Next step up after the JB

[Ascension]

Alt 8 is *highly* underrated in the minds of pickup buyers

The trick with the Alt 8 is finding the sweet spot in height. In particular, not getting it too close to the strings. To close, and you loose sustain and also get weird overtones. Have owned several and when you find that sweet spot they can be pure magic.

 

[Bill Dennis]

That would help with the shrillness issue, but I think that would actually be a step down, rather. Especially in aggression.

I like it. I run my JB under a 300-ish K load on my LP as well. But not sure that's what the OP wants.

JMO.

Its kind of an either or question. Where do you think that aggressive quality comes from? Even Seymour recommends a 250k pot with a JB. It is not exactly unprecedented

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Its kind of an either or question. Where do you think that aggressive quality comes from? Even Seymour recommends a 250k pot with a JB. It is not exactly unprecedented

Yeah, I agree it's kind of an either or question. And yes, it's not unprecedented running it on lower values pots with the JB. And while Seymour designed it that way, I don't think he accounted for every scenario the JB was going to be used for. I don't think Seymour had "Mastodon/A7X/Tool/LoG" in mind, as a concrete example.

Don't get me wrong, everyone has a taste on how the JB should be run. Like I said, I run my JB on my Les Paul with a 300K-ish load. I don't disagree with you in that it sounds nice that way. I just I think that's a step down in aggression rather than a step up, if that's what the OP wants. The JB sounds tamer that way.

 

[jeremy]

100% lower pot values tame aggression

 

[Masta' C]

Lower pot value = lower/flatter resonant peak = less bite, smoother tone

I think "aggression" is somewhat subjective, though... Do more low, growly mids make a pickup sound more aggressive to you? Or does a punchy, biting upper midrange focus sound more aggressive?

The former might sound more aggressive in a single guitar arrangement with fewer instruments competing for that space, while the latter might sound more aggressive in a multi-guitar arrangement or with busier instrumentation.

However, in general, most people are probably going to find a JB w/ 300K "tamer" than a JB w/ 500K+

 

[NotDemanic]

Funny no one has mentioned the Perpetual Burn.