Seymour Duncan JB

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Pro Axe PG-140dx
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar: single coil at centre and neck
Artists using this pickup: Heaps.
You musical style(s): Grunge, Punk, among others.
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup had no drive, and little sustain. After talking to a shop assistant at Better Music, I decided that this was the pickup I needed.

Perceived output level:
Tone:
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This is a bridge pickup, and is very versatile. Suitable for alot of styles.

Comments: I have a very cheap, shithouse guitar, but this pichup has already made a huge difference. If it were stolen or damaged, I'd definitely buy a new one, it's awesome. It's taken me one step closer to THAT sound. My next guitar will be an Epiphone Les Paul, and I'll definitely put a JB in that aswell!

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: four conductot

Model of guitar or bass: RG470 Ibanez
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Ibanez V8
Other pickups on guitar: Neck Ibanez V7
Artists using this pickup: Many
You musical style(s): Everything
Reason for pickup change: The stock pup sound very trebly, and don't sound big enough, the sustain of V8 is not so good.

Perceived output level: Morerate-high
Tone: balanced
Sonic evaluation: Marshall 8040 w/ an ibanez and sansamp GT2 plugged in. I finally got the sound I'm looking for.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play any music style, this pup works best in bridge.

Comments: If it were destroyed, or stolen I would definitely buy it again, the sound of the JB is very versatile. I've been playing for 7 years yet this is the only pup that satisfied my ears. I also tried the Tone Zone by Dimarzio, but I did'nt love it because it is only good for distorted set-up, and the sustain of it is very muddy. I really recommend this pickup, for people who play different music styles. And just like Seymour Duncan said, this pick-up SINGS!!!

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson RR/LL
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: None.
Other pickups on guitar: Nope.
Artists using this pickup: Marty Friedman, Scott Ian
You musical style(s): Trash/black/speed metal, rock & jazz influences
Reason for pickup change: Came stock.

Perceived output level: hot in a sense of rock.
Tone: too much middle and treble. Kind a thin.
Sonic evaluation: Jackson Randy Rhoads, special limited stock model with 24 frets and and only bridge humbucker. Boss ge-7 equalizer and Korg ToneWorks. Marshall valvestate and Marshall 100-w cabinet. I thought I had to buy some active electronics or a new pickup to get hotter sound. Despite of that, I started to experiment with eq and I found the sound I was looking for. This pickup itself has too clear sound for playing serious metal like I do.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup rocks! However, it is not very suitable for the music style I play.

Comments: I wonder why Jackson puts these rock pickups to metal guitars. I think that many customers (performing metal) would like to replace these for example EMGs or Dimarzios. I definitely wouldn't ever buy this pickup. But it is not so bad after all, if you know how to use equalizers. With this pickup you are able to get more personalized sound than with EMGs or Dimarzios.

I will probably take this pickup out and store it in the case since it is "original"(don't want to hurt this babies value) and install a DiMarzio Super Distortion which in my opinion is the all-time best pickup ever made.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson 85 SG Special
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s):
Reason for pickup change: Addendum to existing review.

Perceived output level: Maybe a little more than stock humbucker - pretty loud
Tone: This is an addendum to an existing review in which I said had trouble getting the sound I wanted from the JB.
Sonic evaluation: I wanted to detail some adjustments and experiments I have done that have improved tone quality and sustain in the JB pickup, which has some great qualities, and some not so great. When I started, I did not want to keep the JB. Distortion was great, but clean sound, sustain, and balance were poor. Upon making the adjustments I've listed below, I am now satisfied with the way it sounds, and plan on keeping it.
My purpose was to get to get the JB to sound clearer and more full with both clean and distorted amp settings, and to have increased sustain in both settings, so that, if possible, the SG would sustain like a Les Paul, but sound a little funkier and "shinier" when clean. I didn't want it to emulate a Strat, just to have the SG be a bit more flexible. I also didn't want to use coil taps for a number of reasons, the most important being that a coil tapped pickup, to my ears, still has the same essential character as the untapped version, but cleaned up slightly and humming. I didn't expect a coil tap to improve what I didn't like about the JB.
I tried many other things, however. The wackiest was carving spruce braces and screwing them into the pickup cavities with heavy brass screws so that the pickup actually rested on solid wood. This was problematic with the JB, because the underside has screws and screw heads sticking out. It also made pickup height unadjustable, so I abandoned it eventually; but it had a great effect on clarity and a big increase in sustain in clean settings. I mean really great, wow. WARNING: You will certainly devalue your guitar if you try this and possibly wreck it. I tried with other woods and smaller screws with no result. The braces also made no difference at distorted settings.
I tried different heights. The JB sounded best when the pole pieces were very close to the strings. Lowering the pickup did not give me the clarity I wanted.
I adjusted the pole piece height with a screwdriver, to improve string to string balance. This had a large positive effect on tone clarity.
I switched to a 1 meg volume pot. This made a positive difference in tone clarity at clean and distorted settings. The difference is a small one. Torres Engineering sells bad ones and Stew Mac or WD sell good ones. Different capacitors were tried and tended to have no effect on clarity.
Tailpiece adjustment made some positive minor changes in increasing the treble response of the attack. Adjusting for high string tension in between the tail piece and the tune o matic bridge does this. It might also mean breaking strings more often.
Higher tension strings had an overall positive effect on clarity in all settings, but I got tired of muscling them around, started decreasing bridge tension to compensate and wound up back where I started.
GRAPHTECH STRINGSAVER SADDLES: believe it or not, these saddles make a big difference in tone clarity and sustain. Buy direct from the website to avoid possible counterfeits. They don't transform the pickup's sound, but they do make it sound clearer and slightly more full. They emphasize the attack in a positive way and increase sustain, slightly in clean settings and hugely in distorted settings. Plus, they really stabilize the tuning and resist string breakage extremely well. I have them installed on three of my four guitars, and would put in the fourth too, but I keep putting it off.
Again, the JB will sound like a JB no matter what you do to it. However, if you want to keep the JB but would like to get a little more versatility out of it, I recommend the Graphtech saddles and the 1 meg pot as the most useful mods. Good luck to you all.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Rock, country, blues, old style stuff.

