Roadster and pickup questions

[vertigo_]

So this weekend I picked a gibson lp studio....(490 and 498 pickups) and played it with my roadster. I like the gibson bridge pickup, pretty hot and sounds tighter than the seymour duncan JB - less bass response. But I am thinking of getting a tremonti bridge pickup for my studio. So I am thinking of doing a comparison of the three pickups when played with a roadster....I know some of guys over here has played the tremonti pickup with a DR or Roadster. Can you kindly provide me some input with these pickups with a DR/TR/ or Roadster.

Pickups : Gibson 498T , Seymour Duncan JB, Tremonti Bridge Pickup
Amps: DR/TR/Roadster

Information I need on the areas of:

Output:
Bass Response:
Warmth:
Cutting through the mix:

 

[vertigo_]

anyone?

 

[123thefirst]

I haven't used a Duncan JB in about 25 years so sorry, I can't speak directly about using them with a Roadster. I remember clearly being a bit infatuated with their tone for a few months. They're very sweet sounding. Then I started reviewing more what I really wanted for tone and comparing recorded clips that I thought were perfect examples of the tone I wanted. After switching back to the stock pickups I had I realized how much better a basic PAF design matched the classic tone I wanted.

Here's another idea. If you essentially want the vintage PAF sound, consider the 57 Classic +. They're monsters with a Road King. Most experienced players who use them consider them to be way, way better than 490's or other standard Gibson pickups. Enormously better warmth, clarity and punch. There are plenty of reviews at Harmony Central. I don't think any other pickup of any sort gets better marks.

 

[G.I.G.]

I own a Dual Rectifier and a Roadster. I have two Jacksons with JB's and I have a PRS Singlecut 250. Paul Reed Smith himself describes the 250 bridge pickup as very similar to the Tremonti and I find that to be true in my experience as well. I would go as far to say that they are probably the same exact pup with just different names for different guitars, but I could certainly be wrong. They are very close none the less. I don't have any experience with the Gibson 498T so I won't comment on those.

I consider the JB a great all-around pup. It is well balanced and has the right amount of output, while still maintaining warmth. That said, a lot of people see them as just, eh, maybe a little boring. I think the JB's are a good fit for may Jacksons, but they're not single cutaway, mahogany guitars either.

I love the 250 bridge pup in my PRS. It is extremely hot for a passive pup, but not as harsh as some other active or ceramic magnet pups out there. I can still get a good clean tone with the 250 without considerable breakup. I think the 250 or Tremonti would sound killer in a Les Paul.

Commenting on how they cut through the mix is a little difficult as there are so many variables involved with cut, but I wouldn't worry about either one not cutting through the mix. Both pups have good bass response. I think the biggest difference between the two is output. The Tremonti is much hotter and therefore lacks a little warmth IMO. On the flip side, the JB has moderate output but more warmth.

I think the biggest variable would the the type of music you play. Anything on the hard rock or metal side, I would definitely recommend the Tremonti over the JB. I'm guessing just by the amp you're playing through, that the Tremonti would be a great fit.

Hope this helps.

 

[LnTh]

I honestly think Studio LP's bridge pickups sound great.
But I think Seymour Duncan Custom on Bridge and Jazz on Neck were great improvement on the last regular Studio LP I've owned.

The stock Pups on my VM are Burstbuckers right now and they kick major ***.

That's all I can say. I'm a noob when it comes to pickups.

 

[vertigo_]

Yep, I like the gibson 498T pickup. Seems like there is a lot love for the tremonti bridge pickup in this forum. I might give that a try later. I already have a guitar with JB, it sounds very warm and full with roadster..but sometimes I feel it has too much bass.

 

[alex1fly]

The Tremonti pickup is based on the Gibson 500t, which is what Mark used before PRS approached him. Many folks say the 500t is very similar to the Duncan Distortion. Any of those three pickups would get you in the same tonal ballpark. And FWIW, the JB is the same pickup as the Duncan Distortion except with an Alnico 5 magnet instead of an oversized ceramic magnet.

 

[roadster-T4D]

i have a seymour duncan JB in the bridge of my brian moore i88.13 and a roadster head that i play through 1 or 2 1x12" boogie cabs (closed back 8 ohm, 90w celestions)

Output: plenty!

Bass Response: interestingly, i think plenty .. it only SOUNDS like there isnt enough because there are so many MORE mids ... i think folks who think the JB doesnt have enough bass are really thinking that it doesnt have as much bass as it has mids .. its a relative thing, not an absolute thing ... and totally dial-able

Warmth: not the thing that comes to mind for the JB in most typical experience ... but i find that by tinkering with the cap value and getting a really good audio taper pot on the tone control, it is quite dial-able for warmth ESPECIALLY with the roadster EQ tweaking // for myself, i do not go for 'warmth' with my JB near as often as i use my alnico II pro in the neck .. but it is quite doable ... ESPECIALLY for cleans ... i know most folks dont talk about the JB for cleans, but i really think that this gives great clean tone (from warm to spanky) in the all-mahogany body brian moore

Cutting through the mix: shines through in SPADES ... just killer amount of cut .. all those mids(especially upper mids) REALLY show where this pickup lives

 

[Daxman73]

As we know, tone is very subjective (is that an understatement?)...I have had experience with the Duncan JB and the Gibson 498T...I have not tried the Tremonti, but have heard that it's a nice pick up...I personally have come to the conclusion that the JB is first, an incredible pick up, loves mahogany guitars and matches extremely well with most Mesa amps...In my experience, and I also have the Roadster and Dual Recto, the JB is a little bit tighter than the 498T and has a bit more clarity than it as well...They both have good warmth, for me anyways because I dial that in with the amp if I'm missing any...I find the 498T to have a little more gain than the JB, but that's ok with me...Actually, right now I'm considering swapping out my 498T in my Paul for a JB...Don't get me wrong, I really do like the 498T a lot, better than most other Gibson pick ups, but the JB has a sweetness to it that you just can't ignore...Hope that helps and good luck with your search for tone!

 

[vertigo_]

As we know, tone is very subjective (is that an understatement?)...I have had experience with the Duncan JB and the Gibson 498T...I have not tried the Tremonti, but have heard that it's a nice pick up...I personally have come to the conclusion that the JB is first, an incredible pick up, loves mahogany guitars and matches extremely well with most Mesa amps...In my experience, and I also have the Roadster and Dual Recto, the JB is a little bit tighter than the 498T and has a bit more clarity than it as well...They both have good warmth, for me anyways because I dial that in with the amp if I'm missing any...I find the 498T to have a little more gain than the JB, but that's ok with me...Actually, right now I'm considering swapping out my 498T in my Paul for a JB...Don't get me wrong, I really do like the 498T a lot, better than most other Gibson pick ups, but the JB has a sweetness to it that you just can't ignore...Hope that helps and good luck with your search for tone!

you are right....I actually had to turned down some gain last night when I was playing with the 498T. It def. has more gain than the JB. I love both of the pickups, I guess they are both staying...need to try out an Tremonti bridge pickup now.

 

[nathan28]

hey man i took the burstbucker pro pickups out of my lp standard and put a seymour duncan jb in it at the bridge position, i thought it sounded good, but not great. It had good harmonics and a good clean sound, it just lacked the hottness that i crave. So if you arent looking for a high output pickup and just a overall good sound the jb is great. But so far it seems the only pickups i love have been emg's.