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My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

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  • #16
    Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

    Originally posted by freefrog View Post
    An important difference between an EMG81 and a passive pickup seems to be something that I've just recalled on another thread:

    The EMG81 is designed to sound like a passive humbucker would do... once wired in series with a capacitor.

    Conversely, increasing the capacitance of C1 and C2 input caps in a EMG would make it sound a lot more like a passive pickup.

    Link: https://www.electrosmash.com/emg81

    FWIW. :-)
    And does one go about such a mod? I mean, the whole thing is embedded in some epoxy-like stuff, you can't realy tweak the insides of an EMG, can you?

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    • #17
      Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

      Originally posted by nexion218 View Post
      And does one go about such a mod? I mean, the whole thing is embedded in some epoxy-like stuff, you can't realy tweak the insides of an EMG, can you?
      Reason why I've used the word "would". :-)

      Now, for anyone who would search the missing link between EMG's and passive PU's, there's another potential solution than destroying an impossible to mod epoxied EMG. This DIY solution is "embedded" in the link that I've provided: it's in the section 5.

      FWIW. :-)
      Duncan user since the 80's...

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      • #18
        Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

        I have tried the 18V mod, but I didn't find it made the EMG's radically different. I actually made one of those little 24V packs that run on two 12V batteries. Yes, it adds a little bit of low and high-end and dynamics, but not nearly enough to make EMG's passive-sounding at all. TBH, I kinda like them a 9V a bit better.

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        • #19
          Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

          Originally posted by Rex_Rocker View Post
          That's the thing for me: I feel like, recorded, I only really sound like >me< through EMG's. Yeah, passives have their own thing going on which is cool, and it's cool to reach out for every once in a while, but I feel like my tone is EMG's, really. Like I said, I go back and forth between the 85 and the 81 (mostly 81, though). I guess what I should really do is keep at least one guitar equipped with EMG's around for whenever the mood strickes.

          BTW, you aren't missing much with the X series. To me, they're not all that different from the standards. Have you tried the standards at 18V? The X series sound exactly like that (more headroom which means slightly more dinamics and very very slightly more lows and highs) with the output knocked down a tad. Nothing more.
          Cool - sounds to me like you've subconciously made your mind up then. EMG's respond to your fingers in a way that works for you, and that's probably never going to change. The best suggestion I can make is that if you have the capitol, keep a couple guitars with passives laying around for situations where you feel like you need them (even if you're bored of your "main" tone for a while). That's basically why I keep my EMG guys around right now - when I'm bored of grinding on my own stuff, and I wanna roleplay as Hetfield for a while or something.

          i've never tried the 18V mod, but I could probably rig it up easily enough in one of my monsters. - From the clips I heard, it didn't really sound different enough to make me wanna do it. Just kinda seems to make them sound less focused and less like EMG's.

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          • #20
            Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

            Originally posted by BeKindRewind View Post
            i've never tried the 18V mod, but I could probably rig it up easily enough in one of my monsters. - From the clips I heard, it didn't really sound different enough to make me wanna do it. Just kinda seems to make them sound less focused and less like EMG's.
            Pretty much. Yep.

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            • #21
              Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

              EMG, SD, DMZ, etc., are just tools. Use the right one for the job. Some cannot stand EMG and me I cannot stand a Seymour Duncan JB.

              I have a Strat with Rose pickups, a Strat with Seymour Duncan STK-S4/S7, a Les Paul with Gibson '61, a Peavey Vandenberg and a Godin Exit22 with EMG S/S/60.
              They all sound different on their own and I would never commit to one and only one brand and/or model. I would choose my guitar depending on my mood and/or the songs I want to play that day. Surprisingly, the most versatile one is my Godin with EMG (remark it not the usual 81/85). It's the one I would pick if I go to a jam not knowing the songlist and/or not knowing the backline amp provided. I will always get a usable sound out of that guitar for blues/pop/classic rock/hard rock, and in some occasions it will be stelar.

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              • #22
                Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                i have one active guitar these days too but i used emgs for a long time. sv/sv/81 spc & pa2 in my main guitar and i enjoyed that setup for years but tastes changed, rigs changed etc... my current active ax is loaded with blackout singles which i like a lot. i rewired it last week to include my old spc and while i was at it, swapped the middle blackout for an sv. holy cow do the blackouts (without the jumper) have more output!! emgs have a certain sound and feel to them just like everything else. blackouts are a little less compressed than the s or sa models, i still like the sv but damn, the output mismatch is such that the middle blackout is going back in on the next string change

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                • #23
                  Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                  I've only used the 81/60 set. I found they're really compressed and they have a much narrower frequency response than passive pickups - you lose a lot of lows and presence. It makes things sound more consistent and more like a studio recording where the guitar is EQ'd to sit nicely in a heavy mix. That's not generally a fun tone to play with by yourself though.

