Seymour Duncan JB vs Custom Custom...The Battle of the Duncans

[@carlosg4537]

2:02 Custom 4:39 JB (you must turn up volume)

[@SuperScreamerBand]

I have had 2 JB and one Custom Custom, and it is the CC I do miss.

[@GonzaCordo]

Both nice though!

[@Beelzehump]

Now get an Alnico 2 magnet to swap out the JB's Alnico 5. Eddie did use the JB, but like with his custom (originally a ceramic pick, hence custom custom) he had Seymour build his JB using an A2 magnet (at that time it was an Allan Holdsworth prototype pickup, the same model Warren DeMartini and Jake E Lee used on their guitars at that time). Both the duncan custom shop and EVH brand now sell three Ed pickup flavors, a PAF type with A2, a Custom type with A2 and a JB type with A2. I have done this to my JB and it does acquire some of the CC character, less compressed, a bit more ballsy and slightly smoother but brighter resonant peak. Works amazing for strats. Saludos desde Brasil, hermano.

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice!…Saludos!…

[@Beelzehump]

@@ewm335 As far as I remember it was either Seymour or MJ on the tone talk podcast. Around 81-82 many guys started using the A2 JB as it had been made as a prototype for Allan Holdsworth. That's why I say: try it. Some of Eddie's "JB" tones sound much closer using A2 than A5 e.g. unchained

[@HighPriestVaticanAssasin]

I have a Ratus Tonus Maximus, one of my favorite pickups ever

[@xristos000]

Hello!! Excellent job and playing! Between the JB - CC and 59/hybrid which one did you kept? I had CC and now JB in a copy strat but i believe that JB is more compressed and CC has better note separation. Especially at the high frets where CC is singing....

[@GonzaCordo]

Hi man!…thanks!…I like both…and it is always so guitar dependent!…sometimes I hate the JB but in some guitars shines!…the CC works on everything I guess … I think alder body guitar loves JB…

[@m-funkshun]

This channel rocks! Attention to detail, excellent playing, great studio insights. And that Kramer-stein...AWESOME git! ¡y Chile! ¡Qué lugar tan genial! Me encantará venir a visitar después de COVID. Mucho respeto desde los Estados Unidos!

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks Funk Man!…yes this damn Covid!…I haven’t shoot anything new but I’m gonna soon!…Cheers!…

[@1lunesta]

What pots are you using? Killer video by the way! 🤘

[@GonzaCordo]

Bourns 500K no treble bleed…

[@1lunesta]

@@GonzaCordodoes a treble bleed take away from tone??? 🤔

[@GonzaCordo]

@1lunesta no…I just don’t like how they sound when the amp is so pushed!..weird upper frequency distortion

[@briandietrich1373]

Love your videos. Thank you!

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks Brian!

[@phillamoore157]

What a fascinating comparison. Being a Les Paul guy, I've come to love 57 classic's (Alnico 2 9K), or their Custombuckers. Yet, I liked the JB better in this case. Neither one has the clarity and articulation of my LP. Which is something I spent an absolutely OBSCENE amount of money trying to figure out. I thought it was all about the pickups, and amp. As important as those things are, you can't just slap a 57+ in the bridge of a strat, and get the clarity and bite of an LP. I've always wondered if you put an LP bridge on a short-scale strat made with the same wood, would you be able to get that kind of clarity. But, I digress.... Typically lower output pickups give more clarity, articulation, bite and note-separation. That proved wrong in this case. It wasn't by much, but I thought the JB sounded better, and fuller. I would really liked to have been in the room to hear the difference. If you're going to be doing comparisons, I'd love to hear that JB compared to a Super Distortion, or Tone Zone. But, regardless, this was very interesting. Thanks for sharing, Gonza!

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks man…I agree with you…the LP wood Combo ( PRS as well ) creates great clarity…here I think it’s that the CC it’s to muddy…

[@phillamoore157]

@@GonzaCordo I agree. I wish I knew how these guys (EVH, Warren DiMartini) were able to get such articulate tones out of their super-starts. I can only get that from my LP, for whatever reason.

