JB-59 noticeable volume difference

[verbotenco]

I have JB on the bridge and 59 on the neck. When I play clean I notice that the JB is lower in volume than the 59, but not when they are played in distortion. Anyone ever encountered the same phenomenon too? I thought JB is supposed to be loud right? I did test the pickup before installing them and the JB read 20kOhm and the 59 about 16 or ****.

[IanBallard]

Either you are testing them wrong, or they are not what you think they are. There's no way a '59 could be 16k. It sounds more like a JB in the neck. The bridge... I dunno.

There are other reasons that could be, assuming the pickups are correct and that has to do with natural compression of higher gain pickups (more wire for the voltage to travel through) and the fact that the string area near the neck is much louder and fuller than where the bridge pickup is. Near the bridge, the strings are much higher tension and therefore, vibrate less, whereas the neck area is looser in tension and is louder. Any markings on the bottom of the pickups that could shed light on exactly what they are? Are you sure you tested them properly?

If they are and you mis-diagnosed the kOhm reading, try putting the "JB" about two nickel's distance from the strings with the last fret pressed down and the neck twice that distance and see if that changes the balance.

[verbotenco]

yeah I was surprised to see the reading on the meter, but check these pics you may have better idea of these babies. I think your second explanation is more plausible.

[DrNewcenstein]

SH1N should be 59 neck.

However, there's no guarantee it wasn't mislabeled, especially if the neck is reading that high.