JP6 a dark sounding guitar?

[Noah76]

I have a 09 JP6 and when I was comparing it to my new SG 61 reissue it was really dark sounding. The SG has 57 classic pups. Now is this because of the woods used,wood and picks ups?

Right now I'm really digging the SG tone wise. Is there a pick up you can recommend to brighten things up a bit for the JP6?

Thanks for your help.

 

[ScoobySteve]

TBH from what i remember from my JP, the LAST thing I'd describe it would be dark. Open and resonant, a little towards the high end side... Maybe something else in the signal chain?

This is coming from a guy who used to play Les Pauls for 10 years.

 

[Noah76]

Guitar -tuner-amp

 

[ScoobySteve]

EQ perhaps? What s the pups on the JP?

AN/SS, D-sonic, or the new CL/LF?

 

[Noah76]

I have a D-sonic in it.

 

[joe web]

the d-sonic isn´t a dark pickup at all. it´s scream!

 

[DrKev]

From what little I know of both pickups, the 57 classics are brighter than some humbuckers so the D-Sonic might sound a little darker in that particular comparison, but that's not to say it's a dark picjkup. And don't forget that the tone controls on the amp are there for a reason - when you switch guitars, it's normal to readjust the amp setting to get what you want (I know that seems obvious and you probably know it already but a lot of people forget so I thought I'd mention it).

As for a different pickup, have you tried the Pickup Picker application at DiMarzio.com?

 

[D.K.]

Absolutely YES in my opinion,if we are talking a standard basswood JP! Had my share of them - and loved it. I would describe it as warmer, more rounded with a very warm bass and less piercing highs compared to most double humbucker guitars on the market, it's just smoother. The pinnacle of this sound is - to me - the very first Dimarzio Custom PUs (which were used 'till 2005, IIRC), they were the creamiest of all.

And yes, to my ears the Gibson PUs are deffinitely a bit more "open" and bright - the closest EBMM PUs to these would be Virtual PAFs on the 20-th silo (keeping in mind the mahogany tone block and wood combination).

Mind You, we are talking comparing guitars on the same amp with the same settings - of course You can make an electric guitar sound whatever You wanted with the EQ, but it's in direct comparison when the individual characteristics of different axes become more apparent.

 

[DrKev]

but it's in direct comparison when the individual characteristics of different axes become more apparent.

That's true to a point, but each pickup should also have the chance to give it's best performance with the most appropriate amp settings. After all, that's how it will be actually used.

The extreme (and admittedly ridiculous) example is a guitar with low output single coils vs something with, say, a Super Distortion humbucker. No matter what you do no amp setting will make both pickups sound good - one will be way too bright and weak, the other way too muddy and bassy, or even both cases at the same time and neither pickup gets a fair assessment of what it can do really well.

 

[Tung]

Absolutely YES in my opinion,if we are talking a standard basswood JP! Had my share of them - and loved it. I would describe it as warmer, more rounded with a very warm bass and less piercing highs compared to most double humbucker guitars on the market, it's just smoother. The pinnacle of this sound is - to me - the very first Dimarzio Custom PUs (which were used 'till 2005, IIRC)

I agree. It is much warner and rounded, which could be interpret as darker. This is great for getting a nice creamy lead sound, but you have to jack up the mids on your amp a bit to get some definition. I would also back off the bass a bit more than my other guitars. The scooped V Metalicca-type EQ would not work well with this guitar compare to something like a Les Paul.

 

[Chaka5150]

If i could chime in here, I understand where the OP is coming from. Perhaps, not just the pickups but which model makes a difference in terms of woods used. Mine is a BFR with rosewood neck/alder and I find that in combination with the dimarzio's--i had both the d sonic set and CL/LF and just find it over all 'dark' and yet eq'ing the hell out of helps but it is still well...'dark'. I am actually waiting for some BKP rebel yells to come in and will be getting those installed - it will be interesting to see how it affects the overall tone...

 

[Tung]

I am actually waiting for some BKP rebel yells to come in and will be getting those installed - it will be interesting to see how it affects the overall tone...

You know I'm dying to hear the result with your BKP set, please let us know how you make out.

 

[Chaka5150]

You know I'm dying to hear the result with your BKP set, please let us know how you make out.

absolutely, once those bad boys are in and I've had some time with them, I'll be posting about it...

 

[Noah76]

Thanks for your input. I would also like to hear the results of the BKP set.

 

[paranoid70]

I have a 61 RI SG as well, and yes it sounds way brighter than my MM Guitars. Actually it's nice having both to really get a broad range of sounds!

 

[Noah76]

Cool nice choice in guitars. It really is nice having a range in sounds. But what a range it is.