Seymour Duncan has retooled its famed JB humbucker for Telecasters, and it could be a game-changer for Telecaster players.
The pickup was first crafted in the 1970s in collaboration with Jeff Beck, hence its name. It was the firm's first-ever humbucker design and helped make the sound of his masterpiece record, Blow by Blow, so distinctive.
Since then, it's been introduced to a huge array of genres, with players adoring its high-output tones and ability to push tube amps harder for greater sustain and harmonics.
Of course, it’s proven a hit with metal guitar players, as evidenced by its inclusion in the new Jackson Soloist SL2DX, but it’s also won over blues players, too, for those wanting a little more spice and sizzle.
Now, Tele players can get in on the action with this new reimagining that, crucially, packs the heat and tonal charm of the famed pup into a single-coil-sized design. That’s the real kicker here. There’s no need to get drills and saws out to carve out a bigger hole in your beloved axe.
“With any replacement pickup, you’re constrained by the shape of the pickup that you’re trying to replace,” Seymour Duncan’s VP of engineering and new products, Kevin Beller, explains. “If you’re trying to replace a Tele [pickup], you can’t really deviate from a Tele shape very far. Basically, what we’re doing is we’re trying to fit two coils into the space where one big single coil used to occupy.”
It’s concocted with a ceramic magnet for “powerful and dynamic tones” and is vacuum wax-potted for squeal-free performance. Anyone who’s ever run a traditional Tele hot will know how susceptible to hum they can be.
Wired with four-conductor lead wire, the pickup enables series, parallel, and split coil wiring options for those not wanting to leave their single coil twang behind them.
Naturally, the JB Jr. for Tele is designed specifically for Telecaster bridge routs. Its “beloved punch, harmonic sparkle, and searing highs” will fit most standard Telecaster bridge single-coil routs – Fender or otherwise – but it’s always best to check the measurements before ordering.
“For decades, the Seymour Duncan JB humbucker has been the go-to pickup for guitarists across countless genres,” says Seymour Duncan. “The JB Jr. for Tele brings high output, tonal versatility, and signature harmonic richness to your Tele bridge, all in a single-coil-sized humbucker design.”
The Seymour Duncan JB Jr. for Tele bridge pickup is priced at $129 and is available to order now.
Visit Seymour Duncan for a closer look.
Seymour Duncan has been busy of late, dropping what it claims to be the ultimate Jazzmaster pickup and collaborating with Joe Bonamassa on two pickup sets that recreate the sounds of two unique axes in his collection: his obscure “Greenburst” Strat, and Tommy Bolin's legendary Les Paul.
