I need a fatter Duncan JB... suggestions?

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chaosmonger

chaosmonger

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Ok guys, I've always been a JB man. Tried many others but always come back to the JB.

I've tried many PUs, from the Duncan Custom, Distortion, Alternative 8, EMGs, Dimarzios, etc; but I always miss the crunchy nature of the JB and how it reacts to the picking intensity... "dynamic" would be my word of choice. I also like the "looser" low end it has (I play doom metal).

The thing is that I have this guitar that tends to sound a bit thin, it is currently loaded with a JB, and while it does everything I like about it on the mids-highs department, I feel the low end is lacking.

I tried EMGs (Hate them), the Duncan distortion (too tight, not crunchy enough, kinda brittle), The alternative 8 (Again, too tight and scooped), The Duncan Custom (felt sorta dull and compressed in comparison) and the Dimarzio Super Distortion (bottom end was right, but not enough picking dynamics... sorta muffled).

So, do you have some suggestions for a PU that retais the JB characteristics on the mids/highs, but with a beefier low end?

That's it fellas. Thanks in advance!
 
Change magnet to a A8 and stand back......
Fat tones and singing leads all in one , done .
 
Try raising the bass side of the pickup. I love the JB as well. Maybe try a PRS Tremonti bridge pickup. Sounds huge in my Les Paulmm
 
Thanks guys; the magnet swap sounds like a good (and cheap) alternative. I've already experimented with pickup height to no avail. I'll look into the PRS tremonti, though. ;-)
 
Suhr Aldrich maybe? I wanted something to fatten up my basswood / maple Suhr. Tried several other pickups before landing on that one and it quickly became one of my favorites. Have it in several guitars now. For a hotter pickup, it just seems to have the right balance of output and eq.
 
Aldrich won't be thicker.. I find the low end is tighter than the JB. What he wants is a JB with an Alnico II. JB2. Case closed. Juicy but still grindy. Me likie. I do like the aldrich though. I have one in a strat style guitar and on any given day either of those pickups are my 1,2.
 
A2=Bumped mids and no real ass
A8=Balls to the walls fat while more evenly balanced with a nice tight low end
Add the JB wind to the A8 and you can cream metal tones for days but not harsh like the Duncan Distortion pu . :rock:
 
Now it seems like I should order both alnico II and VIII magnets and just try. Sounds interesting. Shipping to Chile (ass of the world) it's probably more expensive than the magnet itself, so ordering 2 wouldn't make a big difference. ;)
 
chaosmonger":z44vcc3t said:
Now it seems like I should order both alnico V and VIII magnets and just try. Sounds interesting. Shipping to Chile (ass of the world) it's probably more expensive than the magnet itself, so ordering 2 wouldn't make a big difference. ;)
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Your JB should already have a V (A5) in it , you must mean a II (A2) .
You got to try a VIII (A8) , it's worth your time to see if it works for you .
Either way magnets are cheap and an easy way to experiment with in pickups without going broke . :yes:
 
I threw an A8 magnet into a JB...it was ok, but it changed the structure of the mids into something I didn't like. Changed it back. I'll deal with the low end being a little loose.
 
I was considering mojotone.com ... gotta check how expensive shipping would be. Any references on mojotone?
 
Look for an older JB if possible. I rambled on about this...I have 2 early 90s JBs that sound MUCH better than the 8 other alder bodied guitars that I've had with more recent production JBs. All these superstrats were alder, some Jackson some Charvel...but my 92 Hamer and 92 Washburn MG both have JBs wound by MJ at SD. Awesome.
 
I would like to try an antiquity with the aged magnet at some point. Something about the JB crunch. Is isn't always the best in the highs or lows depending on the guitar but it just seems to deliver all around.
 
You should contact Dominger pickups and talk to them about what you want. I've heard the quality/clarity is right up there with MCP/Bareknuckle at half the price. :rock:
 
Duncan Super V is like they early JB prototype. I like it more than the JB I have in another guitar. PRS SC250 pickups are reportedly very similar to Tremonti pickups; I got a set for $100, which is a little cheaper than I've typically found Tremonti's for.

Arcane Mr Scary is A8. Badass sounding pickup.
 
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