new pickup install day JB/Jazz

voggin

Well-known member
Well, yesterday, really.

I had a tech put a JB/Jazz set into my PRS SE singlecut. Mahogany body with a thin maple cap. I thought I'd post my first impressions, even though it's still honeymoon period. However, unlike a guitar, I'm not as excited as I get on NGD's.

I have now played through a small vox tube combo, my own tube pro junior, and a Hughes and Kettner solid state 40w. I'm hoping to play it through a stilletto and a deville this weekend.

I was a little worried about the JB, given the mixed opinions on that pu on the forum. However, I'm pleasantly pleased/relieved. What an interesting pickup! The harmonics are great, and chords with overdrive sound really bitey, but very clear. Every note is audible. I have a very light touch, esp. in soloing, so it may be that the brittle sounds others get from the JB are due to a stronger attack. For me, the tone I seem to get most is a Billy Gibbons '80s Eliminator (was that the album title?) squeally fat tone. When I roll back the tone a touch, I get some 70s blues-rock sounds.

On clean settings, I get a great, sharp rythm sound, very funky and sparkly. I can really see how this pu would cut through a band, esp. drums. It may be my ears or my style of playing, but I like the sharp tones (and I'm a bedroom player). Lots of harmonic stuff going on, which I'll have to learn to exploit.

The Jazz is a great neck pu. Nice bluesy tones, very les paul-ish. Played "Stepping Out" with the tone rolled back, very sweet, even through the solid state. On clean, nice jangly rythms, no mud.

I like them together too. Lots of neat sounds. On clean, subtle use of the volume and tone knobs gives me a lot of workable tones.

So I'm quite please with the pair. I actually thought the stock pus were okay, but there is simply no comparing real pus to those. This is my first mod, and really my first two humbucker guitar. I'm now into this guitar for 700 dollars (guitar, 400, pickups around 200, tech 100: he also did an amazing setup and some work on the nut...my dad always said "never begrudge a pro his fee" and he was right!) and with the new pu's I have to say it went from a good mid-range guitar to a good guitar, period.

This Seymour dude knows what he's doing!
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

I should have added, I put .010's on, replacing the stock .009's. Feels much better. The tech raised the action a little to where I like it as well.

Another note on the JB: it's sweet spot seems to be above the 12th fret, really sings.

Another note on the Jazz: Has a surprising "throaty" voice on low to mid gain, almost strat neck with the tone all out. Have to hook up the Cry Baby to try this sound out.
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

Really glad you like it. The Jazz is the one neck bucker I haven't tried in 10 years on this board. I always imagine it as too bright and top endy. I really need to give it a shot someday.
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

I think it may be because I usually play a strat that I'm used to sounds that can be harsh on their own, but with other instruments sound better. So I probably have a built-in tolerance for the jb.

The tone knob is much more in play now than before. Subtle changes to the tone really bring out different aspects of the jb. I know a lot of '80s rock guitars had jbs without tone knobs, but I think those guitars miss out on a lot of nuances. With full overdrive, rolling back a little on the tone smoothes things out, and then dialing it back up to full gives you an extra scream when you want it.

The jazz makes great Santana-like tones on overdrive, and clean a real great blues tone. Both pu's on clean together make a real nice, full, almost jazzy, boxy chord sound. Like I said in my original post, with all the harmonics popping around, little tweaks of the volume and tone pots bring out different parts of the pickups.

Very happy so far. Been playing and tinkering all day.
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

Congradulations! I can tell you're excited.. that's awesome man.

I've got the JB/Jazz combo on 3 of my guitars.. I've noticed the JB gets alotta flack on this board.. but I do believe its SD's most popular pup.. for a reason..

It cuts through in a live situation.. and yes it can be a bit agressive/harsh in some guitars.. but I think it sits perfectly in a mahogany body/maple cap type guitar.. I don't have a light touch.. I like to really dig in.. and this pickup reponds positively IMO.
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

Congrats on the new pickups they actually are a very good combo, I have the same pickups in my Les Paul Classic. From some of the bad stuff I read about the JB I wasn't sure how it would sound in my Les Paul but decided to take a chance, no Ice pick highs or excessive midrange honk or flabby lows it sounds great in a band mix and solo's above the 12th fret just sing!

So far I'm really liking this setup, keep rocking and good luck with your new pickups!
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

Thanks everyone. As I said, I hope to try it through some loud tube amps this weekend or early in the week.

I can see how this modding thing could get addictive. It's scary how much better a modestly priced guitar can be with new pickups. I wish more guitar companies would either improve their in-house pickups or just sell the things with SD's.
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

I can see how this modding thing could get addictive. It's scary how much better a modestly priced guitar can be with new pickups. I wish more guitar companies would either improve their in-house pickups or just sell the things with SD's.

Yes, that would make sense, wouldn't it? And what's even more ridiculous is if you pay retail for "high end" guitars from "custom builders" who simply replace/assemble guitars from quality parts like SD pups etc - they charge you thru the nose.
 
Re: new pickup install day JB/Jazz

Yes, that would make sense, wouldn't it? And what's even more ridiculous is if you pay retail for "high end" guitars from "custom builders" who simply replace/assemble guitars from quality parts like SD pups etc - they charge you thru the nose.

I understand the whole wanting to meet a certain price point and other motivations for skimping on pickups, but ultimately I don't think it makes good economic sense. You can buy computers at all different prices, but certain components are all made by certain companies with expertise (processors, software, etc.). Same with tires on a car. Sure, a JB is a 99 dollar pickup, but I'm sure that if I were a guitar manufacturer ordering 2000 of them, the Duncan company would make me a pretty good deal. Look at the new Japanese Charvels, they come with Duncans or Dimarzios stock, grover tuners, korean floyd at a 899 list price (so I'm guessing $750 at a store). That's way better, both for the consumer and the prestige of the company, than selling it for $600 with second-rate hardware. Pros and tinkerers will still swap out the pickups, but at least they'll have something useful to sell or use elsewhere, and the vast majority of users will leave the guitars stock. And the company doesn't suffer from user reviews like "nice neck, but it goes out of tune and sounds like mud".

I would have paid an extra hundred bucks for my PRS with stock Duncans, whatever the pair. PRS's Korean factory makes a nice body, neck and fretted guitar out of pretty good wood, they do that well, and Seymour makes great pickups at a reasonable price. Why re-invent the wheel?
 
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