Comments: N/A

Pickup features: Humbucker Distortion type passive
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: 85 Gibson SG special
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Dimarzio Evolution
Other pickups on guitar: SD Jazz
Artists using this pickup: Dave Mustaine, others
You musical style(s): Rock, Blues
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Medium
Tone: Balanced, less midrange
Sonic evaluation: Playing through Fender Twin and 80 watt Valvestate Marshall. Overall the JB is pretty good. It's happiest doing distortion and it has a nice hard rock voice, really to my ears harmonically rich, much better than the DiMarzios I have tried. Sustain seems like about average. String to string balance out of the box wasn't great for me, I had to get out a screwdriver and adjust the pole pieces for about an hour before I was satisfied.
Articulation is acceptable, with amp turned up clean sound is okay but not super. A lot of folks play this guitar, and I find when played clean we tend to rely on the Jazz pickup in the neck. The JB played clean is kind of, well, the words pickup truck come to mind. This kind of muddy articulation people usually blame on humbuckers or Gibson style guitars, but I can't help thinking its the pickup's distortion voicing and the principle of it either sounds good clean, or it sounds good distorted. I want both. Why can't I have both?

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For the little performing I do, I usually have to play clean and use distortion sparingly, so I'll be looking for something else.

Comments: In other guitars I've had good results with the high end boutique pickups, so I will probably go that route again. The JB will soon be looking for another owner on EBay, with a big thanks for the memories.

Pickup features: Humbucking
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson Les Paul used by Jimi Hendrix and so on
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio evolution ( it was crap) never buy it
Other pickups on guitar: definently not DiMarzio , Loads of Seymour Duncans
Artists using this pickup: Slash and Metallica
You musical style(s): Grunge / Rock
Reason for pickup change: The Seymour Duncan is just so much better than the DiMarzio Evolution. Who would buy such a monstrosity. The Seymour Duncan is just so much better.

Perceived output level: Absolutely brilliant , a must buy! I order you to buy it now!!!!!!
Tone: Brilliant on everything!!
Sonic evaluation: Fantastic!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Iam the best guitarist ever! Unlike that kid called Theo who trys so hard yet fails miserbly!

Comments: You can't go wrong with it!

Pickup features: Passive
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: (2) Squier Protone Strats
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Lil 59, Hot Rails (both bridge)
Other pickups on guitar: Stock
Artists using this pickup: Everyone in their right mind
You musical style(s): Punk, Indie-rock, Emo, all that jazz...................
Reason for pickup change: Heard good things about this pickup

Perceived output level: Good output, overall balance is good, not too much presence
Tone: Good balance, nice bass response, good high end, but not too much
Sonic evaluation: Im using it with my Protone Squiers into a Marshall AVT 50 head and a Seymour Duncan 4 x 12 cab with Celestion G12-S 50s. It sounds great. I can get Everything that I want from it. Any sound is acheivable with this setup. I love it.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup is great for what I do, and I would highly recomend it if youre into any kind of harder music, but maybe not new metal.

Comments: Id buy it again in a heartbeat, its going to become my main pickup in all guitars I buy in the future. Great pickup from great people.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker, four conducter wiring, trembucker spacing
Impedence or other specs: According to Duncan: 15k or so

Model of guitar or bass: Frankenstien Kramer/Jackson hybrid
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: stock Kramer "California Pickup Co" humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Dimarzio PAF (neck), SD Distortion (Middle)
Artists using this pickup: Lots of people
You musical style(s): Blues, rock, hard rock, metal
Reason for pickup change: I changed the pickup about seven years ago. I just wanted something different, but didn't know what. The JB seemed as good a pickup as any.

Perceived output level: High, with enough juice to give you some crunch on when your amps clean.
Tone: Sharp and clear, plenty of mids and lows, a bit anemic in the highs.
Sonic evaluation: The Kramer/Jackson this pickup is in is a mutt guitar I have pieced together. It is a Kramer Focus 2000 body (alder) with a San Dimas Charvel (marked Jackson on the heel, no peghead veneer) neck, maple with rosewood fretboard. I routed it for 3 Humbuckers and it has an original Floyd. I run this through my Marshall JTM 601 1x12 combo.
The JB is pretty weak on the clean channel, it doesn't really have a lot of character, and is fairly boring. Turn up the gain however, and you've got a hard rock monster on your hands. This thing rips into your face! Its got a load of chunk and really raspy mids, meaty and thick. Hard rock and metal rhythms are this things forte. The high end is kind of lacking and sounds a bit shrill and hollow, with none of the great chuck and round sound that was there in the low end. Big bends and vibrato fail to impress through this pickup. Fast lines are clear, and crisp but there's no soul.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play blues and rock and metal.

