...So I was wondering...

playas

playas

Well-known member
Has anyone ever tried an A4 in a JB, and if so, is it just too much or does it smooth it out / highlight the lower mids more?

I was thinking of trying it out myself as I need to replace a few mags, but the reason I need to change mags is to get it back 'playable' so I don´t want to risk it for now.

The JB I will be modifying currently has an A3, which I really hate in there, but will be putting the A2 it previously had in there for now.
The A3 seems to have moved the mid spike up higher making it really shrill and unpleasant.

I suspect it will ulimately end up with an unoriented A5, although I may put an A4 in just for laughs before then.
It definitely won´t be for a while though as I need the guitar in playable condition for the moment.
 
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People tend not to put A4's into bridge pickups. Given my experience with both the JB and A4 magnets I would guess that it would even out the response. The upper mid spike would be flattened out a bit and it might lower the bottom end a bit, possibly giving the feel of tightening it up a bit.

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i like a4 but havent tried it in a jb yet. i like a2 in a jb. i do have plans to put a jb in an overly thin tele when i get around to it so will probably end up mag swapping once it do that
 
I have tried A4 in a JB. It absolutely did even it out. The JB can handle it too cuz it's chock full of character and doesn't get bland. I would even rock it, I just don't really care for A4. If ur a fan of A4, I'm sure you'd like it in a JB.
 
Cool, thanks for the replies.

Actually I am surprised.

Although I had hoped that it might be a dark horse worth a try, I figured it would most likely just turn a JB into a middy hell.

I've only tried an A4 in neck pickups so will also be interesting to get a notion of how that works out.
 
After so many years of using my JB incorrectly I have finally come to terms with the JB. I've been using it "incorrectly". Maybe you have too.

I play the JB with the guitar volume down a bit. It has so much power I don't crank it up like I do with other pickups. I can get different sounds at lower volumes. Clearer, cleaner, more articulate.

I used to use non master volume Marshalls exclusively and I would use the JB volume for cleans and grit and it cleans so well at lower guitar volumes. But now I dial it down regularly to get more articulation.

Try dialing down the volume.
 
I generally play around a fair bit with the volume and tone controls on all my guitars.



I´m tempted to do a straight swap now :D

The A3 in the JB to the `59 in the neck, and the A4 from the `59 to the JB.
 
I've tried every magnet in a JB. I was hoping to make the JB sound "better". All of the magnets failed...nothing made the JB sound better. When I first tried it with an A8, I thought it sounded pretty good, but after about 5 minutes it still sounded like a JB...my ears got very tired of the JB sound.
 
GuitarDoc said:
I've tried every magnet in a JB. I was hoping to make the JB sound "better". All of the magnets failed...nothing made the JB sound better. When I first tried it with an A8, I thought it sounded pretty good, but after about 5 minutes it still sounded like a JB...my ears got very tired of the JB sound.
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I had the same experience. There is a sound that transcends whatever magnet is in there.
 
GuitarDoc said:
I've tried every magnet in a JB. I was hoping to make the JB sound "better". All of the magnets failed...nothing made the JB sound better. When I first tried it with an A8, I thought it sounded pretty good, but after about 5 minutes it still sounded like a JB...my ears got very tired of the JB sound.
Click to expand...
I like the stock JB sound. I think that it's great in a superstrat. I wanted to have one with a slightly different tone profile, so I went with an RCUOA5. It works just as I hoped. Still a JB, but just a bit more complex.

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