Lol, this comparison was exactly what I needed! Both sound really good! I've got a SH-6 laying around and I'll put it back into a guitar asap!

Thank you so much for the videos, great tool for decision making!

I own both these pups in similar fiddles. Here’s my 2 cents if anyone cares. They are both NOT PAF style pups. Both are mid heavy and crunchy. The JB is a better all-rounder. Crystal like cleans are possible with a tight bottom end because of the A5 magnet. The JB cleans are more alive. The Distortion clean isn’t as exciting. Because of the ceramic magnet I think it’s a bit fuller / blander and a bit more compressed. Still sounds great but the JB wins on clean. Distorted they both sound amazing. If you’re looking for that classic 80’s metal sound you’ve heard a million times buy the JB. It’s crunchy and smooth and my legato style flows perfectly with the mid bump. The Distortion is much louder. Much ruder. Crunchier. Thicker. You name it. It’s got more to offer on high gain. It’ll drop tune better than the JB which tends to flub out a bit with lower tunings. The Distortion is aptly named. It loves gain and stays clear. Cheers!!!

@guitarexpert2245

2 жыл бұрын

YOu don[t mention anything about the SH-6, Seem like you think the JB is way better?

@Gitfiddle

2 жыл бұрын

@@guitarexpert2245 The Distortion is much louder. Much ruder. Crunchier. Thicker. You name it. It’s got more to offer on high gain. It’ll drop tune better than the JB which tends to flub out a bit with lower tunings. The Distortion is aptly named. It loves gain and stays clear. The SH-6 is also called the Distortion pickup. Sorry if I wasn’t clear. They are both amazing. If all you care about is high gain brutality the SH-6 is your pup. If you want a more all around pup that does glassy cleans just a little better and you’re not a drop B type player the JB might be for you.

@gwhiz3708

2 жыл бұрын

I was a huge JB fan until I got a Charvel San Dimas with the Distortion Mayhem set. I was blown away by the clean and distorted tones and the Distortion pickups have been my favorite ever since. Although the JB is and always will be an awesome pickup. One of my favorite guitarist, Jake E Lee said he’d be screwed if they ever quit making the JB. Either way Seymour Duncan pickups are tone monsters!

@noworries12

2 жыл бұрын

I played the JB Strat version and didn*t like the screaming hi-mids in crunch mode...is the full hb version similar character-wise?

@pugzz6931

2 жыл бұрын

What pickups would you recommend for a semi hollow I want to get a nice Beatles/Chuck Berry sound out of?

Thanks. Nice to hear them though something good. These are in the Jackson RR3 Pro I'm looking at getting so thanks for giving me a idea of what it will sound like.

Awesome video. I'd been thinking of putting a SH-6 in my 2014 LPJ for a while now, think I might be sold now!

I have the SH-6 on my 1989 SG Standard '62 reissue and it sounds fantastic!

I rock double SH-6 for my rock and punk stuff.

Man, I think the differences are subtle. Slightly like the JB more clean but kind of like the Distortion a bit more for the crunch/leads and I don’t think the difference is big enough to go wrong either way. Would have to go JB, I think.

Nice demo. I already have the JB in 2 of my guitars. I'm thinking of swapping the stock humbuckers in my HH Strat with a SH-6 Distortion in the bridge and SH-2 Jazz in the neck. That Strat has a Floyd Rose trem & locking nut so I think the SH-6 would be a good match since that Strat was made for metal.

Great comparison. I actually preferred the Distortion !

I have 2 Rhoads V's, 1 with the 59 and one with the Distortion. I prefer the 59 for clean work (although I like the Jazz pickup even more than this one), and the Distortion for all the high gain stuff. The 59 isn't as tight sounding as the Distortion when the gain goes up high, but it has a lot more character to the clean tones. Both are great pickups, though.

Thank you so much for these kinds of videos. This will influence my upcoming purchase decisions heavily! It would be nice indeed if the clips would be normalised to the same loudness. Different volumes do mess with how the human ear perceives sound thus making the comparison a little less revealing. Cheers!

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

Hi!! I'm always trying to match the volume between samples. It's a human process and sometimes there are some differences due to the edit speed, :)

@ddubbz1979

2 жыл бұрын

Some pickups are just hotter.

