Thanks theodie
It seems to be more grainy sounding than the normal a5 JB. It does not seem to have as much punch, but it's got more of a snarl to it in when soloing. That is something that seems typical of a2 pickups in general.
I think the regular JB cleans up slightly better. It's a trade-off, as always.
It sounds a bit compressed. That is the main attribute that I do not care for in this pickup. I have become more accustomed to the lower output pickups, but if I was in to heavier tones, the a2 JB would definitely be a contender.
I gave this pickup to nuntuis and he posted a great hard rock clip. You can probably find it in the tips/clips area of this forum.