For the Love of JB

[KeeperOS]

Amazingly enough, the JB is the one constant I had when two/three years back I was in my heavy gear-searching mode.
As stated above, it ROCKED in some, it was bland in others and straight forward wrong in a few.

However, it fits my Washburn MG-122 SO well (the only JB-equipped guitar I own) that I can't imagine changing one thing about it (while in her).

The only problem I perceive about the JB is that by being the most widely recognized and thus used pickup, possibly in the world, it has become somewhat of a panacea.
That is, it's the one pickup people expect to solve every and all problems they might be having with their guitar.

NO pickup will do that and the JB is no exception.

BTW, the option I chose was "Yes. But, I'm more likely to use something else." because truth be told, my tastes go a tad higher-gain and a bit more balanced EQ-wise (but still with enough mids to cut through the mix).

[d1dsj]

I tried JB's in the bridge of 2 LP's and just didn't like them at all... so that put me off them and that was that. Until tonight... just a few hours ago I broke a string on my Wayne Tele and whilst changing strings and giving it a once over for a wedding gig tomorrow I decided I was going to fit a lil'59 in the neck. To do this I had to move the bridge and middle pick ups out of the way to expose the wire cavities. Anyway, low and behold... I thought I had a TB Custom in there... it's a JB Trem spaced! I love the way this guitar sounds, it's got a phat, well defined sound that is powerful and it's just a monster. The guitar is an Ash body, maple neck/ board and a Floyd.

[crguti]

you need a different sound if you're playing in a band or wanking at home. The JB is for playing in a band.

[cakire82]

Definitely a goodie. With or without the magnet swap.

[Virtual Kevorkian]

Really loathe this pickup for my playing style, with or without a band and in/out of a mix. Loose with oddly convoluted upper midrange that ends up being harsh/stuffy at the same time - no thanks!

[Diego]

I don't get this "it cuts like a knife so it's gotta be good" nonsense.
A dentist drill with a mic in front would cut even better, that doesn't make it a good sound.

I'd rather have a pickup that sounds the way I like it, be it open or warm or insert whatever adjective you prefer here,
and work to make it sound good in a band context with the amp, rather than a pickup that makes my guitar sounds like a cheap trumpet and stick to it because it stands out.
Because that's how the JB was in my Ibanez.

The JB rocks in a Ash/Alder Strat though!
So I really like it.

[blueman335]

I don't get this "it cuts like a knife so it's gotta be good" nonsense. A dentist drill with a mic in front would cut even better, that doesn't make it a good sound.

...rather than a pickup that makes my guitar sounds like a cheap trumpet and stick to it because it stands out.

Diego, you're hilarious lately.

[MattThorpe]

After 40 years of playing the guitar and swapping pickups I had never tried a JB. Recently a new friend leant me some pickups to try. I put the JB in my GibLP in place of a DiMarzio Super Distortion and I really do like it in a different way to the DiMarzio. I tried it at a couple of rehearsals and then ordered one. I play blues/rock.

By the way tried it on an Ibanez AR300 mahogany body with maple neck and it sound crap as does my SD Custom SH5. I guess the JB is picky about what it's paired with !

[schralper]

just dropped a JB A5 in a strat. Awesome.........replaces a Custom 8.

[Jackson Distortion]

I wanna thank everyone thusfar for sharing in my thread/poll. Now I can rest easy knowing there is still some love for the original proper JB(5) humbucker pickup.

[j9fd3s]

i love it too, although i agree with the guitar pairings.

ive got a RW strat that it sounds great in. the other one is maple, and i really struggled with it for years, it always sounded bright and kind of artificial.

until i dropped it a half step, now its nothing but awesome

so yes, excellent, but can take some fiddling

mike

[Conker09]

I have one that I liked a lot in my Schecter s-1 elite, but replaced it for a prails hot for the P90 and extra ****...

Now that I have both, i'm actually contemplating pulling one of the A8 mags out of the hot prails and switching it for the A5 in the JB. Giving me a JB8 (which i hear good things about) and a P90 in my prails with an A8/A5 pair which I also hear good things about.

The P90 in my prails just needs a little more treble...just a little. Hoping the A5 will help with that.

[jsadctnfn1]

I have heard alot of people NOT like the JB in a Gibson Les Paul Custom. Funny thing is THIS pickup is recommended in the Tone Wizard for this guitar. Adam Jones from Tool gets a great sound from them and plays a Gibby Custom, as well as this guy on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUeDAQtYkqo

[ex-250]

ive been trying some different pickups in my gibson explorer lately, but i keep coming back to the regular JB. its just at home in there.

[SteveGangi]

I have one at the bridge in a Custom and it sounds OK to me.

[dlc1953]

I have heard alot of people NOT like the JB in a Gibson Les Paul Custom. Funny thing is THIS pickup is recommended in the Tone Wizard for this guitar. Adam Jones from Tool gets a great sound from them and plays a Gibby Custom, as well as this guy on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUeDAQtYkqo

That sure sounds great to me. As a guy at Tommy's Guitar said to me when I asked about a JB in lp'' Alot of great Rock &Roll has been made with that combo"".Pretty hard to arguee with that.

[smorgdonkey]

I got my first JB as standard equipment in this 1986 Kramer Pacer Deluxe:


I have never thought of changing it. The singles are amazing too.

[marcello252]

Hi,
I have a JB that travelled through many guitar before finishing unused around.
Since I'm looking for a good lead bridge tone on my Ash stratocaster with rosewood fingerboard (possibly with some meat on the rhythm), after reading this thread I was thinking to finally put in it, maintaning eventually the 250K vol pot, the mid and neck single coils sound wonderful as it is.
How would you judge this option?
I'd have to drill the holes so it's a decision I have to take with some "support"

Thank you

[blueman335]

I have heard alot of people NOT like the JB in a Gibson Les Paul Custom. Funny thing is THIS pickup is recommended in the Tone Wizard for this guitar.

We don't go by the Tone Wizard, that's one of the reasons why.

The best advice is to get a PU in the ball park of what you want (vintage, blues, rock, jazz, metal, high ouput, etc), and depending on how it happens to react to your wood and guitar design, you may need to tweak things, starting with your set-up, and progressing to magnets, pots, and pole pieces. Often your 'ideal' PU needs a tweak of this kind to bring out it's best. You can make a so-so PU sound wonderful in a few minutes for a few dollars. I don't like stock JB's, but the JB2 is one of my favorites. Tweaking works wonders.

[Dirtbagg]

a JB in a soso guitar makes it way better, a JB in a Fender Mahogany special ROCKS