JB replacement options

[sosomething]

Re: JB replacement options

I LOVE the BroBucker.

I've had one in my LP Traditional for a few years now and it's ​never coming out.

 

[HeftyMetalGuitar]

Re: JB replacement options

JB with a RCUOA5. All the extra character that you're looking for.

Well he did say "Think EVH/Slash/Dave Mustaine and some Page mixed in too" so we can surmise his general aims but he didn't say what type of amp. It could be a 5150, could be a Fender Deluxe.

I don't think the midscooped C5 would be something he'd like if he's looking for mids. The VHII sounds like a good choice though, better tone than the Riff Raff to my ears.

The amp doesn't seem that important to me, and I can't just name one anyway because I have several. Even the style of music only goes so far as many, many players achieve even some of the most brutal sounds using vintage PAFs. You can go brootz with a Bogner red and a vintage Fender or use a modeling device and pickups probably don't even matter that much. However I think you are right in assuming what my general aim is because it would be a lot easier to select a pickup if I was looking to fit a particular style of music.

I bought a 78 LP Standard that had a JB in the bridge and a PAF in the neck. Never liked the combo, yet each had it's advantages. But... the JB requires a whole EQ/distortion path of it's own when it's in the bridge, cause its' so thin and bright. So I put a Pearly Gates in there and it's the best for the ABB style sound I want.

What I did next with the JB is my answer to the general "How to place a JB" question. I have a home made, 3HB strat and I pub the JB in the middle, in that position, it gets a lot more of the meat of the string, and it plays really well with the SH1 in the bridge, and the Schaller in the neck. With a 5-way switch I get some really cool tones. So that's my solution for the JB, it keeps it's tight high end and gets a little more meat on the bone this way.

I'm fairly good with guitar setups and am not complaining about the JB at all. I did say it was a good pickup. It just doesn't appeal to me for some reason. It does sometimes but most of the time it lacks character or something. Same thing with the Whole Lotta which was a major letdown because they are great pickups and nothing bad can be said about them. It's just they don't have any special appeal to me. The Pearly Gates is a different story because they have a lot of character in my perception and cover much broader range of styles than just ZZ Top. The Pearly Gates set has been in my Les Paul studio for years. Marvelous pickups.

I LOVE the BroBucker.

I've had one in my LP Traditional for a few years now and it's ​never coming out.

To anyone searching the forum for the holy grail humbucker, indeed the Brobucker seems to generate all the rage. I like that "right in the middle" concept. Such pickups are causing me to rethink my pickup selections since it has been my experience to find that hot wound vintage pickups seem to have captured my appeal. I admit to investing in a variety of "authentic" PAFs only to find that they are usually bassy and missing some mids. Hotter winds seem to add girth without sacrificing the airiness and dynamics that vintage winds have.

To update the participants of my thread... I went ahead and bought a VH II and a used Brobucker because trying to decide between them was too hard.

 

[51501984]

Re: JB replacement options

After much deliberation, I narrowed it down to a Bare Knuckle VHII or Brobucker. Thanks for your input and suggestions.

For a blend of Slash/EVH/Page like you mentioned in post #3 I`d go with the VHll . I had both the VHll and Brobucker in the same Mahogany Super Strat and the Bro sounded dark whereas the VHll had a lot of bite and and clarity and sound great under moderate to high gain . I know you said you weren't crazy about the WLH but I`ve got that pickup now in the same guitar and It gives the VHll a big time run for the money. What amp are you playing thru?

 

[swissmountain]

Re: JB replacement options

To update the participants of my thread... I went ahead and bought a VH II and a used Brobucker because trying to decide between them was too hard.

Very cool. I had a VH II for a short time so I would be very interested in your findings.

 

[HeftyMetalGuitar]

Re: JB replacement options

For a blend of Slash/EVH/Page like you mentioned in post #3 I`d go with the VHll . I had both the VHll and Brobucker in the same Mahogany Super Strat and the Bro sounded dark whereas the VHll had a lot of bite and and clarity and sound great under moderate to high gain . I know you said you weren't crazy about the WLH but I`ve got that pickup now in the same guitar and It gives the VHll a big time run for the money. What amp are you playing thru?

Well I bought both so I'll have a chance to see how they work out. I don't really care for dark pickups so if the Brobucker is on the dark side then it probably won't last long in my guitar. I'd rather start off with a bright sound rather than try to coax brightness out of the amp. I have a Marshall, Fender, Bogner, Blackstar, Hiwatt, Mesa Boogie, and a couple of custom built amps. WLH is a good pickup but it doesn't have that wow factor for me personally. It's not really a departure from all the PAF replica stuff on the market these days. A lot of people like them though, but I favor the stuff Bareknuckle offers right now and some of the non mainstream Duncan offerings like the Full Shred and 59/Custom Hybrid.

 

[dotsdad]

Re: JB replacement options

I have played JB and Custom Custom in the same guitar. The JB has more upper mid bark, whereas the Cc is more of a low mid grunt. JB is easier to get pich harmonics because of the aggressive highs, but CC chugs better. The JB is also more compressed; the CC is still pretty hot, but is a bit more dynamic.

