So I got my first Custom Shop Duncan - I came full circle.

[Rex_Rocker]

After more playtime, I realize the JB just loves the Boss SD-1 as opposed to the Ibanez TS808. The TS808 is a bit stuffier in the mids and the attack is smoother, so it tends to "aggravate" the "issues" I have with the JB. The SD-1 is leaner and more aggressive. It's not night and day, but it's not like the pickup is unusable with the 808 to begin with.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Thought I'd bump the thread to post my findings.

I was confused about the Long and McQuade page calling it an "Antiquity JB", so I email the Custom Shop about it.

Apparently, cosmetically, it is not aged at all. That's pretty obvious. But they tell me it does have a slightly degaussed RCA5 magnet.

Interesting! Now I really want to compare it to a production JB.

 

[ErikH]

It will most likely be smoother sounding, like how an old JB would sound where the magnet has aged some and lost some strength.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

It will most likely be smoother sounding, like how an old JB would sound where the magnet has aged some and lost some strength.

TBH, my initial impression when I installed it was "well, this sounds like a JB".

I never directly A/B'd it with what the guitar came with stock (which was a nickel-covered regular JB), but I did A/B with what I replaced that stock JB with (a Custom), and well... this sounds like a JB, LOL. I could've sworn this was slightly higher output than the stock JB, but I did get the guitar used, so I have no idea what that pickup went through. And that stock JB went through two 500K ptos and had a cover. This is uncovered and is barely being loaded down by a single 1M pot.

 

[ErikH]

A 1M pot? Geez...LOL That's pretty much no load to the output jack. But hey, if it works.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

A 1M pot? Geez...LOL That's pretty much no load to the output jack. But hey, if it works.

I do like my bridge pickups aggresssive, LOL.

 

[ehdwuld]

And bright

 

[Rex_Rocker]

And bright

Bright can mean a lot of things. Even at 1Meg, the JB doesn't really have much top-end detail. High mids? Yep. For sure. It's very up-front.

But compared to the Custom, '59B, Nazgul, or even the Distortion, the high-end is actually kinda rolled off. It's not a dark pickup because it has the upper mids, but it's not detailed/airy either. More than bright, I'd call it up-front, focused, and cutting.

 

[ehdwuld]

Ok