the best JB mods ever.. :)

[Dahla]

the best JB mods ever..

And as always - I am NOT a fan of the JB. At least in a Les Paul style. Ice picky and shrill to me. And I like Ceramic Screamers. And obviously I modded mine with an A8, which I love.

That said - my most tonally complimented gig EVER; Stock JB in an All Mahogany Dean Cadillac!

Think about it.

Funny quote from Bruce Kulick in the latest GW:

"(...) it was one of the most beat-up Les Paul Juniors ever. I got it at Guitars R Us on Sunset Boulevard, and we recorded it with alot. Gene (Simmons) loved. Kiss even rented it for (1998's) Psycho Circus, because they wanted that sound. It had a humbucker in it - Seymour Duncan JB - but there was just something about the mahogany body. It had "that sound". (...)"




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[bullet]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

since i only play 'old people music',.... i'm not aiming for any high-gain stuff.. :biglaugh: beside that i'v got another guitar for that purpose.. (with battery in it.. 2 of them '18v', and tuned to C with darn big heavy gauge strings.. ) :rocket:

and some amps to go with it.... :smokin:

 

[Steve R.]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

When did they stop using rough cast A5?

Bump. Anyone know the answer to this?

Also, would a JB from 2002 be the same as their current production version? Same components?

Thanks, guys.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

I feel bad for guys here who have never tried the JB before, (Not like anyone hasn't but still...) It gets so much unnecessary flack. They're probably afraid to try it because of that. It's a beast of a pick-up, and has achieved many great tones throughout rock and metal history. In some of the cases people are saying it doesn't fit, I find it works pretty damn well. All comes down to the player and how they execute.

 

[blueman335]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

I feel bad for guys here who have never tried the JB before, (Not like anyone hasn't but still...) It gets so much unnecessary flack. They're probably afraid to try it because of that. It's a beast of a pick-up, and has achieved many great tones throughout rock and metal history. In some of the cases people are saying it doesn't fit, I find it works pretty damn well. All comes down to the player and how they execute.

No, it comes down to the guitar and wood. Some of the JB's biggest fans here have put them in mahogany guitars with 'atrocious' results (their description). In some guitars it gets it's well known 'ice pick spike' and a very flabby low end. These same guys love them in their super Strats. JB's narrow coils, thin wire, and wind make them fussy about the woods they're in, more so than many other PU's. They're excellent in bright woods for '80's metal. Hit or miss in mahogany for other genres.

Instead of 'feeling sorry' for guys that haven't tried JB's, you should be glad. It's simply not a universal PU, and over the years it's turned off a number of people from Duncan products altogether. They assume that because it's Duncan's most promoted PU that it's either their best product, or representative of all of their PU's, and if don't like the way it sounds in their guitar (ice pick and flabby low end) they may never try another Duncan again. It's just not a first choice PU for blues, jazz, country, etc. There are other PU's that do those genres much better. Many players do not want 'a beast of a PU.' I'm into PAF's, JB's are too hot. JB's aren't a good choice for hollow and semi-hollow bodies. Reality check: it's doesn't do everything well.

Appreciate the JB for what it is and what it does. Don't get all sentimental and think it's the solution to everyone's tone quest. It's not. Duncan has a wide selection of quality PU's, JB's are only one of them.

 

[Dahla]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

No, it comes down to the guitar and wood. Some of the JB's biggest fans here have put them in mahogany guitars with 'atrocious' results (their description). In some guitars it gets it's well known 'ice pick spike' and a very flabby low end. These same guys love them in their super Strats. JB's narrow coils, thin wire, and wind make them fussy about the woods they're in, more so than many other PU's. They're excellent in bright woods for '80's metal. Hit or miss in mahogany for other genres.

Instead of 'feeling sorry' for guys that haven't tried JB's, you should be glad. It's simply not a universal PU, and over the years it's turned off a number of people from Duncan products altogether. They assume that because it's Duncan's most promoted PU that it's either their best product, or representative of all of their PU's, and if don't like the way it sounds in their guitar (ice pick and flabby low end) they may never try another Duncan again. It's just not a first choice PU for blues, jazz, country, etc. There are other PU's that do those genres much better. Many players do not want 'a beast of a PU.' I'm into PAF's, JB's are too hot. JB's aren't a good choice for hollow and semi-hollow bodies. Reality check: it's doesn't do everything well.

I wonder how much the hate for JB has to do with the rest of the rig, like amp. One thing I have found out is that (especially) the amp has ALOT to do with the sound. I may like one guitar/pup through one amp, and then it sounds not right through another. One great thing about the Kemper (or pod or Axe FX) is the ability to try guitar and pup with different amps. The difference is huge sometimes.

