I have both JB and Aldrich. JB I've always been a fan of for mixes either live or studio. Home wankers probably won't like this pickup due to its mid prominent tone, but that's what those EQ dials on the front of the amp are for. It's consistent in tone and is a standard for most rock/metal guitarists for a reason. They sound great and cut like a knife in a mix.
Like with any pickup, height adjustment makes or breaks the pickup. So before giving up on any pickup, spend time making adjustments. Don't just crank it up near the strings and call it good just because that's how you do all your pickups. They all have their own character.
When I first got the Aldrich for one of my Suhr Classic HSS guitars, it had a Nickle cover. I found it dark, compressed, and gainy. Uninstalled it and went with an uncovered SSH+ and threw the Aldrich in the drawer where it sat for a couple of years. Fast forward to this past 2021 year. Talked to John Suhr and he suggested I remove the cover. I brought the Aldrich back out and this time removed the cover and installed it in a Suhr Modern of mine. Wow...what a huge positive difference that made. One of my favorite pickups to date now. Later bought a Suhr Classic Thornley Roughneck that came with a set of uncovered Aldrich bridge and neck (and ML for single) and again wow, such a crunchy and clear-sounding guitar. For my preference, I love the Aldrich uncovered.
