JB's, DD's with an A2

Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I tried a Jb with a2 mag and it was like a tamer Jb, alot smoother and no harshness. I perfer the stock Jb in alder, the JbA2 or stock Jb is really good in maple. I have also tried a roughcast a5 and it works well kinda like a combination of a2 and a5 qualities. I have yet to try a Jb in mahogany. HTH
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

Great in a LP, very powerful and driven. Too lame in a SG.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I prefer the JB stock the best. at first the A2 swap was great then after a while you put it back to stock and go Oh yeah!:cool2:
I guess i just like the JB the way it was originally designed. A5 full strength.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

It really depends on the specific guitar/wood slab. JB can be a bit picky. Plus everyone has their own definition of what sounds good to them.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I love it, big and growley mids, less low end, smooth, clear highs, cool lead sounds. Not the best for thrash as it's not super tight, but I like a little sludgey looseness in my pickups.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

Just put an A2 in my JB, not installed yet though. I actually wish I had started with a Distortion because I have some WCR A2 magnets that are bigger that I would have lked to try.

I never tried the JB in a strat before, but I didn't like it in a Les Paul.

And in humbukcers I generally prefer A2 over A5; some of my favorite pickups are Seth, Ant, PG, and 57. So I'm hoping the JB2 will be more my speed on my first JB attempt.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

Just put an A2 in my JB, not installed yet though. I actually wish I had started with a Distortion because I have some WCR A2 magnets that are bigger that I would have lked to try.

I never tried the JB in a strat before, but I didn't like it in a Les Paul.

And in humbukcers I generally prefer A2 over A5; some of my favorite pickups are Seth, Ant, PG, and 57. So I'm hoping the JB2 will be more my speed on my first JB attempt.

problem is that all those others are lower resistance paf types the JB at 16K is not the same beast. Not to say you wont like the JB2 but it will not sound as good as any of the others you like with a A2. in a alder floyded strat the stock JB is perfect for me. as it was for many of the 80's guys that got great tones from it.:14:
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

Popular wisdom has it that an A2 in a JB is pretty much the essence of the Allan Holdsworth signature model.

In an Alder/maple/rosewood Stratocaster, the Holdsworth HB sounds smooth, powerful, musical, never harsh. Through an overdriven valve amplifier, with the tone control rolled back, the guitar takes on that "synth brass" quality that marks out Holdsworth's legato melody playing.

Me like.

P. S. - Yes, I do know that Allan Holdsworth often uses solid state amplification.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

it will not sound as good as any of the others you like with a A2.

I completely disagree with you on this, the JB2 is very close to the perfect pickup for lead sounds. The rhythm shortfall is the same between all those he mentioned, loose low end. I think he'll like it. It's far and away a better pickup than the JB and a CC in my opinion, I like mids though.

TC, the WCR mags will fit if you take out the spacer bar. His pickups don't have a bar underneath the screw coil, so he has mags made wider that go all the way to the screws without it. The DD mag is taller, but normal width.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I think I agree with KingIzzo and FunkFingers, the A2 fills in that JB but does loosen the lows a bit.

The A2 in a JB is actually a fairly popular mod. A lot of people like it. So...try it. you be your own judge.

Hey devastone, I seem to recall hearing that too.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

Another angle to consider , and 1 reason I'm gonna go with the JB2 I have, is that split,it is a pretty good SC,output wise. I have a 6.3 n and a 6.5 in middle so with my push -pull it should be a good match. I had this in B of my 3000 and thought it filled out good ,split in that.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I completely disagree with you on this, the JB2 is very close to the perfect pickup for lead sounds. The rhythm shortfall is the same between all those he mentioned, loose low end. I think he'll like it. It's far and away a better pickup than the JB and a CC in my opinion, I like mids though.

+1. JB2's are very nice. Stock JB's are too shrill in my mahogany and semi-hollow guitars, and the CC is too dark. Anything with an A2 isn't going to have a tight low end, but that's the price you pay for the increased dynamics.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

Hey devastone, I seem to recall hearing that too.

I'm pretty sure it was somewhere in this forum.... HERE

I think it really depends on the guitar, I had one in a maple body, maple neck, floyd'd guitar and it sounded awesome.
 
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Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I think it really depends on the guitar, I had one in a maple body, maple neck, floyd'd guitar and it sounded awesome.

I have a JB2 in a LP and it sounds good in there too. I think the JB2 is works in more guitars and woods than the stock JB. Dialing down that piercing treble can only be a good thing. As far as JB2's having a loose low end from the A2, the stock JB is famous for that in mahogany.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I usually prefer the less, but looser low of an A2 over the bigger, tighter low of an A5. Similarly, I like the smoother high of an A2 over the higher highs of an A5, and last, I like a (low) mid spike of an A2 rather than the (low) mid scoop of an A5 - in the bridge. In the neck I prefer the opposite....generally speaking.

That said, I probably won't actually get around to installing my JB2 for a couple weeks because I'm still deciding on other pickups to go with it, and even if I want it in an existing strat or maybe pick up another one instead. I will report back after I get it done though.
 
Re: JB's, DD's with an A2

I kinda thought it was overpowered with a 490R A5, for what that's worth. Paired really well with a neck hot rail though. I'll bet it pairs better with an A2 paf type, but I never tried it with the stock 490R.
 
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