Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

[mjsever]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I have to admit i did not give the JB as much of a chance as i should have
i should have tried it with a 250K pot or at least with the tone pot hooked up? in my guitar it was too trebley and not enough bass

I also thought that the JB was overly trebly and I switched out the 500k pots for 250k pots to try and even it out. It was to me a remarkable improvement in the overall tone, but the guitar was already naturally bright, which may have aggravated the shrillness. It also made the output a *slight* bit lower, but that suited me fine as I thought it compressed a little too much for my tastes.

But everyone's preferences are so subjective- if you didn't like it with 500k pots, you might not have liked it with 250s either. If you found a pickup since then that you're happy with, stick with it.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

My LP is on the bright side to my ears but sometimes I think that is my perception because my Dean is so dark by comparison. I wonder if I'd be best re-installing the Gibson 300k pots if I try the JB.

 

[motorhead]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

Note .... it's important check the actual value of the pot before concluding anything.

I've found so many labeled 500K pots to be closer to 420K and labeled 250K pots closer to 295K. CGE and CTS pots are usually the best ... get what you pay for!

 

[Jocelyn]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

Oddly enough I have been listening closely to the pickup sound samples on the Pickup page and to me the JB sounds the best clean and dirty in the bridge.

I agree with u on that , I too found it the cleanest

 

[Farkus]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

Heh, the JB pickup is one of the best pickups on Earth. I've used it in some guitars where it didn't sound great...but of course this is the case with any guitar/amp/pickup combo (Don't underestimate the UNPLUGGED tone of your guitar...that determines where your tone can use some tweaking, partly). In my 80's HM Strat thru Marshalls and a 5150, this pickup takes no prisioners (No compression or distortion pedals needed, thanks!).

Mid peak problems...? Nope, that gives me just the filler that I need when I'm the only guitarist in the band. On the other hand, it helps me cut when there's a second guitarist that uses something really fat, like a LP (I play Strats). I was using a Ibanez with PAF Pro pups...When I switched to the HM, ripped out the prototype Super 3 and dropped the JB in there my tone changed from a thin, weak sound to a monster fat tone. :32:

BTW, I ALWAYS use 250k pots (CTS) with the JB...just my preference.

I can't say enough good things about the JB.

Farkus

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I love the JB. I have fallen in and out of favor with it over the years. But after all is said and done (and I've tried most Duncan pickups and many Dimarzios, Fenders, Gibsons, etc ) by this point, nothing sounds like a JB.

It's solo sound is awesome. Very vocal. I am not one who considers it too bright. You just need a neck humbucker that is not too bassy so you can set your amp right.

The JB has JUST the right amount of "push" and output.

Even though the JB's output is 16k and the Customs are 14k, I find the JB to be clearer, more articulate and MUCH more musical when played clean.

And (in my opinion), NOTHING distorts as musically as a JB. It is rich and present with just the right amount of "scream" while not being TOO much. Clarity, again, is awesome.

One of my favorite solo sounds ever created.

 

[motorhead]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I love the JB. I have fallen in and out of favor with it over the years. But after all is said and done (and I've tried most Duncan pickups and many Dimarzios, Fenders, Gibsons, etc ) by this point, nothing sounds like a JB.

It seems like a lot of JB lovers like me and you do go through phases where they are turned off by it and want a thicker sound.

I would not blame the JB but simply that your taste change as you explore new tones.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I also used a JB for many years, in a '77 Les Paul with a stock Gibson mini humbucker for the neck pickup.

The JB is a great pickup, tho for the way I play these days, I prefer a pickup with a little less output and a tone that doesn't dominate the neck pickup when I combine them. I use that combined tone as another rythym tone and with the JB I get a little more drive than I want for a good clean rythym tone.

However, the JB lets me get a fat, thick, rich soloing tone and when I switch to the Jazz neck pickup for rythym the tone cleans up nicely without having to lower the volume of the neck pickup to much. That means the neck pickup stays bright and bouncey without having to resort to a treble bleed cap on the volume control.

That's one reason for using a strong bridge pickup, like the JB, and a bright, lower output neck pickup, like the Jazz.