[@GonzaCordo]

@phillamoore157 I guess it is less gain and more playing skills!…

[@joemusicman64]

1:38 Custom Custom 4:11 JB JB volume level seemed a little reduced during the Unchained riff. So it's hard to compare with this change comparing 2:01 and 4:40 . I did notice you balanced the levels at 7:11. Much better. This is a very close comparison with the CC being just a little more clear on the highs. I prefer the Custom Custom only because I'm building an EVH guitar. The CC is the winner for EVH tone. His tone is a little brighter. The JB is a true shredder. If you want mean metal tone and chunk JB is the winner. Just not as articulate as the CC. JB is more compressed and a little better low end. I have two guitars with JB and love them. Just not the best for EVH tone.

[@jaroslawlukaszewicz]

Great work Gonza, it's something I was looking for. Been using TB4 for many years, but the '11 seems just as interesting. EVH sounds are closer to TB11 I think, while JB is JB, duh ;)

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks man!…can’t go wrong with either!..

[@BubbaZanetti_375]

Great playing, beautiful killer & perfect demo! My favorite is still the 59/custom hybrid in my modified strat 🤘🏻

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice pickup!!

[@joelfox6695]

I'll pick the custom custom any day

[@kirkgreenman1386]

That is a great comparison I like the JB also I sure like to see the recording video there’s so much software out there what to buy

[@1lunesta]

What guitar model is that?

[@GonzaCordo]

It is a Franky partcaster…Kramer Focus 6000 body painted by myself with a Musikraft neck…Friedman Triple D pickup… Gotoh floyd rose…

[@1lunesta]

@@GonzaCordothank you! Awesome guitar!!! The local tech ruined my limited edition fender wiring so I’m going to install the Yngwie fury loaded pickguard and I want to get a guitar like yours with a Floyd Rose with just my JB bridge pickup. I just need it for metal. 🤘

[@1lunesta]

I had the tech wire the strat to an HSS and he clipped my leads too short and they added extension lead wire (which sounds so bad)to the single coils and almost melted all the way through my JB lead. So I was looking for a set up like this so I have something for my JB to go in. Safe to say I’ll never use them again.

[@GonzaCordo]

@1lunesta damn tech!…hehehe…go for it!!!

[@jdbertel33]

Such a good demonstration. Have had both pickups. The JB has that upper mid notch. The custom custom lacks it and opens up more. The custom custom is still in my Les Paul. If I want a more aggressive lead sound I use the PRS Tremonti Treble.

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice options!

[@Mike_HuntizWet]

I’m actually considering trying a CC in a LP. Does it work well with that setup?

[@jdbertel33]

@@Mike_HuntizWet It's a fantastic combo! My LP has the custom custom bridge and alnico II pro neck. It lives in a very cool rock/hard rock place.

[@Mike_HuntizWet]

@@jdbertel33 Nice! I have lots of personal experience with the majority of Duncan’s humbuckers. I agree for sure on that neck pup. I have an LP that I put the Slash set in and that neck pup is amazing. I also have an LP with the JB in it and years ago I had a Schecter that had the CC. It’s been a while but I remember really liking that CC. So I think you just wrapped up my decision on what bridge pup this other LP I have is getting 🤘

[@BillyE5150]

Dude, you rock! I like them both… & would probably pick either one on any given day, especially in a blind test. The Custom Custom tugs at my heart a little more. ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥=VH= FOREVER ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks man !!…yes that Custom it’s closer to that sound!

[@PK22-b7v]

What guitar is that neck from ???

[@Siam_Thai.]

Krammer.

[@GonzaCordo]

Musikraft

[@srs_odyssey3575]

Hey, great looking guitar, is that a Kramer 84'?

[@GonzaCordo]

No my friend it’s really a Kramer Part caster…next video will be that guitar story!

[@srs_odyssey3575]

@@GonzaCordo Sweet!

[@angusorvid8840]

I own both the Custom Custom and JB. Both are fine pickups, but the CC, like all alnico II pups I've tried, are too underpowered for my taste. I'm very much a JB guy. I've been using it in most of my axes since 1985. I like the ceramic Custom and the alnico 5 Custom 5 a lot more than the CC. They just work better. But the JB takes the cake. It is just so well balanced, warm, hot, sweet, has amazing sustain and incredibly complex harmonics, and works for any style of playing. The JB is crisp where a lot of other pickups are harsh.