@Julian-wx9cn

2 жыл бұрын

@@ddubbz1979 Obviously! But in the real world one would compensate for that with the gain knob on the amp. I'm sure most people would like to compare pickups with the same degree of saturation.

The JB balancing is great. The Duncan Distortion has a Ceramic magnet. A simple Alnico 5 magnet switch would make it very close for a few dollars. The JB has an Alnico 5 in it.

I recently got Gibson 70s Flying V, white Flying V's been my dream guitar for long enough so I was happy af at first. But the sound was... not quite what I expected.🤔 Especially the bridge one. So I considered pick up change, SH-4 or SH-6. This video really helping me to make up my mind. I gotta go SH-6. Thanks for great comparison video.

@auntjenifer7774

Жыл бұрын

That's what I've got on the bridge of my Dean Z and it's just killer !

I’ve got a coil tapped sh-6 on an old Jackson I’ve had for over 20 years… It sounds really good in single coil mode; in fact I use it like that most of the time.

For me it depends on the guitar. I like both. Problem for me is I never know untill I try each on in the same guitar.

Strange, in your test from 2015 I liked the Distortion better, here I like the JB.

The difference between early Metallica and Megadeth. James used distortions in the beginning and Dave used a 59 and JB. James switched to actives for Justice.

@timbuk1126

2 жыл бұрын

How do you know all this information? 😂

@TrickyPickins

2 жыл бұрын

I thought James used a guitar with an Invader for KEA, RTL, and MOP in his Elektra Flying V, along with a Gibson Explorer with Gibson Dirty Fingers pickups for RTL and MOP. Is this true or am I misinformed?

@Zombie_13x33

2 жыл бұрын

@@TrickyPickins I think you are correct or at least close. I never heard of James using distortion pickups, just the invader in the past and whatever else and emgs now

I have always used jb’s... i put a distortion in the neck of a tele and its crazy....

JB for me, it's truly the jack of all trades, sounds good with every style, and I prefer it even with tight chugging metal.

@kkarx

3 жыл бұрын

I've got Charvel with JB. I love the character of the pickup but it is too muddy for metal, even for some 80s glam it lacks tone clarity. It is def. not well suited for faster playing. It might sound ok in these short clips but it becomes really annoying soon. You'll want cleaner tone.

@stevebenitah7453

3 жыл бұрын

@@kkarx I agree, there are definitely tighter sounding pickups.

@ozzjonez7500

3 жыл бұрын

When you refer to it as chugging metal you are def not a metal player.

@totc6196

Жыл бұрын

@@ozzjonez7500 Dave Mustaine, Willy Adler, Adam Jones?

@nikitaprosin7347

Жыл бұрын

​@@totc6196 yeah Willie Adler really is a great example...for those who don't know, he is 1/2 of guitar duo of Lamb of God. I forget what amp he plays l, but it's through a brown channel (most distorted) and his sound is great.

I keep coming back to the JB for some reason. It's just an incredibly versatile pickup that always sounds open and "interesting", if that makes sense. In my Jackson KV2 I went with a Distortion and somewhat regret it already. It's a rock solid choice but somewhat one-dimensional. Not as flat and boring as the Crunch Lab I had before, but still...

The Distortion has a unique snarl to rhythm playing that I haven't heard from any other pickup. It has alot of attitude. The JB lacks the snarl but has a chewy, round midrange that just pops. There's a video on KZread of a guy playing a pale pink Kiesel testing both the JB and a DiMarzio Evolution. The difference is astounding. The JB is 3D in comparison.

These are both great pickups and I've own both on many guitars since '85 or so. I prefer the JB because it's easier to work with in most situations. They just have a different emphasis. The JB is a great example of an alnico 5 tone and the Distortion is a great example of a ceramic mag. The output is about the same on both pups but the response and tone are different. I remember when I got a Boogie in the late 80s I began to appreciate the JB even more. Because the amp had more distortion than I'd ever need and I realized the JB just covered more territory as I used many different settings on that amp. The Boogie was on the cold side, as Boogies tend to be, and the JB warmed it up a lot. With ceramic pups like the Distortion it was just too cold and jarring. I think the JB and Distortion are perfect with Marshall style amps.

