JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

[loudriver23]

I'm not sure if the wiring on my HSS strat is wrong or something, but I've always heard the JB can be a rather bright sounding pickup. I'm finding things the opposite. The volume and tone controls are set up for 3 single coils if that makes a difference. 250k pots etc....022 cap.
Would it be a good idea to use 500K pots, or the .047 cap? Or would that drastically alter the tone of my single coils?
Thanks in advance.

 

[DavidRavenMoon]

JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

I’ve always found JBs to be kind of muddy. They have a strong midrange peak, but the top end is soft. It’s just too much wire on the coils for a bright tone. They sound ok distorted, but lack any kind of top end sparkle like you’d get from a PAF type pickup.

You can add a series/parallel switch. In parallel you’ll get a brighter tone with less mids.

A 500k volume pot can help.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Hollywood Rock]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

You can use a master 500k volume to make the JB brighter and then use resistors to bring back the brightness of the single coils if you want. You could also do a 250k volume for the single coils, a 500k volume for the JB, and a master tone. (I recommend 250k no load with 22nf cap.)

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

A JB is pretty much not bright vs. most single coils. What singles are you using? A Jazz Bridge/Screamin' Demon is a much better match on HSS IMO.

 

[Mincer]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

A JB is really bright to me. 250k pots make it usable to me. But if it is sounding muddy, something is wrong. I am wondering what the wiring looks like or what it would sound like directly wired to the jack.

 

[Hollywood Rock]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

I've had that experience too. A hot humbucker up against vintage single coils with 250k pots does sound pretty warm. I don't think anything is wrong (,although it is possible), I think he just has to tweak his wiring if he wants to stick with the JB.

 

[Toejam]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

I normally don't care for the JB too much, but it sounds great in my G&L Legacy with the middle and neck single coils and 250k volume pot.

 

[ToneFiddler]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

I've had that experience too. A hot humbucker up against vintage single coils with 250k pots does sound pretty warm. I don't think anything is wrong (,although it is possible), I think he just has to tweak his wiring if he wants to stick with the JB.

+1
first i would remove the tone pot for the JB/Bridge position, but i bet wiring changes won't cut it

 

[loudriver23]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

A JB is pretty much not bright vs. most single coils. What singles are you using? A Jazz Bridge/Screamin' Demon is a much better match on HSS IMO.

I have the JB in the bridge of 2 strats actually, I have APS2s in one, and some Dimarzio noisless in the other. But the JB is similarly dark in both.
I think maybe using the 500k master volume and use some caps for the singles looks like an interesting fix.

 

[ToneFiddler]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

I have the JB in the bridge of 2 strats actually, I have APS2s in one, and some Dimarzio noisless in the other. But the JB is similarly dark in both.
I think maybe using the 500k master volume and use some caps for the singles looks like an interesting fix.

not caps! resistors.
you add 470k or 510k resistors in parallel to the 500k pot if the singles are selected (will be like the 250k pot before)

 

[loudriver23]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

not caps! resistors.
you add 470k or 510k resistors in parallel to the 500k pot if the singles are selected (will be like the 250k pot before)

Thanks for the clarification, I don’t do much wiring myself

 

[Silence Kid]

Re: JB in HSS Strat lacks higher end punch

I have the JB in the bridge of 2 strats actually, I have APS2s in one, and some Dimarzio noisless in the other. But the JB is similarly dark in both.
I think maybe using the 500k master volume and use some caps for the singles looks like an interesting fix.

In my experience - APS2s are probably the pickups I least want to pair with humbuckers. I know they're supposed to be 'smoother/darker,' but they sacrifice output vs. A5 single coils in my experience, and thus can come across as 'brighter' in practical use as a result; or else their comparative weak output might make the JB seem extraordinarily heavy. They never balanced well in that scenario, in my experience.

In all honesty by coincidence you have picked two of the only Seymour Duncans (JB, APS2) I have ever wound up pulling from a guitar to try something else because I got fed up (so I have bias.) I don't think this is a good match. Maybe you can play with pots/wiring and get something you like, but I wouldn't rule out more pickup swapping- others seem to favor it, but pot-swapping was never enough for me to 'fix' a glaring problem I had with the sound of a guitar. Just my opinion, but I've never wanted to fiddle with things like resistor values/whatever, when there are other pickups that do things just fine.