pickup j-90

[jean-noel.gester]

hello,i have just bought a j-90 pickup,what is the diference with a j-90C ? it si not the same quality ?
i want put it in my jackson grover model 86 (2795-neck true,kahler,roswood fingerboard)to replace the j-50.my all others giutares are charvel,375,475,model 4.thanks,jn </pre><hr /> [img]/images/graemlins/band.gif[/img]

[etaeniura]

Re: pickup j-90

The "C" means it has a ceramic magnet if I remember correctly. I believe the regular ones are Alnico magnets. Ceramic magnets are a little more powerful and have a brighter tone...or at least that is what I have read.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: pickup j-90

I am familiar with the J-90C, having never tried the plain J-90. I'm a big fan of the J-90C and I am curious about the others like the J-95 wide band high output pickup I remember reading about in a Jackson Electronics catalog in the 80's. Never heard a J-80 either.

[straycat]

Re: pickup j-90

The reg J-90s are few and far between.The J-90c's are quite common both are great pickups,classic 80s tone.The J-95 tends to be a little darker sounding with more mids JMO.

[xenophobe]

Re: pickup j-90

Yeah, I love the J-95... best pickup Jackson ever made, IMO.

[straycat]

Re: pickup j-90

I'm with you on that xeno I like the JH-2 just as much.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: pickup j-90

Richard what's the JH-2? I stopped following Jackson branded pickups model #'s in the early 90's.

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: pickup j-90

On that note is there a reason they stopped making the classic 80's Jackson pickups? Also why did they stop making the covers for their pickups as well.

[model1]

Re: pickup j-90

[ QUOTE ]
...Also why did they stop making the covers for their pickups as well.

[/ QUOTE ]
i think that´s because they fell off from time to time [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]
my j-90c lost his cover live on stage, the loose cover dangling between the strings for the rest of the song
jou imagine that sound? [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: pickup j-90

Wow interesting story. Every J90c I've had, it took a bit of prying to get the cover off with the wax seal and the tight fit. I was worried the first 2 times I might damage the pickup it was that tightly sealed.

[peedenmark7]

Re: pickup j-90

agreed ...the J90 is a very rare pickup, &amp; also my personal favorite of all the jackson pickups...gutsy without all the brittle attack of the J90C, though in the correct application a J90C voicing is nice.
The J90C is very common especially in the ontario made guitars....
the J80s arent so common and are found more in the rhoads guitars than in other body styles...
jacksons literature stated the J80 was designed more for light or small bodied guitars....
I have a bunch of every USA jackson pickup ever made, including some protos....the J95s are wonderful as well.. truthfully the most versatile humbucker they made...
Jackson stopped using the covers on their pickups because players complained it darkened the tone and clarity as well as robbed some of the final volume and attack of the pickup, this would explain why most covered jackson pickups you find on ebay or elsewhere are J90c....
This makes sense because the dimas made J90/J90C measured just under 16k
I've spec'd later japan made "jackson stamped" J90/J90C and found them in the high 17-19K range.
hotter to make up for the thick plastic cover?
tim wilson said he didnt think there was ever a thought about making up for the covers, and the hotter winding was due to the jap factory using a smaller diameter metric wire after the usa stock that was originally sent overseas was depleted..
the later pickups sound nothing like the original dimas ones and without the cover are dreadful......
I think we've all seen the usa stickered jackson pickups but carrying an import model designation sticker..
those are jap made pickups built with the last of the usa parts...
these are very common pickups late '86 through '87.
The oversize covers and rings are impossible to find these days, they were discontiuned in the early 90's...
I know there are a good many guys that hate the jackson pickups, but I think this is due largely in part to them never actually having an early one to compare to their ontario era ones. there is a difference and then some.
john

[etaeniura]

Re: pickup j-90

look at the big brain on peedenmark. very useful info.

[straycat]

Re: pickup j-90

J.C.The JH-2 is quite a bit like a JB in the clean mode but excells when driven hard. Not muddy at all. IMO it has more balls than a JB and when coil tapped it has an open woody tone.I have a 93 DR5(stone finish) with a J-80 in the neck and a JH-2 in the bridge both are coil tapped and it is a very versitile guitar.The tone is so open when both are tapped it has almost an acoustic flavor I guess because the stone finish is pretty thin.The JH-2 is an early 90s pickup I have a 92 dinky XL with a JH-2 and the 93 stealth HX I had had one in the bridge as well.
I have to agree on the early USA Jackson pickups they are great.My 87 ontario strat had a J90c

[Jackson-Charvel]

Re: pickup j-90

Richard that's interesting. I have the first year they came out with the Kelly XLR and I never cared for the pickups. I wonder if they are the same set as your DR5? The only reason I never changed the pickups on the Kelly was I assumed all Jackson pickups were of the oversized design and I didn't want to alter the guitar in any way. But I can proudly say I have learned alot of my own instruments as well as others from the fine people on this forum.

[peedenmark7]

Re: pickup j-90

richard, is the jh2 the dual rail/x2n looking humbucker ?