JB Jr and Strat

[hareek]

I was just wondering what the general opinion is on a JB Jr in the bridge position on a stratocaster. I run an american standard strat through a Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100. I play mainly heavier rock so I want a great pickup for that, but I play some classic rock and blues every now and then. I also don't want my cleans to be too dirty, which is one reasoned I stayed away from putting in a Hot Rails. any thoughts?

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

I was just wondering what the general opinion is on a JB Jr in the bridge position on a stratocaster. I run an american standard strat through a Marshall JCM2000 TSL 100. I play mainly heavier rock so I want a great pickup for that, but I play some classic rock and blues every now and then. I also don't want my cleans to be too dirty, which is one reasoned I stayed away from putting in a Hot Rails. any thoughts?

I had one in one of my alder bodied/maple necked strats for several years....Throaty tone,compresses slightly,sings pretty easy with gain or distortion from your amp...Slightly on the dark side,mids are very prominent,doesn't really ever give you a vintage like strat bridge tone,but it's not supposed to...I used to split mine and then the pickup is pretty anemic and thin.....The fix in this guitar(Floyd Rose Bridge)was to go with a Fralin Steel Pole 43 which acts like a P90 pickup but it also cleans up well and does get pretty close to a strat bridge pickup...Thanks to lew here on the forums! You can go to Lindy Fralins site a read and view the SP43,but buy it from Lew...

The other pickup to look into if you're leaning that way,would be the Lil 59....The prominent mids of the JB Juinor is something I got tired of,in fact I don't like the JB anyway and don't currently own one!

 

[ErikH]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

Go with the Little 59. It's a very diverse pickup and covers all the grounds you mentioned. It matches up pretty well with the stock pickups as well. With a hotter pickup, the cleans won't be so clean.

 

[hareek]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

Go with the Little 59. It's a very diverse pickup and covers all the grounds you mentioned. It matches up pretty well with the stock pickups as well. With a hotter pickup, the cleans won't be so clean.

I heard that a '59 was good in the neck position so Im thinking about dropping one of those in there. Should I still put a '59 in the bridge also or do you recommend a better configuration?

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

Thanks for the plug John!

I used a JB JR. for quite a while in one of my Strats and, like John, I found it to be a little to dark and middy. So I swapped it for a neck model JB JR. and I liked that alot more. It also blended with the middle pickup better, but the classic N & B combined tone is still "lost" with any JB JR. You get another cool tone but it's not the classic bubbley quack we're used to and which is one reason many of us love Strats so much.

I've never had the Little 59 in my own guitar but I think I would have prefered it to the JB JR. bridge model. It's brighter and a little more open sounding...maybe more like the neck model JB JR. I used as a bridge pickup.

Personally, I like the Duncan Twangbanger better...it's not humcancelling but it has a thick fat tone and sings beautifully.

I also have the Fralin SP43 in one of my other Strats and for a P90ish tone I don't think it can be beat.

My favorite "hot" or "overwound" Strat pickups would be:

Duncan Twangbanger
Duncan Texas Hot Custom Bridge
Fralin SP43

 

[ErikH]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

I heard that a '59 was good in the neck position so Im thinking about dropping one of those in there. Should I still put a '59 in the bridge also or do you recommend a better configuration?

I have the bridge version of it. It's one of my favorites. So far I've been able to play anything from Dokken, some blues stuff, and even some Judas Priest with my Strat thanks to that little bugger.

 

[walt]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

I had a JBjr a long time ago and at first liked it, THEN, I noticed that there didn't seem to be much bottom or as much as a full sized bucker. I then went to a full sized JB and THEN I got tired of the mid spike. I had a trio of little 59s that were pretty cool sounding, just enough openess to the tone to remind you (or atleast me) of some sort of single coil characteristic. I then went to a full sized 59 and haven't turned back.

IMHO, if you are playing heavier rock, I would recommend going with the full size version of anything. If you want to mix it up with the blues and classic rock then get a full size 59.

I have always felt that it is easier to take a low output pickup and add to it so that you can do a varity of music, then it is to take a high output pickup and try to scale it back.

 

[thucydides]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

I currently have a 'lil 59 in the bridge of my strat, and I have used a JB jr in a strat in the past. I find the 'lil 59 to be more versatile. Your 2000 series Marshall should have enough gain for the heavier stuff. Having said that, IME I have found that walt is right regarding the differences btw smaller and larger versions of the same pup. The nice thing about a Strat is that if you want to go back to SC size pups, you can "undo" the route with a new pickguard. I wouldn't do that with an old Strat, of course...

 

[idsnowdog]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

The jb jr is probably the best sounding neck pickup I have ever heard. I also have two of the bridge models which I like a lot.

Snowdog

 

[hareek]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

The nice thing about a Strat is that if you want to go back to SC size pups, you can "undo" the route with a new pickguard. I wouldn't do that with an old Strat, of course...

If I did that, it'd actually be real easy to fix because the body is already routed for a full sized humbucker in both the bridge and neck positions, so that might be an excellent option. Only thing I have against that is that I really love that classic fender look of the 3 single coil sized pickups. But my sound would definitely come first.

 

[walt]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

If I did that, it'd actually be real easy to fix because the body is already routed for a full sized humbucker in both the bridge and neck positions, so that might be an excellent option. Only thing I have against that is that I really love that classic fender look of the 3 single coil sized pickups. But my sound would definitely come first.

With the number of switches available, you can have a 2 humbucker strat and have all kinds of split options and actually have more versitle instrument to bat. But I agree with you, when you say Stratocaster, you picture a blonde guitar, 3 pickups, Mitch Mitchell on drums and Noel Redding on Bass.

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

I would take the Little '59 over a JB Jr easily. When I think JB Jr, I think of Janick Gers from Iron Maiden, and when you compare his tome to the other two guitarists from Maiden, his tone sounds terrible.

The Little '59 is an awesome pickup, it sounds generally warmer than the JB Jr. You should listen to the clips in ErikH's sig. That's what convinced me to get a Little '59.

 

[hareek]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

I would take the Little '59 over a JB Jr easily. When I think JB Jr, I think of Janick Gers from Iron Maiden, and when you compare his tome to the other two guitarists from Maiden, his tone sounds terrible.

The Little '59 is an awesome pickup, it sounds generally warmer than the JB Jr. You should listen to the clips in ErikH's sig. That's what convinced me to get a Little '59.

yeah I spent about an hour straight listening to the sound clips of each pickup on the SD audio sample page....I'm pretty convinced that the lil' 59 is probably the best sounding and most versatile pickup overall. anyone have a good suggestion of a middle pickup to complement a lil' 59 in the neck and bridge?

 

[Robbiedbee]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

yeah I spent about an hour straight listening to the sound clips of each pickup on the SD audio sample page....I'm pretty convinced that the lil' 59 is probably the best sounding and most versatile pickup overall. anyone have a good suggestion of a middle pickup to complement a lil' 59 in the neck and bridge?

Vintage Rails is a very popular choice for a middle pickup. I have never tried them myself, but a Strat with Cool Rails neck, Vintage Rails mid and Hot Rails bridge is the most versatile Strat ever.

 

[ErikH]

Re: JB Jr and Strat

The Little '59 is an awesome pickup, it sounds generally warmer than the JB Jr. You should listen to the clips in ErikH's sig. That's what convinced me to get a Little '59.

Glad I could help, Robbie.

For middle and neck, look at the Cool Rails and Vintage Rails. I'm wondering myself how the Little '59 would match up to the new noiseless stacks. That way I can retain the single coil sound in the neck and mid, and maybe even position 4, but then blow some heads off with the bridge position....like it does now.