A more Bright sound for a SL2H Soloist

[DrJackson]

I have now a Jackson SL2H Soloist: (Neck Through, Ebony fretboard, Alder body/neck) with a 59 model (Neck) and a JB (bridge) and Roland Jazz Chorus JC120 AMP, I am overall very happy with their sound, but I dislike a little bit the sound of the JB



I tested the JB pickups in many amplifiers and none could eliminate that middy-ness and Nalsal Sound, even adjusting the Amp EQ, I even tried a 1k Pot with bad results

I play mainly Heavy Metal, 80`Hard Rock, but also other styles, I want a "Cleaner, Open, Brighter" Bridge pickup than the JB, but still retaining the low End and High gain

I looked on the seymour duncan´s website for some options, and listen to sound samples and among my options are:
1-Georg Lynch Screaming Demon
2-Duncan Custom
3-Alternative 8? (Still too many Mids?)

I prefer to look for a seymour duncan model before looking for a another brand, I found out the Dimarzio Super 2 and Lawrence 500xl as possibilities, but I haven`t heard them yet

[Frogman]

Bright, hi-fi, articulate, with bottom end?

B&B L-500 (L or XL)

[Despair]

L-500XL, particularly with the filter (inductance control, allows it to alter mids at the guitar) is pretty impressively flexible. A great option.

If cleans aren't a primary focus, I'd have a good look at the PATB-2 (Parallel Axis Distortion), it's an absolute monster for metal, and has interesting cleans. It might have more mids and output than you want, though. Is the problem the JB's upper midrange, or is the guitar too middy?
For some samples of the PATB-2 check out daemon barbeque -- he has a page full of just the guitar comparing PATB-2 vs SH6, too.

I'd avoid the Alternative 8, it's great for metal, but I don't think it's exactly an open pickup, or strong enough on cleans for use with a JC-120.

I've played my RG570 with JB into a JC-120 and loathed it, so I certainly understand where you're starting from, though I think my basswood makes the nasal honk issues even worse.

You might like the PATB-1, I got one a few months back and was very surprised by it. It's got funny hollow mids, though it's not lacking in mids overall, it's quite far from the totally scooped or notched out metal rhythm players mid-cut. Oddly both vintage and modern feeling. Not lacking in bass & lower mids, either, it's remarkably balanced in my guitar.

The PATB-1 (Original Parallel Axis) is like a Custom 5, only with sweeter harmonics and higher output without feeling compressed. The low string pull from the polepiece design is nice, as well.

I've found my PATB-1 to sound cleaner, a lot more open, brighter and yet less harsh than my JB. I like the JB... just not as a bridge pickup in this guitar.

I don't know how the Custom would work for cleans with a JC-120. It's a ceramic and bright, I've heard people get a broad range of tones out of it depending on the guitar, but I don't think I've heard an example of great cleans with a JC-120 and it... The Screamin' Demon might be a bit lacking in bass & push for heavier stuff.

Sorry if that meandered a bit, have a bit of a headache here, feel free to ask for clarification if you have any questions.

[MetalManiac]

I don't think "brighter" is what you want..the JB is plenty bright.
Clearer and more open? I've heard the PatB-2 is a way underated pickup thats sounds fabulous throughout its range.
I think a Duncan Custom would work well.

[Despair]

JB isn't exactly bright, it just has screaming upper mids. Note that the PATB-2 is the Parallel Axis version of the Distortion, which is the same wind as the JB... Only in the Parallel Axis Distortion it's overwound, and getting it's treble from the magnet & the polepiece's magnetic field, rather than the coil.

There are plenty of brighter pickups that sound less harsh than the JB, a lot depends on how the pickup interacts with the wood.

For metal, the PATB-2 is a monster. For cleans it can be a bit funny, though I really like some of the cleans I've heard people get from it. Really cool & unusual sound.

Parallel Axis pickups are all great for articulation, feel surprisingly open and uncompressed, despite the relatively high output and DC resistance ratings.