@DravenGabriel59

2 жыл бұрын

Which one would you get to play 80s stuff on an ash bodied Charvel through a jcm 800? Thanks brother ✌️

@angusorvid8840

10 ай бұрын

Either will work but I'd go for the JB. It's just more adaptable, also cleans up better with a volume roll especially if you can a treble bleed circuit. I know a lot of players go for a Distortion if they are going for a Lynch tone but the JB is better for it, as are the Custom SH-5, Full Shred and Screamin' Demon which is Lynch's sig pup. Lynch would played a tamed version of the Distortion with less output, closer to a Custom than a Distortion. It's now sold as the Exciter. But still, I'd get the JB. It covers all the territory for 80s metal. You can get those crunchy Ratt tones easily.@@DravenGabriel59

Definetly the JB!

I just bought on the 19th july my Seymour Duncan SH-6 set,placing them on my guitar the 21st...

Good review but like the Seymour Duncan website says, it's ideal for pinch harmonics which I love doing and took me over 20 years to get really good at doing them. I played a few weeks ago at the guitar store, a high quality Japanese Les Paul - Ornett with a SH=6 in the bridge through a Marshall half stack all tube Marshall 100 watt head and it sounds like Zakk Wylde's Ozzy song 'Miracle Man'. Completely awesome. This SH-6 is my favorite pickup of all time and the JB was my favorite until just a few weeks ago. I still love Fender Custom Shop strats and Masterbuilts and Handwound Fender single coils too. I think my ideal Les Paul pickup set will be a JB in the neck and the SH-6 in the bridge for the Ozzy Randy Rhoads, Zakk Wylde, Joe Satriani, Korn, Deftones, Megadeth, Metallica type tones that I prefer. I would stil play Hendrix / SRV / Clapton with these PU's.

Ultragreat comparison!!

Distortion all the way. thanks for the comparison

I have a pair of SH6s they are killer. Great for high gain playing. I mean they absolutely do exactly what I got them for, & I love them for it. And I must say this is great comparison, it captures accurately how the SH6 sounds with gain. Great. But woahhh😲 that JB sounded creamy as hell, would be killer in a single cut or a mustang style guitar. Might need a pair of these👀

Had Guitar Center put in the JB in my 99 LP Standard took out the Gibson 498t. It lost all the low end. I left it in for a week and then I took it out and put back the 498t. Just had a fuller sound with more low end. I was very surprised had high hopes for that JB.

@Gitfiddle

2 жыл бұрын

It’s just a different kind of pup than than a PAF style pup. A standard Gibby pickup with have more of a scooped mid with more low end and high end. The JB is all about cutting thru a mix with mids. Your pickup I’m sure sounds good at home but if you played live against another player who had a JB you’d get buried in the mix. It’s just a different animal. I love them all! Plenty of players don’t like JB style of pickups.

@SSVplus

2 жыл бұрын

The JB just revealed your LP's natural tone.

@pieterjansenvanrensburg7322

2 жыл бұрын

Adjusting the pole pieces will also solve a lot of frequency problems.

@vincebu6441

Жыл бұрын

Gibbie makes awesome pickups. My v2 has the best pickups and they are stock Gibson. I'll never change them!!!

@pass_the_flask

6 ай бұрын

498T is one of the best pickups for modern rock/metal, more balanced tonally than both the Distortion and JB. Really underrated pup.

I put SH-6’s in my old Schecter C1. They sound good.

As advertised one plays better with distortion and the other plays better clean, wonder if you could combine them somehow and put one on the neck and another on the bridge

Question: Does the SH-6 have more presence in the low end (i.e. low frequencies are a little scooped with the SH-4)?

The JB sounded as good as ever! Anyway the SH6 is a bit thicker I guess. I'd prefer the SH4 all the way!

JB SH-4 for me hands down. Any subtle differences I can achieve tweaking my amp.

