Problem with MM JP Pickups

[beej]

You could try disconnecting the tone knob and take it out of the circuit. That will remove some resistance and brighten it up a bit. Like the one volume knob Axis guitars. If you don't like it, just reconnect.

Resistance seen by the PUs is R(total) where:

1/R(total) = 1/R(vol) + 1/R(tone)

So-

- 2 x 500k pots give you a total of 250k
- 1 x 500k pot (e.g. vol only) gives you 500k
- 2 x 1M pots also gives you 500k (same as one 500k pot)
- 1M vol and 500k tone gives you 333k

The last option would brighten it up a bit. So would low-capacitance cable, though. (Also I don't know how this would affect the piezo circuit if you have one.)

 

[beej]

What type of magnets do the JP p'ups have? A p'up with a ceramic magnet, or an Alnico 5 will also brighten things up a bit (I betcha they're already ceramic though).

Really depends on the PU designer- the pickup itself is an LRC circuit with many factors that affect sound, and the magnet is just a magnet- it has no tonal properties on its own.

A good manufacturer can make a good pickup out of any magnetic material and make it sound like anything. Usually the choice is just based on the cost of magnets.

 

[Adwex]

Really depends on the PU designer- the pickup itself is an LRC circuit with many factors that affect sound, and the magnet is just a magnet- it has no tonal properties on its own.

A good manufacturer can make a good pickup out of any magnetic material and make it sound like anything. Usually the choice is just based on the cost of magnets.

True, there are many factors that affect the sound...age, # of windings, guage of the wire, equal/unequal windings on each bobbin, tension on the wire during winding, volume pot resistance, p'up height, polepiece height, as well as size of the magnet, strength of the magnet, orientation of the magnet, and material the magnet is made of, which will affect it's strength, which will affect it's magnetic field, which will affect the current induced in the coils. All other factors being equal, a different magnet will sound different.

Perfect example...Seymour Duncan has 3 variations of their "Custom" pickup. All 3 have the same exact coils, each has a different magnet:
Custom = Ceramic
Custom Custom = Alnico II
Custom 5 = Alnico 5 (I have one of these)

A somewhat popular mod for a pickup is to simply change the magnet. I considered putting a ceramic magnet in my C5 to give it a little more "edge", without spending $80 for a whole new p'up. Another mod is to turn the magnet around (known as the Peter Green mod).

Trying a shorter, low capacitance cable is a good idea someone mentioned. Try a George L's cable. If your cable was high capacitance, a short, George L's will probably make a noticeable difference.

 

[GHWelles]

How about trying stainless steel strings for a brighter sound on the wound strings?

 

[beej]

Adwex, sounds like we're both pickup fans

Lots of good points there. Should be a solution to this problem in here somewhere.

 

[Adwex]

Adwex, sounds like we're both pickup fans

Lots of good points there. Should be a solution to this problem in here somewhere.

beej,

Not that I'm really a "fan",it's just that I hang out on another forum where the guys are real anal about the details of vintage p'ups and such, so I just absorbed all the trivial details. Plus, I didn't like the sound of my stock p'ups, so I did a little poking around researching and stuff. On the SD website, you can listen to a bunch of mp3's of different p'ups using the same guitar, same amp, settings, even same lick. It's a good way to compare....except when they don't have an mp3 of the p'up I was interested in, like the C5

See ya next week.

 

[koogie2k]

Different players can do the same things differently. I can pinch harmonic with my eyes shut on any of my JPs with any pick up....neck or bridge or both. I just have the knack for getting them easily.

To each his own......I like the pick ups in the JP as is. I did modify one, but still prefer the originals. My 2 pennies.

 

[GHWelles]

One more idea. You can raise the hex pole pieces on the pickups closer to the strings. That will give you a little different sound - more power and presence- and you can see if you like it better.

 

[Devnor]

I have no issues getting pinch harmonics out of my new JP7. The pickups seem weaker than my Axis but still stronger than the Morse. The Axis is the pinch harmonic scream machine but the JP is no slouch either.

My Les Paul has a JB in the bridge position; the best pickup I've ever had