Appreciate the ... (Insert pup/guitar/amp here) for what it is and what it does. Don't get all sentimental and think it's the solution to everyone's tone quest. It's not.

This should be a pledge. Is true for everything.




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[Edgecrusher]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

JB's narrow coils, thin wire, and wind make them fussy about the woods they're in, more so than many other PU's. They're excellent in bright woods for '80's metal. Hit or miss in mahogany for other genres.

Stop spouting this trash like its a universal truth... No pickup works for all people in all guitars and you have no evidence that the JB is any pickier than other pickup. You hand pick posts that are negative about the JB and tout them as truth and then conveniently ignore any that are positive. Its funny how many times someone comes here with a mahogany guitar and says they love their JB and then they get accused of not knowing good tone. For every person that you find that has had trouble with the JB I can find as many that love it. Same with any other pickup.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Once again, maybe my preference for the JB come from starting with 80s Kramers that came with JBJs. It's what I built my sound with.

Guys that had the same experience with a Super D or a DD or a DC would say the thing about those pups.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

I wonder how much the hate for JB has to do with the rest of the rig

Actually around here a large portion of the hate are the exact same people saying it over and over again... Something that can be very telling about it is to see what other points of view there are on it. If you ask about it on TDPRI or sevensting.org or MLP you find that part of what we are seeing is a SDUGF phenomenon.

Other places might not love it but are not so quick to demonize it.

 

[Dahla]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Actually around here a large portion of the hate are the exact same people saying it over and over again... Something that can be very telling about it is to see what other points of view there are on it. If you ask about it on TDPRI or sevensting.org or MLP you find that part of what we are seeing is a SDUGF phenomenon.

Other places might not love it but are not so quick to demonize it.

I have read threads from those forums, and they do love the JB.

All I know is that I have JB in a mahogany tele, and I got a sound I have been searching for for a long time. It's rawk perfected! My only regret is that I didn't try the JB sooner.


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[blueman335]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Its funny how many times someone comes here with a mahogany guitar and says they love their JB and then they get accused of not knowing good tone. For every person that you find that has had trouble with the JB I can find as many that love it.

Yeah, it's very funny, because they're not told they don't know good tone. I don't know where you got that. They may be told that JB's are particularly inconsistent in mahogany, and that that PU isn't necessarily the best across-the-board recommendation for mahogany for a variety of genres, especially in LP's. I've said many times myself that it can be great in warm woods, or it can bomb out in a spectacular fashion, something MANY members have attested to here for years. That's my 'evidence.' When I joined 8 years ago it was already a commonly discussed subject here. All these guys aren't making it up year after year. The ice pick and flabby low end have been referenced many times on this forum, sometimes by JB fans, where they love it one guitar, and can't believe how bad it is in another. Yes, 'no PU works for all guitars for all people', but JB's can take it to another level when they don't work out. Maybe you've missed all those threads and posts.

To quote you: 'For every person that you can find that has had trouble with the JB, I can find as many that love it.' That's EXACTLY my point. Thank you. It's not a universal PU (sorry Mad-Max). Lots of fans, and there really are some disappointed players. Duncan has so many great PU's, for all genres; my biggest issue with JB's is that it's gotten a disproportionate amount of the limelight. People new to aftermarket PU's, or new to Duncan, tend to flock to JB's or the Hot Rodded set. I was one of them years ago. Some of those players are better-served by other Duncan PU's. Seymour's put a lot of effort into those too. Instead of being turned off to Duncan altogether, as some players are, I've own(ed) some of Duncan's other offerings, 28 other models in fact (counting neck and bridge). So I feel confident in saying that for many guitars and genres, Duncan has something better than JB's.

 

[Mad-Max]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

I never said that the JB was the key to everyone's tone quest. Seriously, that's putting words in my mouth. Again, I must reiterate the fact that I'm simply stating that the JB is a great pick-up and people should be more willing to try it. If it works, then it works, if it doesn't then it doesn't. The fear of it not working shouldn't make anyone reluctant to try it. For all we know, they could buy it thinking it won't work and find it works out fantastically.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

The JB is a unique beast, but some of the generalizations I see are ridiculous. There are thousands of players who LOVE the JB in their Mahogany LPs, who don't find it shrill, who don't find it boomy, who don't find it "overly honky", who don't find it bland. Now, that doesn't mean you won't experience any of those things, because you might. You may even prefer it in one guitar vs. another, particularly depending on your tastes, rig, style of playing, etc., but the JB is a pickup that "HITS" way more than it "misses" and that goes for every style of guitar, from Les Pauls to Super Strats. Some guys get way too hung up on the wood thing and forget that there are 100 other components that make up your final sound. From A2 mags to rough-cast A5's to the current polished A5 versions, the JB has its place in history and players' hearts for a reason. Of course, that doesn't mean you have to like it, but I see quite a bit of hate stemming from the sheer popularity of the JB and people denying it due praise because it has become such a mainstream model.

