Getting neck pickup sound in bridge position

[molul]

I played an American Original 60 jazzmaster yesterday and, while I loved the neck pickup sound, I didn't like the bridge pickup at all. I wonder if that neck pickup would sound similar in the bridge position. I mean, I know the pickup position has an impact on the sound, but I wonder how much of that too-bright sound comes from the bridge pickup circuit itself.

Separate question about the same matter: is it normal that jazzmasters neck pickups sound more pleasant than the bridge ones?

[alexpigment]

The neck pickup will sound the same as the current bridge pickup if you were to put it in the bridge position, since they have the same winding specs. The 65 Pure Vintage pickups don’t have a hotter wind at the bridge, which is less than ideal for tonal balance on most guitars. Either swap out the pickups for something like a Seymour Duncan Antiquity II (vintage output with hotter bridge), or change pots to 250k and live with a bit of a darker neck pickup. Lots of other wiring tricks possible as well, but not worth getting into just yet.

[molul]

I was recommended changing the pots in another thread as well, and another Duncan pickup, the Hot Jazzmaster. Which one would be less bright? If you know it, of course ^_^U

[Embenny]

No, a bridge pickup can never be made to sound like a neck pickup. The information coming from the string is completely different.

Yes, you can put a darker sounding pickup in the bridge. But that will sound like a dark bridge pickup, which is entirely unlike a neck pickup. You might just like neck pickups more.

Are there any guitars with bridge pickups you like? It's hard to make any guess as to whether you'd like any alternatives.

To answer your question, a lot of people find the vintage style JM neck pickup (+/- the middle position) particularly magical and the bridge pickup underwhelming. The contrast between the two is part of what makes the middle position sound the way it does, which a lot of people love.

[molul]

I totally understand So far I've only played strats, and the current pickup I love the most is on my custom one, a Dimarzio BC2.

The biggest problem I have is that I'm building a custom jazzmaster and I was planning on sacrificing the neck pickup for a sustainiac one, but the neck pickup is the best sounding to me xD So I'm desperately trying to have both things, although I guess it's mission impossible ^_^U

I wonder if the sustainiac pickup would still sound nice being it the bridge one. I guess I'll eventually know

[Ceylon]

Ibanez made a 30-fret RG for a while, maybe they still do, that due to the massive fretboard overhang had only a brige humbucker and a middle single coil. They used what they called a neck pickup simulator to still achieve an additional neck pickup tone, and from what I've heard it was convincing enough. It's remained somewhat of a mystery how they did it, but speculation is on some sort of active circuit. See this thread for more info.

https://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/sho ... ry-rg550xh

If you're still planning on integrating active electronics (i.e. the sustainiac) into the guitar, and you've already got a battery box in there, all you'd have to do is to figure out how Ibanez does it and you're good!

[molul]

Man, this forum is truly a source of wisdom. I never heard of this system. Gonna take a look!

[ThePearDream]

You might consider having the Jazzmaster pickup in the middle position as seen here, with the sustainiac in the neck position. It still wouldn't be the same sound as the traditional neck placement, but would certainly be closer than the bridge tone. Bonus - you could put a pickup at the bridge that would work better in that position (tele bridge pup would be my choice).

[molul]

Heck, that would be really nice too. Warmoth doesn't have jazzmaster pickup for middle position, but I'm asking them anyway.

[Embenny]

Just be careful to follow the sustainer manufacturer's specs for proximity - the JM pickup is large and the sustainer creates a powerful magnetic field that any active pickup needs to be well away from.

[molul]

Oh, but the jazzmaster pickup isn't active, is it?

I've got so much to investigate for this. I'm a bit worried to spend hundreds of dollars for a body and then realize what I want is not possible ^_^U That's why you'll see me asking maybe a bit too much.

[alexpigment]

Oh, but the jazzmaster pickup isn't active, is it?

I've got so much to investigate for this. I'm a bit worried to spend hundreds of dollars for a body and then realize what I want is not possible ^_^U That's why you'll see me asking maybe a bit too much.

I think he means active as in *currently picking up sound*. I've read up on sustainers hundreds of times, and I know that it's a very delicate balance of pickup location, pickup type, pickup angle, pickup height, etc. Probably the only thing that's kept me from my dream sustainer build - I'm too afraid to invest the money in one if there's a decent chance it won't work.

[molul]

Oh, I see (regarding the "active" pickup).

Which would be your dream sustainer build, if I may ask? My current strat build works like a charm.

[Embenny]

Sorry, I did indeed mean "pickup that is currently outputting to the amp", not "active" as in battery-powered.

The sustainer generates a very strong and fluctuating magnetic field - strong enough to vibrate the string indefinitely. Pickups use magnetic fields to induce current in the coil when the string moves - so they are completely susceptible to picking up massive noise from the sustainer unless they are far enough away. The manufacturer probably has instructions on the minimum distance. Be careful to follow them.

That's why the sustainer "humbucker" (a sustainer and a single coil made for the neck position in a humbucker shape/size) doesn't allow you to select the neck pickup while the sustainer is turned on. It simply allows you to have a neck pickup and a sustainer in the same guitar - not at the same time.

[molul]

Oh, yes, I knew that you can't have neck pickup and sustainiac on at the same time (my Warmoth Strat has a sustainiac, and now I want to build a Jazzmaster with sustainiac) Not being able to use both at the same time it's not really dramatic.

I might have to find a luthier for this project, as the sustainiac thing makes it much more complex and I'm not skilled enough for this. I'd call the guy who assembled my sustainiac Strat but I didn't end up well with him for certain reasons xD

One thing that I'm starting to consider seriously it's getting a really cheap jazzmaster, a sustainiac and a Duncan jazzmaster pickup and try to assemble everything myself. If it doesn't work, I could just sell the pickups and the guitar.

My biggest current doubt is if the sustainiac would still sound decent as a neck pickup. If it still does a decent job, that might be the way to go instead of having a jazzmaster pickup between neck and bridge pickups.

Jeez... Why can't I just settle with a guitar original design? >_<