Seymour Duncan JB confusion

[ChuckNoblet]

I was curious what resistance my Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 model pickup was so I measured using a new digital multimeter. I measured 11.81K ohms for the whole pickup and 7k ohms for 1 coil and 7.2k ohms for the second coil. I'm confused because wouldn't the series combination of the pickup be 14.2 k ohms? The pickup is not tapped and the red & white wires are soldered together.

Also, according to the Seymour Duncan website, the resistance says 16.4k ohms. My 11.8k reading is quite far off. I remember buying this pickup because Marty Friedman used it, and he certainly had a hot pickup, and this pickup doesn't seem to be as hot.

I ask this question in the pickup makers forum because you guys would have more understanding.

What's going on?

Thanks!

[big_teee]

Is that in or out of the guitar.
You will have to UnSolder it From the circuit to get a true reading.
If you are reading it through the guitar jack with the pot turned up?
It should measure close, but they always measure low.
So take the black wire loose from the pot and measure again.
T

[David Schwab]

Are you holding the wires against the probes with your fingers? That can give a false reading.

It should be 16.4k, and it's a loud, somewhat dark sounding pickup.

[ChuckNoblet]

Easy question answered

Is that in or out of the guitar.
You will have to UnSolder it From the circuit to get a true reading.
If you are reading it through the guitar jack with the pot turned up?
It should measure close, but they always measure low.
So take the black wire loose from the pot and measure again.
T

Wow I can't believe I overlooked that. I was thinking I had it wired in parallel or something. Worked like a charm, it was exactly 16.4 K ohms. By far the hottest pickup I own. The 500 K pot is the exact value that was missing. Thanks!

Glen

[CRU JONES]

... somewhat dark sounding pickup.

Says who?

[big_teee]

Says who?

I agree with Cru.
I have one, and mine Ain't Dark either.
T

[copperheadroads]

It's not really a bright sounding pickup,It just has a harsh high end that cuts through the mix pretty good
But I don't consider it in the "Dark" territory

[CRU JONES]

They do cut through the mix well.

I like the JB. It is quite sensitive to the value of potentiometer/ tone cap/ tone control. I think it works best with 500k pots, that actually measure 500k and for tone cap somewhere around 22nF. I had a JB in a guitar with a 360k volume pot for years! My buddy Danny installed it for me and I never missed an opportunity to tell him what a dull pickup he gave me. Well, luckily volume pots wear out and I replaced all the electronics. Sounded pretty good! ...Such a thankless bastard I am!

[David Schwab]

I agree with Cru.
I have one, and mine Ain't Dark either.

It most certainly is when played clean. Theres no way you are going to wind a pickup that hot, use an alnico magnet, and get any decent treble response.

Compare the JB to a Lawrence L-500XL and then tell me it's not dark.

I've installed a ton of JBs, and even wound some of my own. In my opinion they are muddy when played clean. They sound god overdriven though, but then you are getting upper harmonics from the distortion.

[David Schwab]

They do cut through the mix well.

Only when distorted.

[soundmasterg]

I agree with David Schwab...the JB is a dark pickup until distortion occurs. I didn't like the one I had much and sold it. I stuck in a Duncan Full Shred instead...much more my style of sound when I want distortion.

Greg

[big_teee]

Wow I can't believe I overlooked that. I was thinking I had it wired in parallel or something. Worked like a charm, it was exactly 16.4 K ohms. By far the hottest pickup I own. The 500 K pot is the exact value that was missing. Thanks!

Glen

Great!
Glad you got it all figured out.
If it does sound Dark, You can even go to a 1 meg Pot on the Vol.
Make sure you are using a .022uf Cap or less.
If for some reason you still don't like it SD uses high quality parts.
They are great to rewind.
Good Luck,
T

[David Schwab]

Great!
Glad you got it all figured out. If it does sound Dark, You can even go to a 1 meg Pot on the Vol. Make sure you are using a .022uf Cap or less. If for some reason you still don't like it SD uses high quality parts. They are great to rewind. Good Luck,
T

You can also change the magnet for a ceramic 8 or alnico 8. That will brighten things up a little.

The cap wont affect the tone unless you are turn down the tone control.

[CRU JONES]

The cap wont affect the tone unless you are turn down the tone control.

OK. Dark/bright, that is subjective. I definitely hear the tone cap.

[David Schwab]

I definitely hear the tone cap.

Wire up a switch with two different value caps, like a .02µF and a .047µF. Wire it up to the pot in the normal way, one end of the two caps to ground, and the other end to the switch and then the tone pot. Keep the pot on 10 and without looking at which cap you are switching to, switch it back and forth and listen. Tell me if you hear a difference. What you are hearing is the resistance of the pot.