Comments: I think this pickup is great for a chunky rhythm style. Its got loads of crunch and a fat sound, it stays clear and crisp for hard chording, but the lead sound is lacking. The notes don't get wide, they just kind of settle and die. Its okay for fast lines and great for arpegios, but like I said, its got no soul.
I have tried this pickup in a fixed bridge guitar (SG) and have noted that the sound was a whole lot more full and soulfull, so its possible this is not a great pickup for Floyd guitars. I would consider dropping one of these into my Paul. I would like to try a Screamin Demon in this guitar to see how it fares.

Pickup features: Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Parker Nitefly
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock pickup on Nitefly (DiMarzio?)
Other pickups on guitar: Stock
Artists using this pickup:
You musical style(s): Rock
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup on Nitefly was weak, would not sustain or distort well enough to play a lead.

Perceived output level: A little more than stock pickup
Tone: Balanced but non-descript.
Sonic evaluation: Played through a Marshall.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable:

Comments: I replaced the stock pickup on my Nitefly in hopes of getting more sustain and feedback. The results were satisfactory, but nothing really earth-shattering. The funny thing is, you get used to it and don't really know what you're missing until you have the opportunity to do a direct comparison. My revelation came when I purchasing an inexpensive Dean Icon on ebay, which came with a DiMarzio made zebra pickup. I compared them back-to-back, and was blown away! The pickups on the Dean had much more clarity, and a solid "snap" on the lower strings that the JB lacked. The Parker and JB are now both history! I've since found a wonderful humbucker that duplicates the live, funky vibe I like-the Rio Grande Barbeque. These pickups have personality, something the JB can only dream about...

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs: see other reviews for spec info.

Model of guitar or bass: GUILD S-100
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Standard GUILD chrome humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Standard GUILD chrome humbucker in neck position - very warm & full, great for that Jerry Cantrell (AIC) bassy sustain sound.
Artists using this pickup: Jeff beck & many others -- also Gerry @ Guitar Center uses it in his Kramer.
You musical style(s): Math Rock, Jazzesque stuff, Hardcore, & wierd melodies using the low strings.
Reason for pickup change: I needed something w/ more balls & versatility. And this fits the bill perfectly.

Perceived output level: Big & Chunky, Warm & Juicy -- very similar to the stock 'dragons' in PRS guitars.
Tone: I have the JB setup for phase shifting, giving me enormous range in sound. I can get a hot & crisp lead sound, wah-wah almost twangy punch, smooth & full mid range, and/or a warm full sound w/ a dash of dirtiness when clean.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using 2 setups:
1) Fender Stage 160 solid-state amplifier. Has 2 channels & a dirty boost. It gets a wonderful clean sound & just enough gain to satisfy my needs for Math Rock projects. Has warm tube qualities.
2) Ampeg V-50 tube amplifier (developed by Lee Jackson), running through a 4x12 Ampeg slant cab. I use this amp strictly for it's enormous gain & crunch.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For the range of sounds I want, this pickup is perfect. I was very amprehensive at first, but have been pleasantly surprised by the enormous range of the JB.

Comments: I would certainly buy another JB if mine went missing. Or I would purchase an Anderson pickup. For my purposes this is the best electric guitar sound I have ever gotten. It was extremely satisfying to hear the punch, sustain & mid-range I was searching for. The JB does it all & I'm amazed by its versatility. I love the fact that changing the volume can bring about different sounds & warmths. each string comes through w/ clarity & balance. With loads of gain, each note is clear & cuts through the crunch. I think this is a very good choice for guitar players who like a warm & mid-rangy clean sound and/or a biting rhythm/lead. Very few pickups are as versatile as this one. The JB gets the best of both worlds - clean & dirty. You can have it all w/ this pickup. What surprised me the most... the gorgeous sound created between the neck position Guild humbucker & my JB when used together, especially when the phase shifting swicthes the polarity -- pretty Nifty!

Pickup features: Fukk size humbucker
Impedence or other specs: N/A

Model of guitar or bass: Parker Nitefly
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio Air Zone
Other pickups on guitar: Stock DiMarzio single coils
Artists using this pickup: Everyone
You musical style(s): Varied: From pop to hard rock
Reason for pickup change: Air Zone was very boxy; original DiMarzio was not hot enough.

Perceived output level: Hotter than the original DiMarzio and the AirZone.
Tone: Great mids and treble. Nice percussive bass thunk with distortion.
Sonic evaluation: Parker with Budda, Mesa, Duncan, or Rivera amps. A fat, snarly, lively midrangey tone, along the lines of Allan Holdsworth. Breaks easily into harmonic distortion but cleans up well. Much better match than a previous JB/Telecaster installation. Good for rhythm, really screams for leads, and you can hear the guitar's voice through it all.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: A good match. The Parker is a utility guitar for situations that require some acoustic tones and some hot rock lead junk. I've used the JB Jr for neck in a Tele before and it rocked as well. It would probably work well in any rock application.

Comments: The JB, in one format or another, has become my can't miss replacement pickup, although I'd never hack up a perfectly good Tele again to install one. I've been playing for nearly 30 years now; current instruements are PRS, G&L, Fender, and Reverend, along with the aforementioned amplification. There's not a lot to dislike about this pickup. It's very clear and distinct, cuts through for leads, and has a great tone for general uses from power ballads to hard rock.

Pickup features: Humbucking, Passive
Impedence or other specs: N/A

Model of guitar or bass: B.C Rich Mockingbird
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: PAF
Other pickups on guitar: Seymour Duncan Live Wire Heavy Metal
Artists using this pickup: Don't Know
You musical style(s): 80's Hard Rock Some Blues
Reason for pickup change: Wanted something with more fullness with out being muddy.

