Improved version of a seymour duncan JB??

[em07189]

Hi everyone!

I have a schetcer blackjack with a seymour duncan JB, i love the guitar and i like that pickup, but it hasn't that low end tightness, or it seems that dont have enough bass on it.

I want a improvement, not a super tight metal pickup with a lots of bass.

What pickup will add this improvement in the low end, and it will add also some more definition and clarity  !!??

the guitar is mahogany set body and neck.


Thanks.

[Kiichi]

The Holydiver is often cited as having the same idea as the JB but executing it better. It is warm, organic, not shrill, clear, etc. So that is probably what you should look at there.

[Ale84]

Great pickup! I have an holydiver on a les paul studio and it's great with an amazing clarity

[em07189]

Thanks for your reply's

Ok, but just to clear my mind, what is the pickup from the bare knuckle humbuckers range that sounds closer to a Gibson burstbucker?, because it's other pickups that i like a lot.

[seancorker]

Hi everyone!

I have a schetcer blackjack with a seymour duncan JB, i love the guitar and i like that pickup, but it hasn't that low end tightness, or it seems that dont have enough bass on it.

I want a improvement, not a super tight metal pickup with a lots of bass.

What pickup will add this improvement in the low end, and it will add also some more definition and clarity  !!??

the guitar is mahogany set body and neck.

Thanks.

I don't think the Holy Diver sounds anything like a JB its wound too hot and doesn't have the mid range punch / detail of the JB. I can see why its pitched as modern take of the 80's guitar sound but if you want something that has JB DNA you have too look elsewhere.


I love the JB, I have an original '85 in a Kramer Baretta that is stunning and blows the HD away. If you can find an early one that's wound to 14k or just under.

I'd maybe look at a Rebel Yell before a Holydiver.

[Alex]

The Holy Diver is more balanced and clearer than the JB. It is also a bit less aggressive and a bit more refined. When I had one, I remember I felt the lead sounds were amazing, but I felt it didn't have the bass presence and tightness I wanted. I also like the JB, but to be fair the JB works better in some guitars than it does in others. I don't think it should be in as many guitars from factory as it is, but matched better with individual guitars.
I ended up with the Nailbomb and even though it is rarely mentioned as a JB replacement over the Holy Diver, I think you should look into this. It is a seriously good pickup and pretty versatile, except that it always has a bit of a raspy edge. It definitely has a tight bottom end.

[Dave Sloven]

The Nailbomb certainly is a good pickup and will probably do the trick.

The Cold Sweat works extremely well in mahogany set-neck guitars, but the output is around the same as the Holy Diver. Possibly tighter in the lows than the HD.  It has a ceramic magnet but the clean sound is still very nice.

[Yellowjacket]

Thanks for your reply's

Ok, but just to clear my mind, what is the pickup from the bare knuckle humbuckers range that sounds closer to a Gibson burstbucker?, because it's other pickups that i like a lot.

Do you mean the Alnico II Burstbuckers or the Alnico V one?  We're talking Mule / Riff Raff territory here.

Rebel Yell is a great rock pickup that has high mids, tonnes of clarity, and really lively harmonics.  There is not much bass to speak of, mostly just tight and clear bottom.  (It works exceptionally well with my low mid heavy solid mahogany singlecut guitar.

Nailbomb is clear, with a really raunchy sound and a lot of treble detail.  It has a really crazy pick attack and the tone is really hairy and bad mannered.  It has a bit bigger bass than the Rebel Yell with slightly more output, but the output difference is noticeable.  It does thrash and 90s punk / 90s metal really stinking well. 

[ericsabbath]

the holy diver is bkp's take on the duncan jb, according to Tim Mills himself
it's probably the only non-PAF model that was openly declared as so

tha nailbomb is a completely different sounding pickup
it has some small resemblance with the duncan custom, but it's punchier, bassier and a lot less compressed
it's no near as middy as the holy diver or the jb

never heard anything like the rebel yell from any other brand, although some people compare it to the jb
it might have a somewhat similar midrangy voicing, but a completely different texture

[Yellowjacket]

Rebel Yell Bridge really does that 'chainsaw' sort of a tone, it is incredibly open and huge sounding.   Very much the opposite of the usual warm, thick, and woolly character of Seymour Duncan pickups. 

[Dave Sloven]

I think the thing with the A-bomb is that there is always that Sepultura tone in there somewhere.  If you absolutely hate that tone, stay away from it.  If you don't mind that tone and would like mellower variations on it the A-Bomb can generally do that.  It always has some element of that Sepultura hairiness to it though, always a hint of buzzsaw, even if faint.

[Telerocker]

I think the thing with the A-bomb is that there is always that Sepultura tone in there somewhere.  If you absolutely hate that tone, stay away from it.  If you don't mind that tone and would like mellower variations on it the A-Bomb can generally do that.  It always has some element of that Sepultura hairiness to it though, always a hint of buzzsaw, even if faint.

+1. Good description.

[Duck2587]

The closest you will get is the alnico warpig. It has of quality in terms of harmonics but better plus it has the Bigger bass you want but still retains excellent clarity. 

[richard]

Here's me last night having fun with friends and a set of Rebel Yells. Doesn't sound much like the JB I have in my SG. Still quite fond of the JB though.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqTNtPNpHRA

[Alex]

I think the thing with the A-bomb is that there is always that Sepultura tone in there somewhere.  If you absolutely hate that tone, stay away from it.  If you don't mind that tone and would like mellower variations on it the A-Bomb can generally do that.  It always has some element of that Sepultura hairiness to it though, always a hint of buzzsaw, even if faint.

For me the Nailbomb always has a bit of John Petrucci's sound on Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence and Black Clouds and Silver Linings. I think it really does progressive metal very well. His more modern sounds on the last album are more Juggernaut territory.