Kent Armstrong JVA-1

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: unknown

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson AT2T
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: N/A - stock pickups
Other pickups on guitar: JVA-1 in both positions
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Anything from black metal to alternative...
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Medium output, less than Duncans in most Jackson guitars. Very quiet.
Tone: Bassy clean tone, dark but well-balanced distorted tone.
Sonic evaluation: These are the stock pickups in the Jackson AT-series archtops. I run through either an ART Xtreme or Korg HyperDistortion, Boss digital delay, and sometimes other effects to Peavey tube and solid state amps and cabs. The neck position pickup doesn't provide enough output for a good distorted rhythm tone, but is great for clean playing. The bridge pickup is tonally dark, but balanced and very clear for high-gain leads, like a Duncan JB but with lower output. Probably the closest you'll ever get to a Les Paul tone on a Jackson. At times it reminds me of a PAF Pro.
I attribute the somewhat dark sound to the guitar's basswood body, the chrome pickups covers and the lower output. The clarity is much better than the Duncan Designed pickups found on most imported guitars, and the clean tone of the JVA-1 in the neck is better than the Seymour Duncan Jazz humbucker I used on another Jackson. There was a hint of noise with both pickups selected, but with either pickup used alone, there is no noise to speak of.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Most of what I play is metal, both lead and rhythm, but I play a variety of material. This pickup probably wouldn't be my first choice for a distortion humbucker, but it works great for backing tracks or clean leads.

Comments: I was very impressed with these for stock pickups from a somewhat unknown manufacturer. I have been playing for ten years, and most of my guitars are made for playing metal. Buying an archtop with lower output pickups is a departure for me, although it retains some of the trademark Jackson qualities. I wanted something better for clean playing, which could also give me a smoother distortion behind my lead tracks. I usually like to record multiple guitar tracks with a different guitar on each, so this will fill some gaps in my current sound.
Compared to the pickups found on some midrange Epiphone and Gibson models, these Armstrongs have more clarity. At some point I may consider replacing the bridge pickup with a Duncan "Classic Cover" JB, but it suits my needs for now. I already have my ideal metal tone, so now I'm more interested in rounding it out with something new. For that purpose, this guitar and the Armstrong humbuckers fit right in.