SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

S

Sir Royal Eddie

New member
I'm stuck between choosing either the SH-4 JB or SH-6 Distortion? I mostly play metal, but then again I could play anything. Anyways, any suggestions or good descriptions? Pro's or Con's? I can't decide! I need the PEOPLE opinion this time!! Please help!! :chairshot
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

What guitar is it going into?

They are similar pickups. The distortion has louder harmonics, sounds fuller and is pretty compressed. The JB is sweeter in tone, more versatile and more open sounding. Both are good for metal.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

Its going into an ESP Rhoads V. It's from Japan, and it looks alot like the Alexi Model. It had an alder body and an ebony fretboard with a Floyd Rose. Also another side question. Does trem spacing REALLLLY matter? haha
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

Misalignment wouldn't really do anything to your sound if you're playing mostly through distortion. If the distance between the two E strings is greater than 2 inches, then you should go with trem spacing.

I have a JB in M series LTD (basswood/bolt on) and it sounds just awesome. Very full. But I have a JB in H series ESP (mahagony/set thru) and its good, just not as full as in the other guitar. And a little on the bright side. I know basswood is similar to alder so thought I'd let you know. The distortion didn't sound as organic to me as the JB, cause of the ceramic magnet, so I got rid of it. However, the JB is picky about guitars.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

Thanks alot for the advice. But as regarding what you said about the tremspacing that didn't make sense to me. Here is a BAD picture of what my pickup looks like with the string spacing...
IMG_1057.jpg

... As you can see the two pole pieces are slightly off center to the two E strings. They're both either too far right or left. I dont think this really will affect any tone or anything like getting the full output of the pickup, but I just wanted some more opinions and advice. Thanks alot again tho.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

Are you going for a classic metal tone or a modern metal tone?

JB for classic (Judas Priest, Megadeth)
Distortion for modern metal. I know Randy Rhoads used it, but it's tighter and will do fast riffing better than the JB -which I know because I have it- which can get muddy from time to time.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

The DD is tighter for rhythm. The JB has a sweeter solo tone to my ears, but the DD isn't too shabby either. I would personally go with the DD. The JB might be a little bright in that guitar as well. Go with the tremspaced.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

i had the jb and didn't like it because it was too ice picky. (high mids arg) the distortion though, rocks balls to the wall! i love it. leads i think are better as well. and yes fast riffing does cause the jb to mud up, and i hated that! go DD you won't be disappointed. and if you hapen to not like it, just switch the oversized ceramic magnet for an A5 and you have a jb for ony 8-10 bucks. thats what i did. doesn't get better than that does it? and it is a simple procedure.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

It depends on whether you want a ceramic or alnico tone. That's really all it boils down to.

If you don't like ceramic pickups, get a JB. if you prefer high output stiff sounding ceramic pickups, get a distortion.

I'd stay away from both and get a full shred if I was in your shoes.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

Rowan said:
What guitar is it going into?

They are similar pickups. The distortion has louder harmonics, sounds fuller and is pretty compressed. The JB is sweeter in tone, more versatile and more open sounding. Both are good for metal.
Click to expand...

+1
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

I think in an alder bodied guitar the distortion may be a bit thin sounding bright or scratchy(???). The JB will fatten that sound up but the false harmonics will not jump off the JB the way they would a Distortion. The JB definitely has a looser low end than the Distortion but will have a fuller sound than the Distortion.

I think both would work for what you're doing and you could easily EQ the sound to tighten it up either way.

Also definitely go with a trembucker if you have a trem.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

A distortion sounded fuller to me than a jb in the same guitar. Theres a lot more low mids.
 
Re: SH-4 Or SH-6!? I can't decide!

how about using both.
neck jb and bridge distortion?
and u swap it if u don't like it.
 
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