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Actives with passive feel

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  • #16
    Re: Actives with passive feel

    ...still hoping to get some opinions on the Daemonum Set or the Retro Actives.
    Anyone tried them?

    Comment


    • #17
      Re: Actives with passive feel

      I've only ever used the Retro Actives once, the 7 string Fat 55 neck / Super 77 bridge. I think you have to buy neck and bridge together in most cases, so it's hard to mismatch them.

      I remember being impressed, but I can't quite remember why. It was a while ago and I only played the guitar a hot minute.
      You will never understand How it feels to live your life With no meaning or control And with nowhere left to go You are amazed that they exist And they burn so bright
      Whilst you can only wonder why

      Comment


      • #18
        Re: Actives with passive feel

        Originally posted by ArtieToo View Post
        Green highlighters used to make CD's sound better. Maybe the green lettering is having the same affect. Everyone is talking about "going green."
        Nah man, Black Metal was my only business as a teen. I went for the CDs that had this black tinted plastic underside. It made my sh!t quality mp3-burned on CD Norwegian lo-fi Black Metal so much more evil sounding...

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        • #19
          Re: Actives with passive feel

          Originally posted by frankfalbo View Post
          Even that seems like a typo. Every other old instruction set and spec lists them as 80/3000hrs with some sets listed as 160/1500 under one pickup and nothing listed on the other.

          I don’t have any knowledge as to what the differences are (if any) between the stock and KH set, just saying I don’t think the current draw spec is any indicator. I think it’s wrong.
          you Sir are correct (as always). digged up an old datasheet:
          Click image for larger version

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          same current/Batterylife as X/BB-Series
          but the other specs are different.

          It's getting clear their published specs are a mess
          Last edited by ToneFiddler; 07-09-2020, 01:55 PM.

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          • #20
            Actives with passive feel

            Originally posted by GrabtharsHammer View Post
            ...still hoping to get some opinions on the Daemonum Set or the Retro Actives.
            Anyone tried them?
            I have both. Super 77 (there is a thread on here somewhere by me) is probably the most awesome EMG pickup set ever. A little too flubby and perhaps «slow» for djenty modern metal (a boost and a 5150 will make everything sound tight though), but excellent for everything else. In fact, my guitar with super 77 became my number one... I didn’t see that one coming.

            Still on the fence about the JR. It sounds awesome, but I think they are a little too similar to the 81. And if you ever tried the 66 and thought that was a bright neck pickup? Sheesh, the daemonium will adjust your pov accordingly. [emoji28]


            Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
            Last edited by Dahla; 07-09-2020, 02:57 PM. Reason: Spelling

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            • #21
              Re: Actives with passive feel

              Bonebreakers are *not* tweaked...they are regular versions rebranded, sort of like the old "Kerry King" and "Zakk Wylde" sets. Like I said, this is straight from the horse's mouth.

              The Glenn Tipton "Vengeance" is actually a tweaked 81 set. There were also prototype sets of tweaked 81/60 sets made for James Hetfield prior to the JH set that found there way into the private hands a couple years ago.

              Not saying the set you purchased can't sound "better" than your old ones, there can be many reasons for this, including differences in batches over time or how you adjusted them. Plus, were you actually coming from an 81/60A set to compare? I'm guessing that's unlikely, as that's a pretty unique combo and it doesn't really come stock in any guitars.

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              • #22
                Re: Actives with passive feel

                Originally posted by Dahla View Post
                Still on the fence about the JR. It sounds awesome, but I think they are a little too similar to the 81. And if you ever tried the 66 and thought that was a bright neck pickup? Sheesh, the daemonium will adjust your pov accordingly.
                Ah, finally I found someone who has tried the Daemonum. You say that it sounds very similar to the 81. What are the differences? Does it sound darker or brighter? And how tight is the low end compared to the 81. Does it have a noticeably lower output? Any other things you like or dislike about the JR Set?

