Learned that the architecture of these two pickups are fairly different actually! Don’t take everything that is repeated on the web as truth! 😂😂😂! So I took out parts in the my original video that falsely claim that the JB and Alt 8 were the same pickup with different magnets! But they still make for a great comparison!
I had JB set in an Epiphone Explorer white lightning and they were not even close to something I like but I think I could like em with alnico 2 or 3 but I don't know because I've never swapped magnets in duncan pickup. I don't like JB in my guitars but I like the way they sound when other people are using em, like Ace Frehly .
Man, I never thought to consider pickup to bridge distance in the tone formula. Learned more than just the topic of the video Also, you're doing great stuff with this channel. Deserve more subscribers!
Thanks. The distance from the bridge thing made too much sense once it was explained to me. The wider the oscillation of the string the more low frequencies and overall disruption of the magnetic field… so also louder. Even a few millimeters seems to have enough impact to the amplitude of the string vibration to be heard.
Only time I've ever considered it prior, was on a lot of guitars like an esp eclipse, for example, on the 24 fret ltd models, the neck pickup is closer to the bridge pickup, making the neck pickup brighter sounding. I guess I just always assumed the bridge pickups on everything were standardized. Good to know that's not the case
Both killer pickups! Great demo, thanks! I love the Alternative 8 in this demo! I'd like to hear how the it compares to the Distortion(SH-6) and the Invader. Invader is too much for me, but the Duncan Distortion seems to be just on the verge of acceptability in terms of that extra saturation you mentioned... ie, not too much, depending on amp gain levels. It cleans up well enough for clarity and the squeal factor is insane! I've been a JB user, by default, for 20 years and love them, but who doesn't like a bit of variety? I'm currently also loving the Duncan Custom in a basswood body with a bolt on neck, which puts me in the 80s LA style, DeMartini zone, while not compromising the chunkiness of traditional thrash tones. You could call my tone FATT. 😄
The small difference in the placement of the pickups between these guitars does give the JB a little brighter top end here. But the grit of the JB is apparent especially when getting pinch harmonics to ring out. The Alt 8 seems to give me a bit more of everything, more growl over grit with balance and definition.
Both are great pickups. I own both. I consider the Alternative 8 to be a different spin on a JB in that it's designed around the Alnico 8 mag. It's got a different emphasis. The JB was designed to be a good, higher output PAF pickup for Jeff Beck, literally built from an old PAF Seymour rewound for him in 1975. But it's a pickup that's proven itself over the decades as a reliable, versatile pickup for many genres. The Alternative 8 is more hard rock and metal focused than the JB. You can use it for any style as well, but it's just got more muscle. It's easier to work with than a Duncan Distortion.
I don’t think there are a lot of things that anyone could pickup out in a blind test. 😂 I used to think these things had a more dramatic effect to tone, but now I see how subtle it really is.
there is slight bit more low frequency feedback, but I only notice it with my gate off. I don't feel like it need to adjust anything with my noise gate with it. I also back the pickup off from the string by about 0.4mm on the low side.
Man this is false information before the first minute. Please edit/repost or something. The JB and Alternative 8 don’t share the same wire, or wind as one another. They are not the same, not on paper or in reality. Otherwise it’s a decent comparison video between 2 different pickups.
yeah. I am working on changing it. They sound similar, but this pervasive myth of them being the same pickup with different magnets seems to be all over. Similar resistance doesn't mean similar output either and I think there is a fair bit on conjecture based on that alone.
Been down this rabbit hole years ago. Magnet mods on SD pickups. I know one thing for sure the Duncan Custom coils are the same on the Custom, Custom Custom and Custom 5. Only difference between them all is the bar magnet. Custom being C8, CC being A2 and C5 being A5. In the other highly modded coils the JB and Distortion are identical coils. But the Distortion uses a double thick C8 magnet with thicker spacers. The Alternative 8 was a compromise from Seymour Duncan user groups who wanted versions using A8 magnets. But the Alternative 8 is not JB/Distortion coils or Custom coils. Its quite different. I absolutely love the A8 magnet in the Custom coils but find it very difficult to dial in string height. The magnetic field of an A8 magnet is much stronger this definitely effects string vibration and deadness if set to close. I have a wide selection of A2-A8 bar magnets and also many Ceramic. Another thing to consider in this formula that isn't talked about much is these bar magnets are different from vendor to vendor.
Learned that the architecture of these two pickups are fairly different actually! Don’t take everything that is repeated on the web as truth! 😂😂😂! So I took out parts in the my original video that falsely claim that the JB and Alt 8 were the same pickup with different magnets! But they still make for a great comparison!
I have both, they have different specs but actually sound close IMO. Alt8 is tighter, more low mid push, thicker sounding but also cuts better
I had JB set in an Epiphone Explorer white lightning and they were not even close to something I like but I think I could like em with alnico 2 or 3 but I don't know because I've never swapped magnets in duncan pickup. I don't like JB in my guitars but I like the way they sound when other people are using em, like Ace Frehly .
