Jb vs. Full shred

[orpheo]

Hi guys,
its been a while since I've posted here, but I need some advice.

I have a les Paul, which is of solid walnut. I installed a pair of motherbuckers in it, thinking that the fat tone of the motherbucker would compensate for the brightness of the walnut.

Boy, was I wrong!

The tone is more mushy than ever, not to mention the fact that my high e string is hardly audible. It sounds as if the tonepot is rolled down, when in fact its fully open.

I suppose I need a pickup which has lots of highs, less mids and lows. I was thinking about a jb, but I'm keen on trying the full shred.

I read that the windings and magnets are the same, and that the only difference between the jb and the full shred are the polepieces. Am I correct?

Ferthermore, I need a matching neck pickup. I was thinking about a JB in the neck too, but I read Nice stuff about the full shred neckmodel, but I have no real base for comparison: is the fullshred neck à bit like the jazz, or like the '59, or something totally different? I want a neckpickup which has a nice amount of output, with gain it should have a smooth, articulate tone, and clean, I want it to sound open, warm, transparant and mellow. The jazz pickup seemd perfect, but it just has no balls... Its like comparing a stallion to a gelding: it does the job, but it lacks balls and character.

 

[mustaine-who?]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

If you're fighting mush, the Full Shred is your ticket. I run 2 FS bridges in my Basswood Jackson, and I love it. I prefer the FS bridge in the neck over the neck model, as it sounds almost the same, but is a little tighter on the low E.

I haven't found a guitar yet the JB sounds good in rythem wise...due to the mush on the low E. I even tried the Mustaine Live-Wires, and pulled them out.

The FS sounds nothing like the Jazz neck. Jazz neck is really scooped...and people think it sounds "modern" because of that, but to me its just lifeless. The FS in the neck sounds "flutie" and really handles those fast passages and arpeggios with aplomb.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

If you're fighting mush, the Full Shred is your ticket. I run 2 FS bridges in my Basswood Jackson, and I love it. I prefer the FS bridge in the neck over the neck model, as it sounds almost the same, but is a little tighter on the low E.

I haven't found a guitar yet the JB sounds good in rythem wise...due to the mush on the low E. I even tried the Mustaine Live-Wires, and pulled them out.

The FS sounds nothing like the Jazz neck. Jazz neck is really scooped...and people think it sounds "modern" because of that, but to me its just lifeless. The FS in the neck sounds "flutie" and really handles those fast passages and arpeggios with aplomb.

OK, the Full Shred BRIDGE is better for the guitar(s) I have than the JB. I understand, thnx!

But I don't get the last part you're saying. What do you mean by 'flutie' and 'aplomb'. A fullshred in the neck works for thos fast passages and licks, and for jazzy chording aswell, or is the jazz better for that?

I also think, indeed, that the jazz lacks balls due to that midrange. Its not really that is lacks midrange, it just lacks character...

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

Full Shred is the Custom coils.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

Full Shred is the Custom coils.

yeah, found that out later than I wrote my startpost I believe you had a fullshred in your les paul; why did you take it out, and what did you like about it?

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I have a Full Shred in my cheap Parker (but it will probably come out one of these days when I get around to it). I put an A8 magnet in it because I found it thin with the A5 it comes with - but this is a very bright and thing guitar. That helps it a little for me, and I usually prefer an A5 in a bridge pickup. IMO the hex screws make the pickup very dry sounding, for lack of a better term. Lots of string scrape, fingers slide sound etc. They pick up everything you do very well though - which is why people describe them as articulate. I think they could be very good in a darker guitar, depending on your taste. I've also tried the Screamin' Demon and I feel like pickups with the hex screws aren't may favorite. Though the SD did work really well in my LP, it also has this dry sound that I'm not a fan of. I will say though that the JB was awful in my LP and I've been a JB fan for 20+ years.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

@Godrex: that doesn't convince me, helas, that this pickup is the choice for me, or would it? All I know, is that the guitar is just too fat with the pickups it's got now. But even that can be solved by turning the pickup down; the most agrevating part is that the high E is not as loud as the rest! and I can't easily solve that.

I liked the screamin demon in my les paul, but I prefered the JB even more. the S.Demon is too 'sweet', not agressive enough, the JB is even better, though it might be even MORE.

I really like the JB, but I only wish it was more agressive, bit more hot, and more 'scream'.

