Pickup talk: JB, Marshallhaed, 498T...???

  • Thread starter Thread starter James Lugo
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James Lugo

James Lugo

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Been absolutely digging on the new Symphony X record and want to write some new songs for myself, heavy. In my black Paul I have a WB Fire which I love the way it drives the amp, I'm not sure of the output maybe somewhere around 14-17. I have another Paul I want to throw a new pickup in, something good for drop tune like the Fire, maybe a tad brighter to give me another tone. I have a vintage JB, Wolfetone Marshallhead and a Gibson 498T laying around do you guys think any of these would be good for what I'm looking for? Any other suggestions? I'm running my 71 Marshal, VH4 and Racto.

???
 
Don't know the Wolfetone but I'd throw that Gibson in there. I've heard those in some other guitars and I thought they sounded pretty good. JB can be good in some axes, and sound odd in others.
 
I had the Aldrich for a while it was too thick and bassy for my taste. It could have been just it didn't agree with my Paul cause I have heard it sound great on other guys guitars.
 
I found some old clips from my pickup shoot out a few years ago and I really like the vintage JB on the tracks really fat yet articulate. The Rebel Yell was great too as was the Afwayu which I remember at the time not liking but it sounds good to me now. Didn't have the 498 clip but the Marshallhead was a little to smooth and polite in the mids for me. I think I'm gonna try the JB first.
 
Now I'm listening again and I think I like the Aldrich the best. DAMN!!!
 
James Lugo":2up6yh8p said:
Now I'm listening again and I think I like the Aldrich the best. DAMN!!!
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:rock: I'm sold on them in a Paul.
 
I'm sitting in an airport listening on earbuds to the clips. I'm torn between the Aldrich and the jb. The Aldrich is fatter but the jb cuts more. The jb sounds more like a finished mix the way it's eq'd and voiced. But the aldrich is f'n huge.
 
James Lugo":25x22ygs said:
I had the Aldrich for a while it was too thick and bassy for my taste. It could have been just it didn't agree with my Paul cause I have heard it sound great on other guys guitars.
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If the Aldrich was too thick, then the 498T will be a sludge monster. After playing Duncans for awhile I went back to the 498 in my Paul and it was just a mess. No note definition or string separation. Just thick, tubby tone. It was really rich, but that LP is just too heavy for that pup.
 
hey is your wb fire pickup different from my firewater pickup?

i reaaly like my wb firewater set.

too bad he is no longer in business.

i have an aldrich and thought it was a little to muddy and bassy in my les paul.

my firewter set replaced the suhrs in my guitar.

from clean to mean, the guitar can now do it all.

another pickup that i have been trying out is the manlius vintage modern, and a set of his aphalts.

the vintage modern is a lot like my firewaters, but with slightly less output.

the asphalts are a lot like my afwayus but with much better top end slice.
 
JB's are killer pickups IF AND ONLY IF you use the 250k volume pot with them they were designed around. Otherwise it's an icepick fest. Having said that I have drop tuned with those and they worked like a champ. Give it a whirl you may be surprised.

_Shane
 
thenine":3ke2m0fd said:
Ive always had good luck with JB's in LP's. YMMV.
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Same here. Duncan Customs sound great in em too.
 
I spent a flight to Florida listening to all the clips. I definitely throwing the jb in when I get home.
 
glassjaw7":20lvxkgo said:
James Lugo":20lvxkgo said:
I had the Aldrich for a while it was too thick and bassy for my taste. It could have been just it didn't agree with my Paul cause I have heard it sound great on other guys guitars.
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If the Aldrich was too thick, then the 498T will be a sludge monster. After playing Duncans for awhile I went back to the 498 in my Paul and it was just a mess. No note definition or string separation. Just thick, tubby tone. It was really rich, but that LP is just too heavy for that pup.
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I've used every pup mentioned in this thread as well as some BKP offerings and WCR Darkburst and Godwood. I still prefer the 498T by a good margin. With 500k pots all around with a .033 cap, I don't find them sludgy at all. I also dropped the pickup down and raised the polepieces on the wound strings. Perfect mix of vintage/modern and really well defined. In fact, the Duncan Custom 5 sounded like a garbled mess compared to it.
 
glassjaw7":vmkqvlja said:
James Lugo":vmkqvlja said:
I spent a flight to Florida listening to all the clips. I definitely throwing the jb in when I get home.
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I'm thinking about trying an Antiquity JB in mine. :thumbsup:
http://www.seymourduncan.com/newproducts/antiquity-jb-jazz-set.php

I have an 80's JB that's very rich and sweet in comparison to my new JB. Could be the guitar though. If the Antiquity has sweeter, richer mids like it claims, I'm all in!
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Would like to try those as well, a little expensive for SDs IMO.
To the original question,if the Aldrich is too thick the JB should be just right!
Could the Ant version sound that much better than the reg old JB/Jazz combo that I have now??? Rich and Sweet sounds good to me :rock:
 
I got a LP Custom I keep in D or drop-C that I've a couple of pickups in lately so I'll throw my $.02 out there. If the JB ends up in the ballpark, but isn't quite there the MCP Black Iron is worth a look for sure. It's in the same camp. It's supposedly a lot like his Angel Dust, but with an A2 magnet. Apparently the A2 gives a rawer sound than the A5. I only have the Black Iron so I can't comment on that. Anyway, it's nice & tight with plenty of drive, but it's not ultra high output. It's just thick enough in the lows & low mids, but it has no mud. The high mids have a strong, driving, aggressive character to them as well. It cuts like a knife too.

If the JB isn't in the ballpark then there's the MCP Nasty Nasty. Wade described it to me as being like a hotter, tighter, more aggressive Detroiter. Way different than the Black Iron, but killer as well. Feels a little tighter with a bit less output than the Black Iron, but not much either way. It's not quite as modern sounding & more balanced in the eq than the Black Iron. The Nasty seems to mold itself to the guitar more cause there are no eq protrusions. That said, in the same LP the lows & low mids aren't as thick & chunky and it's not quite as cutting in the top end as the Black Iron. Still plenty of highs to cut, just a little sweeter. The mid mids really shine with this pickup. Overall character is open, but still tight & crunchy.

Completely different sounding pickups, but both killer & worth a look if the JB doesn't do it for ya.
 
I think in a mix the "cut" will always win. Go JB!
 
A couple of question:

1. With the 250 pot for the JB do you need to have a 250 in both tone and volume? Also can you still have 500s for the neck pup?
2. How does the Custom and Custom5 compare to the JB tone, output and feel wise? I had a Custom5 in another guitar for years and always liked it and had a Custom for the matter in another guitar.
 
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