JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

[bigheadood]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

Seems to me, the yellow one is punchier in the low end...But it's kind of hard to tell with that uber-crispy tone. I don't hear ANY mud, with either guitar.

 

[eschoendorff]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

I checked the wiring; they both have 500k pots. I disconnected the tone knob from guitar #2.

They sound a lot closer, but something still bugs me and stands out but I can't quite place it. Part of me is thinking now it's just placebo.

I posted a video comparing the two after removing the tone knob from guitar #2, let me know if you guys notice any difference still.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rupFqAsNxg

I listened to the clip... and especially at the beginning, both guitars sound reasonably similar. I don't think the yellow one comes across as muddy at all. Maybe a little more density to the sound, but really they both sound nice and clear. Actually, I rather like the tone of the yellow guitar. More meat to it.

In all fairness, I was bothered a lot more by the intonation of the guitars rather than the tone quality.

 

[mudpuppy]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

Neither one sounds muddy to me, but the yellow one seems to lack something the black one has. Maybe lacking in mids? It could be that the rosewood fingerboard on the black one warms thinks up enough to make the difference.
The yellow one seems a little harsh and tinny.

 

[kgarvey@hotmail]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

Based on the video-clip I would say the differences in tone if I had to say is down to the fingerboard wood.

 

[RideFour15]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

I guess muddy wasn't a good way to describe it, but i can say the difference was more drastic before I took out the tone pot on the yellow guitar (before the video).

Anyone have any good suggestions as to what to use to replace the JB in the yellow guitar to, as tone4days aptly put it, give it some more balls? I'm even considering Dimarzios as a lot of people seem to find those match well with RGs

 

[JHN]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

Put an A8 in the JB

 

[RideFour15]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

Today I almost bought a new pickup, but lack of funds prevented me from committing to buy Then I thought about it a little more and checked here, and I think I'm going to be ordering an Alnico 8 magnet from Wymore Guitars and throw that in the JB; from what I've read on numerous threads here it seems to be exactly what I'm looking for!

Hopefully in a week or two I'll have the magnet and a new tone comparison video

Thanks for the help everyone!

 

[RideFour15]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

Today I had the chance to swap the stock JB magnet with the Alnico 8 I received earlier in the week, and oh man am I impressed.

Here's a little comparison video I made: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQljE-jikDc

I've only had the chance to use it in my practice amp for now, but it already sounds so much ballsier to me and exactly what I wanted. Thanks everyone for the help!

 

[Jessie Sammler]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

The JB is an ornery critter. It doesn't sound the same in any of my three guitars. They'd might as well be different pickups.

 

[C-Martin]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

JB definitely seems to be a stuborn and picky pickup

Ive noticed the same thing in my strat vs the charvel. Both have JBs and the charvel has a more tight and percussive sound, little more defined and clear compared to the strat which is slightly less punchy a little crunchier but less tight sounding and a tiny bit fizzy and i much prefer how the jb sounds in my charvel than my strat. Charvel has a maple neck and strat has a rose neck so i dont think it has to do with the fretboard wood but rather the actual construction of the guitar i notice the black guitar is rear routed and your yellow one is top routed so thus more straty.. like mine. I can clearly hear the difference between both guitars and it resembles the same issue i have.. sure the difference might be slight to some but to the person dealing with the issue and is looking for a very specific sound that they have in their heads the slight difference can seem huge and once you notice it your ears focus on it and you cant "not hear it" anymore lol its very annoying sometimes.. JB sounds awesome in my charvel, not so awesome in my strat but stil great.. but to me its not good enough and im gonna probably be dismantling my strat again for the 500th time to try to get the sound i want lol

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

I have two Ibanez RGs with JBs in the bridge position, but they sound quite a bit different to me.

In the first (RG220B), it's a basswood body with pickups mounted on pickup rings, maple/rosewood neck/fb, and an F spaced JB. In the second (RG350m), it's a basswood body with pickups mounted on pickguard, maple/maple neck, and regular spaced JB from the Hot Rodded Humbucker set. Both guitars have Ibanez floating trems.

In the first guitar, it sound crystal clear, has an amazing tone, and I absolutely love it.
In the second guitar, it sounds kind of muddy and not so clear no matter what I do with my amp.




After listening to the video you made after alterations, I find the same thing as you originally posted. The black one is more clear and articulate, the yellow tends to be slightly warmer but also a bit muddier.

 

[blueman335]

Re: JB in two similar guitars, very different tone?

The JB is an ornery critter. It doesn't sound the same in any of my three guitars. They'd might as well be different pickups.

+1. It can be very good, or it can be very difficult. I don't think it's the best PU to widely promote, as a significant number of players will have issues with it unless they change magnets or pots.