LoL! I think the OP is referring to JB's tone prior to their hiatus so 30 years ago.
Exactly the same here! I loved his chording behind 'Tokyo Dream'. And live too where i saw him with John McLaughlin and Trilok Gurtu. I think the key element at this time was his 'Rowdy Roddy Piper' Precision with a graphite neck, single Bartolini pick-up, Badass bridge and little or no chorus. I think it got stolen and things went downhill from there tone-wise. Here it is pre-Roddy sticker. I believe the neck pick-up was never wired-up.