Perceived output level: About the same as the PAF but richer without being muddy.
Tone: Seems well suited to the neck. Alot of other resposes say this is a neck only pick up, but it seems to work fine in this application.
Sonic evaluation: As before I have a B.C. Rich Mockingbird played through a Hughes and Kettner 200 watt Hybred amp. I have read all the JB submissoins and I don't get it. Some peope seemed to think this was a hot pickup. There are alot of hotter Pickups (passive and active) out there than this one. Maybe if you are used to some really low out put pickups like alot of Jap guitars come with it would seem hotter. If you want to play hard rock without a stomp box you are going to need something else. As a neck pickup it works fine without breaking up. Now I'm not looking for an SRV sound or trying to dial in someone else's sound. I want somthing that will play clean rock balled songs and will sound clean, full and rich. I also usaully play with chourus. The JB works fine for this. I have a Live Wire Heavy Metal Pickup for the bridge and it is the hottest pickup you can buy. If your amp does'nt have the overdrive you want it will easly get you over the top. You won't need a stomp box. BUT! It only works if you want distortion. It does not sound good clean. It is a very limited pickup. It is not for everbody and I would try one out first before I bought one. It kills and X2N or any other of Seymour Duncan's hot passive pickups. Well thats for another Place. Sufice to say do not be scared off by the people who think this (the JB) is a bridge pickup and give a listen you might be suprised. Definitlly won't like it If you want a single coil strat sound.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Coverd above

Comments: For my application I would definitlly buy again. This is a combination I will Probablly stick with until I decide to change the style of music I play. Just keep in mind how picky guitar players are(and thats okay). They tend to precieve that the smallest difference is a huge one so make your own decission, but remember that is what helps for everyone to create their own style. Oh and sorry for the misspelling.

Pickup features: humbucking, passive
Impedence or other specs: www.seymourduncan.com

Model of guitar or bass: PRS CE 22
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Dragon 2
Other pickups on guitar: Dragon Bass
Artists using this pickup: Dave Mustain, Marty Freidman, Jeff Beck, Sevendust maybe
You musical style(s): rock, metal, punk...
Reason for pickup change: something new for that quest for better tone!

Perceived output level: pretty hot, but not too hot.
Tone: Middy, Trebly, lots of high mids...i like. Like Randy and Dimebag! not too many lows, but thats ok cuz my 5150 has plenty to make up for it.
Sonic evaluation: PRS to 5150, Laney 4x12. i love this pickup with this combo, cuz i dont thinkt aht a guitar tone should be really really heavy, thats the bass's job to do the low, heavy notes. i do have some bass, so i dont have a thin tone, but not overwhelming. although it can be. with this setup though, alder body on the guitar by the way, it has great highs and high mids, and enough lows to keep the sound from being thin. good and crunchy, can do Godsmack and get that Mesa tone too...and i only have to get my gain up to about 5, and Tony has it on 10? and Rectifiers are supposed to have all this gain? ummm i dont think so. anyway, pickup is great.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: pickup is good for all styles...i play punk, rock, metal...some bands, Linkin Park, Lit, Good Charlotte, Social Distortion, old Metallica, Pantera, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden...its suitable for anything almost, except country...i hate it anyway.

Comments: I would buy it again in a heartbeat...oh yea, for the guy that wants to know what gauge strings i have, its 10, 13, 17, 32, 42, 52, tuned down to C# and sometimes dropped D tuning...1 and a half steps down you say...and i bet you think im just a Korn or something wanna be cuz i tune down and use dropped D? no, i get annoyed by people doing Dropped D all the time, it pisses me off...cmon, show some musicianship and use something other than the low strings, or play a 4 string guitar like Max Cavalera or Scott Ian! as Dimebag said "they tell it how it is!" anyway, it retains clarity with lots of gain, even at low tunings. my bands style is heavy, but we dont scream all the time, we do have melody. heavy guitar, melodies, some lighter stuff, rocking. we tune low to help our vocals and to get more range out of our guitars. you can still play anything in standard E tuning, yet if you have something in mind with a lower chord, it can be achieved...i dont see the point in seven strings sometimes, other times i do, but not for me. anyway, yes i would buy this pickup again, i love it. or id try another Duncan...but this pickup is good now, im happy, my tone is good and thats what makes me happy! and oh yea, Dunlop Tortex .88mm picks (the best picks, nothing has as good an attack as them, everything else seems muddy to me, even worn out tortex's!) so if a pickup is muddy or something, check your pick...ive though my stuff is muddy and my pick is worn and i just get a new one and all is right with the world again!

Pickup features: passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Charvel soloist
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: N/A
Other pickups on guitar: stock jacksons
Artists using this pickup: Pros?s play DiMarzio or EMG
You musical style(s): Metal, Nu-metal, Death/blackmetal, grindcore
Reason for pickup change: The guitar came with this pickup, I didnt even know what it
was until tonight when I checked.

Perceived output level: Average
Tone: on the trebly side
Sonic evaluation: I use the normal Marshall 100w with the gain on 10 and scooped out metal tone. This pickup is very Trashmetal with the trebly sound with just a tad of background-bass to fill it up. I have with my simple line achieved very close matches to the sound of early metallica. I tune my guitar to C and I can get nu-metal tones out of it too. I?d say this pickup can do almost anything, not perfect but close.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Metal, Nu-metal, Death/blackmetal, grindcore.

Comments: This pickup is a good does-nearly-everything but if you play metal- buy EMG?s. If you play rock(or find EMGs too hot)buy DiMarzios. The JB is a very popular pickup but very few big artists actually use it, they go for pickups which cant do everything but are perfect for what they play....you should too.

Pickup features: humbucking (passive)
Impedence or other specs: ???