                Oh, I actually have a 66 in the neck position. I installed it because of the individual pole pieces. The very narrow magnetic field of the 60 and 85 caused some string buzz on my guitar, because it pulled the outer strings towards the middle of the fretboard, against its radius. I have never read about anyone else having the same problem so initially I thought I was crazy, and everyone says EMGs magnetic field is very weak, but the problem was reproducible and went away as soon as I installed the 66 with individual pole pieces, which pull the strings straight and not slanted against the radius.

                Comment


                • #23
                  Re: Actives with passive feel

                  Originally posted by Masta' C View Post
                  Bonebreakers are *not* tweaked...they are regular versions rebranded, sort of like the old "Kerry King" and "Zakk Wylde" sets. Like I said, this is straight from the horse's mouth.

                  The Glenn Tipton "Vengeance" is actually a tweaked 81 set. There were also prototype sets of tweaked 81/60 sets made for James Hetfield prior to the JH set that found there way into the private hands a couple years ago.

                  Not saying the set you purchased can't sound "better" than your old ones, there can be many reasons for this, including differences in batches over time or how you adjusted them. Plus, were you actually coming from an 81/60A set to compare? I'm guessing that's unlikely, as that's a pretty unique combo and it doesn't really come stock in any guitars.
                  Ok, ok, ok... Please have mercy on my soul! I even admitted that it might just be confirmation bias and I already said that the fryed set I was replacing was an 81/85... Of course I wasn't judging the tweak/no-tweak status by comparing the 85 and 60A, but by comparing (albeit not scientifically) the bridge pups. Poor guy asked about two specific pups and here we are debating the truth content of EMGs PR BS...
                  Last edited by nexion218; 07-09-2020, 10:42 PM.

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                  • #24
                    Re: Actives with passive feel

                    No one's beating you up about it, bro. Like I said, it's totally possible that the newer BB bridge pickup sounds better to you than your old 81. Was just emphasizing that, spec-wise, there technically isn't a difference, but there are a lot of things that contribute to how a particular pickup might sound.

                    As for the OP, I offered several suggestions in my first post. I wish I had more experience with the RetroActives and the new Jim Root set, but I don't know as much about them.

                    I think it's interesting that the JR set seems to combine construction elements of the 57/66 and JH sets with the RetroActive circuitry.

                    Comment


                    • #25
                      Re: Actives with passive feel

                      I've owned a few Schecter Sun Valleys (amazing guitars and you can get them dirt cheap) which come loaded with the Retroactive Hot 70s and I LOVE them. I never liked typical EMGs, mostly due to the "feel". I love the tone of Fishmans and think they feel better but still not quite like a passive. The Hot 70s really have the passive feel to me and sound great. I really want to try the others.

                      A side note: The fourth Sun Valley I recently purchased did have busted preamps in both pickups. Fortunately EMGs customer service was insanely good. They one dayed me the preamps for free even though it was a used guitar. A google search suggested the external preamps may be slightly problematic. Even the EMG rep was pretty honest about it and said that it's not common but it does happen.

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                      • #26
                        Re: Actives with passive feel

                        What's the difference between the Retro Active models? Of I remember correctly, Fat 55 is a PAF sound, Hot 70s are an overwound PAF, and Super 77 is almost in the JB/Distortion range?
                        You will never understand How it feels to live your life With no meaning or control And with nowhere left to go You are amazed that they exist And they burn so bright
                        Whilst you can only wonder why

                        Comment


                        • #27
                          Re: Actives with passive feel

                          Following the passive "SRO" set which they were originally based on, the Retro Actives are among the first outsourced (first Korea, now Indonesia) pickups EMG has made. Even the older "HZ" pickups were made in the USA. I suppose I'm not surprised that there are some quality issues.

                          Comment


                          • #28
                            Actives with passive feel

                            Originally posted by GrabtharsHammer View Post
                            Ah, finally I found someone who has tried the Daemonum. You say that it sounds very similar to the 81. What are the differences? Does it sound darker or brighter? And how tight is the low end compared to the 81. Does it have a noticeably lower output? Any other things you like or dislike about the JR Set?

