Fit and finish is the same between the two though the NB is fancier, of course. Soundwise, I didn't like the Duncan '59s in my BB at all. They weren't just dark, they were muddy. I put in a set of TV Jones Magna'Tron pickups (bright!) and like it much better now. This particular NB has Kent Armstrong pickups, not EMGs. They are a little underwound compared to the Duncans in the BB. They have the richness of a typical PAF, but are brighter than most, including the Duncan SD-1s used in many mid to late 1990s Guilds. I like them a lot.