Man, I never thought to consider pickup to bridge distance in the tone formula. Learned more than just the topic of the video
Also, you're doing great stuff with this channel. Deserve more subscribers!
Thanks. The distance from the bridge thing made too much sense once it was explained to me. The wider the oscillation of the string the more low frequencies and overall disruption of the magnetic field… so also louder. Even a few millimeters seems to have enough impact to the amplitude of the string vibration to be heard.
😂 It's absolutely a factor. I figured it out by sheer coincidence but once I realized it, the light bulb went on !
Only time I've ever considered it prior, was on a lot of guitars like an esp eclipse, for example, on the 24 fret ltd models, the neck pickup is closer to the bridge pickup, making the neck pickup brighter sounding. I guess I just always assumed the bridge pickups on everything were standardized. Good to know that's not the case
Both killer pickups! Great demo, thanks! I love the Alternative 8 in this demo! I'd like to hear how the it compares to the Distortion(SH-6) and the Invader. Invader is too much for me, but the Duncan Distortion seems to be just on the verge of acceptability in terms of that extra saturation you mentioned... ie, not too much, depending on amp gain levels. It cleans up well enough for clarity and the squeal factor is insane! I've been a JB user, by default, for 20 years and love them, but who doesn't like a bit of variety? I'm currently also loving the Duncan Custom in a basswood body with a bolt on neck, which puts me in the 80s LA style, DeMartini zone, while not compromising the chunkiness of traditional thrash tones. You could call my tone FATT. 😄
I own them both. To me, the Alternative 8 is brighter, and has super clarity, the JB has more of a gritty sound to it with more rounded mids
The small difference in the placement of the pickups between these guitars does give the JB a little brighter top end here. But the grit of the JB is apparent especially when getting pinch harmonics to ring out. The Alt 8 seems to give me a bit more of everything, more growl over grit with balance and definition.
I was trying to put to words what my ears hear but I'll gladly defer to your description. Well done!
I hear no honk from the alternative 8. Both sound great. Getting me an alternative 8 for a Stratocaster.
Both are great pickups. I own both. I consider the Alternative 8 to be a different spin on a JB in that it's designed around the Alnico 8 mag. It's got a different emphasis. The JB was designed to be a good, higher output PAF pickup for Jeff Beck, literally built from an old PAF Seymour rewound for him in 1975. But it's a pickup that's proven itself over the decades as a reliable, versatile pickup for many genres. The Alternative 8 is more hard rock and metal focused than the JB. You can use it for any style as well, but it's just got more muscle. It's easier to work with than a Duncan Distortion.
In a blind test I wouldn’t be able to pick them apart. I could hear slight variations but nothing major. Both sound great! Those 256’s are fantastic.
I don’t think there are a lot of things that anyone could pickup out in a blind test. 😂 I used to think these things had a more dramatic effect to tone, but now I see how subtle it really is.
@@BaritoneGoatStudio same. After making my first video I felt silly with what I thought I knew. Now half my Avengers are gone lol
@@tyrannosaurusriffs you have been expanding the diversity of your collection. High end PRS guitars require sacrifice! 😂😂
@@BaritoneGoatStudio haha! There was no intention of doing that! It just kinda happened!
You should do a frequency graph the you could have a visual to go with your description
Sh-4❤
W O W . . . i prefer the Alt 8, in every clip.
It is just a fatter sound! I have grown to really like it!
Do you get more than normal feedback with the TB-15 Alternative 8 ?
there is slight bit more low frequency feedback, but I only notice it with my gate off. I don't feel like it need to adjust anything with my noise gate with it. I also back the pickup off from the string by about 0.4mm on the low side.
the alt 8 has more mids jb has a lil more treble and has a harshness to it
Man this is false information before the first minute. Please edit/repost or something. The JB and Alternative 8 don’t share the same wire, or wind as one another. They are not the same, not on paper or in reality. Otherwise it’s a decent comparison video between 2 different pickups.
yeah. I am working on changing it. They sound similar, but this pervasive myth of them being the same pickup with different magnets seems to be all over. Similar resistance doesn't mean similar output either and I think there is a fair bit on conjecture based on that alone.
Been down this rabbit hole years ago. Magnet mods on SD pickups. I know one thing for sure the Duncan Custom coils are the same on the Custom, Custom Custom and Custom 5. Only difference between them all is the bar magnet. Custom being C8, CC being A2 and C5 being A5. In the other highly modded coils the JB and Distortion are identical coils. But the Distortion uses a double thick C8 magnet with thicker spacers. The Alternative 8 was a compromise from Seymour Duncan user groups who wanted versions using A8 magnets. But the Alternative 8 is not JB/Distortion coils or Custom coils. Its quite different. I absolutely love the A8 magnet in the Custom coils but find it very difficult to dial in string height. The magnetic field of an A8 magnet is much stronger this definitely effects string vibration and deadness if set to close. I have a wide selection of A2-A8 bar magnets and also many Ceramic. Another thing to consider in this formula that isn't talked about much is these bar magnets are different from vendor to vendor.