EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

[xxxplorer]

I recently got an 81/60 set for my jackson dinky as it is a metal guitar. I was excited to get the guitar back up an running and when I pluged in I was amazed how tight it was and how focused everything sounded. I played her for 4 days, and then yesterday before band practice I plugged in my Bill and Becky loaded Explorer and after the first Power Chord I was like 'Oh yeah, that is how a guitar sounds!'. The 81 is honestly purely a lead pickup imho. It is missing so much from the spectrum if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, it is cool, but when I pluged in the explorer it was night and day. Still tight and focused, but had a nice bottom end and I swear you can hear the wood.... not that you really want to hear the wood in the Jackson anyway! My Bass player put it this way 'the jackson sounds like Hammet... no balls', and that explorer sounds more full'. I am gonna stick to duncans or Lawrence from now on!

 

[alex1fly]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Which Bill and Becky pups do you have in the Explorer? Would an 85 would be a better bridge match for you with its Alnico magnet?

 

[uOpt]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Well, the Exploder is probably the better base guitar. I wouldn't blame EMG just yet.

 

[alashredder]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Which Bill and Becky pups do you have in the Explorer? Would an 85 would be a better bridge match for you with its Alnico magnet?

An 85 would sound more "brutal" than an 81, because it sounds thicker and has more bass. I liked the 81's tonal character as it sounds tighter than the 85, but it was thin sounding compared to the 85, but is better for leads from the 81's high treble. This is where the blackouts come in. The blackout bridge is modeled after the 81, but has a bit more organic feel and doesn't sound as thin as the 81. It also has a bit of more fuzz to it. Also has more output than the 81.

After 2 months of trying active pickups, I went back with passives. Why? They can sound almost as brutal as actives, yet the cleans are better and they're easier to shape the sound the way you want it. There's no need to change batteries even though it usually is changed out once a year, but it's one less thing to worry about. Actives does the best at what it does, but in the end..I still yearn for the passive's tone and the organic and dynamics of it. BTW..I play metal.

 

[donahue]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

I'm glad you guys are talking about this, cause lately I've been struggling to find "my tone" and was seriously thinking of trying EMGs. Blackouts are still too much $ for me. But I think I'll hold off on both, cause I hear this alot.

 

[alashredder]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

For me, it's passives all the way. In the process of selling all of my active pickups and not regretting it one bit. Although the actives are nice and remaining quiet and not mud up on high gain amps, I found that passives work that way as well. The Duncan Screamin' Demon and the Dimarzio Evolution's are examples of that. Although the Evolution has more output, in the end..it comes down to tone and I just prefer the tones of passive pickups.

I was excited to use active pickups and it did what the descriptions say. Having to use it for about 2 months, it was missing what the passives have to offer.

 

[_Guitarzan_]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

I have a set of Lawrence's I bought from Bill and Becky. L500XL (b) and an L500C . These are the cleanest, loudest, most hi-fi pickups I've ever tried. Extremely versatile for most styles out there. They have no fizz or buzz on the top end like EMG 81's or some passives. They are just brilliantly clean!

 

[xxxplorer]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

I have had EMGs in the explorer, it was about 2 years ago, but I had them in there. I tried it again about 7 months ago and took them out. They actually made the guitar not as prominant, got lost in the mix and sounded to much the same as anything else... the BL is my pickup all the way, high output, clear and super versitile. I am ordering some for the Jackson too in the future. The EMGs sound cool, but are missing something.

 

[HarrisonDavid]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

I recently got an 81/60 set for my jackson dinky as it is a metal guitar. I was excited to get the guitar back up an running and when I pluged in I was amazed how tight it was and how focused everything sounded. I played her for 4 days, and then yesterday before band practice I plugged in my Bill and Becky loaded Explorer and after the first Power Chord I was like 'Oh yeah, that is how a guitar sounds!'. The 81 is honestly purely a lead pickup imho. It is missing so much from the spectrum if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, it is cool, but when I pluged in the explorer it was night and day. Still tight and focused, but had a nice bottom end and I swear you can hear the wood.... not that you really want to hear the wood in the Jackson anyway! My Bass player put it this way 'the jackson sounds like Hammet... no balls', and that explorer sounds more full'. I am gonna stick to duncans or Lawrence from now on!

