Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

[zenmindbeginner]

Alright! We can now feast on the comparison between the 3 JB Models (Concept JB wasn't available for this test). Every effort was made to provide a solid control group so that the only variables would be the 3 different JB Models.

Same strings, same gear, same settings, same mics, same placement, same guitar, same player, same riffs and licks.

No post processing or sweetening was done to the tracks, they are raw as recorded to achieve minimum clipping and preserve their natural fidelity.

I play the riffs and licks all in the same order of pickups, that order is:

1). 35th Anniversary Limited Edition Commemorative JB Model
2). normal everyday production JB Model
3). Antiquity JB Model

Guitar is my usual #1 and gear is my new set-up which is detailed in my Super V video as my "analog" rig.

Blackface Princeton Reverb + BOSS CS-3+Weehbo JMP Drive+Badgerplex AC+ISP Decimator

Volume-2, Treble-10, Bass-10, Reverb-2.5 (I normally keep it on 3.5 but dialed it back for this demo... at 2.5 it's barely there)

Left Channel - Shure SM57
Right Channel - AKG 414EB and I used the line inputs of my Zoom H4 to record the audio via SD card.

Lots of fapworthy SD pickup porn fellas.

When I back the gain down for the Chuck Berry lick and the Two Door Cinema riff, you can hear some stark differences... the Antiquity is much louder/more aggressive and the 35th Anniversary is smoother and rounder. That difference will be there throughout the comparison video but in differing amounts varying from riff to riff, look out for it... it will be your guide through the sonic labyrinth. Who knew that the JB could get a decent Chuck Berry tone?



Here are the Soundcloud links. I did a clean recording but Youtube thought that it was the actual song, so I had to remove it. It's the last riff that I played so it's towards the end of the waveform. I dialed up a clean sound using the 35th Anniversary JB and when I cut the production JB tracks with that same settings, it started to clip ever so slightly... but when I cut the Antiquity JB Model's clean track with that vary same setting, it was causing the sound to clip constantly since the Antiquity is a good bit more dynamic than the other two models. Download is enabled for all three tracks.

35th Anniversary Limited Commemorative Edition JB


everyday stock production JB Model


Antiquity JB Model


It's all a lot to take in and repeated listening is almost necessary. :1:

 

[SGFanatic]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

Great comparison. I like the Antiquity the best. I hear more articulation, a little bit more crispness. It does sound better than the production model, but only slightly, which begs the question, "Is it worth paying twice as much for?" Also, was looking at the 3 JB versions on the SD website, the Anniversary is spelled "Annuversary", which I think is funny. With this comparison, I still like the JB as much as I always have. The Antiquity, besides the aesthetics is like gilding the lily, as far as the JB tone is concerned. Now if I liked the JB tone so much and I was wiling to spend $170 on a pickup, I'd buy the Antiquity.

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

Kudos for the Alice in Chains.

They all sound similar, as they should, but have slight differences. My favorite was the Antiquity. The stock one was my second favorite, and the 35th Anniversary I thought was a little bright and weaker sounding relative to the other demos. I heard the Antiquity as smoother, which I liked.

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

That 35th Anniversary is badass! It sounded more vintagey and cut through better. The other two had a deeper bass & compression that made them sound more modern. All great and could easily be used, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for the 35th Anniversary. That said, I wonder how the the Concept differs from the 35th Anniversary. Hmmm... maybe Duncan will lend you a Concept to add to your comparison. :32:

 

[wolf5150]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

Antiquity. Clear winner.
Great demo.

 

[wolf5150]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

What are the pot values in the guitar ?

 

[Chris of Arabia]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

I checked out the SoundCloud clips for the clean sound, and was very impressed with the way they sound - what was the piece you played for that, as I wouldn't mind learning that? The gain sounds I wasn't as keen on to be honest, but I'm guessing that could be down to amp selection - I'd be interested in hearing them though something with more of a British character to them, though I can't guess at how much effort that would take, if these are anything to go by. Congratulations on putting together one of the best comparisons I've heard.

Oh, and for the clean clips, I go Antiquity, Production & Anniversary too.

