Seems like people hate the JB

[thefacelessmonster]

A lot more people seem to hate the JB than I expected.
I've only tried the JB on one guitar, myself, and it seemed okay. But I've heard a lot of bad stuff about that pickup since I started reading the Duncan message boards here and a few other sites.

Do you think most people hate it because they aren't using it with 250k pots? I heard that makes a huge difference.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

A lot more people seem to hate the JB than I expected.
I've only tried the JB on one guitar, myself, and it seemed okay. But I've heard a lot of bad stuff about that pickup since I started reading the Duncan message boards here and a few other sites.

Do you think most people hate it because they aren't using it with 250k pots? I heard that makes a huge difference.

Yep...so many hate it that it's been Duncan's #1 selling humbucker year after year after year. :banghead:

I've tried it with 250K pots in a Tom Anderson Strat with a neck and middle Duncan Classic Stack Plus pickups and it sounded nice.

Seymour uses 250K pots with the Jazz neck and JB bridge in his Tele too.

It sounds good with 500K pots too though and although the JB isn't my very favorite Duncan pickup, I don't hate it. It sounded very good in all of the Hamers I've owned where it came as the stock bridge pickup.

I do like any number of bridge humbuckers better though: Custom, Custom Custom, 59B, EVH/78, etc.

Lew

 

[theodie]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

Yep...so many hate it that it's been Duncan's #1 selling humbucker year after year after year. :banghead:

I've tried it with 250K pots in a Tom Anderson Strat with a neck and middle Duncan Classic Stack Plus pickups and it sounded nice.

Seymour uses 250K pots with the jazz and JB in his Tele too.

Lew

Lew, what always happens to you when you try the JB. Tell us more about your relationship. LOL!!!!!!!!

BTW, I hate in most guitars but, I have made a bit of peace with it and it is decent in the right guitar. The JB sounds absolutly horrible in the wrong guitar. I mean seriously bad!

 

[JOLLY]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

I think alot of it has to do with it being in the right guitar or not.

 

[ErikH]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

It has a love/hate relationship. I've tried it in several different guitars. Out of all my guitars, it sounds best in my Kramer which has a maple body. I didn't like it in a Les Paul Studio I used to have and I didn't like it so much in my Frankenstrat. It is very much at home in that Kramer though.

 

[theodie]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

It has a love/hate relationship. I've tried it in several different guitars. Out of all my guitars, it sounds best in my Kramer which has a maple body. I didn't like it in a Les Paul Studio I used to have and I didn't like it so much in my Frankenstrat. It is very much at home in that Kramer though.

YES, YES, YES! It was $$$$ in a Baretta!!! It was decent in my Jackson (maple neck through with ash wings) but, it was a tad too harsh but, a PATB-3 cured that. Just a slighty harsh guitar.

I wish not to say how it sounded in other axes I tried it in.

 

[VHTJay]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

Probably my least favourite 'duncan bridge p-up. I don't like it's highs and the bass seems a little loose for me

 

[ErikH]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

YES, YES, YES! It was $$$$ in a Baretta!!! It was decent in my Jackson (maple neck through with ash wings) but, it was a tad too harsh but, a PATB-3 cured that. Just a slighty harsh guitar.

I wish not to say how it sounded in other axes I tried it in.

It was just a bit harsh in my Frankenstrat too. Those high-mids were definitely present. But boy, did that baby cut through the mix...lol.

In the Kramer, the bass tightened right up, the high-mids smoothed out, and it just sings.

Both guitars have a 500k volume pot as well.

The LP I had it in some years ago had whatever came stock at the time, I think they were 300k, can't remember for sure.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

Lew, what always happens to you when you try the JB. Tell us more about your relationship. LOL!!!!!!!!

BTW, I hate in most guitars but, I have made a bit of peace with it and it is decent in the right guitar. The JB sounds absolutly horrible in the wrong guitar. I mean seriously bad!

What always happens? I always end up changing it to one of my four or five favorite Duncans and then selling the now removed JB on Ebay. LOL!

I said I didn't hate it...I didn't say I used one! LOL!

Lew

 

[theodie]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

What always happens? I always end up changing it to one of my four or five favorite Duncans. LOL! I said I didn't hate it...I didn't say I used one! LOL!

Lew

LOL!!!!!!
Right on. I knew that, I just had to point it out bro.

 

[thunderlung]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

JB was stock in my Hamer Studio Custom and I hated it. Phat Cats now and no looking back. I don't think I'd try a JB again even with 250K pots.

 

[OrkestrA]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

I didn't hate it... it just didn't give me EXACTLY what I was looking for.


Great p'up though, don't get me wrong; sounds great with brit (Marshall and Orange etc) amps

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

The JB has its purposes. Playing clean is not one of them. IMO, it is best as a complement to the Jazz in the neck.

 

[XSSIVE]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

There's a technical name for people who don't like the JB.....tone deaf!

-Mike

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

I can understand why some people wouldn't like it in a Gibson-like instrument. It sounds great in a Strat or Tele.

Keep in mind, the original JB went into a Tele.

 

[Artie]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

Keep in mind, the original JB went into a Tele.

Thats a great point.

 

[Diego]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

I don't hate it. :27:

 

[theodie]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

I think some give it way too much credit myself. Its a good pickup but, it does not do everything.

 

[H8Red442]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

It's a quirky one!!! I've had it in a few guitars and hated it in most of them. The Schecter C1 Classic I had sounded great with it and my new KV2 sounds awesome as well. I had one in my Mockingbird and my Bich with the floyd and it sounded like ass. I had it in an SL2H and it was ok also had one in a Korina KV2 and a KE2 and hated it in both of them. Sometimes it sounds like mush sometimes it's just perfect. A very schizophrenic pickup. Can't wait to see what it does in my quilted Bich!

 

[some_dude]

Re: Seems like people hate the JB

The JB is the best bridge lead pickup I've ever used.

It's also the worst bridge rhythm pickup I've ever used.

That pretty much sums up my opinion on it.