Splitting the JB

hanumanlangur

hanumanlangur

New member
I've tried the JB split before, but it was in a mahogany guitar that wasn't very close to a Strat (thick lower-mids). So I'm wondering if people who have taken a closer look at it can give me some insight.

How close, tonally, is the split JB to a real Strat single coil? And also, how close is it compared to a single coil sized humbucker (like a Vintage Rails or Duckbucker) or a vintage-voiced stack pickup?
 
Re: Splitting the JB

hanumanlangur said:
I've tried the JB split before, but it was in a mahogany guitar that wasn't very close to a Strat (thick lower-mids). So I'm wondering if people who have taken a closer look at it can give me some insight.

How close, tonally, is the split JB to a real Strat single coil? And also, how close is it compared to a single coil sized humbucker (like a Vintage Rails or Duckbucker) or a vintage-voiced stack pickup?
Click to expand...

The wood type makes little difference, IMO. But the JB splits into a single coil and produces a more satisfying single coil tone than any other humbucker I have split. How close does it get to a real vintage Strat pickup? Not very - but it sounds good. Personally I never use the split bridge humbucker by itself. To weak - to thin. I always combine a split bridge humbucker with a split neck humbucker to get a tone sort of like a Tele with both pickups combined. But it really doesn't sound like a Tele. It's just a good usable single coil tone - especially for jangly rhythm tones. Lew
 
Re: Splitting the JB

grumpy said:
It splits best with a single coil in series i think. Position 2

ANyone wanna chime in on it?
Click to expand...

I find them both to be good. Split with a single in parallel for psuedo-Strat notch tone. Split with a single in series to get virtual humbucker.

Its all good.
 
Re: Splitting the JB

I used my JB in series for lead word and parallel for clean rhythm. Simply funky and jangly. The parallel sound of the JB is great (far better than Custom, Demon, 59, PG in this mode).
 
Re: Splitting the JB

I'm starting to think about a JB/JB combo in a Strat, with switches for splitting the pickups. I like the JB's for playing under high gain, but it would be nice to split them both and get fairly traditional Strat tones as well....

Would it be possible to use two 3-way mini-toggle switches for splitting each pickup? (screw coil off / half on / fully on)
 
Re: Splitting the JB

hanumanlangur said:
Would it be possible to use two 3-way mini-toggle switches for splitting each pickup? (screw coil off / half on / fully on)
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean here. "Screw coil off" and "half on" are kinda the same thing. Did you mean series/parallel/split?
 
Re: Splitting the JB

ArtieToo said:
Not sure what you mean here. "Screw coil off" and "half on" are kinda the same thing. Did you mean series/parallel/split?
Click to expand...

Oh, sorry, by "screw coil half on", I meant with the pickup set as if there were a spin-a-split knob attached, turned half way. This would give a sound between the split tone and the full series humbucking tone.
 
Re: Splitting the JB

It's pretty weak split. You could try fattening it up with a boost pedal. To me it is the most stratty when combined with the middle pickup in parallel. For kicks, you may want to wire up a 3way switch and check out how the pup sounds in parallel mode with itself vs split. I like that for clean jangly stuff. Then hard wire it how you prefer.
 
Re: Splitting the JB

I never liked the JB split. Way to thin... That said, now that I have put an A8 mag in my JB.... Its the best sounding single coil sound I have ever heard from a split bucker... Sounds so good that I hardly ever use my neck pup... Anyone else tried this?
 
Re: Splitting the JB

Richard said:
I never liked the JB split. Way to thin... That said, now that I have put an A8 mag in my JB.... Its the best sounding single coil sound I have ever heard from a split bucker... Sounds so good that I hardly ever use my neck pup... Anyone else tried this?
Click to expand...

To you it sounds thinner than a traditional Strat single?
 
Re: Splitting the JB

I had a JB with series/split/parallel in my LP. the sound honestly wasnt that thin. it was stratty single coil but it was a little more p90ish. still a little bright, but duh its in the bridge. it honestly sounded pretty good and was very usable. especially for brian may kinda stuff (treble-y single coil tones) it souns bette in parallel than split tho
 
Re: Splitting the JB

Well, if Lew says that it splits well, then I'll try a JB set with coil splitting switches. I like JB's under heavy distortion, but I prefer the clarity of single coils for cleaner/smoother playing. If I could get both in one Strat, that would be the cat's pajamas. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top