K&K vs JJB vs JourneyTek pickups?

[Goat Mick]

For the record, the price of the JJB Prestige 330 pickups doesn't really come into play with me preferring them. I like them because for my playing style the JJB pickups just sound better than the K&K. I bought my first K&K and installed it in my J-45 and really didn't care much for the hot K&K sizzle plugged straight into a sound system. It is much better with a outboard preamp, but I try to avoid carrying more gear if possible. I can plug my JJB equipped guitars straight into any of my systems and it sounds great.

[dantin]

I have installed and used K&K and JJB 330's in several guitars for myself and for friends. I have a set of Journey TEK that are awaiting a candidate for trial.

My observations:

Installation - is virtually the same for both. I use the installation kit from K&K for both systems

Output - K&K (12.5mm discs) have a higher output as others have observed. JJB 330's have two sizes 15mm and 20mm. The 20mm ones have higher output. I once swapped out a set of 15mm discs for 20mm ones to improve the output on a more stiffly braced dreadnaught.

Tone - difficult to pin down, but the K&K seems to have more 'sizzle' as others have described. I find both systems really need a preamp to get the best out of them. I use a number of preamp models that all seem to work well with both.

Reliability - currently have 4 guitars with K&K's and installed several others that have never had any issues. Have had at least 4 guitars with JJB 330's and installed maybe a dozen for friends. Had issue with output for one guitar as mentioned above, and had one output jack fail requiring replacement. JJB paid for the part.

Preference - if price is not a consideration, I would choose K&K. If price is an issue, JJB's are a seriously good choice. I used a JJB in an Ayers guitar for years and it worked fantastically well.