JB light
- Thread starter cthroatgtr
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SAVAGE DISTORTION
New member
Re: JB light
JB with a small ceramic mag= DD lite,or JB+
JB with a small ceramic mag= DD lite,or JB+
cthroatgtr
New member
Re: JB light
I have tried the Screamin' Demon previously. May have been the worst Duncan I ever tried. Hated that p/u. Very thin sounding p/u in my opinion. Probably would work on a very dark guitar but with the ebony fingerboard it still has some high end snap. The guitar is bright and dark at the same time if that makes any sense. The low is really low mids, which is where the JB isn't the perfect pickup. The top side of the JB is fine but I need to tighten up the lows a little bit.
I have tried the Screamin' Demon previously. May have been the worst Duncan I ever tried. Hated that p/u. Very thin sounding p/u in my opinion. Probably would work on a very dark guitar but with the ebony fingerboard it still has some high end snap. The guitar is bright and dark at the same time if that makes any sense. The low is really low mids, which is where the JB isn't the perfect pickup. The top side of the JB is fine but I need to tighten up the lows a little bit.
cthroatgtr
New member
Re: JB light
Wouldn't an A4 be a little darker than an A5? That would be the opposite problem. I would like to try an A4 in a p/u sometime though. I would assume a little warmer an A5 but more articulate than an A2.
Wouldn't an A4 be a little darker than an A5? That would be the opposite problem. I would like to try an A4 in a p/u sometime though. I would assume a little warmer an A5 but more articulate than an A2.
cthroatgtr
New member
Re: JB light
I know there have been some threads on mixing ceramic and alnico magnets in a pickup. Would a 1/2 ceramic 1/2 alnico version of either a DD or JB do the trick perhaps?
I know there have been some threads on mixing ceramic and alnico magnets in a pickup. Would a 1/2 ceramic 1/2 alnico version of either a DD or JB do the trick perhaps?
T
theodie
Guest
Re: JB light
Its just not teh style of screw, its the length of screw that makes the most difference. Duncan Hex screws like in the Full shred and Demon are almost flush with the baseplate in comparison to the standard filister screws. One could cut the length of the original screws to get about the same result. They are easy enough to find and swap but, just an FYI.
Its just not teh style of screw, its the length of screw that makes the most difference. Duncan Hex screws like in the Full shred and Demon are almost flush with the baseplate in comparison to the standard filister screws. One could cut the length of the original screws to get about the same result. They are easy enough to find and swap but, just an FYI.
T
theodie
Guest
Re: JB light
You cant do that becasue the magnets will oppose each other and most likely degauss themselves. Due to the opposition, it will probably sound like ass too.
You cant do that becasue the magnets will oppose each other and most likely degauss themselves. Due to the opposition, it will probably sound like ass too.
Re: JB light
When doing a search, couple times I've read the brobucker referred to as a JB light pickup by some here. I haven't installed my brobucker so I couldn't tell you.
But I think the JB is what it is. It's the abundance of upper mids that makes you love/hate it. It's a real specialty type thing, a one trick pony.
When doing a search, couple times I've read the brobucker referred to as a JB light pickup by some here. I haven't installed my brobucker so I couldn't tell you.
But I think the JB is what it is. It's the abundance of upper mids that makes you love/hate it. It's a real specialty type thing, a one trick pony.
T
theodie
Guest
Re: JB light
If you need to tighten up the lows, just cut the bass side poles flush with the baseplate. Bingo, you are done.
If you need to tighten up the lows, just cut the bass side poles flush with the baseplate. Bingo, you are done.
Robert Delahunt
Showmasterologist
Re: JB light
Ironically, it's used in the ESP M-1 Tiger (i.e. George Lynch's guitar), which is maple neck and body.
Ironically, it's used in the ESP M-1 Tiger (i.e. George Lynch's guitar), which is maple neck and body.
cthroatgtr
New member
Re: JB light
Actually all of the Dokken stuff was a DD pickup. Certainly some of the Lynch Mob stuff was the Demon but I think that really occurred around the second Lynch Mob album, which ironically is when his tone went south.
You can always compensate EQ wise for anything. That pickup simply wasn't one I cared for. Just a little too light in the wallet.
Ironically, it's used in the ESP M-1 Tiger (i.e. George Lynch's guitar), which is maple neck and body.
Actually all of the Dokken stuff was a DD pickup. Certainly some of the Lynch Mob stuff was the Demon but I think that really occurred around the second Lynch Mob album, which ironically is when his tone went south.
You can always compensate EQ wise for anything. That pickup simply wasn't one I cared for. Just a little too light in the wallet.
HaxorMachine
New member
Re: JB light
Wouldn't a DD neck with the ceramic swapped for A5 be close to a JB light?. The Duncan site indicates 12.7k for DD neck version and if that's 44g wire then it's underwound DD/JB coils. Assuming that the DD neck is 44g, another approach may be to create a 44g hybrid with one underwound coil by using one stock JB coil and one DD neck coil (around 14.5k total) and A5 magnet.
What about just unrolling around 1k of wire off each JB coil to get your own underwound 14.5K JB?
Wouldn't a DD neck with the ceramic swapped for A5 be close to a JB light?. The Duncan site indicates 12.7k for DD neck version and if that's 44g wire then it's underwound DD/JB coils. Assuming that the DD neck is 44g, another approach may be to create a 44g hybrid with one underwound coil by using one stock JB coil and one DD neck coil (around 14.5k total) and A5 magnet.
