It is currently Mon Mar 16, 2020 10:49 pm

All times are UTC - 7 hours



Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 
Author Message
Post subject: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:41 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:36 pm
Posts: 5
So I just bought a swanky new Fender Telecaster (blacktop; w/ Humbuckers).

I already had both a Gibson SG and Les Paul (amongst others)
Both guitars had Seymour Duncan Jbs in the bridge the SG was slightly thin and the Les paul had no where near enough definition.

So I thought what hell, Ill put a JB in a tele and get something closer to the SG in between the 2 with a fair amount of kick and I LOVE LOVE LOVE how Tele's play.

Ney! My tele sounds bassy and definitionless like the LP and has little bite.

Please explain to me Why? and what can I do to try to sort this out?

I play with the tone and volume nobs at full whack and checked, they are both 500k. (well they say B500***) (*** is soldered over so I cant see).

I was also thinking maybe try changing the capacitor to the same one Gibson use?


Top
Profile
Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Thu Nov 24, 2011 10:06 pm
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Seymour Duncan humbucker wiring is usually out of phase with Fender humbuckers. You will have to reverse the phase of either the Fender or SD (but not both) for proper performance. Unfortunately, there is no Blacktop wiring diagram on the Fender site so I can't tell you what the best way to do this would be.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 3:01 am
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:36 pm
Posts: 5
I only ever really use only the bridge though. If I'm not using both humbuckers will this make a difference?


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:18 am
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
Please don't take this the wrong way - but if you didn't like the Duncan JB in either the SG or the Les Paul why did you think you would like it in the Blacktop Tele? It sounds to me that you just don't like the JB in any of your guitars - I would try to find a different bridge pickup and give up on the JB.

Frankly I'm not a huge fan of the JB either; I had one in a Hamer Studio from the mid-90s (it was the stock pickup at that time) and found it to be a bit muddy. Had I kept that guitar I probably would have changed it out to a '59 bridge since it had a Jazz in the neck position - beyond the pickup I also found I didn't get along with the neck.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:44 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
Spratty59 wrote:
I only ever really use only the bridge though. If I'm not using both humbuckers will this make a difference?


No, it won't. Changing the capacitor won't make any differenece if you don't use the tone control either.

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 7:45 am
Offline
Rock Star
Rock Star

Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2010 2:37 pm
Posts: 8708
Location: Natural Bridge, Virginia
John C wrote:
Please don't take this the wrong way - but if you didn't like the Duncan JB in either the SG or the Les Paul why did you think you would like it in the Blacktop Tele? It sounds to me that you just don't like the JB in any of your guitars - I would try to find a different bridge pickup and give up on the JB.


Excellent point. Sometimes you just have to know when to give up. This looks like one of those times. :lol:

_________________
Bill

Image


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 3:23 pm
Offline
Hobbyist
Hobbyist

Joined: Thu Nov 24, 2011 6:36 pm
Posts: 5
John C wrote:
Please don't take this the wrong way - but if you didn't like the Duncan JB in either the SG or the Les Paul why did you think you would like it in the Blacktop Tele? It sounds to me that you just don't like the JB in any of your guitars - I would try to find a different bridge pickup and give up on the JB.

Frankly I'm not a huge fan of the JB either; I had one in a Hamer Studio from the mid-90s (it was the stock pickup at that time) and found it to be a bit muddy. Had I kept that guitar I probably would have changed it out to a '59 bridge since it had a Jazz in the neck position - beyond the pickup I also found I didn't get along with the neck.


Well I made my case poorly slightly over doing my point. I do love how my SG sounds thought the tele would be a step to a better sound.


Top
Profile
Post subject: Re: Help: JB in a Tele Blacktop not bright enough.
Posted: Fri Nov 25, 2011 10:16 pm
Offline
Professional Musician
Professional Musician

Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2008 6:45 pm
Posts: 2770
Location: Kansas
Spratty59 wrote:
John C wrote:
Please don't take this the wrong way - but if you didn't like the Duncan JB in either the SG or the Les Paul why did you think you would like it in the Blacktop Tele? It sounds to me that you just don't like the JB in any of your guitars - I would try to find a different bridge pickup and give up on the JB.

Frankly I'm not a huge fan of the JB either; I had one in a Hamer Studio from the mid-90s (it was the stock pickup at that time) and found it to be a bit muddy. Had I kept that guitar I probably would have changed it out to a '59 bridge since it had a Jazz in the neck position - beyond the pickup I also found I didn't get along with the neck.


Well I made my case poorly slightly over doing my point. I do love how my SG sounds thought the tele would be a step to a better sound.


Okay - that being said then for you the JB is a good choice for your SG but not for your Les Paul or the Blacktop Tele. Remember - all 3 guitars are really different in construction and wood choice and are therefore going to sound different with the JB. Try to find a pickup that has less mids than the JB for the Tele and it should get you where you want to go - perhaps something more like a hot PAF type pickup. The Tele is going to be kind of scooped but hits the lower mids with the alder body - compare that to the all-mahogany SG that hits the upper mids. It seems like the JB matches that upper mids "eq band" better than the more scooped/lower mids "eq band" of an alder/maple guitar.


Top
Profile
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 8 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 7 hours

Fender Play Winter Sale 2020

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum

Search for:
Jump to: