JB opinions?

Re: JB opinions?

I actually think of it as smooth saxophone solo tone.

with some gain though, right? Smooth sax sounds are PAF's with the tone rolled a bit IMO, fat and clean.

I want to try the JB in a guitar in the future. It sounds like a pickup that makes no compromises, I like specialty stuff that excels in a certain area. My friend has an ibanez artcore with jb in the bridge and it really sings.
 
Re: JB opinions?

I actually think of it as smooth saxophone solo tone.

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Re: JB opinions?

Hmm, I don't know guys, JB in this 9 pound SG copy I have sounds thick and smooth, and that's the way why I could describe, like sax. I've tried lower output HBs and listened to pafs on youtube, but they just dont seem as thick on the singing leads department. Just my limited observation.

*edit*: I'm talking about the bridge position of course, I'm sure PAFs on neck sounds even smoother and sax like. Yeah, I get the Sweet Child o' mine reference.
 
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Re: JB opinions?

Thats one of the things about the JB that it does better than any other pup "SING" also love the harmonics the JB gets. it is really rich with those stock.
 
I hated the JB in the mahogany dot and les Paul I tried it in. I might give it another shot in a FR strat but I much prefer the distortion and custom.
 
Re: JB opinions?

I used to have a JB on my mahogany ibanez ar300, it's bright but smooth at the same time, its loose low end sounds very heavy for slow riffs. I love its lead tone, if the evo scream, the JB sings
 
Re: JB opinions?

JB is a popular pickup, proven, and has served many well. That said, I've never found one in any application that I like for my playing.
 
Re: JB opinions?

I'll admit it... I HATED the JB at first when I managed to scored a guitar with one in it years ago. I warmed up to it after tightening up my playing and working endlessly on my pick attack. The JB seemed like it wanted a certain sort of style of playing. The problem was, I didn't quite have it in me to tame it's wild nature at the time when I first got the guitar.

After a year or so, I started to "step up to the plate" technique-wise and was able to tame it in short bouts that felt exhilarating and empowering. I was also coming off of a ten year break from playing and was getting my chops back slowly (it took about 2 1/2 years to get back up to speed)

The JB has the high end sort of "hashy" sound to it that can ruin one's playing and make it sound like dirt. This "high frequency hash" is usually tamed with a 250K pot but I use 500K pots and while I have the full frequency force of the JB with 500K, I also have the "hash". Avoiding the hash takes practice honing up one's picking attack, left hand pressure and string muting. It's been quite a challenge but I've also been able to reap a high gain tone that I have been looking for all of my life with it.

Now, I collect JBs with a dozen or so different versions and am in the process of putting them in most of my guitars that have bridge humbuckers.

Well, that's been my experience with the JB... YMMV.
 
Re: JB opinions?

Its the original love-hate pup. There are no rules, but generally it doesn't like mahogany or basswood bodies, and shines in alder or ash.

That said, i've a basswood guitar that the JB sounded stellar in.


It sounded monotonal in my ash strat
 
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