Model of guitar or bass: Jackson PS-4
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Jackson
Other pickups on guitar: Stock Jackson
Artists using this pickup: just about everyone at some point
You musical style(s): Metallica, Ozzy, Pink Floyd
Reason for pickup change: The stock Jackson was "not so much." I origionally put in a Seymour Duncan Invader, but it was tooooo hot. It would have been good for new metal, but that is about all.

Perceived output level: Much "hotter" than the stock Jackson, but not ridiculously hot.
Tone: very balanced
Sonic evaluation:
For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: For my style of music, this is the ticket. I have it in the bridge position and it works great. Have no idea what it would sound like in the neck.

Comments: I have been playing for 7 years now and have always owned stock (and not real expensive gear). I bought the Jackson when I fell into some cash and it is the best guitar I have ever owned. I run it through a Crate GX-65 combo (which I want to replace, but have no cash to do it) going through a Rogue 412 (which I picked up for 70 bucks). Basically I have "budget" gear but it works 'till I get out of college. This pickup improved my sound tremendously. It tightened up my mushy amp distortion and made harmonics jump out of my amp better than I though possible from a solid state rig. Don't get me wrong, it didn't turn me into Zakk Wylde or anything, but its as close as I'll get with my setup. I love the damn thing and would by it again if something happened to it.
If you are on a budget and have cheep gear, this WILL improve your sound per dollar more than any single other thing that you can do.
WARNING: I went in to the store planning on getting this pickup and was talked into the Invader. The invader is great at the ONE thing it was designed for. Crazy nu-metal shit. This pickup will carry you from Floyd to MetallicA with no problems. I traded for the JB the first day I could.

Pickup features: Humbucking Passive
Impedence or other specs: 16 k

Model of guitar or bass: Gibson SG and Gibson Les Paul
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced:
Other pickups on guitar: Duncan `59
Artists using this pickup: Plenty
You musical style(s): Rock,classic rock,original hard rock.
Reason for pickup change:

Perceived output level: Good output,twice as much stock PAF type.
Tone: Good amount of bass,a bit trebly,sometimes annoying,depends on the wood your guitar.
Sonic evaluation: Wizard Metal 100,Marshall Mark II,Old TS9,Rotovibe,Vox wah.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup tries to do it all,fits most styles.

Comments: Is it just me or what, but the JB always sounds like it can`t make it`s mind up to what it wants sound like.It tries to everymans pickup and thats were it falls short most of the time.
I had a JB in a Les Paul Custom for a while too,I thought it was OK, but after hearing the JB recorded in it,it was very disturbing.
I tried a Duncan Distortion,just to get away from that bright alnico magnet icepick in the forehead LP Custom tone...but no that didn`t work either.
However I did like the Distortion because of the ceramic magnet,which got rid of that annoying bite.
And alas I thought...maybe the Duncan Custom...I plan to review that right now.

Pickup features: humbucking, passive
Impedence or other specs: www.seymourduncan.com

Model of guitar or bass: Paul Reed Smith CE 22
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Dragon 2
Other pickups on guitar: Dragon bass
Artists using this pickup: lots of guys...
You musical style(s): metal, punk, heavy rock, some lighter stuff
Reason for pickup change: Wanted something new :)

Perceived output level: pretty hot, about the same as my Dragon 2, maybe a little hotter...but not so hot that it'll burn you. works good on clean, great on distortion.
Tone: great bass (i can shake the house with this puppy!) nice high-mid sound (hey, i like mids ok? as long as theyre the right frequency, which this is!) and good treble (i like lots of treble...im a punk, i cant help it!) yes, it is middy and trebly, but nothing you cant dial out with EQ!
Sonic evaluation: PRS CE22 (94 model with an alder body) and a 5150 amp with a laney 4x12. this pickup rocks...i know Sevendust uses the Custom Custom (so ive heard...) but i can get their sound with this combo. the JB is an awesome, heavy pickup!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play lots of stuff...heavy metal, punk, plain rock...this pickup suits it all. it retains clarity with high gain, and works well with low gain and clean sounds. i havent tried it in the neck position...just the bridge (which is all i use usually).

Comments: id buy it again in a heartbeat...i love this pickup! ive been playing for about 9 years, and i own the afore mentioned amp and guitar, and a strat with a JB Jr. which i also love. im happy :)

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Kramer ZX30H
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: A crappy EMG Designed
Other pickups on guitar: none
Artists using this pickup: Jeff Beck
You musical style(s): For this pickup: Thrashy, loud and crunchy
Reason for pickup change: The other one one a piece of crap. I couldn't get any decent tone out of it, and it was about as muddy as a Louisianna Bayou in the middle of the wet season.

Perceived output level: Much higher than before. Very loud.
Tone: Sounds crunchy and loud. Lots of bass, but some decent highs too.
Sonic evaluation: I'm using an ART Xtreme FX Pedal and a Tube Works MosValve tube amp head thru a Crate 2x12 cabinet. God this gets loud....

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY! This is awesome for metal.

Comments: If you are looking for a really good pickup that is passive, check this guy out. The Duncan JB has turned this imported hunk of crap into a really thrashy guitar. All I have left to do is replace the body, and life will be good. This is the pickup I was looking for.

