Sometimes a JB just works

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EyesOfTheSouth!

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There is no such thing as an “improved” JB. It is what it is and it seems people love it or hate it.

Guitar below has had a ton of pups. Most recently a Jalen Bee that I was really let down by. Others I can remember are:

Perpetual Burn
JB with A2 mag
Duncan Exciter
Pariah Destruction 70
CS Frankenstein (with several magnet swaps)
Tonenerd Roxy
Tonenerd Sunset Strip
Schecter Sunset Strip
Gibson/Kramer Eruption
Super Distortion
EVO2
Wolfetone Fenris

All had their positives (except Exciter and EVO2) but I was never completely satisfied with any of them.

Decided to go back to a JB today. No tinkering with mags. Just an off the shelf JB with a single 300k volume.

Really hits the spot to my ears. Nice balance of tightness for rhythm and give for solos.

IMG_9145.jpeg
 
Anybody tried changing to UOA5 magnets ? For less shrill topend sounding
 
To me, the JB is kind of like an EMG 81 in that if I drop it into a guitar, I will at least get a decent sound. It's not my favorite pickup, but it's in my top 10 easily. I haven't found a guitar in which it didn't at least work to some extent... unless your rig is set up for bright/scoopy PAF-types or just overall scoopy pickups.

My one issue with the JB is it can sometimes get stuffy in the low mids and the attack can be kinda round compared to some other more aggressive pickups.

I will never comprehend the people who claim the JB is too shrill and then go for PAF-type winds.
 
hopkinWFG said:
Anybody tried changing to UOA5 magnets ? For less shrill topend sounding
Click to expand...
I did that. Better off going with some lower pot values for that effect. Started with 500k and then tried 250k. Eventually settled on 300k…….but I’m running no tone pot. But the pot values have a much bigger effect than UO, degaussed, roughcast, and full strength A5’s if you’re just trying to knock the shrill down.
 
hammered said:
Yes , that was my favorite pickup for a while. No idea why I moved away from it tbh. Less shrill top end and it sounded chewier . FWIW I used 500k pots
Click to expand...

Maybe need to add that maple spacer with a UOA5....

Any idea whats diff between unoriented A5 magnet vs rough cast ? Are they the same thing just different naming? Duncan JBJ uses rough cast with maple spacer thou....
 
I hate the JB, but tons of players get great sounds with them. I think it's something about my technique or style that just doesn't vibe with them.

Weirdly, I love the sh-6 which is apparently just a ceramic magnet JB? It's one of the only ceramic magnet pickups I dig.
 
hopkinWFG said:
Maybe need to add that maple spacer with a UOA5....

Any idea whats diff between unoriented A5 magnet vs rough cast ? Are they the same thing just different naming? Duncan JBJ uses rough cast with maple spacer thou....
Click to expand...
The maple spacer makes no difference to the sound whatsoever. It's just a matter of tradition. That's what the originals had.

Unoriented A5 is not the same as rough cast. You can have a rough cast oriented A5 as well as rough cast unoriented. Unoriented means the charges inside the magnet are not aligned all in the same direction. I could be oversimplifying, so take this as a grain of salt. But what I'm sure of is UOA5 is softer, less scoopy, and lower output than OA5.

RC has a tendency to shave off some bottom and top end as well, but I don't think it's much less output if any compared to polished A5.
 
Rex Rocker said:
The maple spacer makes no difference to the sound whatsoever. It's just a matter of tradition. That's what the originals had.

Unoriented A5 is not the same as rough cast. You can have a rough cast oriented A5 as well as rough cast unoriented. Unoriented means the charges inside the magnet are not aligned all in the same direction. I could be oversimplifying, so take this as a grain of salt. But what I'm sure of is UOA5 is softer, less scoopy, and lower output than OA5.

RC has a tendency to shave off some bottom and top end as well, but I don't think it's much less output if any compared to polished A5.
Click to expand...

I actually like JB as well.... but compares to the 80s JBJ its just a tad different.... the JBJ is so much sweeter and more gooey or chewy.... i kinda wanna try to get rid of the wax potting but only a certain amount of wax i could take away without messing the wax in the coil...
 
Dang,
I need to look in my stash of Humbuckers to see if I have one of those ( JBJ ) left.
Was the "J" the maker?
Jwanita or sum shit
 
hopkinWFG said:
Maybe need to add that maple spacer with a UOA5....

Any idea whats diff between unoriented A5 magnet vs rough cast ? Are they the same thing just different naming? Duncan JBJ uses rough cast with maple spacer thou....
Click to expand...
My mistake, I’ve used the rough cast A5
 
John4021 said:
Dang,
I need to look in my stash of Humbuckers to see if I have one of those ( JBJ ) left.
Was the "J" the maker?
Jwanita or sum shit
Click to expand...

Yup... Maricela juarez i guess? She work for Duncan for many years... and hence her JBJ work she now makes the custom models and antiquity....

I see some with JBL = Lydia... another maker in the past thou....
 
One of my favorite pickups of all time, not quite sure why it is so polarizing? I have one in the bridge of my 1989 Les Paul Custom, which is a very bright guitar with a sharp attack. 300K volume pots do the trick nice. I also have a JB in my PRS Custom 22 which was modified to McCarty wiring and it sounds awesome with 500K volumes. I just love how crunchy it is and how leads sing with that upper midrange thing it does.
 
EyesOfTheSouth! said:
There is no such thing as an “improved” JB. It is what it is and it seems people love it or hate it.

Guitar below has had a ton of pups. Most recently a Jalen Bee that I was really let down by. Others I can remember are:

Perpetual Burn
JB with A2 mag
Duncan Exciter
Pariah Destruction 70
CS Frankenstein (with several magnet swaps)
Tonenerd Roxy
Tonenerd Sunset Strip
Schecter Sunset Strip
Gibson/Kramer Eruption
Super Distortion
EVO2
Wolfetone Fenris

All had their positives (except Exciter and EVO2) but I was never completely satisfied with any of them.

Decided to go back to a JB today. No tinkering with mags. Just an off the shelf JB with a single 300k volume.

Really hits the spot to my ears. Nice balance of tightness for rhythm and give for solos.

View attachment 310296
Click to expand...
I get it . Folks analyze and agonize over pickups . That’s why we have an EQ on the amp and pedals!! LoL!
 
I like them in Strat types. I don’t really use a tone control or neck pickup so the JB to me is the most versatile for me. I agree I give up some low end clarity, but it seems to put the right voltage into Marshall’s.
 
I love a JB in most guitars but especially in an Alder body. My fav pickup ever. It is just right for me.
 
It was my go-to bridge pickup for the longest time. I still really like it, but the sound has kinda worn on me over the years.

I swapped the JB/59 in my eclipse for a set of Thornbuckers, and picked up a Suhr Aldrich to replace the JB in my gutierrez. I have a charvel with a jb/59 that just suit that guitar perfectly though, that one's staying put for sure.
 
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