Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

[Edward203]

Has anyone tried Marty Friedman set from EMG? I've heard it doesn't really sound much like the JB, if anything they're a tame version of them but I just wanted to confirm here. I really like his tone in Rust in Peace (Megadeth), I know he used a Kelly with one JB back then.

I'd just get a regular JB but the trembucker options are limited, I hate chrome and I don't care much about the traditional look either; I also wanted to get the Sentient with it but they won't match. I wish Seymour Duncan had options like Bare Knuckles, EMG and DiMarzio to customize at least the color of the poles. Anyway, I'm not convinced he based his EMG passive pups on the JB, hard to tell with certainty, he doesn't mention them at all when he talks about his set, maybe that's just because they're EMG?

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

You can customize the color of the plating on the poles via the Custom Floor program. AFAIK, you can order a JB that matches the look of a Sentient or a Sentient that matches the look of the JB no problem.

And yes, the bridge pickup is very probably based on the JB. Just look at the specs. 16 point something K and Alnico 5.

[BeKindRewind]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

If you want the RIP tone I would go for the JB with a custom cover. His new tone is pretty awesome too though. But to me , Marty is gonna sound like Marty no matter what. Some of his solos were cut with a $400 stock Japanese Strat(yeah, with single coils) he used to play sometimes in the 90's. You can't even tell, just sounds like Marty

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[Edward203]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

Thanks, I just contacted Sweetwater, they'll reach to them directly since they are the authorized retailers; SD will tell them how much it will cost and the time it will take to have them shipped. I asked them for matte bobbins, all black poles, black back plate and black SD logo, basically what they put in the Black Metal guitar series for ESP. It is not "custom shop" just a regular JB trembucker and a 59, Worst case at least I want the poles to be black and the bobbins matte like the Thrash factor but will see.

How much you guys think it will cost?

[Edward203]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

You can customize the color of the plating on the poles via the Custom Floor program. AFAIK, you can order a JB that matches the look of a Sentient or a Sentient that matches the look of the JB no problem.

And yes, the bridge pickup is very probably based on the JB. Just look at the specs. 16 point something K and Alnico 5.

Yes, I looked at the specs but in the few demos it sounds different. Some people I asked say they sound more "sweet" and they're super dynamic but they don't have the mid growl of the JB. It's so hard to actually describe tone with words

[orpheo]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

I find it absolutely ridiculous that SD will not allow the customer, the consumer, to order pickups directly from the website (with the augmentations). Even Dimarzio has that enabled.

but of course, USA only

[Edward203]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

I find it absolutely ridiculous that SD will not allow the customer, the consumer, to order pickups directly from the website (with the augmentations). Even Dimarzio has that enabled.

but of course, USA only

I had to ask for a quote and estimated time of shipping through sweetwater, I'm hoping the price will be about the same since I'm just changing the appareance of the pup based on what they have in other pickups. Hopefully I'll have an answer soon. Bare Knuckles has a bunch of options, even EMG gives you at least 5 or more, SD it's just the same old boring stuff from the 1950s, zebra, cream and black, super shiny chrome and gold and that's it for the JB trembucker a lot of them don't have options at all.

[Mincer]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

From what I understood, you can buy stock pickups right through the website (USA only), but Floor Shop Customs go through a dealer.

[Edward203]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

From what I understood, you can buy stock pickups right through the website (USA only), but Floor Shop Customs go through a dealer.

I did that, any idea how long it will take for the whole process these days? I just asked sweeetwater and they are asking SD if they will charge the same or more and how long it will take them to put them together.

[Mincer]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

I did that, any idea how long it will take for the whole process these days? I just asked sweeetwater and they are asking SD if they will charge the same or more and how long it will take them to put them together.

The whole point of this line is that it takes a shorter time than the Custom Shop...a few weeks, I'd guess. I haven't heard of long times through a dealer like Sweetwater.

[nexion218]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

I ordered a Shop Floor Custom set (Black Winter set, trembucker at bridge, but white bobbins and black logo). The upcharge was around 20-30 USD. They completed it in around 6 weeks, but shipping it to my dealer was a major embarassme t and I ended up waiting several months. They left it out of the shipment... But thats not the regular way of things, so I guess you can calculate with the 6 weeks.

[Edward203]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

I ordered a Shop Floor Custom set (Black Winter set, trembucker at bridge, but white bobbins and black logo). The upcharge was around 20-30 USD. They completed it in around 6 weeks, but shipping it to my dealer was a major embarassme t and I ended up waiting several months. They left it out of the shipment... But thats not the regular way of things, so I guess you can calculate with the 6 weeks.

Thanks, I may just end up getting either the Thrash Factor with the Sentient or the Marty Friedman pup from EMG, EMG sent me some coupon code. I'm still debating because I don't think his sound like a JB in the demos but the specs are very similar, they say they the found a "new recipe" to wind them though, I wonder if that would make such a big difference or is just people using completely different settings and amps to demo the pickups.

[Mincer]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

In the end, you have to decide if getting a custom piece is worth waiting for, and if you can trust your dealer to follow through. 6 weeks does go by pretty quick, but your dealer should be communicative and help you through your order.

[BeKindRewind]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

Here's my take on this , if you definitely want the JB sound don't settle for an EMG that supposedly maybe sounds like a JB. I had the same debate with myself over the JB Jr., And I'm glad I decided not to compromise, and get the full JB instead. I got the sound I knew I wanted.

But that being said I bet you the EMG's sound amazing. I mean, Marty's new record Wall of Sound proves it! He has some amazing tones on there. So I also think maybe you're overthinking it, cause you'll probably happy with whichever one you end up with.

But if you definitely want a JB tone, which I totally understand since it's the tried and true original, then I have to say get the JB !

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[Edward203]

Re: Marty Friedman EMG signature pickups!

Sweetwater said 256 after taxes, 2 to 4 weeks for SD to put it together, average a month until I get them at my door. I guess I'll just order them. It would have been much easier to get the EMGs with the pots and everything else but the demos and answers I get are not convincing and it will not be a JB either way.