[@GonzaCordo]

Yeah…it’s a classic…JB on a Super strat is the thing!

[@angusorvid8840]

@@GonzaCordo Can't go wrong. I played in the L.A. scene in the 80s, Sunset Strip and all that. The whole shred insanity thing. The JB absolutely ruled the scene. The most used pickup of all, more than other Duncans, more than all DiMarzios combined, more than EMG or Bartolini. The JB is the king.

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice man!!!.. you were in a band on those times??…that had to be intense!…did you see VH on the olds days??…man!…I was born on the wrong place and time!!!

[@angusorvid8840]

@@GonzaCordo At the time I was playing it was a decade after Van Halen, so we're talking starting around 1987. It was a very shreddy scene with Paul Gilbert and Racer X and other bands with absolute monster players. I had a small following in those days who would follow me from band to band, mostly guitar nerds. It was fun. I played clubs till about 1992 when the scene died hard because of grunge and Nirvana where nobody cared about guitar solos or good tone anymore. But the JB was THE number one pickup. Part of this was the fact that Kramers were so popular (I owned a few) and Duncans popular because Seymour started selling to a lot of L.A. players before anyone else when he started winding pickups while living in a trailer. He's a great success story and a brilliant pickup designer. Duncans sounded much better with the new generation of high gain amps than DiMarzios which had too much going on with their EQs. Duncans are generally much better pickups than DiMarzios both in tone and build quality. I once even had a JB that came in an old used candy apple red Holdsworth Charvel. It was a pre-Maricela JB, also hand wound, probably produced arounnd 1979 according to the tech who worked on my guitars. Man did it sound great! I loved playing it through Marshalls, Laneys, Boogies, Peaveys, Randalls, Crates, etc. The 80s were a blast.

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice story man!!…you were on the golden years of shred guitars!!!…

[@cheenu711]

Dude forget the shootout, that Kramer alone deserves all the love. I love that brand and the vintage logo with the hockeystick headstock. It reminds me of love without a net. RIP EVH ❤️

[@GonzaCordo]

That’s on my mind for sure!

[@Jbeland1]

What’s your pick?

[@GonzaCordo]

I went with the JB…but then I changed again for a 59/Hybrid….

[@SouthpawSatch]

​@Gonza Cordovez the 59/Custom Hybrid is a beast of a pickup. If you swap out the A5 magnet for an A2 it nails the 5150 tone

[@GonzaCordo]

I tried that but it didn’t move me…

[@domg7616]

Custom custom sounds bigger wider and way more open.

[@GonzaCordo]

I like it better as well!

[@RodneyWallaceDynamoC]

@@GonzaCordo in the video you said that you liked the JB better 😁. Both sound great anyway. Thanks for the video. Awesome

[@GonzaCordo]

Both very close…at the end you choose for little details!…it Could be anything right??!

[@xdhamiiix]

You should check out a SH-6

[@GonzaCordo]

Sure!!!

[@gabrielalcantaradaza642]

Custom Custom ❤️‍🔥

[@mikemcginnis1419]

Very similar. JB has a little more output. Both are a sledge hammer in an alder body. I believe the Kramer is a maple body.

[@GonzaCordo]

Evh Guitar?…maybe Poplar?…similar PUs

[@cheesewesil18]

Kramer 5150?

[@GonzaCordo]

I understand that…but almost everything regard Ed was a mystery right!?….

[@cheesewesil18]

@@GonzaCordo if you guys meant his Kramer 5150, it’s swamp ash

[@GonzaCordo]

All right!…i didn’t know that!

[@zedzero77]

I can vouch for this. The JB is awesome live and loud. (i have no live experience with Custom Custom)

[@lousekoya1803]

Hello , I'm new to your channel and I think I'm gonna press the sub button at 3..2..1..Done ! Hihi ! I love mad scientists like you who love chasing tone ! I just finished watching your Plexi with Variac video , did you ever try the 78 ? Anyway, you have a new sub from Quebec and I'm very impressed how you take the time to answer your followers. That's great !

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks my man!…I love turning knobs man!…that elusive perfect tone!

