Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

The Jazz to my ears is similar to the '59 but with a bit less bass and it is a bit brighter. It sounds to me like there is a little more upper midrange as well which adds up to clearer, more well balanced pickup, better suited for the neck position in my opinion.

It distorts exactly like the '59. A little less muddy with more clarity.







I think that is a rumour about the "changing" of the output in the JB.

I haven't measured my JB , but it is a pre-logo one from the 80's and sounds great.

Wouldn't 16K be LESS bright than 14K? More windings = more midrange, more output, and less top end.......

I hear ya on the bright issue but I was just saying that he measured his old JB compared to the newer ones and the reading is different.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I find the JB to be less bright than a C5. The JB has more (MUCH more) mids than a C5 and the overall tone of a JB is more "middy". My ears hear that as "warmer" and less bright although there is plenty of treble there.

The C5 has very little mids, so you hear the treble a lot more.

That is just the way I hear it. Peace!

Mac, I am starting to agree and also hear extra mids as adding warmth. I may get a JB and try it in my LP. What about the Custom? Is that bigger and warmer?

I will say that I have replaced the JB in two guitars with the BBQ and the tone was thicker and warmer.

 

[Marcel]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

Mac, I am starting to agree and also hear extra mids as adding warmth. I may get a JB and try it in my LP. What about the Custom? Is that bigger and warmer?

I will say that I have replaced the JB in two guitars with the BBQ and the tone was thicker and warmer.

i compared custom and jb and found the jb warmer and the custom thicker under medium high gain.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

what about the Custom? Many seem to find the JB brighter than the Custom.

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

what about the Custom? Many seem to find the JB brighter than the Custom.

My ears don't hear it that way. Custom is brighter with a more "scooped" sound, though not nearly as much as C5. The ceramic magnet in the Custom is also "harder sounding" for lack of a better word. Not as warm.

I did order a Custom Custom (a2) with nickel cover though to try out in the bridge. I will post info once I get it in there. I am imagining it is going to sound great with the Jazz.......

 

[Marcel]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

My ears don't hear it that way. Custom is brighter with a more "scooped" sound, though not nearly as much as C5. The ceramic magnet in the Custom is also "harder sounding" for lack of a better word. Not as warm.

I hear it the same way. The Customs seems to be a little bit harsh through my setup. I woukd call the Custom "edgier (!?)" or maybe harder sounding.

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

how is the Jazz for shredding in the neck spot?

 

[\m/(00)\m/]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I hear it the same way. The Customs seems to be a little bit harsh through my setup. I woukd call the Custom "edgier (!?)" or maybe harder sounding.

doesn't your guitar also have no tone pot?
wouldn't that add to the brightness?
just curious

 

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

My ears don't hear it that way. Custom is brighter with a more "scooped" sound, though not nearly as much as C5. The ceramic magnet in the Custom is also "harder sounding" for lack of a better word. Not as warm.

I did order a Custom Custom (a2) with nickel cover though to try out in the bridge. I will post info once I get it in there. I am imagining it is going to sound great with the Jazz.......

Mac, I really want to try the JB or CC in my LP. Right now I have the C-5 and I feel like I still want more deep lows like with the BBQ in my Dean Evo Premium. Maybe it really is that guitar, because the Dean is very dark and deep sounding. My LP is more out front, brighter and lively, while still sounding deep. I just need to find the right pickup to balance. I feel at the moment with the C-5 in my LP.......I'd like a meaner toner, more aggressive, thicker, maybe a tad more bass. Not more output!

I find the JB lacking in deep bass to really fill out the tone. For our style of aggressive 90's rock meets modern hard rock/metal, I need an aggressive tone with more meat and low end. I know the guitar is a midrange instrument but I notice a big difference in the depth of my tone when a p'up has in your face bass.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I think I'd stand by my opinion that the Custom 5/Jazz neck is the best
humbucking combination by Duncan. If you can't get great tone out of
that setup, there's something seriously wrong with your guitar or amp.

I was always into the JB/59 or JB/Jazz till I heard the C-5!

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I think I'd stand by my opinion that the Custom 5/Jazz neck is the best humbucking combination by Duncan. If you can't get great tone out of that setup, there's something seriously wrong with your guitar or amp.

Nothing wrong with my guitars, amps or effects boards.

The C5 with it's scooped out mids sounded mosquito like at the same amp settings (and same guitar) that the '59n sounded massive.

Mind you, this is in the mix of a band where the bassist is occupying the bass frequencies. The lack of mids left a "tinkle" of a guitar sound in the mix. Kinda weak. Think Kirk Hammet (thin) vs. Warren Haynes (big and fat).

JB solved that problem (as did a few other pickups that were richer in midrange content) very well. Wider notes that are much bigger, more powerful, and more audible.