Jb it's fuller,more bottom end,less tighter and i guess more articulated and dinamic vol change just for being alnicoV

See.. I've had a few jb pickups... I had a little 59 humbucker when split sounded like the perfect stratocaster clear pickup... ..the distortion tends to have more sizzle toward the top end.. the invader is bassier more than I need... trying to come up with an HSH that doesbr have a dull muffle neck pickup .my new guitar is passive..meaning as of now there is no 9 volt compartment in it...if I can5 come up with good Seymour duncan set up that works for me..the guitar would then be modified for active pickups

Have you done a comparison between the JB and Perpetual Burn?

JB is more "well balanced", especially nice clean tones. (owned 2 before) I just wish it had a bit more "punch". SH-6 is harsher, more aggressive, and a little too "thin and tinny" sounding for my tastes. Perhaps a "hybrid" of the two would fit the bill? (I think I'll be buying '59/Custom Hybrid SH-16).

@dannyrascalmusic

2 жыл бұрын

Have you tried the Perpetual Burn? It’s probably the most articulate pickup I’ve ever played, nice low output like the JB but just a shade brighter.

@josephwalker7432

2 жыл бұрын

thrash factor is a boosted jb

0:23 0:43 clean 3:06 3:18

I like the sh6

Did anyone else hear at 4.49 that SH6 sounded a little brittle compared with the earlier piece of the SH4?

I have the distortion and I actually prefer the tone of the jb much more. The distortion has a bit more treble and less mids. The jb is more full range in comparison. I may try one someday now

@thefivepoints

2 жыл бұрын

On the SD website the eq chart for the Distortion actually says it has more mids as well as more treble.

@JAF2991

Жыл бұрын

Yes, the Distortion has ceramic magnets. It has more high mids, treble and presence.

@ErebosGR

Жыл бұрын

The JB is absolutely NOT more "full range". It's all mids and nothing else. The DD has more bass, more high-mids and more treble than the JB.

Wich one is most noiseless

Is a Alnico vs Ceramic same pickup comparison.

I’ve read somewhere they’re the same pickup but one has Alnico and the other a Ceramic magnet

@Wrathofkala

3 жыл бұрын

I've heard exactly the same.....makes sense thou. Distortion has a harsher sound due to the ceramic which I prefer for Metal.

@idontgivea1769

3 жыл бұрын

Haven’t read about that, but the first thing that came to mind listening to this is they’re pretty much the same. Only obvious difference is the SH-6 is not as harsh on the highs and mids and has a bit more lows

@kayjay7585

3 жыл бұрын

wow, I haven't heard that until now! I just compared all their Humbuckers and indeed the JB (aka SH4), the Distortion (aka SH6) both do have 16.6k DC-Resistance and so does the Invader (aka SH8). The last thing is little surprise as I've heard from Duncan that besides the pole-pieces, the Invader and Distortion are the same. Also the Full Shred (SH-10) might just be a Custom-5 (SH14) with different pole-pieces, as they have the same DC-Resistance and both an Alnico 5 magnet.

@KodyXXVll

3 жыл бұрын

@@idontgivea1769 what the fuck are you talking about? the sh-6 is harsher and has higher highs because it's ceramic, the jb's lows are clearer and mids are clearer too becasue it's alnico 5.

@Dale_Higgins

3 жыл бұрын

@@KodyXXVll maybe you should listen to the clips instead of being a dickhead and regurgitating what you think certain magnets are supposed to sound like.

Any chance you could compare the SH-6 bridge to the Wes Hauch Jupiter Rails bridge?

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

Hope so. If I had the chance someday, it will be here!

JB más definición!👌

JB is more scooped and the Distortion has more mid range. I like them both.

@Zombie_13x33

3 жыл бұрын

Really? I own the distortion and after listening to this video I really think the opposite as you as far as the jb being scooped? I think the distortion has less mids whereas the jb is more full range compared

@MrJohnnz

3 жыл бұрын

No, JB is more open sounding, sweat hights and has wider mid freq range that sounds fuzzy in some mids (great for classic rock sounds) while SD not. SD is bighter and has more definition because of mids and harsh hights but also have own freq range of mids which is better for metal than JB in my opinion. I boost mids on preamp to sounds more like open JB and cut britle hights on TB6 and it souds like JB without fuzzy mids and with more definition. Reminds me 80's thrash metal.. also better for drop tuning. But both pickups are super. Maybe JB is better in mix.

