Wanna change the JB in my RR1

[Mordor]

Do you think it's a good idea?I know it is a good pup butI find it a bit to dark and not tight enough in the bass freqs (maybe it's for the used power tubes?).I'm searchin for a pup with tight bass response and singin highs!It has to be good also with clean channels (then I would used my little X2N [img]graemlins/notworthy.gif[/img] ).No EMG please!

[Newc]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

Personally I don't like the JB in the bridge, and I cannot understand why Jackson switched to that from the Distortion. The JB sounds great in the neck for cleans (split or whole) as well as warmer lead tones.
Given that it's an RR, I'd go with a Duncan Distortion - excellent bass, crunch, and leads. Not very kind to a clean channel, but that's what neck pickups are for [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Newc

[ranalli]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

I've never heard anyone say that a JB is too dark....especially in a guitar with an ebony fretboard.

But regardless...you might want to try the Duncan Distortion...it has a little more upper end bite than the JB and is a touch more agressive too. Not great for cleans but not bad either.

[Mordor]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

Thanks for the for your reply guys.
Maybe "dark" it's not the right word but..well,I don't like it in the bass response.Now I'm thinkin about a Duncan Distortion,Duncan Custom or Full Shred...some more opinion?

[Soloist1]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

The tone you are describing is the Duncan Custom all the way. I have one in my Warrior and it sounds awesome.

[StuTDavis]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

I'm with you, I never cared for the JB at all, personally. Same thing, it's always had kind of a dark/blah/lifeless kinda sound and response to me. But ya gotta think who it's named for...I mean...Jeff Beck isn't exactly playing any thrash metal, is he? Hehehe...I, too, have no idea why Jackson thinks their players, lots of whom are metalheads, would want that pickup as the default in their guitars. Eh, anyway...

The Distortion and Full Shred should both brighten up your sound some. I've got a Distortion in one of my guitars, and it's pretty bright and tight hehe. I've never played a Full Shred, always interested, just haven't jumped on one yet. I'm going on the specs of it, and from hearing a guitar with one in it (Kramer Nightswan) over the phone once, that sounded very good, with lots of harmonics.

The Duncan Custom will give you more of a midrange slam in there, which can be a good thing, especially if you're running tube gear. The Distortion or Full Shred would emphasize the highs and lows more than midrange specifically.

Depending on what wood your guitar is made of, you'll have slightly different outcomes with different pickups, and it's possible to go into "too bright" territory, as well.

The other option is to get something else that will tighten up your bass, like a BBE or the Behringer Ultrafex Pro. EQ units, used correctly, could also help tighten up the sound. But any of those could alter your basic sound some, as well, possibly in ways you may or may not like. So this avenue kind of depend on how happy you are with your sound now, as it is, overall, and whether you are interested in adding (or can add) other units to your setup.

Stu

[ranalli]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

I dont' think there's anythign wrong with the JB, it's a great pickup for hard rock and metal period. I just don't think it works well in guitars with ebony fingerboards....soudns too tinny and bright.

Same goes for the Duncan Distortion and Custom, I don't like em in the USA Jacksons either...but then again I'm not playing out of a dark sounding amp like a Mesa either.

I like the Super 3 for my SL1 currently.

[toejam]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

I love DiMarzios... Super Distortion, X2N or Tone Zone. [img]graemlins/headbang.gif[/img] I thought the JB was lacking a little low end in the bridge of my mahogany Hamer, but the '59 was great in the neck. I put two chrome EMG 81s in their place, and it's definitely got more low end now.

[StuTDavis]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

ranalli,

Eh, well keep in mind, the JB might be a great pickup for hard rock and metal PERIOD for you, it's not PERIOD for everyone. God I really hate when people say stuff like "period" or "'nuff said", it really makes them sound like they think they are the be-all-end-all expert on the subject, and nobody else should even consider making another comment contrary to what amounts to only that person's OPINION. Sorry, nothing personal, it just really irks me hehehe.

Stu

[Fragle]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

maybe you try dimarzio pups. you should take a look at the super distortion, the tone zone and maybe the steves special which has a great rythm and lead tone when distorted (think of john petrucci [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] ) AND sounds incredible when splitted and mixed together with the neck pu. even though it's a high output pu it's possible to use it for clean stuff because the mids are scooped out but usually i don't use it that way ^^

if you don't want dimarzio go for the duncan distortion or the custom. i never played the custom but the distortion is a pretty cool pickup.

fragle

[ranalli]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

Originally posted by StuTDavis:
ranalli,

Eh, well keep in mind, the JB might be a great pickup for hard rock and metal PERIOD for you, it's not PERIOD for everyone. God I really hate when people say stuff like "period" or "'nuff said", it really makes them sound like they think they are the be-all-end-all expert on the subject, and nobody else should even consider making another comment contrary to what amounts to only that person's OPINION. Sorry, nothing personal, it just really irks me hehehe.

Stu

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ok, fair enough but I think you need to lay off the coffee.

What I was implying is that you can't say the JB is a bad pickup for hard-rock/metal. You or I may not like it but it's still a good hard-rock/metal pickup. I wasn't implying that it was the ONLY metal pickup and that if you didn't like it you were a fool.

I hate single coils....but doesn't mean they're bad.

[StuTDavis]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

Hmmm...nah, no coffee here. Just one of those things that bugs me.

And it's perfectly fine for me, or anyone else to say that the JB is a bad pickup for hard rock or metal, stating it as an opinion. There's nothing wrong with stating that it's an absolutely horrible pickup for hard rock and metal--nothing wrong with that at all. It's just an opinion. Just like your opinion seems to be that it's just completely and absolutely wrong for anyone to think the JB is a bad pickup for hard rock or metal. You think that, if someone thinks the JB is a bad pickup for hard rock or metal, that their opinion is invalid, I guess.

The difference is in making it clear that it's one's opinion, and not making the statement, as if there's absolutely no valid way anyone could think otherwise...as in saying "period".

Don't worry, I'm a jerk about this kinda thing all the time...don't take it personally. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Stu

[Misanthrope189]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

What degree of metal are we talking about here, for the JB? Savatage, TSO, Megadeth...those guys are using the JB, and I like their tone, it doesn't seem like the JB is lacking. Unless you guys mean thrash, or more death metal styles that the JB isn't suited most aptly for. I was just curious...when I asked Chris Caffery (sp?) about his Rhoads pups, he said he really liked the JB in the bridge, so what style of metal are you talking about? Is the JB a weak metal pickup, or just not the hottest, and soft for really heavy distortion?

Cheers,
Nick

[kremit]

Re: Wanna change the JB in my RR1

I liked the BBE idea here. Those do alot for the sound / eq-ing of pickups.