Pickup features: Passive Humbucker
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Strat
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Strat pickup, Single to Hum conversion
Other pickups on guitar: Lace Sensors in Mid and Neck
Artists using this pickup: Scott Ian , Dave Mustaine , Randy Rhoads , alot of metal guys.
You musical style(s): Metal
Reason for pickup change: Needed higher output

Perceived output level: Smokin'
Tone: Raw and nasty, gets an ideal Heavy Metal sound
Sonic evaluation: Mesa Boogie Subway Rocket

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Play metal, pickup is the best without going into an active pickup

Comments: If you want that Heavy Metal sound without having to go out and get an EMG '81, this is your pickup. I've owned 3 guitars with the JB, and personally I would not use any other pickup, period. I used to run this thing through a Marshall JCM800 Half-Stack, and this thing is outright nasty. Good for leads as well, the rythem is just downright fuckin' heavy.

Pickup features: Humbucker passive
Impedence or other specs: Black in colour!

Model of guitar or bass: Fender Ritchie Sambora
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Di Marzio Paf pro
Other pickups on guitar: Stock fender single coils
Artists using this pickup: Errrr........dunno.
You musical style(s): Rock/Blues/all sorts.
Reason for pickup change: Paf was too thin. Wanted more body and harmonics.

Perceived output level: Hotter than paf but not excessively so. Responds well to rolling off guitar volume.
Tone: Middy but balanced. A "jack of all trades tone".
Sonic evaluation: used with Zoom 9030 and Marshall power amp. Great tone. Rich in harmonics. Sounds great plugged into a high gain valve amp-cleans up very well with volume control. A very good pickup for classic rock and blues. Can also cope with metal styles because it retains its definition despite high gain.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Ideal for most types of rock - might not not be the best choice for nu-metal though.

Comments: It's my favourite pickup. I have 3 guitars and all have a JB in the bridge. I have tried trembuckers, paf pros and many other types. I'm not saying that the JB is the best pickup you can get, just that it works for me and I love its tone.

Pickup features: Humpucking(passive)pick-up
Impedence or other specs:

Model of guitar or bass: Squier Jag-master
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: Stock Squier Humbucker
Other pickups on guitar: Stock neck pick-up
Artists using this pickup: Jeff Beck(duh) Dave Mustaine, And Kurt Cobain
You musical style(s): just plain old rock
Reason for pickup change: stock pickup's were very shrill and had too much highs and lows.............too metal sounding. they didn't have enough tone or output.

Perceived output level: twice as hot as the stock pickup
Tone: bretty balanced, has more mids and highs.
Sonic evaluation: am using a scetcher avenger, fender tele, and the jag-master thru a customized crate tube amp that sounds like a good fender amp.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: i play rock(if there is such a thing anymore?) and this pickup has the sound that the guitar needed.

Comments: it has a good lead and rythem tone. it actually sounds good for blues music too. it's got a high output but isn't metal sounding. a good humbucker clean sound. and just try not to get great Van Halen harmonics out of this pickup........now if only they sold these things cheaper.

Pickup features: Passive humbucker
Impedence or other specs: ?

Model of guitar or bass: ESP M-250
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: "Duncan Designed" pickup
Other pickups on guitar: Alnico II Pro (Neck) I took the middle pickup out.... who needed it?
Artists using this pickup: Jerry Cantrell, Jeff Beck, Stephen Carpenter, Me, etc...
You musical style(s): Modern Rock (mainly), jazz, fusion, funk, anything that's not country!
Reason for pickup change: Stock pickup was nice, but I wanted more "kick"

Perceived output level: This pickup is fairly hot. Not quite as hot as a ToneZone but it's got the goods.
Tone: This pickup has a very balanced tonal responce. Fatt bottom end smooth high end.
Sonic evaluation: OK here we go: ESP to a Rivera KnuckleHead 55 or a Marshall JCM2000 DSL 100 to a Marshall 4x12 loaded with green backs. Just the guitar to the amp... the way it should be!

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I play all kinds of stuff. I have not had a problem with it. May not be suitable for country. Too hot.

Comments: I've owned tons of pickups, over the past 10 years, on the quest for the perfect tone. This one is one of my favorites. I also love the Alnico II Pro. Another very sweet humbucker from SD.

Pickup features: Full size humbucker with 12 poles
Impedence or other specs: huh?

Model of guitar or bass: 1979 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty
Position: neck
Pickup being replaced: Stock
Other pickups on guitar:
Artists using this pickup: Seymors favorite for Les Pauls
You musical style(s): Hard Rock
Reason for pickup change: Allways in search of the ultimate tone.

