Re: JB Jr vs Hot Stack Plus
Well I described it earlier in the thread. It like the Warren DeMartini or JB but in a single-coil size. It's more open sounding and touch responsive. I haven't ordered a DeMartini pickup, but I had his signature Charvel for a while. The DeMartini reminds me of the JB but smoother. What I didn't like about the DeMartini is that it kind of lacked dynamics overall, so clean tones were nice but blues stuff where you dig in lacked a bit of the dynamics to control volume with pick attack. The STK-S9 is all about midrange, but the bass is there and you can hear a fairly decent bass punch when you're jamming through a 4x12. It's different from the YJM. I'd say the YJM is more compressed, brighter, a little higher output, has more low end, but sounds thinner on the top end for some reason. Maybe the YJM is like that because it's still trying to sound like a single-coil or something. The STK-S9 does not. It's like a small humbucker. I never tried to split it, never would either because it would probably be thin and nasally. I think the ceramic rail pickups are better for that kind of thing. I don't care about any of that because I want a humbucker to sound like a humbucker.
I can't tell you how well you'll favor the clean tones. If you're one of those guys who likes 50's single-coil clean tones but wants a powerful, noiseless pickup, then maybe you should be looking at the YJM. If you like hot-rodded PAF tone or something, then the Hot Stack Plus. If you want a smoother, warmer, sound withe some top end chime, go with the Dimarzio Rail pickups. If you want something in-between but more compressed, that feels weaker but with a high output, and is more flavorless, go with the JB Jr. No matter what, the STK-S9 is overall the finest stack SD makes.
It's hard to tell because SD seems to not care if their demos are done through a modeling amp. I think it matters a lot if they use a modeler or tube amp. Unless you're a modeling guy, you'll have to do some searching for demos that use tube amps.