The JB has full bass and mids and a somewhat peaky treble that is bright but not quite as extended as the 59B. The 59B seems to have more upper harmonics than the JB and more space in the mids.

The JB will start to goose my 20 to 30 watt 50's & 60's Fender amps into overdrive at about volume 4 or so.

When I used one on a regular basis, I did wish the JB had just a little less output and a little more extended high end. (I guess that's the Custom 5...but the C5 doesn't sound like a JB to me...it lacks the thick mids. Sort of a JB-Lite I guess.) For that reason I couldn't imagine using this pickup with a 250K volume pot which would limit the upper harmonics more.

The JB does have that upper mid/lower treble peak that gives it a brightish sound...but that's not the same as extended highs.

I always use the JB with 500K pots...otherwise, the tone sounds muffled to me.

The JB has the best split coil tones of any humbucker I have tried. That's because it's so hot that when you split a 16K pickup like that you'll get two strong 8K single coils.

The parallel tones are also great and remind me a bit of a good Tele bridge pickup.

The JB can do it all and that's probably why it remains Duncan's #1 selling replacement pickup.

Lew

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I sometimes wonder how many of the guys claiming the JB sounds better with 250K pots are playing onstage or just at home. So many guys who spend thier time playing alone play with a tone that would disappear and be useless onstage. Lew

 

[Davey]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

i was checking out the tone charts for a bit..

the JB model humbucker:
Super harmonics, with high output that doesn't sound hard or dark.

i dont quite agree with this.. super harmonics is spot on. you got to be carefull not to let em jump out too much hehe. high output definatelly. but hard or dark.. it aint what i'd call a smooth pup. it can be harder than iron if pushed enough. it is pretty bright and clear sounding, but if playing with your guitar controls you can get it to sound pretty dark

i sling an alder body mahagony neck/rosewood fretboard epi SG 310-junior (1 vol, 1 tone and 3 way switch, JB/'59n). at home i play with an itsy bitsy marshall mg-10 mk.II .. it's got no EQ controls so it pretty much lets the guitar do the talking tone vise and it's the most versatile axe you can hope for, not just to practice and play along records, but it also cuts through the band mix. with an amp that's got two independent channels i can have 2 diferent types of distorion. the vintage sounding inbuilt gain of the roc-pro 700 (got it set for maiden and 80's metal) or through the ibanez smash box on the clean channel for new power metal. it can do EVERYTHING and then some!

 

[Nightburst]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I sometimes wonder how many of the guys claiming the JB sounds better with 250K pots are playing onstage or just at home. So many guys who spend thier time playing alone play with a tone that would disappear and be useless onstage. Lew

I'm one of the 250K pot guys (man I only wish I had so much :laugh2: ) and I play in a band, just recorded a Demo and play gigs. I've played through different types of amps (Tube, SS, and hybrids) in different types of enviroment (not outside yet) and my tone is far from useless anywhere. I always manage to get a usefull tone out of the amp that is pretty much dominating the other guitar (he plays with Japanese Jackson pickups which aren't bad but not as good as Duncans). I've never had my tone dissapearing because I simply cut more through the mix.
So it is possible and I like it because it makes eqing a lot easier since I can dial in some more treble now. I'll post something of the demo as soon as I get the finished mix in my hands.

My review of the JB with a 250K pot:

With distortion:

Tight and punchy with nice bite. Very suitable for fast riffs and palm muting. This pickup is slightly compressed but in a singing way that still responds well to playing dynamics. It sounds big and will cut through a band mix easily.
This pup can chunk but the bass isn't so present as in other pickups, in fact the pickup is a little on the bright side but not piercing. It's more of a biting crunchy chuck, if that makes any sense. That's how I percieve it.
I think this pickup is suitable for the dynamic riffer and lead player. Harmonics are easy to get almost everywhere on the fretboard. I'd say this pickup is fairly modern sounding as in it is balanced with a mid spike and is not as crunchy or woofy as a PAF type pickup. I do think this pickup can sound a little dark and has a destinctive voice to it that can take on many different forms.