Perceived output level: A little hotter than stock,
Tone: never muddy, a little more middy than stock
Sonic evaluation: In a 1979 Les Paul Custom and into a 1979 Marshall 50 watt MKII [G.E.6550 tubes], with a simple gain mod done by Mike Morin[added a 12ax7], and two Marshall 4x12s with 75watt speakers. In my 22 years of playing lead this WAS [I sold the guitar like an idiot] one of the most amazing Heavy Metal tones I've ever heard in my life! Period! Amazing feed back! Amazing chunk! Warm, alive, angry, harmonics. Everything Michael Schenker of UFO had but more! I guess thats the closest popular guitarist to use as an example. But it was even more than Michaels sound [I didn't use a wah or any effects but reverb from the PA]. HEAVY,HEAVY,HEAVY but WARM! You could still hear the wood of the guitar but all this beautiful and controlable feedback and rich harmonic overtones jumping out on every note during the leads! I could find nothing wrong with this set up. Just amazing but the tubes went and the G.E.s were replaced by Groove tubes and the Custom was sold for A Kramer Barretta with a whammy bar.I actually considered installing a Floyd on the Custom! The 75 watt 4x12s were sold in favor of the more popular greenbacker 25 watters. You gotta remember, back in 1990, Les Pauls and 75watt Marshall cabs were not popular. You could buy them cheap and I fell for the hype and listened to my friends instead of my ears. I didn't know tubes from G.E. were such an important part of the sound. I bought them from the electronics store for half the price of Groove tubes. Mike Morin did some more mods to the amp and it just went furthur south every time he touched it. It's still a great amp however but now I think it's got Chineese tubes in it and need I say more? I also drank a lot and was a pothead. This should do well as a warning to the dangers of weed and drinking. That Custom was a tank however, had to be the heaviest Les Paul on the planet. I needed help to take it off sometimes. I sold it to the singer for Leather Wolf. I wonder if he still has it. But that guitar and pick up only had one sound and it was incredible. Turn the volume down a little and you could hear some riffs from Faces but it never sounded clean or anything like Jimmy Page. I have old tapes of the rig and I'm still floored everytime I hear it. That old J.B. pick up was a big part of that tone. I guess that goes to show if you ever do find "The Tone" you better work on keeping it as well. I took it for granted and lost it. Listen with your ears and forget all the hype from magazines and so called experts. Just added to this section. After Listining to Facelift from Alice And Chains I can safely say that that album comes extremely close to the tone I used to have. Especially, "I Cant Remember", man that warm, heavy crunch, but definition in the chords. If he played a Custom instead of his Strat style guitar I don't think I would be able to tell the difference. I bet that's a JB and a Marshall at least.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: Listen to the Count Down To Extinction album from Megadeth. Definitly a JB pick up there in the rhythums.

Comments: I've been playing over twenty years and if I sold my JB I would write about and then kick myself. I love the Facelift album and now I know why. Thats really very, very close to the tone I used to love. I think the Custom may have been a tad beefier on the bottom if you can believe that. The JB has a ton of definition. You hear every note in the chords, no mud, clear, clarity. As for the 25 watt greenbacks...they're killer speakers for recording and blues and for getting that early Aerosmith sound but when pounded by a Les Paul Custom the 75s hold the bottom better [more and tighter].

Pickup features: Passive humbucker....the (passive humbucker part kinda gives it away, don't you think?)...
Impedence or other specs: Don't remember off the top of my head...comes with 4-conducter wiring for the coil/phase splitting

Model of guitar or bass: Ibanez JEM (7VWH)
Position: bridge
Pickup being replaced: DiMarzio Evolution
Other pickups on guitar: DiMarzio Evolution in the neck, and a DiMarzio HS-3 in the middle
Artists using this pickup: Too fuckin many to list...Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, Jeff Beck (duh), and Jason Becker(god) are a few good examples
You musical style(s): Neoclassical/thrash metal/classical/anything that sounds good, except country and jazz
Reason for pickup change: I upgraded my rig, and as it often happens, something in the chain that sounded good with my old rig (the pickup, in this case) didn't sound all that fuckin great with the new one.
The Evolution had to much bass and lower midrange...dark and muddy like the water in a port-o-potty...and it was only 20 bucks used...so I figured what the fuck.

Perceived output level: Fairly hot, less than the Evo, but more than say...a '59
Tone: Just like the description in the catalog says....balanced. Not too much bass, mids (which I tend to use sparingly anyways) or treble. Can be warm and smooth, or raunchier than Andrew Dice Clay, depending on how your rig is eq'd
Sonic evaluation: I'm running my Jem strung with Dean Markley Blue Steels 9-42, which is tuned down a whole step to D (DGCFAD)through a Mesa 50/50 power amp into a Mesa V-Twin pedal through an old cheap ass Ibanez Chorus Pedal (it don't sound too bad..and I got it for free, anyways) into a Crate GFX1200h 120 watt head, and 4x12 cab (I only use the Crate for the effects and to boost the treble on the Mesas.)
The Crate is a piece of crap, and I'm embarassed I actually bought the thing 3 years ago...distortion sounds like Rice Fuckin Krispies...I expected those little Rice Krispies elves to pop out every time I used it.
Anyways, like I said...the pickup can be smooth or raunchy, it all depends on the volume/tone settings...personally, I like a nice smooth, warm, crunchy distortion ala Jason Becker (that's not too compressed or with the annoying spike in the mids that most "high output" pickups have) with a nice, singing high end and clarity for doing those Malmsteen/Becker sweep picking and speed picking techniques.
I've read some reviews here that said it's too bright in an alder bodied guitar...it can be...it all depends on the rig/eg.
The V-Twin is so bass and mid heavy itself that I have to crank the treble on the pedal AND the Crate, and turn the bass and mids on the pedal almost to zero so that it's not muddy (which, by the way, is NOT the pickup...anyone who knows anything about amps will tell you that Mesas, as a rule have a lot bass and lower midrange to begin with).
But, for such a cheap as shit patched together rig (the guitar and power amp are the only things with any quality at all) it sounds pretty fuckin good, for both lead and rythym (saw something about someone saying that it was too muddy for high speed gainy type runs...maybe if you have sausages for fingers, or are using just too much gain to begin with, I can hear every note even when I'm going apeshit Malmsteen style...that's fuckin clarity right there).
Coil split sounds decent...depending on what you're expecting it to do...if you're expecting it to do a twangy, sparkly single coil tone...you'd be dissappointed...as it is, it's useable..not too horrible...and it sounds better clean split than it does in humbucking mode (to me...humbuckers sound like crap clean to me anyways, but that's just my opinion, so I'm not dissing the pickup).
When split clean...it has a really loud (too loud for me to use as my clean sound most of the time, I like either a soft, acoustic type sound, or a slightly twangy clear sound)and it doesn't really sound like a single coil at all (But then, I knew I never expected it to as I didn't buy it for that purpose in mind anyways. Have to be retarded to think this pickup is gonna sound like a real single coil to begin with).
In humbucking mode, it's way too compressed/muddy sounding (could be because I've been spoiled by single coils for clean stuff, but several others have said it sounds the same way, so I figure that's a fairly common thing with the JB...tone is subjective anyways).

