splits the JB in position 5 when dialed to 10. T2 is for the positions 1, 2, & 3. I did not note the values of the tone caps, but I think the cap on T1 is small, like .001 uFD, so the JB get kind of nasal-ey when the tone is turned down. Use whatever you want. The RC network on the volume pot are the normal values for treble bleed, but I can never remember the values. I might not have even installed it this time.

Edit: Wait. the upload's not working...I'll have to do it tonight.

Update: Can't upload at all. Sorry. I'll talk to admin. It used to work.

 

[dr.barlo]

Re: JB in a strat...what singles for mid + neck?

I think you could like fender tx specials. Has a lot of output compared to other alnico single coils, and has a similar tone regarding the JB. (The uppermid spike is what I am talking about!)

I still have a neck and middle, and they did very well in terms of matching output with a 8.75K PG+. And let me tell you that that pickup is HOT. I dunno how much more output a JB would have but will remind you that resistance figures of a PG+ (wound with a #42 wire a la PAF) and a JB (wound with #44 wire if I remember right) is not a good indicator of output. Because comparing resistance figures of HB (with respect to output) wound with different gauge wire is like comparing apples and oranges.

Good luck,

B