Novak JM-V set: imbalance?

[fleezinator]

I picked up a used warmoth JM parts build that came with a set of Novak JM-Vs. The bridge is considerably lower output than the neck. I'm new to JMs & Novaks & I'm reading the better pairing is to use the JM-Fat in the bridge. Apart from that are there any other ways to better balance the two?

I'm considering also doing a full swap with Bootstrap Lake Surfers. Any opinions on those? Can't seem to find many demos out there. Thanks!

[Embenny]

Have you adjusted pickup height to balance them as best you can?

Everyone has a different idea of balance. Vintage bridge pickups are the same output as neck pickups and the wider variation in tone between positions was a feature and not a bug. Some people like overwound bridge pickups that don't sound much less bassy than the neck pickup. Both are balanced in a different sense.

JM-FATs are popular with JM-V neck pickups but they're hardly the only way to go.

[Gavanti]

Have you adjusted pickup height to balance them as best you can?

Everyone has a different idea of balance. Vintage bridge pickups are the same output as neck pickups and the wider variation in tone between positions was a feature and not a bug. Some people like overwound bridge pickups that don't sound much less bassy than the neck pickup. Both are balanced in a different sense.

JM-FATs are popular with JM-V neck pickups but they're hardly the only way to go.

All this. You might try adjusting your bridge pickup lower in height to see if you can get a sound you like and then lower the neck, which tends to be less sensitive to volume match. There's a point I've found where that no longer works well, where the neck pickup takes on a character that's too airy for me, but it works for some.

It's also useful to to try these out in a mix. What we perceive as volume loss may be the increased bass frequencies in the neck pickup. I've often found that what sounds like a weaker bridge when on my own often cuts through as well or better than the neck in a band setting.

All this said, I like my neck pickup pretty strident and have tended to use either a JM-FAT or, more often, a JM-T in the bridge to compensate. Both sound great but offer different character. I imagine a JM-90 would do the same.

[Veitchy]

If you're looking for higher output in the bridge, could you possibly switch the positions of the pickups and see how they balance out for you?