 

[blueman335]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

I see quite a bit of hate stemming from the sheer popularity of the JB and people denying it due praise because it has become such a mainstream model.

It's not 'hate' or them being 'popular' or 'mainstream.' Has nothing to do with it, I don't get that logic. Some people just aren't into 16K PU's (believe it or not!); not the kind of tone they're after. They don't need to try a JB. There's dozens of other Duncan PU's, and sometimes one of them are a better fit for a player's needs. Seymour wouldn't have spent the time designing so many of them if he thought JB's would appeal to as many players as you think it would. It's one flavor out of many. There's other Duncan PU's I prefer, and I don't get in a huff when someone else doesn't care for them. I know they're not a first choice for some genres. The point of this thread is 'modding JB's' because some players want something besides the stock sound. And some guys want an 8K PU instead of a 16K one.

 

[Big Flannel]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

I look at the JB the same way I view the '59 or the Super Distortion.

It is the flagship model, designed with a clear purpose in mind. It may not work for everyone but it does work. In the event that its just not the pickup for you, it still provides a great basis for future pickup choices. Base your opinions off of what you do/do not like about it and go from there.

 

[bullet]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

chill guys... :18: :32: its just a personal opinion of how i like the JB mods... everybody got thier own taste..

 

[treyhaislip]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Its funny reading all of this...I love the JB in Alder and Mahogany but not Basswood...which Basswood tonally is in between the two. The best rock sound I ever achieved was out of a Jackson Soloist Alder body with a Flame Maple Top that had a JB and 2 HotRails...that guitar was very hot.

I would say this comes down to one of those "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" things...I don't like the SH-59 but others love it. There are those who don't like the JB for legitimate reasons and some of those characteristics/qualities are reasons others love it.

I actually never heard of modding pickups until I joined this forum. This is something I need to learn more about!

 

[Archer250]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Its funny reading all of this...I love the JB in Alder and Mahogany but not Basswood...which Basswood tonally is in between the two. The best rock sound I ever achieved was out of a Jackson Soloist Alder body with a Flame Maple Top that had a JB and 2 HotRails...that guitar was very hot.

I would say this comes down to one of those "beauty is in the eye of the beholder" things...I don't like the SH-59 but others love it. There are those who don't like the JB for legitimate reasons and some of those characteristics/qualities are reasons others love it.

I actually never heard of modding pickups until I joined this forum. This is something I need to learn more about!

Yep. Try clipping the JB's screw pieces flush with the base plate next time you try it in basswood. I love the JB in my RG Premium (which is somehow even heavier than an alder guitar), and the mod tightens up the low-end considerably. The high end is kinda tamed by the wood anyway.

 

[Aceman]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Speaking as someone who plays considerably more diverse music than Blueman, and loves pickups from 7k to 17k and those with batteries on occasion, and is considerably more objective…

I agree with Blueman. The JB will do everything it needs to do to a Strat or Superstrat especially. It is MADE for those things and made well. But there is no question it just doesn't jive with all Mahogany guitars. I have had JB's in both Superstrats and LP's back in the day and recently. Loved it in a Kramer. Hated it in my Les Paul. Hated it in the Cadillac.

And as always - the Hate was in my practice room. On stage it apparently got nothing but love.

JB in Strat/Superstrat equals WIN. JB in a Les Paul = ???? Listen and decide.

Same with the Custom Custom. Most can't stand it in a Les Paul. I happened to love it.

 

[Demanic]

Re: the best JB mods ever..

Speaking as someone who plays considerably more diverse music than Blueman, and loves pickups from 7k to 17k and those with batteries on occasion, and is considerably more objective…

I agree with Blueman. The JB will do everything it needs to do to a Strat or Superstrat especially. It is MADE for those things and made well. But there is no question it just doesn't jive with all Mahogany guitars. I have had JB's in both Superstrats and LP's back in the day and recently. Loved it in a Kramer. Hated it in my Les Paul. Hated it in the Cadillac.

And as always - the Hate was in my practice room. On stage it apparently got nothing but love.

JB in Strat/Superstrat equals WIN. JB in a Les Paul = ???? Listen and decide.

Same with the Custom Custom. Most can't stand it in a Les Paul. I happened to love it.

Re: the hate was in the practice room
I've been trying to get across to the guitarist in my band that what sounds good to him while we are practicing is not necessarily what will sound good to an audience. I think most of the hate given to the JB in all mahogany guitars is related to this.
On a different note, I'd love to try a roughcast A5 or UOA5 in the JB I have in my Schecter Blackjack. But I am in no hurry to.