Why don't people like JB?

[RACER X]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

With the right guitar, pots, amp, music style/tone, etc the JB is a fine pup, but i find that the Custom to be the most versetal pu out there. IMHO, that pup can do it all, and then some.

 

[gypsy]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

The custom to me, is harsh. It has too much edge. Good for pick scrapes lol! Pro'lly the ceramic thing. I see a lot of people dis' the JB pickup. If they understand what it is, they shouldn't. That pickup is a dominant LEAD pickup. It has a lot of mids, especially high mids which make single strings sound thick. If chuggin' on the E string is your thing, most don't like the JB. If you like fat leads, the JB may work.

I loved the JB in the Brian Moore I had. It had such a singy, lead quality. But it's hard on your ears after awhile. ESPECIALLY if you use V30 speakers. too much upper mids.

But put a JB in an alder body and be prepared for a headache. It's like someone breaking beer bottle after beer bottle in your ear. CLANK CLANK. I had that pickup in an alder body for a day and that's all it took. Ohhhh the most awful tone. IMO, It needs a dark guitar like a Les Paul or something with mahogany or maybe basswood.

Gibson 57's are very nice stock pickups btw. They are so balanced.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

The custom to me, is harsh. It has too much edge. Good for pick scrapes lol! Pro'lly the ceramic thing. I see a lot of people dis' the JB pickup. If they understand what it is, they shouldn't. That pickup is a dominant LEAD pickup. It has a lot of mids, especially high mids which make single strings sound thick. If chuggin' on the E string is your thing, most don't like the JB. If you like fat leads, the JB may work.

I loved the JB in the Brian Moore I had. It had such a singy, lead quality. But it's hard on your ears after awhile. ESPECIALLY if you use V30 speakers. too much upper mids.

But put a JB in an alder body and be prepared for a headache. It's like someone breaking beer bottle after beer bottle in your ear. CLANK CLANK. I had that pickup in an alder body for a day and that's all it took. Ohhhh the most awful tone. IMO, It needs a dark guitar like a Les Paul or something with mahogany or maybe basswood.

Gibson 57's are very nice stock pickups btw. They are so balanced.

Now I'm starting to see why there's so many different opinions about the JB.

I run a JB in the bridge of an alder strat (Drop C, rosewood fretboard, 250k pots) into a Dual Rectifier and I think it sounds great. I've also found it makes both a great lead and rhythm pickup in this guitar, and I do a lot of muted chugging on the low E (well, low C in my case).

The only gripe I've found about it in my setup is pick noise. When playing fast muted rhythm (16th note triplets at 165+ BPM) the pick spends so much time in contact with the strings the picking noise can become overbearing. I still need to find a solution to this problem (I might try to EQ it out, but I'm trying to see if changing my technique might work first. Idea's are welcome though )

 

[Indie P Bass]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

Don't get me wrong, the JB is a great pickup, I like it... it's just a bit too harsh for me (look at that avatar?!) but, it has it's place. I love the dimi Super D, but it's not quite as harsh as the JB (to me, at least) but, I love the 59's a lot more.

 

[UCSDBoy]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

I don't think it's unpopular at all - I think it's just the most vocal dissenters here skewing people's minds. There's no way you can't call the JB a great pickup for metal - just look at how many metal records it was used on. There's obviously stuff you can do to tame the highs - if we're going to go into all the bad stuff about it then we also should say it's way more 'musical' sounding than any of the customs, etc.

 

[mongrollo]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

I think the JB clean it is just fine, it is somehow flat. But it has a very special way to push the distorsion, it is very focused, like the "clearness of the distorsion" if that make sense. Probably this it is because the upper midds spike.

Anyway I love the clean tones of a low output humbuckers when the gain it is pushed just a bit. The Jb doesn't have the good enought cleans for me to do this in a sactisfactory way. I am wayting for a 59 brige to mach the one I have in the neck.

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

The JB in my ears is not as trebly as everyone describes it......i find what makes people think that it is trebly is the upper mid spike which is responsible for the particular caracter of the JB.....i wish it had more pronounced low mids though........

 

[MrHeavyMetal]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

To me, the JB is an ok pup for the 80's rock tone. But I far prefer the Custom, Distortion, 59 and Alnico II Pro tones.

MrHM :smoker:

 

[Marcel]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

And that leads us to the question that hopefully will answer all the questions..

What type of body wood?
What type of fretboard wood?
What type of tremolo?

basswood
rosewood
blocked ibanez edge (floyd rose style)
500K Vol no Tone
Style: punk rock/ hardcore
and JB works perfect for me better tnan the Custom

 

[Chi3f]

Re: Why don't people like JB?

basswood
maple neck
Ibanez w/original floyd
250k volume
500k tone

= :32: everytime i play it