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Vintage threads from the first ten years

What does the "JB" stand for?

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3/24/2003 9:06 PM
Chris B	What does the "JB" stand for? What does the "JB" stand for on the Seymour Duncan JB pickup? I've heard that it means "Jeff Beck" and I've also heard "Jazz-Blues". Chris B

3/24/2003 9:47 PM
jaysg	Re: What does the "JB" stand for? It stands for "Jeff Beck and I never cut an endorsement deal on this, so I can't get more specific."

3/25/2003 1:11 AM

I think it was meant for Jeff when he was playing a Les Paul most of the time, back in the 70's ? or 80"s ? I'm not aware of Jeff ever using that humbucker in a strat type of guitar, but it was quite common in the 80's to have a Duncan JB in a strat (and also a floyd). I got a lot of compliments when I was using a strat with a JB and bulky locking trem, but it bores me too much to use it now.

I also don't understand why so many famous players say it's so close to a normal PAF, when the JB I have measures 15K on the meter.

Works great in 'coil splitting' mode (where you hit a switch and turn it into a single-coil pickup)

At least mine does in the neck position like that.

3/25/2003 6:23 AM

quote:
"I think it was meant for Jeff when he was playing a Les Paul most of the time"

It was a tele set up with two HB's. He used it on Blow By Blow and on the Secret Policeman's Ball.

3/25/2003 5:58 PM
Dave B.	Believe it or not the JB actually stands for Jazz Bridge, not Jeff Beck. If you look at some of the old SD pickup ad's Seymour states the his favorite HB pickup comb is the Jazz Neck & the JB. I got this info from a guitar tech that knows Seymour pretty well and has bought thousands of Duncan pickups. DB

3/26/2003 1:32 AM

Dave:

    Well, I have the Jazz Bridge pickup on one of my guitars and it is nothing like the JB, but is very clean and precise.

    FWIW I believe that Seymour Duncan supposedly looked at Jeff Beck's LP back in the late 60's or early 70's. So my assumption was that the JB was based on the bridge humbucker on that guitar, but boosted up to about 12k DC resistance. Then again I was not aware of Jeff's tele with the two humbuckers, so that explanation might be closer to the truth.

    Didn't the JB come out in the early 80's? I remember DiMarzio coming out with their line of aftermarket pickups in the mid 70's and it was in the late 70's that Seymour Duncan pickups started appearing in the local music stores. The 1980 edition of the Donald Brosnac book does not mention the JB pickups, just the '59 humbuckers, which were supposedly more authentic than the DiM PAF's (I had both of them and liked the SD's better myself).

--Thanks!

Steve Ahola

3/26/2003 2:17 PM
Dave B.	Yes I believe it was the early 80's when the JB came came out. I had one in a les paul type guitar and really liked it. Mine measured around 17K. Maybe the SD website will have some info on this contreversial topic. How many lives will be lost until we find the truth? ;>) DB

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