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: I mostly play stuff by guys a lot of people now don't even know about...(which, I find ironic, because these guys can play circles around most of the so-called "musicians" blindfolded with one hand tied behind their back. Which, just goes to show that trends, the people who start them, and the people who follow them, are, in fact competly braindead. I mean, fuckin N'Sync goes Triple Platinum, while Yngwie can't even book a tour in the U.S? Buncha b.s...and the guitar based stuff is all poorly ripped off KoRn stuff...like Wes Borland...the guy hangs onto the B stri

Comments: Stolen? Heh...don't see that happening...but yeah, I'd buy it again if it crapped out on me...even for the full price.
I've been playing for 7 years (since I was 12) and have only owned worse crap than I do now...my other guitars (which I don't touch) are a beat to hell cheap ass alder bodied (yes, I said alder...cause the shit underneath the finsh sure as fuck ain't mahogony) EPI Les Paul copy...and my first guitar, a cheap Mako strat copy from which I learned a lot about wiring/bridge set-up/necks and such...of course I completly destroyed it in the process.
There's not really anything I hate about this pickup...except that the clean sound could be better...even for a bridge humbucker it's bad (the EVO that it replaced sounded better clean, and it has a lot higher output than this).
But, the distorted sounds are so good, I'd sell my mother into slavery to have gotten them (figurativly speaking). If you're looking for a versatile, great sounding pickup for anything requiring gain of any kind..and don't want a wanky-spanky Fender clean sound...the JB would be a good bet.
I plan to put a JB in the bridge of a custom guitar I'm going to start building soon, which'll run through the Mesa Triaxis and 4x12 Recto cab I'm getting sometime this month.
If you've read this far, I'd be fuckin surprised as hell, but I figured I'd throw in my 2 cents about something relating to this.
First off, the dude with the ESP with no tone control...you said it yourself, it probably sounds trebly and one dimensional because you've got no tone pot...it's not even a probably, I bet you that's why it sounds that way...think before speaking, dude.
It'd be nice if people would mention the gauge of strings they use...cause that makes a big difference in sound, thinner strings sound thinner, and thicker strings sound thicker...it's not rocket science. Also, if you have a crap guitar and/or a crap rig (solid-state especially) you shouldn't be saying that this pickup sucks...because no matter how good a pickup is...if the rest of the signal chain is crap, it's most likely going to still sound like crap, albeit slightly better sounding crap (My rig sucks except for my axe, but it's nicer sounding crap than it was before).

Solid-state amps...no one who runs a solid-state amp should ever bitch about having a bad sound (including me) because I can pretty much gaurantee it's the amp that sucks...you could plug a '59 Les Paul into a solid-state amp, and it would still sound bad (Yeah, I'm aware that tube amps are expensive, that's why I don't have one yet. I'm not saying that people who use solid-state amps suck, I'm just saying if it sounds like crap, don't blame it on a pick-up, etc.)

One last thing...most of the reviews that gave this pickup a bad review, were run through a crap rig (like mine)..so, it's not really fair to condemn the pickup for bad tone unless you've tried it on other stuff as well. Though, there was a dude that said the pickup had too much gain for the style he plays...that's a complaint..putting the pickup down because it didn't make a crap rig sound much better, isn't IMHO.
And no, I didn't post all this to start shit...I'm just saying what I think...anyways, I've talked long enough.

Pickup features: passive humbucking
Impedence or other specs: splittable

Model of guitar or bass: heavily modified Fender Warmouth Stratocaster
Position: all positions
Pickup being replaced: none
Other pickups on guitar: JBs
Artists using this pickup: smart ones
You musical style(s): blues to grindcore
Reason for pickup change: came on the guitar

Perceived output level: good output
Tone: good tone, balanced, leans toward treble
Sonic evaluation: The guitar is a heavily modified Fender Warmouth Stratocaster. The neck has been replaced by a very thin Jackson neck with a locking nut. The standard tremelo has been replaced by a Floyd Rose locking system. There is one volume pot and one tone pot. There are four small three way switches. The first is for the neck pickup. Up=split coil Middle=off Down=humbucker. The second switch is for the bridge pickup, and is configured the same way as the first switch.
The third switch is a teble enhancer and the fourth is a bass enhancer. Overall, a bitchin' guitar. I use this guitar into a Vox wah, Boss Metal Zone, and Electro-Harmonix Small Clone Chorus. These go into a Fender Princeton 112 Plus solid state 65 watt amp. The guitar sounds good. I find the JB a very harsh, trebly pickup in humbucker mode, although it RIPS with heavy distortion. Leads and harmonics come easily in the bridge. What really makes this pickup shine however is the split coil mode. It makes playing the guitar clean enjoyable, which you could not do when in humbucker mode. Also the split coil mode is as muscular as the humbucker! With heavy distortion, I literally could NOT tell the difference. I often compare the split coil mode to a P-90.

For which styles and positions is this pickup (un)suitable: This pickup matches just about everything.

Comments: I would probably not buy this again even though this is a great pickup. This pickup's Dimarzio counterpart is the Tone Zone, which blows this away. The Dimarzio is a much smoother pickup than the JB is when clean, and is absolutely INSANE with heavy distortion.