Quote:
Originally Posted by Wasper
Don't let one man's opinion sway you away from the JJB. I had one installed in a guitar I since sold (wrong neck profile for me) and it sounded great. It was not weak at all and it was not harsh or muddy. It looks like Larry's experience with JBB was the exception and not the norm.
For my JJB set-up, I installed a JJB Prestige-330 (15mm) and I installed it myself. It was installed in a Grand Auditorium, Solid cedar top and solid mahogany back & sides. I thought it sounded awesome. Very natural and loud. Not weak and not muddy/harsh. I was very happy with it for the money I spent on it. In fact, I'm contemplating adding a pickup to the S&P in my signature. If I decide to do so, I already know I'm putting in a JJB.
Just figured I would add my few cents to the discussion.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Elmicko
Also the premise of the question was pickups under $150 which limits things quite a bit and also gives the asumption that it's going into a modest priced guitar. Well a M1 Active is out because they run @ $170. I suspect that takes the passive M1 out of the equation because of the need of a preamp. It probably also kills the K&K because while the pickup is only $99 I did have to drop another $99 on a K&K Pure XLR Preamp to go with mine. Over the $150 mark again. The JJB is still looking good because it pairs nicely with the $99 K&K Pure XLR preamp and comes in at $40 as long as you do the install yourself. So far that's the only one that's ready to play for less than $150. Between $150 - $200 things open up a lot though. I don't know much about the less expensive sound hole pickups with the chord dangling out the front, but some are supposed to be fairly respectable.
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The passive M1 doesn't need a preamp. When I plugged it into my Fender Princeton Reverb Amp I tried it with my RedEye preamp and without. It sounded much better without. That's how I use it now: no preamp and straight into a Fender Deluxe Reverb Amp or Princeton Reverb Amp.
The K&K's work well straight into a PA. I prefer running them through my Red Eye and then into the PA but they sound fine without it.
I do see your point, although if you already have a good preamp there's no need to buy another one.
I use K&K's myself but I really liked the sound of the JJB's in the Youtube video. For $60 they appear to be a great deal even if they do have about 60% of the output of the K&K's. At least according to ljguitar.
I respect Larry's opinions, as do many others on this forum. But the JJB's did sound excellent to me in that Youtube video. I was very impressed and would love to try a set for myself.
K&K's are in all but one of my acoustic guitars, and I do have them in my '95 Taylor 710B Brazilian. That is a valuable guitar so I don't think of a $100 pickup as being for modest guitars...not by a long shot!
I didn't start this thread to push my own preferences though. Hearing the JJB pickups was something new for me and for just $60 a set, I'd like to try a set myself.
I'm interested in learning about other really good pickups in that $150 and under price range, so if there's more of them out there, let's hear about them.
