J-200 low impedance?

[Ricey]

I have a 90' USA Fusion that a previous owner swapped out the J-50B and J-200's for Duncan's. I wanted to restore it with vintage Jackson pups. I found a set of J-50BC and J-200s with the JE-1500 mid-boost preamp from a Model 6 on ebay. I realize that the Fusion would have came stock with a J-50B and JE-1200 preamp, but I grabbed the closest that I could find at the time and really prefer the JE-1500 to the JE-1200 anyway.

I did some research and found an old Jackson manual that indicated the J-200s are low impedance and should "only be used with low impedance electronics". Question-how are the J-200s able to play in the sandbox with the J-50BC (Soloist and Model 6) and J-50B (USA Fusion). Assuming the J-50 BC (ceramic magnet) and J-50B (ALNICO) are regular high impedance pups? I know that Charvel/Jackson used those pup combinations in several instruments; e.g., Model 6, Soloist and Fusion. Are the JE-1500 and JE-1200 preamps low impedance? If so, how are they able to work with the J-50BC in the Soloist/Model 6 and J-50B in the USA Fusion?

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

[charvel750]

The Fusion originally had the JE-1500 and the Model 6 originally had the JE-1200. These active circuits were designed to be used with the Jackson passive pickups that you mentioned. Except for the J200 (and even then, that is debatable) any Jackson pickup can function as a stand alone without the active circuitry. But the J200 was designed to be used with it. The J50 pickups sound great with the J1200 active mid boost circuit.

[Axewielder]

I wouldn't say a J200 "is" a low impedance pickup, not sure exactly what you read or in what context. I just checked one and it ohms out at 12 kOhms. So on it's own it would be most accurately described as a medium-output passive pickup. But as stated it was designed with the Jackson active

low-impedance

electronics system in mind. In precisely what way they optimized it for that application is anybody's guess.

[Cuthbert]

I have them in my Soloist Professional, they are not low impendance, but traditional passive high impendance pickups.

[DonP]

J200s are high impedance which means they will sound like mud without the electronics.

I think they sound great in my Fusion or Model 6's.

[Ricey]

I absolutely found an old Jackson/Charvel manual that indicated that the J-200 was low impedance and should only be used with low impedance electronics, but I cannot find it now. It was just within the last 2 weeks too! It was a general manual not specific to any one model, so it had info on various pickup options available at the time. The only thing I can find now that references J-200's as being low impedance can be found in this link:

http://www.charvelusa.com/jackson_pickups.html

It has scanned excerpts from what looks like an authentic Jackson/Charvel pickup guide. If you scroll down far enough, you will find a chart listing specifications for every Jackson pickup available at that time. For the J-200, the chart reads, "Bi-Level Low Impedance". "Bi-level" is probably referring to the stacked HB design. Resistance is listed at 11.6, so axewielder's measurement is spot on.

[Cuthbert]

J200s are high impedance which means they will sound like mud without the electronics.

I think they sound great in my Fusion or Model 6's.

All passive pickups are high impedance by default. 11.7 KOhm is a common value, others like Dimarzio HS3s have double that value.

[DonP]

All passive pickups are high impedance by default. 11.7 KOhm is a common value, others like Dimarzio HS3s have double that value.

I agree, but that is way higher than a regular strat pickup. Hence, it will sound muddy unless you run an active buffer between it and the amp.

[Ricey]

If the JE-1200 is the one from the Model 6, then that is what I have. I have had guitars with both options and prefer the mid boost to the wah circuit. The hole for the JE-1500 switch is big enough for a tone POT shaft to fit through, so I get a volume knob, a master tone knob, and a mid boost knob like a Model 6 or Soloist instead of the normal two knobs and a switch on a Fusion.