The C5 may be some players taste, but not my cup of tea. At bedroom volumes, by itself, without a band maybe it would be a different story. But gigging and recording - it only made me frustrated. And I tried two different C5's and they were exactly the same.

If you want to buy mine I have a Custom Shop in chrome for sale.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

the jazz is great for shredding in the neck, great clarity and detail under high gain

 

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I think I'd stand by my opinion that the Custom 5/Jazz neck is the best
humbucking combination by Duncan. If you can't get great tone out of
that setup, there's something seriously wrong with your guitar or amp.

I was always into the JB/59 or JB/Jazz till I heard the C-5!

Wait a minute...I thought you were a C-5/59 guy?

 

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

Mac, were using the C-5 and 59n with the same amp settings? Could you have had a different channel set for each pickup or for rhythm/lead?

Anyway.......I hear ya on the extra mids of the JB, but do you find it has enough in the way of deep low end? I do find that essential even in a band mix......always sounds bigger to me and the audience with a deeper and fatter bass assuming the mids are in tact.

Mac, try to find a BBQ....seriously.

Oh!....why did you choose the JB over the Air Zone if you don't mind.

 

[RhoadsDude1022]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

hey guys, wondering what a good pickup combo would be for my rr-3 rhoads? its made of alder, and has a floyd rose... was thinking of maybe like a c-5/59... thought it was semi related as were talking about good pickup combos

thanks- andrew

 

[angrarlz]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

Just want to know which pickup combo is better to shred.JB/59 or JB/Jazz or another one

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

Mac, were you using the C-5 and 59n with the same amp settings? Could you have had a different channel set for each pickup or for rhythm/lead?

Oh!....why did you choose the JB over the Air Zone if you don't mind.

Yes, I already said: I am not running over to the amp and changing settings when I change pickups, nor do I change channels with a pickup change.

I am playing through a Paul Rivera made all tube Fender Concert 2x10 running "mostly clean" - meaning that the pre-amp is set to 4 which provides a nice fat clean sound when played gently and gives a bit of a bark when the strings are played hard. I run the master volume at about 8. I set the amp and leave it alone

To kick it, I use a Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive for cleaner OD and a 2003 Custom Shop Fulldrive 2 for more Marshall-y type sustain and crunch.

I stand by what I said earlier about all the pickups and how they worked together with my rig in a '91 Gibson SG Standard.

Maybe through a solid state amp in a different guitar it would be different. I don't own a solid state amp, so I can't say.

I have played at low vvolumes through different student's Line 6 amps, and I will say that I find those amps to be noticably thinner than a decent tube amp set properly.

And always remember: too much distortion will thin out your sound. Try backing off the saturation and see if that helps. Choose the "British" setting rather than the "Insane" setting on the Line 6. Set the mids high, treble to where it's just clean enough, and back off the presence (I keep my presence knob OFF).

That may help. Peace.

 

[papersoul]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I use the Vetta II head and cab so it is a far cry from those spiders and the old flextones which I have owned. I played Mesa Duel Rec head for a few years before making the switch and will never go back. I don't use the Line 6 amp models.......the patches I've created sound 99% as good as my Marshall and Mesa. I also agree on gain......believe me I only use as much gain as needed.

That said, I find my amp works well for me with p'ups that have thick bass and mids. I have a good friend who agrees that most amps are too bright so we both look for darker/thicker p'ups and he is a tube guy.

 

[Marcel]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

doesn't your guitar also have no tone pot?
wouldn't that add to the brightness?
just curious

it has a tone pot but the tone pot is disconnected. I think in theory with disconnected tone pot the resonance peak is more emphasized. It go to be louder int the frequence band about the resonant peak. That make the PU brighter.
Had the custom just one or 2 weeks in my guitar. Maybe the PU height wasn't right too. The Custom wasn't my thing i liked the crunch but it was a bit to much. It was just a bit harsh through my amp maybe coz of the 1960A which has always a bit annoying highs. For this light guitar the JB suits perfect. And I like the JB palmmutes over the customs. The JB is just sweeter and yet aggressive.

I heard that in heavier guitars the JB can be harsh?! Much bands i like play a JB in a Les Paul. And much guys on this forum to. I'm a bit confused about that.

 

[Mac-P]

Re: Seymour had it right years ago: Jazz & JB the perfect combo

I heard that in heavier guitars the JB can be harsh?! Much bands i like play a JB in a Les Paul. And much guys on this forum to. I'm a bit confused about that.

It's not how heavy a guitar is, it's how the guitar sounds.

People may debate forever tone vs. weight, but there are warm and bright guitars that are heavy AND light.

Every wood guitar has a slightly different tone, and different pickups will compliment and emphasize (or de-emphasize) different aspects of the natural tone.

So a JB can sound good or bad in a Les Paul depending on the Les Paul, and the taste of the player.