RockYoWorld wrote: ↑Tue Jul 13, 2021 10:32 pm
Do you have a better suggestion instead of a JB for a hard rock sound? I've dug them in my guitars but open to other options. I do have a JB+Jazz lying around ready to go. Oddly enough, I've had more resistance to the Jazz, myself, being too bassy/muddy when I switch to it. I think the SD '59 in my LTD EC1000 does better, but I'm not 100% sold yet.
+1 for what
@golem said. Me thinks there is something wrong with your Jazz neck pickup or perhaps the pickup being too close to the strings? Make sure you do not have an SH-2B (Jazz Bridge) which is hotter. They are an infrequently found pickup, but they were produced at one time.
In the late 80's I called Seymour Duncan and spoke with a builder (not Seymour, nor MJ) and asked what made the Jazz (SH-2N) different from the '59 (SH-1N), when they were spec'd almost exactly the same. He did not divulge exact company secrets, but I surmised from the conversation that the Jazz has a very strong Alnico 5 magnet at full-charge, with the polepiece coil being wound a little high and the slug side, a little low. The could have also used 41ga coil wire or 42ga with thicker insulation. All to make it
"flat with a little more top end" sounding, which is what they thought would appeal to jazzers. He said the '59 had a "calibrated Alnico 5 magnet, 50's enamel coated 42ga (thinner than 41ga)" and insinuated that coils were balanced (like the early 60's PAFs), but not matched (like the Gibson 490R T-tops). "For a warmer sound with pronounced mids," which I think still is the company talking points for that pup.
As for a recommendation for a 'better rock sound than the JB', I can only profess my tastes to my style and experiences. JB's were born of a 'more is better' era, when amps with lower pre-amp gain and overdrives were very bright. Not to get geeky as I usually do with physics, but the stronger (winding and magnet) the pickups are less sensitive to picking, great for single notes, but awash for chording. The Duncan Distorion is a JB with a Ceramic-8 magnet, which makes the single notes brighter and the chords clearer,, but is still stiff (on & off) for picking dynamics IMHO.
Some folks make those pickups work. I am typically in the role of a rhythm player who plays 1/3 of the solos. I create the canvas to enable the rest of the band. That has become my focus and thus, here my ear goes. The harmonic content when soloing and clarity plus sensitivity when in the background, are my goals. So I prefer lighter PAF humbuckers & P-90's, and a bit stronger Fender single coils (in the high 6's for DCR vs. 5's, on average). With those preferences, I don't have to mess with amp or pedal settings.
For a heavy rocker and shredder, I'd recommend something in the 10K range for bridge with a strong Alnico 5 magnet or Ceramic (not necessarily a C8). For Duncan products, that would be a Bro Bucker and Duncan Custom, respectively. They would balance well with a Jazz neck. Listen to JY Young of Styx for and example the Duncan Custom. It is in all his guitars, he is on that pickup 90% of the time and shreds when it is his turn.
I made a pickup for boutique amp builder Bill Landry, called the AMI 'Perfect 10'. Bill likes EVH, so I made him a 49.2mm PAF with a strong A5 magnet, 42ga overwound to 9.9kDCR. He absolutely loved it and you can hear it on his Youtube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/user/LandryAmps . Play the videos fromt he last two years, where he is using his green double humbucker with the dual crème coils.
Start with what you have and journey on from there. Keep us posted!