What is acctually your amp? love 4:28 sound a lot

Is this (JB) pickup good for playing 80's glam bands like Britny Fox, Dokken or something like that?

@DravenGabriel59

2 жыл бұрын

It's great!!! But classic Dokken is THE reference of what is the Distortion tone (at least for me). George was using it back in those days.

JB feels a bit fuller and more well rounded tone (clean and distorted) to my ears. Distortion is a bit more biting and would prolly pierce thru a mix a touch better in a louder venue.

In the "Metal" part, I was hoping to hear low e d rhythm, specifically palm muting.

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

Watch 03:30! :)

@lucwilson1

3 жыл бұрын

@@mikestamper No he means real metal.

Looking to upgrade my SG from the stock 490s. Seriously torn between the JBs and Distortions. Play a lot of Chains, Soundgarden, Social D, etc. Anyone in a similar boat that can offer some advice?

@auntjenifer7774

Жыл бұрын

JB in the neck and with Sh6 in thy bridge. Or Jazz neck and 59 bridge .

@Christopherthomas123

Жыл бұрын

@@auntjenifer7774 Thanks!

I am 73 years old, and have a difficult time telling the difference between the two. I assume due to degradation of my hearing. Could I please ask of you all out there: what is the true difference between the two?

JB SH-4 neck, SH-6 brigde

@jakovgelo451

2 жыл бұрын

How good is this Idea? I am thinking of it. For clean JB is much better with that fully sound and SD SH6 bridge for power.

@heveleazura

8 ай бұрын

I'm also confused.. which one better? JB better for bridge or neck

@goodmanwiseman303

2 ай бұрын

@@heveleazura both are bridge pickups. Get a 59 for neck

@helio1055

2 ай бұрын

@@goodmanwiseman303 Nonsense, you can use a Distortion or a JB for a hot neck pickup if you like liquidy sustaining leads for metal.

Could i use a jb sh4B,(bridge) that was intended for the bridge in the neck? It shouldn't matter right?

@mikestamper

3 ай бұрын

No problem. If you have a lot of output doing so (bridge pickups tend to have higher output), try lowering the pickup height until you find a proper point which you like, but I'm pretty sure it should work really nice.

JB for clean and lead Distortion for dirty rhythm

Don't like the scoop in the sh-4, and the bottom is a bit boomy when chugging. Sh-6 wins for me

@sketchyold

3 жыл бұрын

Fuck “chugging.” These pickups were made for music, not down-tunes mud.

@billrobertjoe

3 жыл бұрын

@@sketchyold shut up

@shamsulchong1785

9 ай бұрын

​​@@sketchyoldDown tune mud? For example?

Which pickup is the best for playing Alternative rock? Is it good if i put it on Squier affinity jazzmaster?

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

SH-4 is more versatile somehow and it could do better for that kind of alt. rock sounds, as SH-6 is generally more aggressive styles focused. Both are awesome pickups, but I'll choose SH-4 for your particular case.

@KimKim-mt2bb

3 жыл бұрын

@@mikestamper i see, I'll go with SH 4 then Thanks bro!

@dead_yami

3 жыл бұрын

Have you looked into the Super Distortion? Better for that dirty 90’s alternative jazzmaster feel IMO

@kkarx

3 жыл бұрын

SH-4 is amazing pick-up for rock. I'd call it even the best pick-up for rock. You'll be happy with it.

@TrickyPickins

2 жыл бұрын

I have one of those Squier Affinity Jazzmaster HH 's and I love it. I am debating whether I should actually change out the stock pickups in it, because the stock pickups sound really good imo in terms of how they handle gain, and I don't want to change that. Anyways, how do you like your Jazzy?

4:16 SH-6 shows more characteristic sustain

SH6 is better !

JB sounds a bit more "hifi" with extended highs and lows, whereas the Distortion sounds slightly tighter and more mid focussed.

One left, one right, here's your wall of sound

In my humble, the JB is looser and less compressed. I always found it to have a very specific sound, almost lazy and sleazy. The Distortion has less "character" but is tighter and more aggressive. Cleans aren't good that's why I match it with a Jazz neck

Brigde, TB-6 neck, JB SH-4...!!!

The question is what does Adam Jones use ?