                  If you want to record thrash and have your palm-muted chugging sound really tight and consistent, they're great. Otherwise I found the tone and feel uninspiring. I changed them out after only 2 weeks.

                  Sent from my SM-G970W using Tapatalk

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                  • #24
                    Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                    As far as compressed... I dunno. Yes they're definitely not a vintage single coil as far as dynamics go, but I don't feel they're that much flatter than, say, a JB (I love the JB, BTW). Rather than compressed, I think they're consistent, but I feel they're every bit as responsive to picking dynamics as the average high-output pickup.

                    Originally posted by jeremy View Post
                    i have one active guitar these days too but i used emgs for a long time. sv/sv/81 spc & pa2 in my main guitar and i enjoyed that setup for years but tastes changed, rigs changed etc... my current active ax is loaded with blackout singles which i like a lot. i rewired it last week to include my old spc and while i was at it, swapped the middle blackout for an sv. holy cow do the blackouts (without the jumper) have more output!! emgs have a certain sound and feel to them just like everything else. blackouts are a little less compressed than the s or sa models, i still like the sv but damn, the output mismatch is such that the middle blackout is going back in on the next string change
                    I remember I tried the AHB-1B when I had it with an 81 in the neck, and it was just unusable. The Blackout would just completely drown the EMG out. My experience was the same as yours.
                    Last edited by Rex_Rocker; 03-31-2020, 05:34 PM.

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                    • #25
                      Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                      I had EMGs come stock in my Steinberger in my avatar, but they lasted maybe 2 months. They were too hot, too sharp, and made everyone who tried my guitar sound the same. So, I replaced them with an Alnico II Pro, and a Custom Shop 59/Custom Hybrid.
                      Administrator of the SDUGF

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                      • #26
                        Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                        To me, EMG's work with certain amps like Mesa Boogies or other high gain amps (5150?). Passives work great with Marshalls. Don't know about Fenders. Did Gilmore use EMG singles with Fenders?

                        I'm mostly in the Marshall camp and agree with the OP, EMG's just seemed lacking compared to passives. Might be different if I had Mesas or maybe 5150's.

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                        • #27
                          Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                          gimour used emgs sa pup in the red strat with spc and exg controls

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                          • #28
                            Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                            Originally posted by DonP View Post
                            I'm mostly in the Marshall camp and agree with the OP, EMG's just seemed lacking compared to passives. Might be different if I had Mesas or maybe 5150's.
                            Zakk Wylde makes them work, though (huge Zakk fan here). Slayer too. I liked them matched with my old little Marshall DSL1... but then again, that Marshall was kind of a toy, LOL, so not really representative.
                            Last edited by Rex_Rocker; 04-01-2020, 09:59 AM.

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                            • #29
                              Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                              I kinda hate how good EMGs sound in a band setting. I play in C standard through a 5153 and greenbacks with my band, and I much prefer the tone I'm getting with my Dimarzio passives, but there's no denying they can't hold a candle to EMGs when it comes to slicing through the bass and drums. It became painfully evident during the brief time we had a second guitarist who played EMGs through a Peavey 5150.

                              Skickat från min SM-G955F via Tapatalk
                              --------------------------------------------------------
                              1973 Aria 551
                              1984 Larrivee RS-4 w/ EMG SA/SA/89
                              1989 Charvel 750 XL w/ DMZ Tone Zone & Air Norton
                              1990's noname crap-o-caster plywood P/J Bass
                              1991 Heartfield Elan III w/ DMZ mystery pups
                              1995 Aria Pro II TA-65
                              2001 Gibson Les Paul Gothic w/ PG-1 & SH-8

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                              • #30
                                Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

                                I've had very limited experience with EMGs. To me, I think that to get the full flavor of them, you'd be best off with a bunch of the active EQ tone controls to really expand what they can do.

                                Having said that, I bought a used SG a few years ago, first thing I did was put a set of Saturday night specials in it. However, when I got it, the pickups the previous owner had in there were an EMG 85 in the bridge (I didn't scrutinize what tone control he had on it) and a DiMarzio Super 2 in the neck. The way they were wired is that you either had one or the other. But I suppose that if you're adventurous and like characteristics of both passive and active, this would be one solution...

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