[gibson175]

how about a pg?

[DrNewcenstein]

How about a different amp? I mean, the JC120 is a killer amp, but definitely not an 80s Metal amp. Excellent cleans, and lush chorus, for like Jazz. That's why they named it the Jazz Chorus amp. They designed it expressly for Jazz. What you want is something designed for Rock, like a Marshall.

I'm not a fan of the JB but I do know it's going to sound a lot different in the appropriate amp. You might even like it.

[GuitarDoc]

Custom

[DrJackson]

L-500XL, particularly with the filter (inductance control, allows it to alter mids at the guitar) is pretty impressively flexible. A great option.
If cleans aren't a primary focus, I'd have a good look at the PATB-2 (Parallel Axis Distortion), it's an absolute monster for metal, and has interesting cleans. It might have more mids and output than you want, though. Is the problem the JB's upper midrange, or is the guitar too middy?
For some samples of the PATB-2 check out daemon barbeque -- he has a page full of just the guitar comparing PATB-2 vs SH6, too.
I'd avoid the Alternative 8, it's great for metal, but I don't think it's exactly an open pickup, or strong enough on cleans for use with a JC-120.
I've played my RG570 with JB into a JC-120 and loathed it, so I certainly understand where you're starting from, though I think my basswood makes the nasal honk issues even worse.

You might like the PATB-1, I got one a few months back and was very surprised by it. It's got funny hollow mids, though it's not lacking in mids overall, it's quite far from the totally scooped or notched out metal rhythm players mid-cut. Oddly both vintage and modern feeling. Not lacking in bass & lower mids, either, it's remarkably balanced in my guitar.

The PATB-1 (Original Parallel Axis) is like a Custom 5, only with sweeter harmonics and higher output without feeling compressed. The low string pull from the polepiece design is nice, as well.

I've found my PATB-1 to sound cleaner, a lot more open, brighter and yet less harsh than my JB. I like the JB... just not as a bridge pickup in this guitar.

I don't know how the Custom would work for cleans with a JC-120. It's a ceramic and bright, I've heard people get a broad range of tones out of it depending on the guitar, but I don't think I've heard an example of great cleans with a JC-120 and it... The Screamin' Demon might be a bit lacking in bass & push for heavier stuff.

Sorry if that meandered a bit, have a bit of a headache here, feel free to ask for clarification if you have any questions.

I think the problems are both, the Alder's body is very resonant in the upper midrange and also the JB, right now I´m focussed on the Clean sound of my soloist... if the Duncan Custom has less Midrange it will work for me, I'm not afraid to have a Ceramic and bright pickup as long as it does not sound as Harsh as a Dimebucker, I have a 7 string Guitar with Blackouts ABH-1 as backup guitar in case of needing a heavier sound

thanks for such a detailed reply! I will seriously consider PATB too as one of my options

How about a different amp? I mean, the JC120 is a killer amp, but definitely not an 80s Metal amp. Excellent cleans, and lush chorus, for like Jazz. That's why they named it the Jazz Chorus amp. They designed it expressly for Jazz. What you want is something designed for Rock, like a Marshall. I'm not a fan of the JB but I do know it's going to sound a lot different in the appropriate amp. You might even like it.

Marshalls are actually great amps! I've tested the JCM800 before and I loved
Particularly great for playing classic rock, with a sweet midrange and blowing Bass, but do not have the kind of clean I'm looking for
I search that Cristal, Clear, Open sound of Fenders Twin, Deluxes, and Roland JC like a say before, I play diferent kinds of music (Funk, Blues, Jazz Fusion, POP) and of course "Heavy Metal"
For Distorted/Metal sounds I use my Boss GT8, with Soldano SLO and Peavey 5150 presets, I want actualy to buy one Peavey 5150/6505 Head soon! but my problem are not the distortions, is the clean sound which I would like it to be more as I like without having to touch the EQ

thanks for your answer!