Thats pretty much how I felt when I got my 500XL and L in my les paul studio! They beat the EMGS tonal wise. EMGs are great though for what they do. Hands down I like the lawrences. Bill and Beckys that is.

 

[ex-250]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

The 81 is honestly purely a lead pickup imho.

i couldnt agree more. i just got my first EMG-loaded (81/81) guitar this past september, and while its given me my best lead sound ever i simply cant nail down a rhythm tone i like as much as passives (or neck model blackout in bridge). i just recently swapped the 81 in the bridge for an 85 and while its less peircing, i still dont think EMGs are for me. doesnt stand out as much in the mix, and lacks the feel/dynamics/punch of my other pickups. the 85 is probably gonna stay though, cause i dont wanna rewire a guitar i just spent that much money on

 

[Diocletian]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Hang on here.

Some pickups sound great in one guitar, but crap in others.

I have a Bill Lawrence USA 500XL - how many people have said they're not as good as Bill and Becky's? But mine sounds awesome.

There's alot of variables go into this. I think those EMG's might do a job in a certain guitar, it's just a matter of finding it.

 

[tc]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Well don't take it out on all passives haha. I'm not much of an EMG 81 fan, but their Strat setups with the expander and the booster are super versatile, even if not vintage-y.

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

I'm an EMG fan as well, but not the 81. The real Bill and Becky pups, especially the "single coils" are fantastic.

 

[formula73]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Hang on here.

Some pickups sound great in one guitar, but crap in others.

I have a Bill Lawrence USA 500XL - how many people have said they're not as good as Bill and Becky's? But mine sounds awesome.

There's alot of variables go into this. I think those EMG's might do a job in a certain guitar, it's just a matter of finding it.

I've never had much problem with either. I've heard all sorts of horror stories about the USAs, but I bought (and I'm serious) a backpack full of 500XLs at NAMM 05 and still have several left. I've never had any of these microphonics problems people talk about, and while they might sound a bit different from Bill and Becky's stuff, the character is still the same and most people would have a hard time telling the difference after the time it took to change the pickup. That said, Becky is a pleasure to deal with, and has anybody talked to Bill lately? Bill Lawrence conversations are the stuff of legend :lol:

 

[Marshall_Abuser]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

If you are looking for rhythm playing, the L500 is what you need.

But when I play live with my EMGs, they cut through the mix like a hot knife through butter, something most passives can't do because their spectrum is too widely spread.

 

[Buckeyedog]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Just got a guitar with my first cut at EMGs. Really liking the 85 in the bridge and SA/SLV in the mid/neck. Pleasantly surprised.

I can't seem to follow the Bill and Becky website at all for some reason.........can't seem to find specific info about their pickups........guess I'm the only one? And I have e-mailed them twice (a few years ago to be fair) and never got a response back.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: EMG/Bill Becky Comparison

Just got a guitar with my first cut at EMGs. Really liking the 85 in the bridge and SA/SLV in the mid/neck. Pleasantly surprised.

I can't seem to follow the Bill and Becky website at all for some reason.........can't seem to find specific info about their pickups........guess I'm the only one? And I have e-mailed them twice (a few years ago to be fair) and never got a response back.

No, I remember looking at their website a while back too and found it incomprehensible. I've also heard that they're not the best when it comes to customer service. HOWEVER, that's just hearsay, I've also heard they're the nicest people in the world.
At the end of the day, I got a BL USA 500XL from Banjomikez, no hassle at all (even to the UK), cheaper than a Duncan or DiMarzio and I like it so much it's a keeper, even though I have a spare JB sitting which is overall my favourite pickup.