 

[speed2dirt]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

I did a little research and it appears they all have different magnets. Very interesting!

production - sandcast A5
35th Anniversary - roughcast A5
Antiquity - degaussed roughcast A5
Concept - A2

 

[J E C]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

First I have to say GREAT DEMO and PLAYING as usual! WOW! I first listened to the video clear through. Then I listened to the sound clouds "like part" to "like part" to "like part" clear through. I liked the Standard production model and the Antiquity best. The Standard was warmer and more rounded, which I like. The Antiquity had some thing about it that I liked as well. It was warmer than the Anniversary but not as much as the Standard, and it was a bit more aggressive than the other two.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

What are the pot values in the guitar ?

500K volume and tone

First I have to say GREAT DEMO and PLAYING as usual! WOW! I first listened to the video clear through. Then I listened to the sound clouds "like part" to "like part" to "like part" clear through. I liked the Standard production model and the Antiquity best. The Standard was warmer and more rounded, which I like. The Antiquity had some thing about it that I liked as well. It was warmer than the Anniversary but not as much as the Standard, and it was a bit more aggressive than the other two.

Thank you so much for the kind words. The Antiquity was definitely more aggressive and had a "personality" that they other two didn't have. You can hear during the lead parts where I just seem to have a little more juice on tap. The solo for "Girl Gone Bad" was sort of effortless with the Antiquity and I had to struggle a wee tiny bit (as I usually do what that solo) with the other two.

I did a little research and it appears they all have different magnets. Very interesting!

production - sandcast A5
35th Anniversary - roughcast A5
Antiquity - degaussed roughcast A5
Concept - A2

That 35th Anniversary is badass! It sounded more vintagey and cut through better. The other two had a deeper bass & compression that made them sound more modern. All great and could easily be used, but I'll be keeping my eyes open for the 35th Anniversary. That said, I wonder how the the Concept differs from the 35th Anniversary. Hmmm... maybe Duncan will lend you a Concept to add to your comparison. :32:

The differences are that: the production JB has a smooth polished and fully charged A5, 35th Anny has a roughcast A5 and the Antiquity has a degaussed roughcast A5.

It's my understanding that all Alnico magnets are cast in sand casts. A roughcast magnet is simply a magnet that hasn't been polished. Roughcast magnets can be ground down a bit and still be thought of as "roughcast" but they are all unpolished.

Roughcast magnets are also referred to as "sandcast" magnets because the texture of it's surface still reflects the grains of sand that comprised the cast. But to my knowledge, all Alnico magnets are cast in sand.

The Concept JB might be roughcast A2 and maybe it's degaussed as well... that's proprietary information that we might not ever get.

Hopefully, I will get a crack at doing a demo of the concept set in the future. :fingersx:

Antiquity. Clear winner.
Great demo.

Thanks a bunch Wolf and the Antiquity has stayed in that guitar since then. : )

I feel that the unique qualities of the Antiquity allows the player to achieve his or her own personal tone... it's a pretty special pickup and I treasure it.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

It's my understanding that all Alnico magnets are cast in sand casts.

Some are cast and some are sintered. But for the magnets in these 3 pickups all are cast.

 

[J E C]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

Now I'm curios about a UOA5 in a JB. :scratchch

 

[esandes]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

amazing comparison and video. the best i've seen.

the stock production JB seems to have the most clarity and composure. the ant sounds a bit beefier. my faves in order are stock, ant, 35th.

thanks!

 

[whatshisname]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

They are all very similar, and the little nuances give each of them something that I really like. The stock one sounds a bit stiffer, not that that's a BAD thing, mind you. The other two are even closer to each other, from what I can hear. The 35th Anniversary could be a winner, for me. But, I think that I could live pretty happily with any of them. There's no mistaking that they are all JBs.

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

EXCELLENT video. That goes for the playing, the scientific comparison, and the video production. Jeez... I don't think I'd ever be able to put together a video like that.

For all the people that have argued that EVH used a JB at one point... I've always said that I just can't hear it in his tone. Then you go and test the Antiquity and I can hear it. If somebody wanted to use a JB for an EVH guitar build I would never be able to argue against the Antiquity version. The midrange spike seems to be moved down the spectrum a little bit and it's just angrier sounding, like you said.

