The Duncan JB's flubby lows...

anomaly

anomaly

Well-known member
Do you people who complain about this pickup realize you can remedy this a bit? I'll admit it's not the tightest pickup on earth, but the mids are pretty epic. So this is what you do... First lower the pickup, maybe a mm, then raise the adjustable pole pieces about a mm, or so. Higher in the center pieces cause it's gotta align the height of the bridge saddles. What this does is it makes the coil closest to the bridge hotter than the other coil and this has a bit of a tightening effect. Try it, on any pickup that you feel could need some low end tightening. Small adjustments or it will sound weird.
 
Pickups aren't flubby, amps are. Put an EQ pedal in front of it and cut that low end down to stop it from overdriving the amp and you're good.

Lowering the pickup height and raising the magnets will absolutely help reduce the lows that the pickup transfers to the amp though, definitely.
 
I don't think i've ever heard the JB was flubby before, so this is news to me

I've heard:

" Honky "

"Unmusical"

"Flat"

All in relation to the JB before, but not flubby, so this is a little odd

I think JBs are one of those pickups that can sound great in the right guitar, but generally speaking anything I would use a JB for I'd rather use an SH6 or SH14 depending on what tone I was going for
 
I recently discovered the Kramer Eruption pickup. It's everything I always liked about a JB with none of the things I hated.
 
anomaly said:
Do you people who complain about this pickup realize you can remedy this a bit? I'll admit it's not the tightest pickup on earth, but the mids are pretty epic. So this is what you do... First lower the pickup, maybe a mm, then raise the adjustable pole pieces about a mm, or so. Higher in the center pieces cause it's gotta align the height of the bridge saddles. What this does is it makes the coil closest to the bridge hotter than the other coil and this has a bit of a tightening effect. Try it, on any pickup that you feel could need some low end tightening. Small adjustments or it will sound weird.
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I'm with you. I have my JB setup this way also.
 
Bloodrock said:
I recently discovered the Kramer Eruption pickup. It's everything I always liked about a JB with none of the things I hated.
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I agree. The Eruption and the Wagner Murkat are what I prefer for “better” JB’s……..even over the Tonenerd Roxy and Sunset Strip that I have.
 
i never had any issues with my JB. about 5/64th on both ends
i find it in the same ballpark as a Super D with a little less top end-has more harmonics
 
SonVolt said:
I don't find JB's muddy, but sometimes I hit a power cord and it's like I can't hear or feel the percussiveness of the low end, something I don't experience with a Duncan Distortion.
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That's really the issue. You don't get that "punch" from a palm mute either, like you would from a Distortion or a Custom. I love the overall tone, especially for leads, of the JB, but this was always my issue.

I find the Motor City Afwayu still retails that great lead tone but it has the low end punch that you miss with the JB.
 
I don't find the JB loose.

What I do find is the low mids in it can be a bit stuffy, and the attack isn't as emphatic as, say, a Duncan Distortion or Black Winter.

Easily "fixed" by choosing the right boost with it, IME. And very rewarding too, as I find the EQ of the JB is a bit more mix-ready than the Distortion.
 
jeff5 said:
That's really the issue. You don't get that "punch" from a palm mute either, like you would from a Distortion or a Custom. I love the overall tone, especially for leads, of the JB, but this was always my issue.
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I personally gel with the JB more than the Custom. I don't find either tighter or punchier than the other. The JB has the stuffy low mids, but the Custom has the thuddy lows. In my case, I found it easier to dial in some aggression to the JB than to the Custom with the right boost. But each to his own. :)
 
Rex Rocker said:
I personally gel with the JB more than the Custom. I don't find either tighter or punchier than the other. The JB has the stuffy low mids, but the Custom has the thuddy lows. In my case, I found it easier to dial in some aggression to the JB than to the Custom with the right boost. But each to his own. :)
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I really like the Custom! I used it for a long time and went back to it a few times. For leads and solos though, I just don't love it. This lead me on a search which ended up at the Afwayu. 😀
 
Ok flubby is the wrong word. Not tight is what I meant. I actually watched a vid that says raising the screws makes the magnetic field weaker so... Maybe just lowering the pickup is what tightened it up???
 
jeff5 said:
That's really the issue. You don't get that "punch" from a palm mute either, like you would from a Distortion or a Custom. I love the overall tone, especially for leads, of the JB, but this was always my issue.

I find the Motor City Afwayu still retails that great lead tone but it has the low end punch that you miss with the JB.
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I do notice the lack of attack vs a distortion, not as punchy either. Better midrange though.
 
Its seem compressed to me but not tight. I thought it felt kinda spongy and loose. Maybe that is what the OP was talking about. I find his suggestion to lower the pickup and raise the pole pieces is pretty much always a winning play with 'buckers except for the couple rail pickups I ruined doing that. :LOL:
 
Rex Rocker said:
I don't find the JB loose.

What I do find is the low mids in it can be a bit stuffy, and the attack isn't as emphatic as, say, a Duncan Distortion or Black Winter.

Easily "fixed" by choosing the right boost with it, IME. And very rewarding too, as I find the EQ of the JB is a bit more mix-ready than the Distortion.
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I watched a comparison of the distortion vs black winter and they have to be as close sounding as two different pickups can get. Ya the attack is kinda missing with the JB.
 
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