Opinions on JB in strat bridge position? and 250k vs 500k

jedhemsley · August 2013

So i'm re-jigging my partscaster to have an HSS pickup configuration. I've got neck and middle as fralin vintage hots, and i've recently acquired a JB which i intend to slap in the bridge (pickup screws courtesy of Van_Hayden

)

Anyway, i've been reading up on it and it seems theres some mixed opinions over what pot values to go for. I gathered that the standard for HB's is 500k volume and tone, but i've been reading in a few places that the JB is suited to a 250k volume, and can sound harsh with a 500. Other places however, have said that the 500k opens out the highs, and a 250 will sound like a wet blanket over the amp (paraphrased)

At the moment i've got a bourns 500k push pull volume, CTS 250k tone (neck and middle) and CTS 500k bridge tone. I've also got a 470k ohm resistor which i'm going to use across the switch to trick the single coils into thinking that they're running through a 250k volume pot, which i found on a Dimarzio diagram and seems to be the best solution.

(Long ramble over)... I was wondering if anybody had any experience with the JB, as i've never actually heard one, and the apparent pot-values debate, and whether you think what i've opted for is a good solution, or if there's any obvious improvements.

Cheers

octatonic · August 2013

JB's work fine with 250 or 500k pots.

I've used them with 500k and 250k pots loads of times.

Best thing to do is whack it in and see if you like it.

If it is too bright with a 500k then go for 250k- it depends on what you are going for and how the other pickups sound against it.

There is no way to say "X is best- do that".

Forgot to add- JB's are a sort of loud, brash, toppy rock pickup.

I used to use them loads- they sound great on 10 with loads of gain.

I've moved away from them now- I use Suhr SSH+ and SSV+ most of the time.

The SSH+ is a similar pickup but less harsh to my ears and they clean up better, something that I wasn't happy with when I was using JB's.

Moltisanti · August 2013

agreed it depends on the specific guitar, i recently just took the JB out of my Charvel as the mid spike was really noticeable in that guitar and put in a 59 which seems very similar just lower output and without the mid hump

bertie · August 2013

EDIT

Ive just realised the OP is about a full JB not a Jr - DOH !! cant delete the post so hay ho

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I have a JB-Jr in the bridge with a 250, it is a little middy, almost a beefy tele - but I think it works really well - you just need to use the tone control

I split it using a Mega E for pos 2 quackyness (and 3 as its neck/bridge) other wise it doesnt really cut the mustard

Van_Hayden · August 2013

The trouble with 500k is your singles will take your head off. You can wire in a 470k resistor across the volume pot using the switch. But ideally a super switch.

jedhemsley · August 2013

i can't find the diagram i was going to use, but it was a dimarzio one and had a standard 5 position switch with the 470k resistor wired onto one of the positions on the switch i think (i don't really understand pickup diagrams, i just look at the pictures really)

What would be the advantage of a super switch? The config. i'm trying to go for is standard strat and then the extra push pull to switch between full HB and single coil. With a super switch would there be a way to wire it so that in all the positions which use a single coil the volume pot is made into a 250k?

It's starting to sound like the JB isn't the pickup i should have gone for

ICBM · August 2013

You don't need to use a superswitch to add the resistor in the single coil positions - just use one tone control for the two singles and one for the humbucker (which makes more sense since you can then use different pot and cap values) and connect the resistor from hot to ground across the single-coil tone control so both are active at the same time.

You can use one pole of the push-pull to split the humbucker and the other to add a resistor too.

The JB is a good choice for a HSS Superstrat with a split option since it's hot enough that the single coil is about the same power as the actual singles; something more PAF-like is too weak and bright when split.

jedhemsley · August 2013

ICBM said:

You don't need to use a superswitch to add the resistor in the single coil positions - just use one tone control for the two singles and one for the humbucker (which makes more sense since you can then use different pot and cap values) and connect the resistor from hot to ground across the single-coil tone control so both are active at the same time.

You can use one pole of the push-pull to split the humbucker and the other to add a resistor too.

what you are saying sounds like it makes sense but...................... i don't really understand haha. Is there any way i could find a graphical representation of it? Nothing i have come across so far has a resistor on the coil tap, does that make the volume pot into a virtual 250k when the tap is engaged?

Also the tone pot i have for the neck and middle is already a 250, so i'm guessing i wouldn't need a resistor across that, it's just the voume pot which would be an issue in positions 1 2 3 and probably 4

Sorry if explaining this seems obvious to you

ICBM · August 2013

At the moment if you have a tone control for both single coils, you have a pot in series with a cap, which rolls off treble. What you need to do is add a resistor to that so it lowers the load impedance when it's selected. Connect the resistor between the wire that goes to the switch, and ground.

That does operate in position 4 as well, which is what you want - the single-coil dominates the sound when mixed with a humbucker, which I know is counterintuitive because the humbucker is louder! But it's the impedance that matters, and the lower one wins.

To be honest I probably wouldn't bother with the extra resistor for the coil-split JB by itself, a 500K volume sounds OK with a split humbucker and can help stop it sounding too weak by comparison to the single coils, which even a split JB does a bit.

Don't worry, I know this isn't as obvious to most people as it is to me

.

rockmonster · August 2013

250K pots for me and I agree that the JB is a bit harsh and I've gone for Suhr pickups I now use Aldrich Pups.

Van_Hayden · August 2013

^ what ICBM says. I tend to use superswitches in a strat to keep two tones and do an auto coil tap on position 2.

Single tone a standard switch works great, I didn't read that bit...

grungebob · August 2013

My strat has a jb trembucker with 250k pots all positions sound full and great, a little middy but that's the pickup.

koneguitarist · August 2013

I like the JB Jnr in a strat, seems to work fine with the 250k pot. I just use one tone as a master and the other tone as volume on one coil of JB so it acts like a partial coil tap.the JB pickups are no way near as harsh as a strat single coil at bridge without tone.

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Opinions on JB in strat bridge position? and 250k vs 500k

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