 

[tonaholic]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

First off: Incredible video. I'll be doing something similar with some Duncan and Dimarzio PAF type pickups I've been collecting but have ZERO production values, lol.

I noticed you said the guitar is your #1 and I looked for details on it in other videos but couldn't find 'em. What are the body/neck woods?

 

[GilmourD]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

First off: Incredible video. I'll be doing something similar with some Duncan and Dimarzio PAF type pickups I've been collecting but have ZERO production values, lol.

I noticed you said the guitar is your #1 and I looked for details on it in other videos but couldn't find 'em. What are the body/neck woods?

If I recall, it's a Hamer with a rosewood board maple neck and an alder body set up for HSS. It's loaded with a Floyd. Dunno if he has it blocked.

 

[zenmindbeginner]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

amazing comparison and video. the best i've seen.

the stock production JB seems to have the most clarity and composure. the ant sounds a bit beefier. my faves in order are stock, ant, 35th.

thanks!

EXCELLENT video. That goes for the playing, the scientific comparison, and the video production. Jeez... I don't think I'd ever be able to put together a video like that.

For all the people that have argued that EVH used a JB at one point... I've always said that I just can't hear it in his tone. Then you go and test the Antiquity and I can hear it. If somebody wanted to use a JB for an EVH guitar build I would never be able to argue against the Antiquity version. The midrange spike seems to be moved down the spectrum a little bit and it's just angrier sounding, like you said.

First off: Incredible video. I'll be doing something similar with some Duncan and Dimarzio PAF type pickups I've been collecting but have ZERO production values, lol.

I noticed you said the guitar is your #1 and I looked for details on it in other videos but couldn't find 'em. What are the body/neck woods?

If I recall, it's a Hamer with a rosewood board maple neck and an alder body set up for HSS. It's loaded with a Floyd. Dunno if he has it blocked.

Great observations! I totally agree with you on the EVH GilmourD. It's almost a perfect match for the Diver Down/1984 era sound.

It is absolutely thrilling to be able to vibe and connect to y'all through these reviews. Your largesse & magnanimity feeds my soul and is greatly appreciated... I'm sure I can speak on Scott Olson's behalf on that as well. We've got lots of more stuff to review and hopefully I will get to participate as much as possible.

Yes, the 1992 Hamer Centaura is a one piece alder body with a maple neck. 24 frets on a 25.4" scale length . The fingerboard is Pau Ferro which is similar to rosewood but is less porous and more smooth. Feels like ebony but sounds like rosewood. Sonically, I actually think it has a bit of a focused midrange sort of like maple does... less bloom than rosewood too. I actually replaced all of the black hardware with gold 'cause I like the bling. Took a while to get the Hamer stamped Schaller Floyd and tuners. The finish is a simple oil based walnut stain with a very thin coat of nitro on top (I bought it from the guy who stripped it and did a decent job of refinishing it).

They are all very similar, and the little nuances give each of them something that I really like. The stock one sounds a bit stiffer, not that that's a BAD thing, mind you. The other two are even closer to each other, from what I can hear. The 35th Anniversary could be a winner, for me. But, I think that I could live pretty happily with any of them. There's no mistaking that they are all JBs.

Three unique variants of a strong flavor. You are on to something about describing the regular JB as "stiff'... they all did have a different feel.

The 35th Anniversary was like an old mellow friend and was very comfortable feeling.

The production JB was a bit more stiff and sonically more "awake".

The Antiquity JB was just wild and had a dynamic and searing sizzle to it that was addictive. If I could just get the mechanical "boominess" out of it, it would be perfect for what I do musically.

Now I'm curios about a UOA5 in a JB. :scratchch

I think we have several members here who could chime in on their experiences with that swap, hopefully they will.

 

[Scott Olson]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

A big thank you for zenminsbeginner for putting this together. I know I promised you guys a comparison 5 months ago and zenmindbegginer took the challenge to make it happen In the most scientifically possible way.

Personally, I liked the Antiquity JB best, an upper clarity that really stood out to me, but all were good and awesome.

 

[tubecrunch]

Re: Production JB vs. 35th Anniversary JB vs. Antiquity JB Model comparison is here!

Now get to work on the next 70 Duncan models