Clean:

Sparkly but bright, not the best cleans on the planet but not bad. I think this cleans are at it's best when split and mixed with a neck humbucker. It will add some sparkle to the neck humbucker cleans. I don't use the cleans form the JB much so I can't really comment on it further.

I would describe the type of music I play as Hardcore/punkrock.

 

[hacker]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I have used the JB in several guitars (bridge position only) and in combination with the 59 neck and the jazz neck.

I have a few comments that may or may not be relavent. First, the new JB that I bought does not seem as warm as the ones I have had in my mid 90s Hamers (Studio, Mirage II, Special FM). I have spoken to several dealers, and they seem to agree, the older JBs sound better.

With that said, i still think the JB is one of the best humbuckers in the world. I do find myself adjusting the tone and volume alot, and the pickup really is quite versatile. Roll back the volume a little and some of the spikiness goes away. I like the clean sounds also.

I play mostly blues based music with a TS-9 set for slight overdrive. The JB and my vibrolux do the rest. I do have other ODs, but I find the TS-9 compliments the JB as well as the jazz the best.

I have played this combo through some old Marshalls and the tone is unbelievable. I highly recommend the JB and the JB/Jazz combo.

 

[Farkus]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I sometimes wonder how many of the guys claiming the JB sounds better with 250K pots are playing onstage or just at home. So many guys who spend thier time playing alone play with a tone that would disappear and be useless onstage. Lew

Actually, I KNOW the JB sounds better to ME with the 250K pot...that's just preference . I used it when I was playing out 2-3 times a week with a hard rock band...sounds great with those 250's...nice and throaty. So, put me in the 'plays (out) well with others category'...heheheh. Not that there's a thing wrong with just playing at home, a huge percentage of SD's customers do just that and if it satisfies them, so be it.

But, I don't think that you're wrong about the tone that most 'home only' players use, either. I know that I adjust my sounds differently when I'm at home...but then I'm using a POD so my neighbors don't kill me. As a result, settings are somewhat a moot point as they don't correlate at all (to my ears) with the Marshalls settings (eg turning the bass to 10 on a Marshall POD setting is NOT the same as turning the bass to 10 on the Marshall itself). In a nutshell, I just play what sounds good for whatever I'm doing at the moment. :dance:

The whole 250K v 500K pot thing is a subject of great debate between myself and my 'guitar buddies'. Try them both. Just wire in whatever sounds best to you in your situation.

Farkus

 

[papersoul]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

Lew, what about all the stock Gibson with stock Gibby 300k pots and people install JBs in LPs all the time. I personally liked the JB with 500k pots and had not issues with tone being too bright.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

Lew, what about all the stock Gibson with stock Gibby 300k pots and people install JBs in LPs all the time. I personally liked the JB with 500k pots and had not issues with tone being too bright.

Some people like the JB with 250K or 300K pots. I don't...but some do.

It really comes down to personal preference, just like the way you choose to adjust your amps tone controls.

Not all Gibsons have 300K pots tho...most use 500K from my experiance.

None of my Gibsons have 300K pots...that's for sure!

Lew

 

[BrentSP]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

Some people like the JB with 250K or 300K pots. I don't...but some do.

It really comes down to personal preference, just like the way you choose to adjust your amps tone controls.

Not all Gibsons have 300K pots tho...most use 500K from my experiance.

None of my Gibsons have 300K pots...that's for sure!

Lew

How do you find out which pots you have? It has a serial number but doesnt say 250/300/500 ohms on the pot itself. I've tried to measure it on the post but I don't get a reading.

 

[mjsever]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I sometimes wonder how many of the guys claiming the JB sounds better with 250K pots are playing onstage or just at home. So many guys who spend thier time playing alone play with a tone that would disappear and be useless onstage. Lew

When I first switched out my pickups, I tried them on my own and they sounded... different. I liked the responsiveness and tight low end but I waited to judge the overall tone until band rehearsal later in the week. When we did get together, I found that my guitar got completely lost in the mix and it sounded brighter than the other guitarist's strat! I had to turn the treble on my amp down to a point that it was muffling the lower strings. That's what led me to the SD forums, where I heard that 250k pots were the way to go. Once I did that, I found that the frequency spectrum to be much better suited to the band environment, and I could hear myself again. And the coil taps rock- I use them to quiet the guitar down without having to touch the volume knob. Not exactly a strat tone, but if I wanted a strat tone I'd own a strat! :13:

