The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

[WICKED LESTER]

I got to try a JB by chance, i was waiting on my mail order for the DD/JAZZ set and was at Guitar center and they had a JB and a 59 for $60 each so i bought em!
this was a few weeks back, well i finally got the DD and the jazz in the mail and
it turned out that i like the JB much more than the DD.(which has been sent back for exchange) the DD sounded very boxy to me?
i also prefered the jazz for the neck.
the JB to me is the perfect pup it has a blend of things going on for it.
it can do cleans all the way to metal and i mean metal, i play slayer/ zakk wylde stuff on the JB and it is a very convincing slayer/ zakk wylde tone:laugh2:
i also love the emg 81 but it is much more limited.
the JB is probably the best bucker i ever heard.
I hear some say it is tinny,harshe,too trebly but i dont get those tones with mine?
mine is fat,singing,has a great crunh and harmonics out the wazoo!

 

[aaronsdmf]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

the jb owns.

 

[Jag513]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

The JB is an incredible humbucker. It can do just about everything rock and metal, and can even do the jazzy bluesy stuff. I love it.

 

[Breaking the law]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I'll let you know what I think of it after I get a new set of string tomorrow.. Damned breaking strings..

 

[rinse_master]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I like my JB, my fav. pickup, very versatile.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

hey guys i was told that every time there is a best or favorite bucker poll here the JB wins everytime! :laugh2:

 

[Jeff5]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

The JB can do everything from clean stuff, jazz, blues, classic rock, all the way up to the newest most insane distorted metal. Truly one of the great pups of the last 30 yeats. The thing I like most about it are the lead tones I get when I play solos witht that pup. That baby just siiinnggggsss!!!!!!!!!!!!! And for rythym its got great chunky, crunchy distortion. (I play mostly with distortion/overdrive) I've tried other pups, but I always go back to the JB.

 

[papersoul]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

The JB is great, but I think the rhythm of the C-5 is a little nicer. I ended up replacing my JBs with BBQs because I like the fatter tone from the BBQ, while retaining a lot of the JB's singing qualities. The BBQ just sound meaner than the JB.

Anyone try the WCR Shredder?

 

[rinse_master]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I've tried other pups, but I always go back to the JB.

Loads of people said that to me, so I figured I should start at the right plce (buy a JB), I'm not dissapointed

 

[Time Stood Still]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I love the JB. I play progressive metal and Slayer style stuff and it's great. When I need crystal clear cleans or ear aching harmonics it's on the money. I tried alot of other pick-ups and I'm usually pumped when I buy someting new. So I try hard to give it a chance, but I end up back with the JB/Jazz combo.

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I love the JB. It will do good hard metal, classic rock and some softer stuff with the volume rolled down. The slit sound is great as well. Thick and meaty with plenty of cut.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I think the JB is successful because it has the widest appeal, across a larger number of musical genres. Now, that I know the particular traits of most of the popular Duncans, I can pick up a guitar, play it for a few minutes, and know which pickup would make it sound best.....to my ears at least. An easy guideline is this....
Custom a blast of all frequencies.
CC emphasis on Low Mids
JB emphasis on High Mids
C-5 natural stereo EQ curve. Big tight lows, neutral mids, present clear highs.
59 like a C-5 with a bit less output and a flatter EQ curve.

 

[papersoul]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I think the JB is successful because it has the widest appeal, across a larger number of musical genres. Now, that I know the particular traits of most of the popular Duncans, I can pick up a guitar, play it for a few minutes, and know which pickup would make it sound best.....to my ears at least. An easy guideline is this....
Custom a blast of all frequencies.
CC emphasis on Low Mids
JB emphasis on High Mids
C-5 natural stereo EQ curve. Big tight lows, neutral mids, present clear highs.
59 like a C-5 with a bit less output and a flatter EQ curve.

I wish I had your ear - I pick up a guitar play it, and have no idea which pickup would make it sound best. I am terrible at hearing the natural EQ of the guitar. I just have to try a few till I hit it.

These days I try to just find a good sounding guitar off the shelf.

