Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

D

deathbyguitar

New member
First, let me apologize for being the 8,000,000th person to ask about modding a JB.

I've read a billion posts on this forum about how you can take a ceramic magnet and shove it in a JB and have something that's very close to the Duncan Distortion. Before I actually do this, I have a few questions.

1. Now that Wymore is completely out of ceramic magnets, where can I find them? Is there any certain kind I'm looking for? I've heard of different names like Ceramic 5 and Ceramic 8, and things like rough vs. polished.

2. I'm pretty handy when it comes to taking things apart, but how dangerous is this in terms of screwing up my JB for good?

3. Besides the magnet, what all do I need to do this?


Thanks in advance
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Magnets here = http://stores.ebay.com/Addiction-FX-Guitar-and-Sound

Good, informative and easy to follow instructions here = http://www.projectguitar.com/tut/barmagswap.htm

As far as risk goes, it's extremely minimal. No wires are cut or soldered, all you need is a screwdriver. Ten minutes. No problem. I've never even bothered repotting them and I've had no problems with unwanted feedback.

As far as different grades of ceramic go, I really can't help you, sorry. I have very little experience with ceramic mags of any kind.
 
Last edited:
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Is the parafin wax absolutely necessary? It just looks like it'd be really hard to scrape off my chrome cover and make it look not disgusting afterwards.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Like I said, I've never bothered repotting. As long as all the screws are tightened adequately I've never had a problem with unwanted feedback or noise and I've been known to indulge in some pretty high gain when the mood strikes me.

What you can do is take some of the wax that will inevitably chip off the pickup when you open it and place it in certain points when you're closing back up, such as between then bobbin and the cover and perhaps above and below the magnet. Once you have it all screwed together, squeeze it closed and heat it with a hairdryer to melt the wax and get it flowing over the parts again just to seal it up. Sometimes I do this, sometimes I don't. Another handy hint is to put a strip of tape or something over the slug coils to stop them vibrating against the inside of the pup cover, which should save you some noise worries as well.

I wouldn't pot a pickup unless I absolutely had to.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

I think the grade you want is 8, but the magnet type you want is Alnico. I liked the JB8 a lot better than either the Distortion or the JB. You may get a little more help by telling us what guitar it's in, what you like or don't like about the tone, and what kind of music you play. You may not be looking in the right direction. Then again, you might be, but if you're asking for help, let us help you.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

It's going into a Schecter C-1 Elite, paired with a Jazz in the neck. The body and neck are mahogany, the fretboard is rosewood.

I play hard rock/metal and I'm looking for something with more agressive, roaring mids and tighter bass. Tone-wise, I'm going for a Chevelle-ish kind of tone. (Wonder What's Next era. All their other albums have crappy tone)

The JB is pretty much perfect when I'm in standard, but right now my guitar is in C G C F A D, which absolutely sucks for this pickup. When tuned down, the bass is incredibly loose, the mids sound like farts, and it's generally an all around unpleasant experience. I'm already using .13-.56 strings, so I know that's not an issue. So in general, I'm looking for more tightness and note clarity for drop tuning.

I was looking at getting a Distortion before reading about JB mods. Thing is, to get a chrome cover to match my Jazz costs like $100 for a custom shop version.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

deathbyguitar said:
Is the parafin wax absolutely necessary? It just looks like it'd be really hard to scrape off my chrome cover and make it look not disgusting afterwards.
Click to expand...


No.


I made a JB+ for my Gunslinger 2 months ago. It took me 8 minutes. :smokin:


Btw, don't listen to all the ceramic hatred around here. Half the guys that talk about modding pickups with A2's or A8's have probably never even done so themselves and just post hearsay. It sounds AWESOME.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Try it and report back. I imagine a JB ceramic will be something like a Super Distortion with less bass.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

I've used the distortion and jb8, I think you should stick with your plan, get a ceramic, it will suit your drop tuning well. I love alnico 8 but only in standard or drop d. If you're going to pummel some super low tuned chords you'll appreciate the extra tightness that the ceramic offers.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

deathbyguitar said:
So ceramic it is. Is this the kind of ceramic I'm looking for? I don't know anything about different ceramic types.


http://cgi.ebay.com/Ceramic-8-Humbu..._Accessories&hash=item4aa209f460#ht_500wt_928


Also, is this the proper dimension? Do all pickup magnets nowadays have generally the same dimensions?

Thanks a bunch, guys
Click to expand...

yes that ceramic will fit in your jb a super distortion has a thicker magnet . but that magnet will do just fine
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

I don't have experience with any ceramic pickups except the Custom and I've never looked into the differences between the different grades but I did a little googling and apparently 8 is simply a stronger magnet. I would assume that it would give you more output and a hotter pickup with perhaps a little more brightness but take that with a grain of salt, as I really don't know first-hand.

Either grade of ceramic will probably work for you but since they're so cheap I'd probably get one of each and try both of them out to see which you prefer. If you don't bother replacing the cover before trying them out then it will probably take half an hour at the most to A/B them and see which one has the characteristics you like the best.
 
Last edited:
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Save yourself a few bucks if you've got an EMG HZ3 lying about. It's got a Ceramic magnet in it that will work just fine. That's what I used to make my JB+ and it sounds great.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

DrNewcenstein said:
Save yourself a few bucks if you've got an EMG HZ3 lying about. It's got a Ceramic magnet in it that will work just fine. That's what I used to make my JB+ and it sounds great.
Click to expand...

i have done that myself there's, a nice bit of quality magnets in some of the Korean guitars not china , i have made super distortion style pickups using bc rich pickup magnets & they sounded great just one thing is most high output ceramic pickups have magnets around 3/16" thick so they wont fit in a jb unless you add a thicker spacer and a shim probably
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Well, EMG states the HZ3 is a PAF-type, not high-output. They usually paired it with the AfterBurner/TurboCharger boost circuit to help push it along.
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Ok, I got the ceramic magnet in the mail today. Only one tiny issue. The thing is completely blank, so I don't know which side is which in terms of polarity. Is this normal, and if so, how do i install it correctly?
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

Quoting Blueman335 - "Pull the old magnet out halfway, hold the new one next to it, so the ends repel and sides attract."
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

I pulled a magnet from a cheapo import pickup that was polarized on the top and bottom, not the edges or sides. That's whacky.

But yeah, like poles repel, opposites attract. If your new magnet flips over when held near your current magnet, it's trying to align to the opposing polarity, so South wants to hook up with North.

Let it flip, then mark the side closest to the screw coil North. Remove the old magnet and put the North edge of the new one toward the slug coil.


Whenever I remove a magnet from a pickup, I mark it. Obviously you didn't have that option with the incoming magnet, but for future reference....
 
Re: Need help with making a JB+ / Distortion lite

how'd you go?
as long as you work from the non-wire end and the mag fits, the pickup will work
phasing with other pickups is a different issue...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top