Are the Seymour Duncan JB and the Alternative 8 the same pup.......

[SWeAT hOg]

....with different magnets? i.e. are they the same wind, wire guage, materials, etc.?

 

[MATTM]

I would wager to say yes. This is typically how Duncan operates. They have built variants of pickups within certain family's of coils. Can't blame them, they sound decent, it's good for production and cost effectiveness.

Alt8, JB, distortion, invader. Same coils, different mags or poles.

Custom, custom custom, custom 5, full shred. Different mags or poles.

I am nearly sure there are 2 or 3 family's of neck pickups also.

 

[SWeAT hOg]

Thanks Dave

 

[captcoolaid]

They are supposed to be but you can hear a difference. Kind of like the old Super D to the new super D. When Frank Falbo was around he told us they were. Maybe the tone difference we hjere is because of the A8 mag we choose to do the mod as opposed to what Seymour uses.

 

[frankfalbo]

No the Alternative 8 is not the same wind. It's not even the same wire. The DCR specs posted are quite different.

Edit: here you go
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/pickups/144039-seymour-duncan-alternative-8-sh-15-a.html
Captain Coolaid! Check out your own response! LOL

 

[captcoolaid]

Yep forgot about that. There you have it. good to see ya Frank.

 

[MATTM]

Wow, SD is not using a modular design and using unique coils on this one, way to go for stepping out Seymour.

 

[H.E.L.Shane]

Different wire, wind, whatever.....

The Alt-8 is my favorite Duncan pickup...

I've modded a JB with an 8 mag.. and while its better than a JB to my ears and tastes, the alt8 pickup has a more defined low end than a "jb-8"



Also... the JB sounds best to me with a 250K pot.. .. I don't like the Alt-8 with a 250k...

That being said.... A JB with an 8 mag has its place as well!





Can you imagine, back in the day when you basically had the pickups that came with the guitar and almost no other choices??????

 

[orpheo]

Agreed. Even the JB and Distortion are rumored to be THE SAME, but that's also not true.

 

[frankfalbo]

Wow, SD is not using a modular design and using unique coils on this one, way to go for stepping out Seymour.

I'm not sure if this is passive aggressive or what, at the very least it seems like a back-handed compliment but during my tenure as product VP we released a lot of pickups not associated with any other wind. A2Pro Slash, Alt 8, P-Rails neck, bridge, hot, Joe Bonamassa, Whole Lotta Humbucker, YJM Fury, Blackouts Modular system and coil packs, Gus G coil packs, all the Blackouts for that matter. Hot Stack Plus, Vintage Hot Stack Plus, I'm sure there are more I'm not thinking of. The forums are awash with misinformation and correct information about various pickups that share the same coil wind, its probably not as many as you think, based on a remark like that.

Edit: Also what you suggest about 2-3 neck pickup "families" is inaccurate.

 

[MATTM]

I'm not sure if this is passive aggressive or what, at the very least it seems like a back-handed compliment

Your perception is wrong and i wont go through the trouble in an attempt to sling a presumptuous accusation back at you. What i was saying is, Doing something different is a good thing and I praise it.

Way to go on your tenure there and releasing fresh products while you were a part of SD. Near the start of your tenure, I stopped paying much attention to SD pickups so, I am not that familiar with the product line from the recent past. To me, SD seemed to go through a long period before your time where there was rarely anything fresh (buckers) and most of the bucker product line was rehashed and reworked products to create new products.

 

[frankfalbo]

Well I have to agree with you there! Thanks for clarifying. Your sentence structure made it seem sarcastic. No worries. I wish I could just say what's what and clear up all the internet rumors about which coils are the same but as I am no longer there, it would be like disclosing trade secrets. Someone from SD would have to be the one to share the info. If you go back far enough there are a few posts here and there where someone from SD confirms a few things but I suppose if someone really wanted to know they'd do like Seymour did with old pickups and get one and start unwinding it. Count turns, turns per layer, etc.

I can probably safely dispel some things, like the Full Shred neck is not the same coil as a Jazz neck (or anything else) that's a rumor I've heard, even among SD employees and its not true. And of all the PAF style pickups, I believe none of those are the same wind. People look at the DCR and just figure "oh those must be the same" and in most cases they're wrong. I think everyone knows about the Custom series, because that's the point of using the word "Custom" in all their names. Then of course the 59/Custom Hybrid is the same coils because that's what it's supposed to be.

 

[hamerfan]

Different wire, wind, whatever.....

The Alt-8 is my favorite Duncan pickup...

I've modded a JB with an 8 mag.. and while its better than a JB to my ears and tastes, the alt8 pickup has a more defined low end than a "jb-8".

Yes, that Alt8 is a hidden gem. I bought a used one and put it in a guitar that shine with JB 8 and now has a Screaming Demon 8.
The Alt8 didn't fit into this Superstrat with a one piece maple neck - too much low mids and bass. It ruined the snappy character of a Strat.
Today i fit it into a '99 LP Classic Plus. This particular guitar is heavy, kinda congested in the mids, a sleek tone with too much compression. Most pickups i tried sounded flat, not enough grit and beef. I changed electronics with a 1 meg neck volume and some brass tailpiece to get more depth and sustain. And the icing on the cake is the Alt8.