Those that dislike the Duncan JB, describe the tone...

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Copperhead

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It was just blahhh and dull to my ears. Loud, but like a loud grey. No specific frequencies stand out, but it is annoying nonetheless, like in a Peavey PA kinda way.
 
I've never liked them, because they just seem to have so much treble for my tastes.

J.
 
To me, it sounds loose and, overall, bland sounding. It always sounds like it's missing something to my ears.
 
trashy sounding, lots of extra garbage noise included with basic tone.



once i tried an Anderson, just couldn't stomach the JB anymore.
 
i was excited to try my buddies ltd m1000 with a jb in it cause i read so many good things about that pickup around here. muddiest sounding guitar i ever played.
 
I have a JB in a PRS McCarty and to me, it sounds great.

I've got another McCarty with a trem that I just put Suhr Aldrich pickups in and I'm debating if the Aldrich pickups are a tad too hot. Not that they're bad at all, but they're pretty bright. I really like the Aldrich neck pickup too.

But I really like the dynamics of the JB in the hardtail McCarty...it really cleans up when picking soft. I'm using a Mesa Mark IV by the way.

Maybe it's the difference of the hardtail vs the trem...


Jason
 
I would have to agree with many of the comments. I have yanked them out of ever guitar I have had them in. For some reason the jb jr didn't sound as bad in the one guitar I had it in. Maybe it was the guitar, but if I still had the guitar I wouldn't have kept the pickup in there either. It still annoyed me.
 
mrp5150":3sc2aay3 said:
The JB rules in the right guitar IMO.
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That's the thing right there. In the right guitar it's harmonic, brash, aggressive, and meaty. In the wrong guitar it's undefined, trebly, spikey, trashy, garage-y, etc.

I've tried them in several guitars that sounded terrible with it, but right now I'm borrowing a mahogany Schecter that it sounds great.
 
I usually prefer the JB in all mahogany guitars, but the one in my GMW DeMartini sounded amazing. Way better than in my ESP M-II and the guitars have nearly identical specs.
 
SgtThump":w2mc7fbv said:
Okay, I just compared my Les Paul with the BBQ in the bridge to my new hardtail Strat style guitar with the JB in the bridge and it doesn't sound as bad as I first thought. I think I'm just having a "bad ear" day or something. The LP with the BBQ definitely sounded better. More rounded and meaty. The JB in that other guitar was more midrangey with more "hair" in the treble. It's not horrible, but I'm not sure if I like it.

I should probably use it with the JB at a gig before swapping pickups, huh? Just to make sure I know what I'm talking about? I'm tempted to put that other BBQ in there tonight, but trying to fight the urge. lol
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late night pre birthday beers and pick-up swaps :lol: :LOL:
 
for me I love the JB and hate the JB

What I love about the JB is that it is like a blank slate to which I can add OD pedals, tweak tones, or whatever. A HELL OF A LOT of effects and equipment are made with the JB tone as a benchmark in mind.

What I hate abou the JB is it is not 'unique' sounding. It is not real vintage sounding but also not real modern sounding, its like right smack in the middle. It can easily be bassy in a warm guitar and thin in a strat. Its just sort of a marginal pickup.

I'll say this, I can get a JB and hit it with an OD pedal and 90% of the time get something I like and can use for almost anything.
 
I have a JB in my LP Custom....its great. Any pickup is dependent on the guitar. It may suck in one and kill in another, just have to find the right pickup for your guitar. In a mahogany body LP style guitar JB's are nice. A strat that is probably alder, probably not so great.....I hate alder wood though, too flubby.
 
i had a d.d. jb in my dk2, alder body with a floyd and maple neck. it was dull and lifeless sounding. typical cheap pup for a cheap guitar. then I put a custom 5 in it and (fuckin a!) that guitar came to life.
 
in the right guitar I'm sure its great . I had a Honky mid thing going on I did'nt like when I tried it .
 
i had one in my PRS CE22 at one time...mushy, muddy, yet had this horrible spike in the tone. just sounded horrible! i put it in a buddy's Aria Pro II and it sounded HEAVENLY! night, tight, thrashy, and just amazing IMO.

put a Duncan Distortion in a similar guitar to mine and that pickup sounded awesome! it was also a PRS CE, but a 24 fretter, so that had a little to do with the tone, but i think a Distortion would sound awesome in mine as well. i did put a Distortion in my EBMM and it ROCKS! thick and meaty with plenty of cut and an open roar to the tone. :rock:

seems like the JB is very much influenced by the wood its put into, maybe more so than other pickups, and even other Duncans.
 
You can adjust the pole pieces on a JB, and a lot of people do that, sort of EQ'ing the pickup a little differently. I tried it and I just might not be patient enough to get the most out of it.
 
Too brittle for me. It sounds pretty decent if your just playing rythym but if your doing lead work forget about it.
Sounds good at low volumes but at high its kinda ice-picky to me. Ive liked it until i started hearing other pickups and guitars. The whole time i though it was the amps i was playing...:/
 
I have one in my Kramer and it's a love/hate kinda thing :confused: It does have a 'mid honk' that I don't care for when using alot of gain, but as I roll back the gain it gets better to my ears :rock:
 
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