 

[Destructone]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

I hear some say it is tinny,harshe,too trebly but i dont get those tones with mine?
mine is fat,singing,has a great crunh and harmonics out the wazoo!

well you are using it in a Les Paul. Try it with a Jackson Alder Soloist. :newangel:

i used my friend's gibson lp custom in one of our gigs... and it sounded meatier than my lp with EMG's (which i removed). i want to try it in my PRS... :?:

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

The BBQ just sounds meaner than the JB.

Anyone try the WCR Shredder?

are you serious? it has the output of a JB?
how would it sound in mahogany?
how are its harmonics?

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

are you serious? it has the output of a JB?
how would it sound in mahogany?
how are its harmonics?

I emailed Rio Grande about the BBQ specs sometime ago, and if memory serves, they said it was wound somewhere in the "12's" so its considerably less hot than the JB, or even the Customs.

I am about to install the JB/Jazz combo in my PRS Custom 22 shortly, once I can figure out all this magnet flipping stuff! (5 way switch)

I had the BBQ/Texas combo in my Les Paul classic. It was real fat distorted, but almost sounded Tele-Like clean. Both p'ups were borderline dark though.

Anyway - this is a JB appreciation thread, so let me just say I hope I like it in my PRS!!

JQ

 

[papersoul]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

are you serious? it has the output of a JB?
how would it sound in mahogany?
how are its harmonics?

I don't think it is as hot as the JB but in my opinion it sounds fatter, thicker and has a mean roar that I haven't gotten in other pickups. I replaced the JB in three guitars with the BBQ. To me it sounds more aggressive and more rich which doesn't always equate to output.

You have to remember that the resistance basically tells you nothing of the output in general. I have had four different pickups in my LP Standard and the stock Burstbucker Pros feel and sound HOT and they are rated around 8.5k in the bridge! The wire gauge, tension, etc....etc have a huge impact on how they are perceived in terms of heat, etc.

Bottom line is, with every guitar in which I've replaced the JB with a BQQ - each time my band mates would say wow, your guitar grew a huge set of balls over night! :dance:

Another thing I like about the BBQ is that it just sings with such a musical voice. I have a hard time puting down a guitar with the BBQ in the bridge. It has a fat bottom, but it is VERY tight and still not quite as much bottom as the C-5. The highs are smooth and thick, but I can get as much scream as I want from the BBQ with proper pole piece adjustment. That is one thing I also love. It is so thick that I can raise the poles way up and lower the pickup and totally changes the character with a ton of cut and scream while staying fat as hell.

Remember these are all just opinions and we all like different things. It's kind of like saying chocolate is better than vanilla. Depends who you ask!
I know guys who prefer the JB, guys who prefer the BBQ, guys who prefer the WCR Shredder and the list goes on.

 

[Jeff5]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

My issue with the BBQ is that it had way too much low end for me and didn't have the singing lead tones/highs that the JB does. I also thought that under distortion the palm mute was kind of muffled where as the JB has a nice britght crunch to it that you can hear through the mix.

 

[agbluesband]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

Ya can't go wrong w/ a JB.
That's simply a classic Pickup.
|,,/,

 

[Johnny Q]

Re: The duncan JB appreciation thread! Come on in!

You have to remember that the resistance basically tells you nothing of the output in general. I have had four different pickups in my LP Standard and the stock Burstbucker Pros feel and sound HOT and they are rated around 8.5k in the bridge! The wire gauge, tension, etc....etc have a huge impact on how they are perceived in terms of heat, etc.

This is a great point, the Voodoo 59 (8.3) I have in my Les Paul historic sounds fuller and more distorted than even my Custom 5, which is in the "14's."

I have seen a few references to the WCR Shredder, which is being billed as a JB without the mid peak basically. However, 2 bills for a bridge pickup is way outta whack!

I'm going with the Jb/Jazz for my PRS Custom 22. The Dragon II's are not giving me a warm/fuzzy anymore. Besides, everyone says that the JB sits well in mahogoney guitars and along with the Jazz splits real well, so.............sold.

JQ