 

[Invader09]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I had a FS in my paul. And I LOVED it !! But I took it out for a dimebucker instead ( I wanted more bass. The full shred a bit thin, so I think it will work really good for what your trying to dfo.

 

[dr. ad]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

@Godrex: that doesn't convince me, helas, that this pickup is the choice for me, or would it? All I know, is that the guitar is just too fat with the pickups it's got now. But even that can be solved by turning the pickup down; the most agrevating part is that the high E is not as loud as the rest! and I can't easily solve that.

I liked the screamin demon in my les paul, but I prefered the JB even more. the S.Demon is too 'sweet', not agressive enough, the JB is even better, though it might be even MORE.

I really like the JB, but I only wish it was more agressive, bit more hot, and more 'scream'.

from the sound of it, you'd like a duncan distortion or dimebucker.
if you're liking the demon and JB, i wouldn't go for the customs. FS could be an option though

 

[uOpt]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

So is it bright or mushy?

 

[Markk]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I haven't found a guitar yet the JB sounds good in rythem wise...due to the mush on the low E.

I may love my JB but I admit that it's not the ideal pickup for rhythm

 

[orpheo]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

from the sound of it, you'd like a duncan distortion or dimebucker.
if you're liking the demon and JB, i wouldn't go for the customs. FS could be an option though

dimebucker is a rework of the bill lawrence L500XL, and I prefer the latter

The d.distortion is cool, but too chunky; I prefer the JB

 

[GoDrex]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I wouldn't make any more suggestions to orpheo - beating your head against a wall is less pointless.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I wouldn't make any more suggestions to orpheo - beating your head against a wall is less pointless.

suggestions are fine, it was my fault that I didn't tell which pickups I've already used.

 

[super rad stuff]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

The tone is more mushy than ever, not to mention the fact that my high e string is hardly audible. It sounds as if the tonepot is rolled down, when in fact its fully open.

have you checked your tone pot and made sure your cap isn't touching the output? i've done this accidentally a few times with results similar to this, though i think your "hardly audible high e" is more of a fault of the pickup's poles not lining up with the string.

 

[DonP]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

have you checked your tone pot and made sure your cap isn't touching the output? i've done this accidentally a few times with results similar to this, though i think your "hardly audible high e" is more of a fault of the pickup's poles not lining up with the string.

+1 I did this once in a Les Paul.

 

[DonP]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I have the Full Shred set in a 750XL, and a JB/59n in a Soloist. The build of these guitars is too different to really give a good comparison.

But from what I've read and seen, I'd go for the Full Shred set in a short scale fixed bridge mahogany set neck guitar. The JB works better in a long scale maple/alder axe with a Floyd.

I have BL USA's in an RR1 and will agree that these are a bassier Full Shred set. The Full Shred is really good for palm muting, the L500XL is great.

 

[orpheo]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

@DonP: Yes, I checked the tonepot wasn't the problem.

I've been playing with the JB/jazz set for a couple of days, and I really, really, really dig the tone, even more than before. Its for me, the best set I can think of, not counting special customwound stuff. The bill lawrence L500 XL, L and R are in a les paul of mine aswell, and I really love those, but I don't want them in this guitar; I want gold covers, and BL pickups don't have them.

Its not an issue of polepiece-allignment... because the pickup in question does not have polepieces, only 2 blades.

I think I'll like the fullshred set in my guitar, but I'm afraid they'll be too 'shreeky', and that I have 'wasted' a lot of money. The thing is: I don't like the duncan custom, in which form it might be... just not my cup 'o tea.

 

[DonP]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

If you are happy with the JB/Jazz set I'd leave it at that.

I think I'll like the fullshred set in my guitar, but I'm afraid they'll be too 'shreeky', and that I have 'wasted' a lot of money. The thing is: I don't like the duncan custom, in which form it might be... just not my cup 'o tea.

The Full Shred is less bright than the JB in the two guitars I've mentioned. If anything, I wished the Full Shred would "sing" a little more like the JB.

 

[Willybomb]

Re: Jb vs. Full shred

I haven't found a guitar yet the JB sounds good in rythem wise...due to the mush on the low E

I've mentioned this elsewhere on the forum, but I love my JB in my Alder/floyd/maple+maple necked Kramer. Incidentally, it also has a fullshred bridge in the neck position. The FS(b) in the neck postion sounds great clean and splits well (nearly sounds acousticy) but has sooo much pick attack which is a bit of a -ve. The JB just sings though.