Guitar Gear Forum

Probably why I hated most of the guitars was that I had them with Rectos which really accentuated the low end and low mids in a not so great way. But at the same time, I loved the Duncan Distortion with anything. Especially my Charvel with an early 80s DDJ. I’ve had four different guitars with distortions and they were all good, but that 80s DDJ is next level.

Endtime wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2025 6:02 pm

macaronisalad wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2025 5:12 pm I don’t believe that date for the JB is right. Seymour was putting out ads listing the JB at the same time he wasn’t getting cease and desisted by EVH about associating his name with the Custom, which I think would’ve been like 79. I believe Duncan themselves not use a date of 1976.

Yeah I believe his JB “concept set”(which he sells in the Custom shop) was 70s. But my point and its just MY observation, that pickup responds really well to high volume and its issues when used with modern high gain(for some people anyway, including myself) seem to benefit when used into cranked amps. Which were generally Marshall’s back in the day. And JBs were certainly a popular pickup back when that was the defacto way amps were being used. It responds best from my stash of guitars and pickups. So take that FWIW. And I bet a Super Distortion sounds great into a cranked amp too. And then PAFs. There’s obviously a reason those pickups became so popular and used by everyone. If the JB sucked into a cranked Marshall type tone, then I’m sure no one would know about a JB today.

I definitely agree with that. They are “of their era”, but also timeless.

greatmutah wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 2:53 pm Probably why I hated most of the guitars was that I had them with Rectos which really accentuated the low end and low mids in a not so great way. But at the same time, I loved the Duncan Distortion with anything. Especially my Charvel with an early 80s DDJ. I’ve had four different guitars with distortions and they were all good, but that 80s DDJ is next level.

That’s reminds me of the best sounding JB I ever heard was in a Pink Kramer Pacer I had. That guitar sounded awesome. Played not so great and was sort of dumpy so I sold it, but if I knew then what I know now, I’d still have that pickup haha

macaronisalad wrote: ↑Sun Feb 23, 2025 7:59 pm

Endtime wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2025 6:02 pm

macaronisalad wrote: ↑Sat Feb 22, 2025 5:12 pm I don’t believe that date for the JB is right. Seymour was putting out ads listing the JB at the same time he wasn’t getting cease and desisted by EVH about associating his name with the Custom, which I think would’ve been like 79. I believe Duncan themselves not use a date of 1976.

Yeah I believe his JB “concept set”(which he sells in the Custom shop) was 70s. But my point and its just MY observation, that pickup responds really well to high volume and its issues when used with modern high gain(for some people anyway, including myself) seem to benefit when used into cranked amps. Which were generally Marshall’s back in the day. And JBs were certainly a popular pickup back when that was the defacto way amps were being used. It responds best from my stash of guitars and pickups. So take that FWIW. And I bet a Super Distortion sounds great into a cranked amp too. And then PAFs. There’s obviously a reason those pickups became so popular and used by everyone. If the JB sucked into a cranked Marshall type tone, then I’m sure no one would know about a JB today.

I definitely agree with that. They are “of their era”, but also timeless.

It is. But it’s very hit or miss for me under most other situations and high gain amps I play. In this regard with just a cranked amp, I don’t HEAR much of the pickups character. But more that it works really well in this scenario. The other guitars didn’t tonally much with the cranked amp settings, but they felt stiffer and a little harsher. But the JB just allows the amp to respond the way it feels it WANTS to respond. If that makes sense. But with a high gain amp, used more typically,you get a lot more of the pickup/guitar character that comes thru. Which is why I find it’s so hit or miss and completely varied. I e always said, I’m not sure another pickup can be a bloated loose mess in some guitars and bright in shill in another as much as they JB… But that’s also why if I get stumped on which direction I want to go with a pickup swap, you can never go wrong in just TRYING the JB… It could turn out totally opposite than you’d expect!!