Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

M

My96z

New member
First a bit of history...

I used to have an Ibanez RGR421. Mahogany with a maple top. I pulled the bridge pick up out and installed a new JB trembucker and loved it. Nice and crunchy, really loved the tones and how hot the pickup sounded. I have since sold that guitar.

Recently I bought a vintage JBJ installed it in my 2001 RG 770FM (basswood with a maple top). The routing in the 770 is shallow, to make it fit I had to use the baseplate from the original stock Quantum pick-up and swap it over. I didnt expect it to sound totally the same due to the different wood but its not nearly as hot as I remember the last JB I had. It actually sounds similar to the old Quantums that were in the guitar originally. Pretty dissapointed.

From what I have read there hasnt been much change from the 80's JB to today's.

Any thoughts or reccomendations? I like 80's metal, early Ozzy and the like. I have a Marshall class 5 combo amp and a few small 15-30w SS amps.

FWIW I love this tone of Brad's... this would be perfect tone for me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uABf6zvc8-w
Thanks for the help!

Jeff
 
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Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

measure them. compare resistance readings.

Also, what value pots are you using in the 770?

also also, did you make sure that all the connections from coils to conductor wires were good after the baseplate switcheroo?
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

as already suggested take a resistance reading first. they newer JB range from 16.4K and up. the ONLY thing that has changed is the magnet is no longer a rough cast 5 it is now a polished 5. but this would not change the power of the pup just the overall highs and sag of the pup
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

Hate to feel like a newb, but which wires to I put the probes on to measure the resistance? I will check when I get home tonight.

Only other thing is is that I may have it hooked up wrong. I just went by what I could find on the internet for instructions. I could'nt find a perfect diagram for an Ibanez 5-way switch.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

If the red and white wires are soldered/taped off together, then you want your probes to be on the green and black wires.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

You swapped the baseplate from the Quantum onto the JB? You could have just drilled some fairly small holes where the long legs can enter. Seymour is pretty picky about the nickel/silver alloy that his baseplates are made of... you've changed the JB's inductance most likely which will have a noticeable effect on the sound.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

zenmindbeginner said:
You swapped the baseplate from the Quantum onto the JB? You could have just drilled some fairly small holes where the long legs can enter. Seymour is pretty picky about the nickel/silver alloy that his baseplates are made of... you've changed the JB's inductance most likely which will have a noticeable effect on the sound.
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I was thinking this, plus some pickups tend to mellow a bit with age...get sweeter sounding. And the wire thing. Could be a few factors. Bottom line really is does it still sound good? Or should I say, great?
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

I have two JBJs and a modern JB. I dont really hear any difference in how hot they are.

If you put a JBJ in a guitar and it doesnt sound very good, I would be inclined to blame the guitar or just accept that particular pickup/guitar config doesnt work and try something else in it.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

Ed Hunter said:
as already suggested take a resistance reading first. they newer JB range from 16.4K and up. the ONLY thing that has changed is the magnet is no longer a rough cast 5 it is now a polished 5. but this would not change the power of the pup just the overall highs and sag of the pup
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Bill Lawrence taught me, magnets doesn't make any sound :P
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

I got a JBL marked pickup - think that's JB Lead (?) 14.1K. Came out of an 1986/7 Kramer Baretta.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

LReese said:
I got a JBL marked pickup - think that's JB Lead (?) 14.1K. Came out of an 1986/7 Kramer Baretta.
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the L is the first letter of the last name of the person who wound it.
thats a really low resistance though? it should be at approx 16+K
 
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Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

I think that Bill was just referring to how you can hold one up to your ear and not hear anything, but I could be wrong.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

zenmindbeginner said:
I think that Bill was just referring to how you can hold one up to your ear and not hear anything, but I could be wrong.
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LOL! I would hope thats what he meant because all of us crazy mag swappers here would argue with his statement otherwise!:argh::bigok:
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

Ed Hunter said:
That is MESA MKII's and a strat loaded with a PJ MARX pup.
Not real familar with that PJ pup but i will take a guess and say a duncan custom is close? the PJ is at 13.3K and i think it has a ceramic mag?
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From what I have read he used PJ Marxx after his Ozzy days, a JB is what he had during his time with Ozzy which is why I picked up a JB in the beginning with the other guitar. I have e-mailed him personally on his rig.set up then, but have not heard nothing yet...

I could have drilled holes in the guitar but I wasnt going to that much modding to one of the more rare Ibanez RG guitars for a $50 pick up.

I will measure the resistance later in the evening, it does have the red and white wire together.

Either way it looks more and more like I am going to be looking for a different pick up...
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

I've read Bill Lawrence's opinion on a lot of pickup issues and, for such a seemingly well respected pickup maker, he talks a great deal of crap.
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

My96z said:
From what I have read he used PJ Marxx after his Ozzy days, a JB is what he had during his time with Ozzy which is why I picked up a JB in the beginning with the other guitar. I have e-mailed him personally on his rig.set up then, but have not heard nothing yet...

I could have drilled holes in the guitar but I wasnt going to that much modding to one of the more rare Ibanez RG guitars for a $50 pick up.

I will measure the resistance later in the evening, it does have the red and white wire together.

Either way it looks more and more like I am going to be looking for a different pick up...
Click to expand...

Wow that JB really did get recorded a lot!:dance:
 
Re: Vintage JB's not as hot as the newer ones?

richard parker said:
I've read Bill Lawrence's opinion on a lot of pickup issues and, for such a seemingly well respected pickup maker, he talks a great deal of crap.
Click to expand...

which is probably why he is no where near as successful as seymour!:headbang: seymour know his pu's!
 
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