MJ-wound pickups...

Quicksilver689

Quicksilver689

New member
Let me start by saying that in asking this question, no disrespect intended AT ALL to MJ - I've played a PATB-1 (with 1BJ sticker on the bottom) and a Crazy 8 that were both wound by her, and they were wonderful pickups! :)

OK...that said, I have a question - I've never compared a "regular" version of a Duncan pickup to one of the same model that was wound by MJ. I'm sure some of you out there have though. If this is you, can you tell me if you honestly hear any sonic difference? Does MJ wind them any differently compared to production counterparts? For example, would a standard Jazz Neck model sound different than a "JNJ"? I guess there's also some people that have "JBJ's" as well, which would be a JB wound by MJ?

Again, the two I stated above definitely had great tone...just didn't have the opportunity to compare them to non-MJ wound counterparts. :)

Just asking out of pure curiosity, because I admit openly that if there is a difference, I have no clue. Thanks in advance. :)

MJ - if you read this, thank you for winding great pickups for SD! :)
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

The best sounding pickup I've ever owned was a TB4 wound by MJ. I bought (and subsequently sold) the pickup long before I knew what the J meant (before there was a thread on here explaining the significance of the last letter) so there was no hype involved in my opinion.

It's also worth mentioning that the pickup spec'd at 17.06k, a tad higher dc resistance than a normal JB.

I can't say that it was my favorite because she wound it, or because of the extra windings. Regardless though, it did sound fantastic.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Tough to tell.

Those stickers indicate they were made at a certain period in time. Unless you could find a fair way to compare a JBJ with a JB"X" made around the same time and have seen the exact same conditions, there are too many variables to attribute it to the winder (using "X" to indicate some other random winder's initial). It may very well be MJ's fingers or it could be a different batch of wire, weather conditions, different batches of magnets, or pretty much one of several dozen different variables.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Correct me if i'm wrong, but i have heard all humbuckers are machine wound. Duncan calls those people 'assembler' not winder. But anyway, MJ is nice person. She helped me out generously with a new baseplate.
 
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Re: MJ-wound pickups...

jeremy said:
buckers are machine wound
Click to expand...

Kalamazoo Lessona PAF winder:

leesona.jpg
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Marty Friedman uses (or did maybe he's changed recently) JBJ pickups exclusively, apparently.
So he must be hearing something.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Nothing but internet hype! Anyone that thinks/says otherwise, well, I need some of what they're smokin' :lol:

-Austin
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

austin said:
Nothing but internet hype! Anyone that thinks/says otherwise, well, I need some of what they're smokin' :lol:

-Austin
Click to expand...

No smokin' involved...I had a JBJ, it was the best JB I have heard (I have had about 15 or so), but the JB is not my first choice...

Maybe the JBJ comes with its own Kool-Aid, but it did sound different. More bite and brilliance, it was also just a bit more harmonically rich than other JBs I have had. I should note the difference was subtle, not a drastic difference.

I have been doing my guitar time for about 20 years now - I can't attribute the slight difference to pup height, pot values, etc.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

austin said:
nothing but internet hype! Anyone that thinks/says otherwise, well, i need some of what they're smokin' :lol:

-austin
Click to expand...

+1

Though, I love MJ and she is great, this is a placebo effect if I have ever seen one. It does not matter.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Binnerscot said:
No smokin' involved...I had a JBJ, it was the best JB I have heard (I have had about 15 or so), but the JB is not my first choice...

Maybe the JBJ comes with its own Kool-Aid, but it did sound different. More bite and brilliance, it was also just a bit more harmonically rich than other JBs I have had. I should note the difference was subtle, not a drastic difference.

I have been doing my guitar time for about 20 years now - I can't attribute the slight difference to pup height, pot values, etc.
Click to expand...

theodie said:
+1

Though, I love MJ and she is great, this is a placebo effect if I have ever seen one. It does not matter.
Click to expand...

I think I'll have to agree. I had a jazz neck that was "wound" by MJ and I wasn't impressed. It actually sounded like crap to me but I think it was due to the rust and the fact that it was about 20 years old (might have been damaged). Plus some people use her to sell the "J" sticker SD pups more $$$$. Some dude on ebay wanted $95 for a 80's PGbJ. I can get a PG+b in double white for that.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

I love MJ, but I don't see how there can be any difference.

