Question About Brightening up a JB

[Butch Snyder]

I have a Strat with Fender Tex Mex pickups. I like them. I have an SH04 JB sitting in a drawer. If I install the JB in the bridge position and keep the 250k pots, if I lower the screws on the bobbin, will that brighten it up a bit?

 

[Artie]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

Or perhaps, wire it in parallel. That should brighten it a bit and help equalize the volume difference with the singles.

P.S. I don't think I've ever seen a thread before where someone wanted to "brighten" a JB.

 

[gregory]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

If I install the JB in the bridge position and keep the 250k pots, if I lower the screws on the bobbin, will that brighten it up a bit?

Have you tried the JB with 250k pots?

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

The 250K pots will dampen the resonance peak, and make it less "peaky".

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

Or perhaps, wire it in parallel. That should brighten it a bit and help equalize the volume difference with the singles.

P.S. I don't think I've ever seen a thread before where someone wanted to "brighten" a JB.

Parallel isn’t an option. Don’t like that tone. My rig is tailored for single coils so sometimes humbuckers can be muddy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[gregory]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

My rig is tailored for single coils so sometimes humbuckers can be muddy.

Alternate humbuckers with some glass...

EJ Custom Neck
Humbucker From Hell
EJ Custom Bridge
Pearly Gates Neck
Alnico II Pro Neck
Bluesbucker
Jazz Bridge
Screamin' Demon
PAF Joe

 

[Butch Snyder]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

Not looking for alternate humbuckers. Just asked if lowering the screw poles would brighten it up at all.

 

[gregory]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

You'll have better luck cutting them and putting the slug coil closest to the bridge.

 

[Joey Voltage]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

You'll have better luck cutting them and putting the slug coil closest to the bridge.

or replacing them with shorter allen poles that don't protrude much from the base.

 

[Jacew]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

I have a Strat with Fender Tex Mex pickups. I like them. I have an SH04 JB sitting in a drawer. If I install the JB in the bridge position and keep the 250k pots, if I lower the screws on the bobbin, will that brighten it up a bit?

Have you actually tried it yet? If it indeed is too muddy, you should first switch tone pot for 500k.

You could also search for 250k/500k dual gang pot for volume...

 

[eaeolian]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

Jackson ships their guitars with JBs in them with a 250K tone pot. I'd try it before deciding it needs to be brightened up.

I've noticed the JB is very height-picky, too. I usually end up adjusting the poles and finding each string's individual "sweet spot".

 

[esandes]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

I have a Strat with Fender Tex Mex pickups. I like them. I have an SH04 JB sitting in a drawer. If I install the JB in the bridge position and keep the 250k pots, if I lower the screws on the bobbin, will that brighten it up a bit?

The JB is one of the few HBs that sound very good with 250k pots. Try it out.

I personally prefer 300 and 500k pots for HBs. My bridge JB has 500k pots and I wouldn't change a thing.

I would also think raising the pickup close to the strings would brighten the tone.

The HSS setup always uses 250k pots from the factory because single coils sound perfect with them while the HB suffers a bit. My HSS has some funky custom wiring and pots. 500k master for the HB and a 250k master for the singles. The HB/mid SC sound is a bit ****ed but I never mix pickups with HSS setups anyway.

If you want to keep the pots stock and still want the JB brighter swap in a polished A5 magnet.

 

[gregory]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

My JB from 1994 came stock with a polished A5.

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Question About Brightening up a JB

Especially in a Strat, IMO it's worth trying with your stock 250K pots. It may be bright enough that way.