What about just unrolling around 1k of wire off each JB coil to get your own underwound 14.5K JB?
hanumanlangur
New member
Re: JB light
I've tried the hex screw thing, and while it tightens the tone, it also seems to compress the frequency response, making the pickup a bit darker, and killing some of the harmonics too. Even for the low three strings, I couldn't get used to it. The only thing I've tried that's really tightened the pickup and still preserved the original tone has been the de-mud mod with specific values that just filter out the lowest bass. But even this isn't really a JB Light, since the output and tone are basically that of a "fixed" JB.
So I guess to really get a "JB Light", I think the only real options are turning down one of the coils (spin-a-split), or maybe doing something with the magnets like degaussing or using A4. But changing anything with the magnet will also change the EQ, making it darker in just about every case.
I've tried the hex screw thing, and while it tightens the tone, it also seems to compress the frequency response, making the pickup a bit darker, and killing some of the harmonics too. Even for the low three strings, I couldn't get used to it. The only thing I've tried that's really tightened the pickup and still preserved the original tone has been the de-mud mod with specific values that just filter out the lowest bass. But even this isn't really a JB Light, since the output and tone are basically that of a "fixed" JB.
So I guess to really get a "JB Light", I think the only real options are turning down one of the coils (spin-a-split), or maybe doing something with the magnets like degaussing or using A4. But changing anything with the magnet will also change the EQ, making it darker in just about every case.
cthroatgtr
New member
Re: JB light
How would you do that without ruining the p/u? I definitely think a 14k JB would probably be exactly what I would want.
How would you do that without ruining the p/u? I definitely think a 14k JB would probably be exactly what I would want.
Ascension
Well-known member
Re: JB light
Both the A8 is stronger than the A5 and it also has more mids with a smoother buttery top end and a less boomy tighter bottom end.
The Custom is right around 14.5K and with a swap to the A-8 is pretty much dead on what you are talking tone wise.
I have had a Custom 5, Custom Custom, Custom 8, Jb and JB 8 in the same guitar so I know well the differences in tones.
Both the A8 is stronger than the A5 and it also has more mids with a smoother buttery top end and a less boomy tighter bottom end.
The Custom is right around 14.5K and with a swap to the A-8 is pretty much dead on what you are talking tone wise.
I have had a Custom 5, Custom Custom, Custom 8, Jb and JB 8 in the same guitar so I know well the differences in tones.
hanumanlangur
New member
Re: JB light
The C8 is an excellent pickup, but it's a beefier JB on steroids, not a JB light. It's 14k of awg43, not awg44, and the A8 magnet makes the pickup much stronger than a stock JB.
The C8 is an excellent pickup, but it's a beefier JB on steroids, not a JB light. It's 14k of awg43, not awg44, and the A8 magnet makes the pickup much stronger than a stock JB.
HaxorMachine
New member
Re: JB light
I assume you mean the unrolling of 1K wire/coil? I've done this before trying to fix a dead coil - you basically disassemble the coils like you would if building a hybrid (remove tape, unsolder lead connections, remove bobbins), then intentionally remove the tape holding leads against coil to find lead that's attached to outside coil wire. Unsolder the lead wire from the outside coil wire and tape the inside coil wire/lead to the bottom of bobbin to keep it out of harms way during unwinding the outside coil wire.
Duncan's Q/A info lists the following:
nominal ohms per 1000 feet at 20 degrees C are:
42 gauge is 1659 ohms per 1000 feet.
43 gauge is 2143 ohms per 1000 feet.
44 gauge is 2593 ohms per 1000 feet.
According to that, 44g (JB or DD coils) is around 2.6ohms/ft, so nuking 1000ohms should be around 384ft of wire to remove. Personally, I'd unwind 360ish ft of wire off bobbin (it's easier to unroll than to splice wire back onto coil and temp will prob be higher than 68F so overall resistance and resistance/ft will be higher), cut the unrolled wire off, sand the enamel off end of wire and check total resistance to see if it's about where you want it (if still too high, unroll a few more feet and sand/check again). When you get the resistance you want, solder the coil wire back to the lead wire and tape back in place. Repeat process with other coil and reassemble like the hybrid process (resolder leads together, tape bobbins, remelt wax potting/etc)
Main risk with this is breaking the inner coil wire (then you're screwed and have a dead coil), so be sure to carefully tape it and it's lead out of the way of the unwinding process.
I assume you mean the unrolling of 1K wire/coil? I've done this before trying to fix a dead coil - you basically disassemble the coils like you would if building a hybrid (remove tape, unsolder lead connections, remove bobbins), then intentionally remove the tape holding leads against coil to find lead that's attached to outside coil wire. Unsolder the lead wire from the outside coil wire and tape the inside coil wire/lead to the bottom of bobbin to keep it out of harms way during unwinding the outside coil wire.
Duncan's Q/A info lists the following:
nominal ohms per 1000 feet at 20 degrees C are:
42 gauge is 1659 ohms per 1000 feet.
43 gauge is 2143 ohms per 1000 feet.
44 gauge is 2593 ohms per 1000 feet.
According to that, 44g (JB or DD coils) is around 2.6ohms/ft, so nuking 1000ohms should be around 384ft of wire to remove. Personally, I'd unwind 360ish ft of wire off bobbin (it's easier to unroll than to splice wire back onto coil and temp will prob be higher than 68F so overall resistance and resistance/ft will be higher), cut the unrolled wire off, sand the enamel off end of wire and check total resistance to see if it's about where you want it (if still too high, unroll a few more feet and sand/check again). When you get the resistance you want, solder the coil wire back to the lead wire and tape back in place. Repeat process with other coil and reassemble like the hybrid process (resolder leads together, tape bobbins, remelt wax potting/etc)
Main risk with this is breaking the inner coil wire (then you're screwed and have a dead coil), so be sure to carefully tape it and it's lead out of the way of the unwinding process.
