JB/2 vs JB/UOA5 ... Questions

[Frogman]

1. How would you compare the two?


2. Do both have a tighter low end than the stock JB?


3. Were I to install 2 rows of screws (ala: AH-1) in the UOA5, how would that sound? Is that mod worth it (regardless of magnet)?



(It would most likely be going in Alder or Poplar, playing Hard Rock)

[Ayrton]

The JB with an A2 and double Fillisters is basically a AH-1, without the Fillisters pretty damn close to a RTM.

I have both the JB and '59 with double Fillisters, but I have installed either one yet.

I know that really doesn't help you, just tossing it out there.

[Despair]

Neck & fretboard wood & bridge type are handy for guessing at results as well. Stock JB tends to love maple neck & fretboard, and alder or soft maple bodies. With A2, it seems a bit less picky.

Some people find that the JB with A2 is tighter than A5, it depends a bit on how the low end of the pickup interacts with your guitar.

All screws should only tighten things. And of course you can always switch in some 0.5" hex screws under the wound strings to further tighten things if need.

UOA5 is in between A2 and A5 for brightness, mids and output. Closer to A2 for brightness. For bass/low mids and tightness it's a bit closer to A5.

I can't recall any reports of UOA5 specifically in the JB, though.

[I have a JB with A3 (even less bass than A2, but a bit brighter) as a neck pickup still. I swapped the 3 fillisters under the wound strings for 0.5" hex screws. With that odd setup, it's tighter than it was in the bridge position...]

[CountFunkula]

1. How would you compare the two?


2. Do both have a tighter low end than the stock JB?


3. Were I to install 2 rows of screws (ala: AH-1) in the UOA5, how would that sound? Is that mod worth it (regardless of magnet)?



(It would most likely be going in Alder or Poplar, playing Hard Rock)

UOA5 would be a little brighter/tighter with somewhat less mids. Both would have a looser low-end than stock, at least on paper. In reality, maybe somebody with experience can chime in. Two rows of screws would be smoother in the top end. A notable difference, but I don't know if it's worth it because I don't know how hard the mod is.

[Despair]

UOA5 would be a little brighter/tighter with somewhat less mids. Both would have a looser low-end than stock, at least on paper. In reality, maybe somebody with experience can chime in.

Except there are reports of the JB actually being tighter with A2. UOA5 is usually held as deeper and tighter than A2 [but not as much so as A5], but who knows what it would do with a JB, given the JB's behavior with A5. A lot depends on the guitar it's going in as well, of course...

Two rows of screws would be smoother in the top end. A notable difference, but I don't know if it's worth it because I don't know how hard the mod is.

A2 and double screw coils are floor shop custom options, minor upcharge for each.

[CountFunkula]

Except there are reports of the JB actually being tighter with A2. UOA5 is usually held as deeper and tighter than A2 [but not as much so as A5], but who knows what it would do with a JB, given the JB's behavior with A5. A lot depends on the guitar it's going in as well, of course...


A2 and double screw coils are floor shop custom options, minor upcharge for each.

That's why I said on paper

Depending on how "minor" it is, I would say it's worth it if you want it a little smoother.

[Despair]

Last I heard, was around $10 for all-screws. $5-10 for alternate magnet.

[Frogman]

Oh, I'd be doing the mods myself

[Ayrton]

Magnet swap you can do, but you have studs in one coil. Unless you plan on swapping coils with another pup, it is easier to just order a pup.

[John E Rokker]

The JB2 has more of a van halen thing going on. Very articulate and very hot sounding. Awesome lead guitar tone! Sweet Sweet Highs and screaming midrange with just the right amount of low end for lead guitar.

The JB OUA5 has a similar thing going on but with a warmer, thicker wall of sound type thing. A lot more low end power than the A2 but a tighter low end and more midrange than the stock A5. the OUA5 also "soothens" the half cocked wah high end spike of the stock A5. I said soothens, not removes or eliminates. It's still there to help you pop out of a mix but it's a whole lot sweeter sounding. I chose to go with this one in my WDM Frenchie clone.

[blueman335]

Neck & fretboard wood & bridge type are handy for guessing at results as well. Stock JB tends to love maple neck & fretboard, and alder or soft maple bodies. With A2, it seems a bit less picky.

Some people find that the JB with A2 is tighter than A5, it depends a bit on how the low end of the pickup interacts with your guitar.

UOA5 is in between A2 and A5 for brightness, mids and output. Closer to A2 for brightness. For bass/low mids and tightness it's a bit closer to A5.

+1. Good summary.

[blueman335]

Except there are reports of the JB actually being tighter with A2. UOA5 is usually held as deeper and tighter than A2 [but not as much so as A5], but who knows what it would do with a JB, given the JB's behavior with A5. A lot depends on the guitar it's going in as well, of course...

+1 again. The problem with stock JB's is that the loose low-end is created by the large amount of bass coming from the combination of wood and magnet reacting with the JB's wind and thin wire. The perfect storm of low-end. Normally A5's are tight in the bottom, but there's just too much of it in that scenario. All the variables conspire together, and it's overkill.

In a JB2, there's less low-end, so the looseness isn't as prominent. Just goes to show there are always exceptions to our tone 'rules'.

[Despair]

Heh, I found the JB to be quite lacking in bass in my RG570, but it had blatty lower mids.

My PATB-1b has considerably more bass, yet it can be* massively tighter in the same guitar. All a matter of how the peaks line up...

[* also can get nearly as loose as the JB, it responds wonderfully to pick articulation]

[guitarzinc10]

After having a old MJ wound JB in real Kramer Focus 1000, I decided to try a used but much newer Jb in a home built Kramer, same specs as a real Kramer KF1 guitar just "homemade".

The newer stock JBa5, IMO does not compare to the older JBJ, older being better but I'm biased. So out goes the a5 in goes the a2.

The a2 smoothes the Jb and creates a different pup. The highs are rounded, maybe more mids and the bass is tighter. The magnet change is like removing the "balls" of the JB. It's a good mod and a JBa2 will find a home in one of my guitars.

The next magnet I tried is a short roughcast a5 removed from a non working 1980 Gibson pup. This mag is about a 1/4 " shorter than the normal sized mag.

The short RCA5 gave JB back his balls but not all the testosterone. It's got the bite of an a5 with the smoothness of an a2. It's a Very good pickup and highly recommend. This JB will stay in this guitar.
HTH

[King IzzO)))]

I don't think the A2 cuts the balls off at all, I would say it makes it more mature, like the balls dropped. It's still pretty mean. The VH thing is pretty accurate, power chords make you feel like an epic 80's hard rock master. The bass thing is weird, there isn't a lot, so it seems tighter by virtue of being mid focused, but it's an illusion, you won't have the lows of the A5. The lead sound is THE best I've heard, awesome. I did have a problem with a A5 490 overpowering it from the neck position, I would try to stick with A2 neck pickups (PG) with it.

Like I said in the other thread, the UOA5 is a good starting point, if you like it and want more mids and smoother highs, then go to the A2.

[blueman335]

I don't think the A2 cuts the balls off at all, I would say it makes it more mature, like the balls dropped. It's still pretty mean.

+1. It gets rid of the annoying ice pick that JB's are famous for in mahogany. We've heard all kinds of descriptions of JB's here; that they sound like a dentist drill, or an old trumpet, etc. A2's fix that, and I imagine UOA5's would too.