@zaldum386

2 жыл бұрын

Sh6 custom

@theriffroom

2 жыл бұрын

@@zaldum386 I dunno man I keep seeing Sh-4, Sh-5 custom or Sh-6 best thing to do is email seymour duncan and get a custom hand wound DDJ 🤣

@zaldum386

2 жыл бұрын

@@theriffroom Nono, he released his own signature Custom Les Paul and he talked about the pickups, his own pickups are ols SH6 from de custom shop (hand wired) but they are SH6, and if you listen carefully to their records , it is actaully a SH6, tight and percussive.

@ahaua1

Жыл бұрын

I heard that, currently, the SH-6 is closest to what Jones uses; it's what they're putting in the Adam Jones Epiphone Les Paul Customs, (with artwork); I have the guitar. Having said that, and being a huge Adam Jones fan, I like the overall sound of the JB, for Tool music, better. The SH-6 can get a little "harsh"/aggressive/ too "bright", whereas the SH-4 sounds "chunkier" and has better overall tone. To each his own I guess.

They aren't really that far off from each other.. the sh6 maybe is a bit more compressed with more harmonic overtones

JB for the win.

@craigharrison5406

3 жыл бұрын

I agree. I was on the fence between buying one of these and ended up going for the JB to put in a Jackosn Dinky. I have no regrets it sounds awesome.

roll the volume on the sh-6 and it's a def winner for metal, even hard rock

SH-6 wins

3:06 3:18 3:31 3:43

Looking back at things and the way they are now is very diff. When I was a pro musician and had a signed contract with a big record label, BMG at the time, back in the good old days when record labels payed for your studio hours, I didn't care about gear. Initially when I was signed on the guy responsible for the marketing dept. said to me: "Look, if you need any gear just go to a music store of your choice, get what you want/need and tell them to contact us and we'll pay." (I know it sounds like a dream but true nonetheless), I really didn't care much about gear. I only cared about how it sounded, so I played a Strat Plus (Lace Pups) and an Ibanez SC10 Chorus, an Ibanez DML20 Delay and a Boss Distortion, this was my tone, my sound and for years I played countless concerts with this set up plus a Marshall JCM 900 Combo Mk III 50 watt as my back up. Today, I'm getting close to age 60 and I have more gear than I ever thought possible.

What guitar did you use for this?

@mikestamper

3 жыл бұрын

A custom alder body / canadian maple neck stratocaster, :)

@destinydonut

2 жыл бұрын

@@mikestamper what potentiometers did you use in the strat?

3:40, явно не настроена гитара, или мне кажется что павер аккорд звучит размазаны, из за этого сравнить сложнее. Замечено не в одном видео.

Gain:SD distortion Rest of tones:SD JB

Las JB sin duda, más completas .

SH-6 +

I just bought a Charvel Pro Mod So Cal and it has a Seymour Duncan Distortion SH-6 in the bridge. I've always liked the JB as my go to bridge humbucker ....among other couple of diff models such as the Dimarzio The Breed and Dimarzio PAF 36th Ann. Br./Neck. Nevertheless, I had a S. Duncan Custom 5 in one guitar and I hate the sound of the Custom "5hit". Worst bridge HB in history.

sh6

3:07 3:18

Honestly theyre very close to identical

jb sounds a bit more chimey to me. i prefer the ceramics in the sb6

JB

The SH-6 is hotter. The JB is more classic sounding.

To use a 'Dog analogy' the SH4 is a Dobermann and the SH6 is a Rottweiler.

JB wins for metal.

Sh4 for les paul,sh6 for SG

แตกฝั่งขาว คลีนฝั่งซ้าย

the SH-6 sounds way thinner

Sh-4...nice clarity Sh-6...overcompressed

Distortion is much more mid focused, JB has more high end in it. Both great tones though.

No brainer....SH-4 wins overall!! SH-6 is just a tad too "harsh". And I'm a Tool fan....go figure.

@wce74wce15

2 ай бұрын

Jones uses SH-6

😒

Cause everyone has a $4000 amp on hand

@shamsulchong1785

9 ай бұрын

Huh?

SH-4 rock, heavy metal SH-6 Trash metal, Death Metal