[@lousekoya1803]

@@GonzaCordo Cool ! Have you tried the SD 78 ? Thanks !

[@GonzaCordo]

@lousekoya1803 yes!…long time ago!…pretty cool…dynamic and cutting!…

[@lousekoya1803]

@@GonzaCordo Thanks ! You have a good one ! Gonna go with the JB after watching your JB vs Custom Custom shootout .

[@GonzaCordo]

@lousekoya1803 it’s a sound!…not bad…and if you dig it you are set!…

[@tonechaser]

Gonza, interesting comparisons I would have to vote for the JB it just seemed more consistent.

[@GonzaCordo]

I liked it more as well…it actually stayed!…

[@alexc2680]

JB! Another great vid & thx 😎

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks man!

[@Rodrigo_Esteban]

JB todo el rato! Igual estaria bueno verla contra la SuperDistortion, excelente video Sldos ✌

[@GonzaCordo]

Así es!!!!

[@therifflair724]

Make or buy a hybrid. You’ll thank me later. I’ll be waitin’ on you 😜

[@qtheband751]

Hybrid?

[@paulmales1889]

I use don’t think there’s enough difference to even consider using one over the other , certainly with rig/speaker differences playing ‘ live ‘ etc . I wouldn’t take a CC out of a guitar and replace it with a JB let’s put it that way .

[@GonzaCordo]

It’s a little different it’s true..I actually made the swap and the JB stayed mainly because what you are saying…

[@DWyn-xq4yf]

Hi Paul. I know your comment is a year old or so, but would you swap a JB for a Custom/Custom?

[@Mike_HuntizWet]

The JB is an amazing all around pup. Has a particular Mid-bite that’s just glorious! That being said, in the realm of high gain modern metal tonz the CC performs better than the JB in that regard. I picture the JB as the pinnacle pup for Crunch! Not the best for modern high gain metal tonz

[@serhiy1237]

Thank you for a, finally, not a "plastic noise pickup comparacent". Nice playing, too. As for pickup itself, both suite that Kramer, playing style and gain extremely well, but I think Sh-11 is a bit too trebly for such bright guitar. That Kramer definetely benefits from additional low-mids and lows of sh-4. I kinda really think of SH-11 as a more focused version of SH-4 for muddier guitars and bit lower tunings (albeit both fall apart if play lower than C). But definetely very overlooked guitar pickup.

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice observations man!

[@JustinHeronMusic]

Gracias, Amigo!

[@GonzaCordo]

De nada dude!…( you are welcome! )

[@bischerosti]

I love your playing

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks man!

[@PatoPageM]

La JB for ever!!!

[@geteese]

Custom custom is more powerful than JB

[@GonzaCordo]

I don’t know about that…I think the JB cuts more…and pushes more too

[@jorgecatalanl.3735]

Te enojarías conmigo si te comento que me gusta más la custom custom? jaja igual ambas suenan increíble!

[@GonzaCordo]

Es gustos no más…la JB tiene un sonido de compresión que andaba buscando

[@6stringsEasy]

JB win! )

[@GonzaCordo]

I think so too!

[@pepeseverino]

JB for me 🙌

[@GonzaCordo]

🤘🤘👏👏

[@1974zah]

I like the JB best here. The CC gets EVH sound better, but overall JB. Eddie used those as well.

[@GonzaCordo]

Nice!

[@1974zah]

@@GonzaCordoAt the end of the day it's not the car, it's the driver. You play well, so both sound great in your hands. I like the 59/Custom Hybrid as well for those sounds. I have all of those pickups in different guitars myself.

[@GonzaCordo]

Thanks man!…that’s the truth!!…make the best with what you have!

[@1974zah]

@@GonzaCordo Yeah brother, I've been humbled by guys with a Squier and a solid state amp on stage, tearing it up. Lol.

[@1974zah]

Then again, they prolly would have sounded more awesome with nicer gear, haha...

[@isaiahmarquez9717]

When doing these “tests” why doesn’t anyone ever show that the pickup is ABLE to replicate the desired tone as in Unchained? The gain was CLEARLY too high on both pickups but especially so for the CC. C’MON MAN! Has lo bien, primo!