JB's bright?

[Demanic]

I have hearing loss in the 900 to 1800hz range. To me, that makes the JB sound about perfect. I don't think that the low end is as tight as it would be if it had a ceramic mag instead of an A5. But I certainly don't find it sloppy loose for tight distorted palm muted stuff.

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[Archer250]

Depends on the amp too, but in the amps that I like, the presence is usually the upper-most sizzly treble (5150 and Rectifier).

So yeah, for me, a JB is not presence-y at all.

I do know the presence knob opperates at a lower frequency than the treble knob on a JCM800, though... like... why? LOL.

But if you think about it, the JCM800 does have a JB-ish bottom-end in the sense that it's not super deep, resonant, or really low in the spectrum. A JCM800 does get sizzly, though. And a JB kinda doesn't.

Ok, that explains my bad wording.

I was brought up on Marhsalls and derivatives lol

 

[IMENATOR]

I guess if you need to cut treble inyour EQ then you may say JB is bright. In my rig I need a bit less low and mid and add more treble in the amp EQ so I would be tempted to say JB is not that bright to me. But I have to agree with beaubrummels it is not the mos versatile but in my experience it was more versatile than Duncan Distortion, it all depends on your context.

The most important thing I learned in forums like this is: You try a pickup, identify what it is missing and look for the next one in terms o the additional output/EQ the first one was missing. But you always always spend some time tweaking your EQ before trying the next pickup.

 

[Clint 55]

Time to consult the Demanix demo.

Here he demos his 59/Jazz neck at 1:30, middle position at 2:10, and the JB at 2:47.

The JB almost sounds darker than neck position by virtue of how heavily wound it is. Although there is still some aggression by how it is voiced which makes it sound bright to some people. Imo you can't really call that brighter than a PAF tho.

 

[Demanic]

No. And it's not supposed to be.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

I've always kinda known the JB in the bridge isn't super sizzly. I mean, how can it be with how overwound it is and the inductance it has.

But what really confirmed my belief is when I tried the JB in the neck. The JB is one of my favorite bridge pickups, and I usually like hot neck pickups, but the JB in the neck has been the muddiest and dullest neck pickup I have ever tried.

 

[Bill Dennis]

Like I said, its a 5150 homage and since that guitar was supposed to have a JB in it, that's what I rolled with as a starting point. I will try it in parallel. If it works, it works. If not I will have to try some things. I have a Guitar Madness 59'er (A5) and "1984" models to test with to see what works. If they kick ass, they may stay. At a minimum they should help determine what direction I need to go

 

[Bill Dennis]

Ok, that explains my bad wording.

I was brought up on Marhsalls and derivatives lol

Well, those old Marshalls are bright as hell at lower volume. They don't warm up until you get stupid loud with them. I can see the JB fitting those amps perfectly and still being seen as bright

 

[eclecticsynergy]

As far as mid-hot/hot bridge pickups, yeah.

But I still think a '59B or a even Demon are brighter than a Full Shred (bridge).

I personally love the '59B if I really want a bright PAF-type. It's really nice, cutting, spanky and almost twangy, but it's not scratchy like a Burstbucker Pro (I also really like the BBPro, though). It's also got a decently strong output without compromising the dynamics or the open PAF-ish EQ curve.

Totally agree with you there. Extra midrange in hotter winds always mitigates the brightness.
I favor vintage output and hot-PAF type bridges myself, and while I sometimes like a little more power, I feel the 59B is a true gem.
I've kept one in a Les Paul for forty years now.

I think people tend to overlook it since there are so many PAF-ish options today.
But a 59B delivers the classic 'Tele-on-steroids' LP tone. And it isn't picky at all - sounds great in just about any guitar.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Totally agree with you there. Extra midrange in hotter winds always mitigates the brightness.
I favor vintage output and hot-PAF type bridges myself, and while I sometimes like a little more power, I feel the 59B is a true gem.
I've kept one in a Les Paul for forty years now.

I think people tend to overlook it since there are so many PAF-ish options today.
But a 59B delivers the classic 'Tele-on-steroids' LP tone. And it isn't picky at all - sounds great in just about any guitar.

I agree. I think the '59B is way underrated. I see the '59N everywhere, but the '59B is the true gem of the set for me.

And I'm not even a classic rocker or anything. I play Death metal, and if had to go for a PAF-type in the bridge, the '59B would be my first choice... either that, or the Fluence Classic.

I mean, that's just to speak of the versatility of the '59B. I'm pretty sure everyone knows it gets you good bluesy and rock tones. But extreme metal? Yep. Better believe it.