Repacement for a J50BC in my Charvel

[D_A_V]

Hi guys,

my Charvel/Jackson got a J50BC in the bridge. In comparison with my Ibanez with a Seymour Duncan JB in the bridge I find this guitar a little dark and 80's sounding . So I don't know, if it's the wood of the guitar as this thing is heavy like a tank or the pu.

So can you guys with Charvel/Jackson guitars recommend me some good replacements for this aktive pu?

And do you guys know any websites where I can find answers to questions like what kind of wood this is and when this guitar has been build with the number on this thing?

 

[JonWormwood]

shit get the je1000 and make it awesome

 

[mickrich]

My Charvel had a j90c and I had the same problem.
Put a Duncan sh11 in and now it sounds amazing.

 

[D_A_V]

Hey guys, thanks for your suggestions! Mickrich, is your Charvel also heavy as f*ck?

I did some more research and I think I was wrong. The J50BC isn't active. There is just some kind of preamp build in. Might be the je1000 JonWormwood was talking about. I don't know.

 

[mickrich]

It's a fair slab of wood ok.
375 Deluxe.
It's my favourite guitar these days and I have lots of guitars.
The SH11 gave it presence and attack that was just not there with the j90.

You can hear it on the new stuff I am working on.
Should give you an idea. Used for all tracks on this.
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/...w-bolt-thrower-hail-bullets-type-project.html

 

[Lasse Lammert]

If you can't get the je1000, get the EMG ABQ (comes with the laiho pup).
Fuxking awesome with the j50bc

 

[D_A_V]

I have bought this guitar used for 200 €. She was in a relatively poor condition at this time. This is the reason I know nothing about how old she is and other details.

This is my beauty without the Kahler-Trem, that I'm repairing right now:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19791563/PHOTO_20131026_173036.jpg

@mickrich: Your guitar looks and sounds nice!
@Lasse: Thanks for your suggestions. There is a built-in preamp in this. Looks like this:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19791563/PHOTO_20131026_174557.jpg

I know it's a shitty picture! But if someone can name this s.o.b. I would be happy!

Oh, and this is a DI of the Charvel where you can hear how dark she sounds:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/19791563/Gitte rechts.wav

Thank you guys so far! Super helpful!

 

[Lasse Lammert]

That's probably the je1200.
Might be the je1000 though, hard to see (is there a trim pot on it?)
Also, dibs if you sell it!

 

[mickrich]

I know it's a shitty picture! But if someone can name this s.o.b. I would be happy!

She is an '86 model 4. Superb guitar.
http://audiozone.dk/guitargallery/?..._Charvel/1986_Charvel_Import/Ch1986Page21.jpg

 

[D_A_V]

@mickrich: F*ck yeah, thanks. You're absolutely right. That's the one! Wow, 27 years old.

@Lasse: There is a pot on it. After mickrich's post I have found some sites where I have read that it's the je-1200 mid-boost pre-amp. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I don't want to sell it. But you've called dibs and if I want to sell her for some reason, I'll think of you.

Guys, thanks a lot for your help!

 

[deLuther]

JE1200 cuts highs, resonance peak of J50BC shifts almost to position of resonance peak of J90C with fully passive electronics.
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/3630120/JE1200_comparison.pdf
You can try fully passive setup, just remove plastic cover (sticked to top of PU) and set closer to strings, just like mentioned JB (3-4 mm is fine), you will get more highs (even too much), more vintage sound, than modern, just some kind of modern ceramic PAF.
Far from string + Je1200=duller tone.
Close to string + Je1200=still dark + various active problems

I`m ended (so far) with J90C in my Charvel Model 6 with single 500k volume, instead of J50BC, J50BC have more peak output (due to higher resonanse peak), but too bright for my taste.

 

[Lasse Lammert]

Do you think the cover really makes a difference?
I mean, it's only 1mm thick, so if you adjust the gap to the strings to be 2 mm with the cover, it's the same as 3-4mm without, and plastic shouldn't really be weakening the magnetic field much.
Not saying it doesn't affect the tone, but I'd be surprised.
So yeah, more info would be appreciated.

My rr1 with j50bc and ABQ sounds lovely (a tiny bit dark perhaps, but really nice)

 

[deLuther]

Not the cover itself, but cover size and thickness. Old jacksons suffer from angle between pickup and strings, so cover edge can constrain distance, you can gain almost 2 mm, which can give almost two times hotter signal without help of active electronics (and without significant noise from low-power opamps), so you can get hot enough signal with less noise.
With cover equivalent distance can be 5 mm or so due to angle between pickup and strings (at least in my case).

 

[Lasse Lammert]

In that case it makes sense I guess.
In the rr1 the pickup us perfectly parallel to the strings though...might be lucky.
I just think those pickups look weird without the cap, cause the pickup rings on those old Jacksons are much bigger than usual

 

[deLuther]

Not so weird

 

[D_A_V]

@deLuther: Will try that! Do you think that the je-1200 still impair the sound, even if the pre-amp is not working?

@mickrich: Do you have a pre-amp in your Charvel?

 

[deLuther]

@deLuther: Will try that! Do you think that the je-1200 still impair the sound, even if the pre-amp is not working?

Preamp is always working, unless you remove it from the chain entirely
Check pdf in: http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/backline/906631-repacement-j50bc-my-charvel.html#post10730672

 

[D_A_V]

OK, thanks! That looks pretty drastic! I don't know what to do. There are way to many options for someone who is really bad in decision making.

Is there someone in here who has a je-1200 and another pu combined and is happy with it?