Regarding old vs. new JBs, could it be possible that a 10 year old magnet will be naturally more mellow than a brand new one? I've heard people say this before, but I'd personally question anyone relying on their memory of how their 90's-era guitar sounded 10 years ago. Just playing devil's advocate here...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

When I first switched out my pickups, I tried them on my own and they sounded... different. I liked the responsiveness and tight low end but I waited to judge the overall tone until band rehearsal later in the week. When we did get together, I found that my guitar got completely lost in the mix and it sounded brighter than the other guitarist's strat! I had to turn the treble on my amp down to a point that it was muffling the lower strings. That's what led me to the SD forums, where I heard that 250k pots were the way to go. Once I did that, I found that the frequency spectrum to be much better suited to the band environment, and I could hear myself again. And the coil taps rock- I use them to quiet the guitar down without having to touch the volume knob. Not exactly a strat tone, but if I wanted a strat tone I'd own a strat! :13:

Regarding old vs. new JBs, could it be possible that a 10 year old magnet will be naturally more mellow than a brand new one? I've heard people say this before, but I'd personally question anyone relying on their memory of how their 90's-era guitar sounded 10 years ago. Just playing devil's advocate here...

I don't know about the new JB's vs old JB's. I put a brand new one in a Les Paul recently and the tone was killer. But I do have an old double cream JB I removed from a '79 Hamer Sunburst. It's my favorite...but that might be just because I want it to be because it's a double cream. As far as the 250K vs 500K thing goes, if you can hear yourself better after switching to 250K I sure don't know why! You're throwing away highs using the lower 250K value, so your tone should be a little dark and less bright. But if you prefer it for some reason, then you're in good company as Seymour supposedly uses 250K with that pickup too. Just comes down to personal taste I guess. Lew

 

[darren]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

What can i say about the JB that hasn't already been said many, many times over? It's an amazing pickup.

I have a JB-7 in my Dean EVO Special 7, which also has a '59-7 in the neck. (See my review in the '59 section.) Both pickups are set up with series/parallel switching via push/pull volume and tone pots. This setup, with a three-way toggle, gives me 8 unique tonal voices, all of which are hum-cancelling.

The JB is sharp and focused. Harmonics fly off the strings with ease, whether you're playing clean, semi-distorted or at full roar. It's great for chunky, hard-edged riffing, but also has a sweet lead tone. It's a very dense and hard-edged sounding pickup.

It complements the '59 nicely. The '59 is focused very much in the bass and lower-mid frequencies, giving it a rounder, smoother tone, whereas the JB is more midrange and highs, which gives it tremendous bite and attack. This pickup cuts through the mix really well.

When switched into parallel mode, it takes on almost a Tele-like twang to it. The '59 in parallel has a bit of Strat-like shimmer and "glass" to it, but the JB has more of that "spank" sound. These two pickups with series/parallel switching give me access to so many amazing tones, it's ridiculous. Put the JB in parallel and combine it with the '59 in series, and you get the depth of the '59 with the Tele-like cutting sound at the bridge. Very cool. Or go the opposite way and use the JB in series with the '59 giving you a bit more depth and "glass" in the neck position. Both pickups in parallel give a funky, low-fidelity sound.

I like this pickup a lot. I have a JB in the middle position on another 6-string guitar that has series/split/parallel switching, and it's also spectacular. I would not hesitate to use the JB in other guitars. I know it sounds great with warmer/darker woods like walnut and mahogany. I think it might be a bit harsh when combined with brighter woods, but i haven't used it in any situations like that.

I'm currently running my guitar into a Boss GT-6, where i'm using several amp models, mainly JC-120, Twin, Vox, Matchless and Rectifier. The GT-6 then runs out (in stereo) through a BBE 482 and then into a Peavey Classic 50/50 power amp, driving a Genz Benz G-Flex 212 cabinet.

 

[brisk]

Re: Reviews of the JB Model Humbucker

I am more of "JB to 250K volume pot in strat" kinda guy