I've had a JB+ 7 (ceramic magnet) in the bridge position of my custom seven string for almost ten years now. It has served me well and I can see how my playing has evolved around it. But recently I've been getting into some serious recording and I've really been struggling to get a guitar sound out of the mix that does what I need it to, and after trying many different mixing and processing techniques (and a friend's guitar) I've somewhat narrowed things down to the culprit being some of the traits of the JB.
It's the low end, man! It's just not present, tight, or big enough to make itself heard in a mix. Now this isn't necessarily a flaw in the JB, it's made to cut and it doesn't have much low end on purpose. It's a screamer. But the things I'm writing these days are becoming more precise and technical, and when I record a DI with my seven and try to set up a sound later I simply can't dial in a tone that makes quick palm mutes and subtle things like that prominent. The frequencies just ain't there, Broseph.
And now I'm even noticing it when I'm playing through my real amp. I did some minor repair on a friend's seven string and plugged it into my amp to test everything and I was shocked at how punchy it sounded and how every palm muted note thumped, even in the middle of a complex riff. These were not any kind of good aftermarket pickups; it sounded like crap it several other important ways. But when it came to tight punchy low end they had it handled and the truth was clear: I need more low end detail that punches and keeps up with what I'm playing.
This is by no means a bash of the JB. I love that pickup and wish I didn't have to find something else. Heck, I've got a matching JB+ with a ceramic mag in my main six string, that's how big a fan I am.
I've been reading all kinds of stuff here and on other guitar forums, watching comparisons on youtube, and there only seems to be a few candidates. I need something to bring the heavy, meaning rhythm and lead, but I don't need it to do cleans. And I'm only replacing the bridge pickup, I don't need a set.
The JB is a bright pickup and I'm used to that, so From what I've seen prospects would include the Nazgul, the Pegasus, the Black Winter bridge, the Omega (but hopefully not as it's new and expensive), and even possible older models like the Full Shred or the Custom 5 (though I tried a Custom before I settled on the JB before and I hated it).
I've read a lot about all of these and they all have their fans and detractors depending on the situation. Well, I tried to outline my situation, so I hope I'll get some feedback. :cool2: Thanks in advance for any information you feel like sharing!
It's the low end, man! It's just not present, tight, or big enough to make itself heard in a mix. Now this isn't necessarily a flaw in the JB, it's made to cut and it doesn't have much low end on purpose. It's a screamer. But the things I'm writing these days are becoming more precise and technical, and when I record a DI with my seven and try to set up a sound later I simply can't dial in a tone that makes quick palm mutes and subtle things like that prominent. The frequencies just ain't there, Broseph.
And now I'm even noticing it when I'm playing through my real amp. I did some minor repair on a friend's seven string and plugged it into my amp to test everything and I was shocked at how punchy it sounded and how every palm muted note thumped, even in the middle of a complex riff. These were not any kind of good aftermarket pickups; it sounded like crap it several other important ways. But when it came to tight punchy low end they had it handled and the truth was clear: I need more low end detail that punches and keeps up with what I'm playing.
This is by no means a bash of the JB. I love that pickup and wish I didn't have to find something else. Heck, I've got a matching JB+ with a ceramic mag in my main six string, that's how big a fan I am.
I've been reading all kinds of stuff here and on other guitar forums, watching comparisons on youtube, and there only seems to be a few candidates. I need something to bring the heavy, meaning rhythm and lead, but I don't need it to do cleans. And I'm only replacing the bridge pickup, I don't need a set.
The JB is a bright pickup and I'm used to that, so From what I've seen prospects would include the Nazgul, the Pegasus, the Black Winter bridge, the Omega (but hopefully not as it's new and expensive), and even possible older models like the Full Shred or the Custom 5 (though I tried a Custom before I settled on the JB before and I hated it).
I've read a lot about all of these and they all have their fans and detractors depending on the situation. Well, I tried to outline my situation, so I hope I'll get some feedback. :cool2: Thanks in advance for any information you feel like sharing!
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