 

[jmcorey]

Re: JB replacement options

I LOVE the BroBucker.

I've had one in my LP Traditional for a few years now and it's ​never coming out.

What do you have in the neck of that guitar?

 

[HeftyMetalGuitar]

Re: JB replacement options

I have played JB and Custom Custom in the same guitar. The JB has more upper mid bark, whereas the Cc is more of a low mid grunt. JB is easier to get pich harmonics because of the aggressive highs, but CC chugs better. The JB is also more compressed; the CC is still pretty hot, but is a bit more dynamic.

My experience has been quite opposite with the Custom Custom. I find it to have a real nice upper mid presence and a moderate, somewhat loose low end, and harmonics come out pretty easily. The JB has a brighter high end but a thicker low mid range and very tight and articulate. The Custom Custom is more of my preference than the JB. It too has something missing that I cannot specifically identify but it's good enough to remain a stable pickup in my collection.

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: JB replacement options

The amp doesn't seem that important to me

cool.
What amp(s) are you mostly using tho?

 

[HeftyMetalGuitar]

Re: JB replacement options

cool.
What amp(s) are you mostly using tho?

Can't really answer that because I don't necessarily have a "main" amp I use most of the time. I pretty much turn on a different amp every time I plug in. If all of my amps were lost except one it would be very difficult decision to decide which one I would rather be left with. MY Hiwatt DG50 is probably THE best underlying tone there is but requires pedals for versatility. My Mark V is the most versatile amp but I haven't been able to get a British style EQ out of it on any channel. My Blackstar Series One 50 has exceptional tone but the jury is still out on how it will last next to my point-to-point boutique stuff. My Bogner Helios could replace my Marshall DSL100, but I think I'd still miss specifically the way the DSL sounds. My Fender 65 Deluxe is the only one I could probably drop and not miss much but if Fender stopped making them then I'd probably want to snag one before they disappear. My JCM 900 is hard to part with because it's the most unique sounding Marshall in my opinion. Even though I don't play it much, there are times when fills in where the Helios and DSL can't. I think my Blackstar HT20 is the cheapest amp I have but in my opinion is the best budget amp in the world. I have a couple of boutique plexi builds like a Friedman Smallbox and Metropoulos but those are just backups. I just acquired a 2015 Soldano SLO but haven't had enough time with it to compare yet but I am thrilled that it sounds good at home because everyone warned me that it only sound good loud. That's about it.

 

[Rockstar216]

Re: JB replacement options

I think maybe you should talk to someone from SD or maybe the Custom shop and see what they can do for you. To me it sounds like you want a pickup with a certain harmonic spectrum but i'm not a pickup winder so maybe they could tell you in detail what it is your after exactly.

 

[Hot Octopus]

Re: JB replacement options

Can't really answer that because I don't necessarily have a "main" amp I use most of the time. I pretty much turn on a different amp every time I plug in. If all of my amps were lost except one it would be very difficult decision to decide which one I would rather be left with. MY Hiwatt DG50 is probably THE best underlying tone there is but requires pedals for versatility. My Mark V is the most versatile amp but I haven't been able to get a British style EQ out of it on any channel. My Blackstar Series One 50 has exceptional tone but the jury is still out on how it will last next to my point-to-point boutique stuff. My Bogner Helios could replace my Marshall DSL100, but I think I'd still miss specifically the way the DSL sounds. My Fender 65 Deluxe is the only one I could probably drop and not miss much but if Fender stopped making them then I'd probably want to snag one before they disappear. My JCM 900 is hard to part with because it's the most unique sounding Marshall in my opinion. Even though I don't play it much, there are times when fills in where the Helios and DSL can't. I think my Blackstar HT20 is the cheapest amp I have but in my opinion is the best budget amp in the world. I have a couple of boutique plexi builds like a Friedman Smallbox and Metropoulos but those are just backups. I just acquired a 2015 Soldano SLO but haven't had enough time with it to compare yet but I am thrilled that it sounds good at home because everyone warned me that it only sound good loud. That's about it.

Based on what you're saying, I'd recommend you check out a Fryette SigX or Pitbull CL/CLX. It will give you a Hiwatt cleans, Marshall crunch and insane overdrive. I had the MarkV and while I could find a useable crunch, I didn't like the OD. That amp is very sensitive to speakers and cabs. The fryette amps give me everything I wanted from the MarkV and then some. For some reason, they seem to fly under most peoples radar.

 

[Demanic]

Re: JB replacement options

I have played JB and Custom Custom in the same guitar. The JB has more upper mid bark, whereas the Cc is more of a low mid grunt. JB is easier to get pich harmonics because of the aggressive highs, but CC chugs better. The JB is also more compressed; the CC is still pretty hot, but is a bit more dynamic.

I have a TB-15 Alternative 8 in mahogany with a bolt on maple/rosewood neck. Pinch is a cinch and it chugs better than most.