Turning a JB into a Distortion?

[BrentPearcy]

From my search, it looks like most members feel these two are the same winds with different magnets but it has not been confirmed by SD. I have a JB Zebra TB and a black coil Distortion. I want to keep the zebra look but would like to give the distortion a go. Can I swap mags and make my JB into a zebra Distortion?

Brent

 

[Clint 55]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

No. Not the same coils. People claiming that must have tin ears. Or they're only trying the JB with a ceramic because anything with ceramic sounds like a fizzy mess. And not trying Distortion with A5. A5 Distortion still sounds like a Distortion and not a JB. It maintains its fizz, tighter bass, and more true highs. It's not organic, with crinky bass, and upper mid spike like the JB.

 

[donahue]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

Regardless of what people say, try it. It will, at the very least, make your JB sound more like a Distortion, maybe better. I've had both at the same time. A stock Distortion and a JB with a Distortion magnet and I kept the modded JB. When I asked MJ about it, instead of steering me toward a Distortion ( which seems logical for a company that sells pickups), she sent me a double thick ceramic and wood spacers for my JB so they're AT LEAST damn similar.

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

Or get bobbin toppers?

 

[BrentPearcy]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

Good info guys, thank you.

I have days where everything sounds remarkable and some days everything sounds like ****. Right now my Fender Strat deluxe with JB/SL3/SL3 HSS setup is not sounding good with the JB. I mean its ok but its muddy. I'm using a Friedman BE100 with a Bogner OS212 CB65/V30 configuration. I'm wanting that cut, gain and clarity that my EBMM Axis guitars get. That dang pickup in there by Dimarzio is one of my favorites for shred. I bought a EVH wolfgang pickup and while its got the cut it doesn't have the gain/push. Its quite conservative but yet it reads almost 15k which is something else I don't get. These ohm readings are super deceiving. I have some PAFs reading 7 to 8k and they rip and have more gain than the 16k JB pickup. The EVH Wolfgang pickup is more like a low to medium output in my findings.

 

[Mincer]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

Make sure the JB is working properly. It shouldn't sound muddy at all. Something might be wrong. Verify the DCR of the pickup, then try wiring it directly to the jack.

 

[CaptainWhizz]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

How is the problem guitar wired currently?

Sometimes vintage-output pickups sound better for high-gain applications.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

Yeah, sounds like something's off with the JB...either the pickup itself, the wiring job or one of the components. Muddy and low output are not "the JB"

 

[BrentPearcy]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

If I remember correctly red/white soldered together, black to 5 way and green/ground soldered to top of pot. 500k volume, 250k tone pots. I have another JB that's covered and aged, it always is on the muddy side to my ears. I don't feel the JB is a high output pickup and never have (even though it reads 16k), this is probably my 6th or 7th over the years. It used to be my go-to for LPs but I prefer PAF style pickups these days for LPs. I used to have a SD Custom installed and it was fantastic but not zebra. Maybe ceramic sounds better with this guitar. Fender USA Strat dlx Alder body, Warmoth 3A flame roasted maple neck and fretboard.

 

[DrNewcenstein]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

It could be the roasted peanut...err..maple making it darker. Either that or there's a bad pot. Your Tone may be sticking at a lower setting, even though the knob is on 10. Wire straight to the jack and add pots until something changes.

As was stated, the JB and Distortion do not have the same wind. IIRC it was stated by one of the current/former SD peeps here (was it Frank?) that they use different wire sizes, have a different wrap count, and are simply voiced differently from each other.

What you can do is put a ceramic magnet that is the dimensions of the A5 in the JB (i.e. take one out of a Custom and put it in the JB) and it will sound "Distortion-ish" but will not be a true Distortion. It's commonly called the DistortionLite, or JB+. A little more drive than a stock JB, but not as much grind as a Distortion.

Frankly is you want a better Distortion with more articulation, get a PATB2. It's a lot cleaner, but still delivers the pizza.

 

[Masta' C]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

As was stated, the JB and Distortion do not have the same wind. IIRC it was stated by one of the current/former SD peeps here (was it Frank?) that they use different wire sizes, have a different wrap count, and are simply voiced differently from each other.

I have never heard anyone from SD claim that the JB and Distortion use different sizes of wire, even Frank

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: Turning a JB into a Distortion?

I know it wasn’t Mr Falbo, and I don’t believe anyone has confirmed or denied it.