Seymour Duncan JB or JB Jr In A Strat

gubble

I've just purchased (and am impatiently waiting delivery) of a JB Jr pickup for the bridge of my strat.

I've tried to enjoy the texas special single coil in the bridge, but it's too thin and harsh to my ears.

In trying to keep the asthetics of the guitar I've opted for the JB Jr being a single coil sized humbucker.

Tonally speaking will it be any different to the full size JB ?

sgosden

looking at a pick up upgrade for me MiM strat, be interested on peoples views of the JB Jr also!

Funkfingers

Last question first. Yes, the JB Junior sounds different to the full-sized SH-4. Both of these sound different from the TB-4 and the JB90.

IMO, the critical factors are the physical size of the coils, the distance between them,  and the fact that the Junior has a small ceramic magnet underneath it rather than a regular size alnico 5 one.

How a Fender Texas Special pickup sounds depends on many factors - not least, how closely it is adjusted to the vibrating strings. When I first tried a Seymour Duncan Twangbanger pickup, I was royally disappointed. No amount of adjustment improved matters. Finally, since I was about to unfasten the pickup anyway, I decided to try it set low. Hey, presto. There was THE sound.

richardhomer

I have a JB Jnr in the bridge position of my mid-90s American Standard Strat which I use for slide.

I really like it - in fact for a while I owned a Suhr Pro Series with a full size bridge HB - back-to-back I thought the JB Jnr sounded better.

Kebabkid

If it's anything like my experience with an S.D. Little '59 and a full 59, yes. They were noticeably different.

I don't know if it's the physicality of the pickup, but the smaller, stacked version still has some single coil character to it despite it being a HB and being more powerful and fuller than a single coil. I prefer them

This recent thread might interest you or the users' experiences on it -
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/121770/bridge-humbucker-on-a-strat#latest

I'm in the same boat. I have a wonderful Fender Robert Cray Strat with aged pickup covers and a mint green scratchplate and the pickups are excellent, even the bridge one (not harsh) but it lacks some singy oomph for leads. Despite putting a baseplate in the bridge pickup (it did improve the fullness of it), it's not giving me what a HB can and I've been trying to find a stacked one that matches the look but also delivers.

Let us know how your one works out.

Lestratcaster

I have a JB junior in the bridge of my strat but I'm not really over sold on how it sounds, if I had the money I'd cut a slot in there to fit the full size JB pickup and see how it will differ. Might be the amp I'm using or the wood on the guitar, I don't know.

peteri

I had a jr for years, and also had another guitar with the full size.

It's a classic pickup for a reason, sounds really good and is versatile, I agree they don't sound the same - the humbucker sounds like one frankly whilst the jr, is very similar -  I agree with others here that I remember it as a little single coil sounding, bit tighter, bit more focussed etc.

Very much enjoyed it, eventually changed the pickup set out because it didn't sound strat enough - they really don't, but for a hot-rodded strat sound, it's a cracker.

siraxeman

I have had the JB Jnr in the past - in two different strats that I sold on, and now have a full fat JB in one of my Strats plus have had it in another in the past as well...I like both! They are a bit differenter but both sound good. If you like a creamy smooth rich rawk sound the Jnr will easily do that for ya. And you can PM me a price on the Texas Special cos I might just buy that off ya!

blank28

I put a JB Jr in my '76 strat and it sounded mega! Let me know how it sounds in your axe

gubble

Finally got round to having the pickup installed.

Sounds brilliant - what's really nice is how nice it compliments the single coils when changing pickups.

I also agree it's not the same as a full on humbucker, it retains a little bit of the strattyness to it compared to my sambora strat where the PAF Pro is full on humbucker.

Can't wait to use it in anger next week.

matt.drink73

One thing to consider is that the JR will be angled and most people will have the full size mounted straight. I have an angled full size JB in my strat and it sounds absolutely mega, I had a lil' 59 in before and it didn't sound brilliant. Definitely worth looking into!

ICBM

matt.drink73 said:

I had a lil' 59 in before and it didn't sound brilliant.

That's normal for a Lil'59 .

The difference is far more because one is a good pickup and the other isn't than because of the angle .

Guitar_Slinger

My old guitar teacher had an JB Jr in his Strat, which was split to keep the single coil sound when needed but having more growl and volume on tap.

 I wanted the same  and bought a Cool Rails off @martinw which was wedged hard into a tortoiseshell pickguard. It went on my Strat "temporarily" to see if I liked the idea. It did exactly what I wanted and ten years later, is still there.

matt.drink73

ICBM said:

The difference is far more because one is a good pickup and the other isn't than because of the angle .

Lol the '59s aren't great to say the least! Surprising how much difference angling a humbucker makes though

ICBM

matt.drink73 said:

Surprising how much difference angling a humbucker makes though

Yes, but you do have to be careful when routing out for it - especially with a two-post bridge. It's very easy to weaken the treble side to the point where the post will collapse into the cavity - I saw that quite often in the 80s when it was popular, on factory jobs as well as DIY ones.

matt.drink73

ICBM said:

matt.drink73 said:

Surprising how much difference angling a humbucker makes though

Yes, but you do have to be careful when routing out for it - especially with a two-post bridge. It's very easy to weaken the treble side to the point where the post will collapse into the cavity - I saw that quite often in the 80s when it was popular, on factory jobs as well as DIY ones.

Damn wish you'd not said that lol! I had mine done by a decent tech and it's been alright so far so fingers crossed 

ICBM

matt.drink73 said:

Damn wish you'd not said that lol! I had mine done by a decent tech and it's been alright so far so fingers crossed 

If you can't see any finish cracking around the post it isn't moving. As long as the body is decent wood, the rout was done neatly and as small as possible and you don't put 11s on it at standard pitch it should be fine I think .

matt.drink73

Can't see any finish cracking and the trem's all locked down so hopefully it's cool haha!