Replacement for a JB

[Perry go round]

Hi,

I have a carvin DC (I don´t remember if it is a 400 or a 600) loaded with a JB pickup in the bridge.
The specs of the guitar are: neck through, 25 inch scale, alder neck, poplar sides, ebony fingerboard, Floyd Rose -resting over the body, so only diving-, no locking nut. 1 vol, 1 tone, 2 mini-switches for coil splitting. It is from 1994-1995.
Currently it has a DiMarzio Paf-Pro in the neck and a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge. I found the Paf-Pro a tad weak sounding and also the coil splitting sound a bit unspiring, so in the search of versatility I found a 2nd hand Stag Mag that hopefully will get to me by tomorrow.
Now, I am not completely happy with the JB (trembucker version) in the bridge either. It sounds too bright and thin for my liking. I usually play through a Laney Iommy signature. I like classic rock-hard rock-classic heavy metal, think from 1975 to 1995. From old Aerosmith, AC/DC, to Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, going through Mötley Crüe, Ratt or Guns & Roses...
Yesterday I made a quick test with my 10 band EQ pedal on the loop of my amp. When slightly boosting the low end, 31-62-125-250-500 Hz, in a curve shape centered in the 125-250 range, it sounded much better and closer to my liking.
Any pick-up recomendation that can fit my liking better than the JB without the need of using the EQ? If it splits well and can be paired with the Stag Mag, that would be awsome.

 

[Demanic]

Re: Replacement for a JB

What value volume pot do you have? A lot of folks here like the JB better with a 250k pot than a 500k. It shaves off some of the high end.

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[LtKojak]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Any pick-up recomendation that can fit my liking better than the JB without the need of using the EQ? If it splits well and can be paired with the Stag Mag, that would be awsome.

http://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/parallel-axis-original-bridge

My bet would be the PATB-1B. It gracefully takes mag swaps.

HTH,

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Replacement for a JB

I usually play through a Laney Iommy signature.

that might be the issue

I like classic rock-hard rock-classic heavy metal, think from 1975 to 1995. From old Aerosmith, AC/DC, to Alice in Chains, Pearl Jam, going through Mötley Crüe, Ratt or Guns & Roses...

hard rock? heavy metal? AIC? Crue? RATT? Joe Perry?

the JB model should suit you fine. maybe find an old 80s 'JBJ'-style label (like these) or put a roughcast alnico 5 magnet in the one you have.


for classic rock, AC/DC, Peal Jam sorts of things.... look at a Seth Lover.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Replacement for a JB

If the JB is bright and thin (it is for me, too), I'd recommend the Custom Custom. It will help with the inherent brightness of the guitar and thinness from the Floyd by restoring mids. It also has enough power to play any kind of rock.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Replacement for a JB

I don't think that the rough-cast A5 will make enough difference for you. I would first try a 250k vol pot and see if that suits your fancy. If it's a step in the right direction but not quite there, you could try an A2 magnet in the JB. The 250k pot will reduce the high end, but the A2 will reduce the highs AND add mids to thicken it up a bit (much of what your EQ is doing).

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Replacement for a JB

I don't think that the rough-cast A5 will make enough difference for you. I would first try a 250k vol pot and see if that suits your fancy. If it's a step in the right direction but not quite there, you could try an A2 magnet in the JB. The 250k pot will reduce the high end, but the A2 will reduce the highs AND add mids to thicken it up a bit (much of what your EQ is doing).

did you check out that amp? my $ is on it having to do with a lot of what's going on.

 

[GuitarDoc]

Re: Replacement for a JB

did you check out that amp? my $ is on it having to do with a lot of what's going on.

Yes, I certainly agree with that.

 

[Perry go round]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Thanks a lot for all your comments and suggestions. I take all of them seriously, and have helped me quite a bit.
I was the most surprised by the suggestion it may be an issue of the amp. Mainly, because I did not have same problem with some other guitars. It may be true that the issue I am listening is amp-related, though, and I haven´t though about it previously. However, trying a new pickup in my guitar will be cheaper than trying te get a new amp. So I will start with the pick up and, if that doesn´t work, look into the amp next.
Moving in the pick-up territory, I will start by looking to the Custom Custom and the Parallel Axis. I am looking at those righ now. Both of them seem a good way to go.

 

[mjsmanahan35]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Seymour Duncan Slash Signature

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[SJ318]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Hi,
59/Custom is loud and can clean up well. It has a strong push in the mids. Unequal coils for more "grit".
2 cents,
SB

 

[Perry go round]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Well, actually I use a 59/Custom in another guitar of mine, an Epi LP, and actually, since I installed that pickup, it became my best sounding guitar. However, the problem with that guitar was the opposite as with the one I am trying to improve now. That one was too dark and muffled, muddy. The hybrid brought it alive, gave it all the brightness, bite, and articulation it was missing. I know by my own experience that it is such a great pickup, I'm just not sure if it will be as good in a guitar with different issues, wich is too bright and needs to be warmed down a bit.

 

[Archer250]

Re: Replacement for a JB

So many pickups that will do the trick...

Duncan PATB 1
Dimarzio AT-1
Bare Knuckle Holy Diver
Suhr SSH+ (might have the same problems)

Now of course. The JB is a great pickup in a good guitar, but I've found that it's next to useless in an uninspiring guitar, so there's that as well.

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[bangbang1]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Carvin C22B has been compared favorably to a JB, and you can find them under $30 used. They compare them to Dimarzios too, but I forget which is which. I think the C22B is similar to the Breed?

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Replacement for a JB

I bet a Jason Becker model would fit the bill.

 

[EmiAba]

Re: Replacement for a JB

I am not a great fan of JB and I don't like to mix pickups coming from different vendors. So if I were you I would try to pair the paf pro with a dimarzio norton. Taking a look to SD lineup I would suggest the warren demartini rtm for the bridge (youtube is full of audio samples, spend few minutes to check it out).

 

[daenius]

Re: Replacement for a JB

If you find the JB to be bright and thin, you probably want to stick with something fairly high output but warmer and deeper sounding.
You can try:

Duncan Custom TB-5
Dimarzio Tone Zone

PAF Pro neck in some guitars can sound very flat. If you want a neck pickup with more character you can try

Duncan '59
Dimarzio Evolution Neck or Air Norton

 

[PipeRain]

Re: Replacement for a JB

I just replaced a 500K volume pot in an old custom Agile PS-900 with a Wilkinson trem and the ubiquitous JB/Jazz combo with a 250K volume pot. While the difference is not huge, it is noticeably warmer. For $5 and 10 minutes with a soldering iron, I'd try that first.

 

[always SD]

Re: Replacement for a JB

norton dm

 

[eclecticsynergy]

Re: Replacement for a JB

Consider The Breed. For me, it's the first thing that comes to mind for fattening a long scale trem axe. Bass is big but tight, output is hot but not over the top. And it cleans up with the volume knob nicely, MUCH better than a JB.

In a Duncan, the PATB series is hard to beat- I put a PATB-3 in one of my Floydcasters and it isn't going anywhere. Sounds great.