The only thing that might make a difference is the age of a pup that would have a MJ sticker on the bottom.

Older pups do sound different.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Here's the thing: from what I've heard, MJ knows what she's doing, right? So wouldn't she try to make every pickup sound exactly how it's supposed to sound? (IE. make every JB sound exactly how a JB is intended to sound) And wouldn't every other winder do the same?

So each pickup of a certain model should sound the same as every other pickup of that model, right?
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

All I can say is that I have a 59' in the neck of an LP wound by MJ that sounds outstanding. It's a perfect example of an A5 PAF that I think anyone would love. And everyone that has heard it does love it! Thanks MJ!:thanks:
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

I have had 2 brobuckers made by MJ. I'm not sure if it's a placebo, or if there's something in her fingers, or what... but the 11k brobucker she made for me is the best "overpowered PAF" I have ever played, and top 5 in terms of "PAFs, normal and otherwise". The beauty is that even though it's new, it doesn't have a "new" feeling to it, yet it doesn't have a "beat up" feel to it. If you could mix a nice slightly aged flavor with all the structural benefits of new, you'd have it. She even managed to keep it at 42awg with an 11k output... something I had never seen or heard of before, yet it works in balancing a strat.

I wonder if there are any differences in winding a single vs. a rails vs. a fullsize hb
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

At one time I had a pair of Distortions from the same guitar and year - one had a DDL sticker, the other a DDJ. The DDL sounded darker than the DDJ. Not muffled or flabby, but like it had slightly less treble response. Nothing major, just enough to say "hmmm, sounds darker".

The DDJ, on the other hand, screamed like a banshee and growled like a bear. Coulda been the age or abuse - maybe the enamel coatings get used to certain frequencies (neck or bridge) and over time those frequencies ingrain themselves into the coil itself, so that they take on the characteristics of a particular position. If that's the case, a Bridge pickup could then be "brainwashed" into the role of Neck pickup, and not sound as good in the Bridge. Had the previous owner put the DDL in the bridge instead, would it sound like a Neck pickup 20 years later?
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

DrNewcenstein said:
Coulda been the age or abuse - maybe the enamel coatings get used to certain frequencies (neck or bridge) and over time those frequencies ingrain themselves into the coil itself, so that they take on the characteristics of a particular position.
Click to expand...

excellent mojo theory, if you don't mind me saying so
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Binnerscot said:
No smokin' involved...I had a JBJ, it was the best JB I have heard (I have had about 15 or so), but the JB is not my first choice...

Maybe the JBJ comes with its own Kool-Aid, but it did sound different. More bite and brilliance, it was also just a bit more harmonically rich than other JBs I have had. I should note the difference was subtle, not a drastic difference.

I have been doing my guitar time for about 20 years now - I can't attribute the slight difference to pup height, pot values, etc.
Click to expand...

How many guitars did you try that JBJ in? Wood comes into play here too.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

Maricella Juarez (MJ) is to Seymour Duncan, what Abigail Yabarra (AY) is to Fender, which is to say that both of these ladies have had many years of pickup winding experience under their belts. Seymour would not have MJ in his custom shop if she weren't a cut above the rest. Seymour heavily relies on MJ to oversee the custom shop when he's gone, and she does a stupendous job at it. Both Seymour and MJ helped me out on a set of Antiquity Texas Hot Strat pickups (w/lefty staggered magnets) that were wound by a guy in the SD custom shop in the early 90's, this guy had been given charge to wind pups while Seymour was out on business, and my set was definitely not right. I ran across Seymour at the Dallas Texas Guitar Show around this time period and described how un-Seymour like this Antiquity set was. Seymour asked that I send him the set to analyze. Seymour ended up custom re-winding the set (and signing each pup) and Maricella was the middlewoman who relayed the status, and answered any questions I might have had. Seymour and MJ are both quality people in my book.
 
Re: MJ-wound pickups...

One other tidbit, that I'm sure most guitar players out there know. Abigail Yabarra (AY) at Fender wound most, if not all of Jimi Hendrix's pickups. It seems as though I've heard somewhere that Maricella Juarez (MJ) has a similar amount of experience as (AY) and may have even worked at Fender for years doing pup winds, so this would put her in the same class or category as (AY). Then it becomes easy to see why Seymour relies so heavily upon her.
 
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