                            Oh, I actually have a 66 in the neck position. I installed it because of the individual pole pieces. The very narrow magnetic field of the 60 and 85 caused some string buzz on my guitar, because it pulled the outer strings towards the middle of the fretboard, against its radius. I have never read about anyone else having the same problem so initially I thought I was crazy, and everyone says EMGs magnetic field is very weak, but the problem was reproducible and went away as soon as I installed the 66 with individual pole pieces, which pull the strings straight and not slanted against the radius.
                            Well, keep in mind, I haven’t gone A and B with the JR and the 81. This is more me trying to explain a difference between two pickups based on my own experience over time.

                            The difference is somewhat small, between the 81 and the JR bridge. You can easily tell, and feel, that they are related. Output feels the same though. I like the 81-ish output. The Het Set for instance, how I wish that wouldn’t be as blistering hot as is it is sometimes... The JR (and the 81) feels way more managable. The main «thing» IMO between the 81 and the JR is the pick attack. It’s not as prominent on the JR. 81 has this «chuck» or something, a very prominent thing. If you ever played a 81 I think you know what I mean. You can easily hear that initial «pick hits string» when anyone plays the 81. Once you hear it, you can never unhear. It’s not the same on the JR. Don’t get me wrong, the JR *does* have a sharp pickattack. It just not that initial 81 «chick». Or «chuck». Or «tschk». It’s way more passive feeling in that regard. And the JR is way more dynamic. Not just pick attack, but also pick strength. And volume-wise. The JR on 9V feels like and 81 on 18V. I think... (My 81 has the 24V mod. I probably should have mentioned that first! Whoops... [emoji56])

                            And, this is all going to be very subjective, but the JR doesn’t seem as narrow as the 81. Perhaps it’s the dual slug design vs rails, I dunno. But the JR got a little more low end, and a little more open yet stiff (?!) high end. Does that makes sense? The 81 is grainy, and doesn’t extend the same way. It’s not presence either. Just, treble. But the JR isn’t a bright pickup either. It’s hard to explain. The mids feels the same. Instant recognizable classic active pickups mids in all it’s glory. [emoji1]

                            I really like the JR. And I really like the EMG 81. It does it’s thing, and one can’t knock it. It’s *the* sound, more or less. Just as the JB is *that* sound. Or DiMarzio Super Distortion is *that* sound. The JR is *to me* a modern, «fixes all the issues with the 81» type of pickup. The output is in a sweet spot, there is no preamp clipping as far as I can tell (just like with any other retroactive pickup), and it sounds like you expect and it looks friggin’ good while it does it. That is probably worth mentioning: I have the zebra version. I love zebra pickups. And it’s the right kind of zebra, no weird reverse anything. [emoji6]

                            The JR neck: You can tell it’s not a sweet, syrupy classic neck lead pickup. But if you like nice, shimmering, reverb-drenched, athmospheric, delay bonanza clean sound you will LOVE this neck pickup. I do. It’s made for those moments, and it does it like a champ! It’s more like a jazz neck than the 59, or perhaps the Mark Holcomb Alpha neck pickup (?), to put it in Duncan context.

                            I now have a guitar with the het set, a guitar with 81-7, one with the Super 77 and one with the JR Set. The one with Super 77 really competes with my guitar with the JB and my LP with CS WLH. Easily. And the het set is different enough to be something else, but given a choice between the JR bridge and 81? I’ll probably pick JR. But that is for bridge pickups. Neck pickups is a different story, but that is because I like fat and round neck pickup solos too. [emoji1]

                            Hope that helps. I’m not terrible good at these «review» things...
                            Last edited by Dahla; 07-11-2020, 01:33 AM.

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                            • #29
                              Re: Actives with passive feel

                              Makes it sound like the JR set could be a nice middle ground between the 81 and JH set with some additional benefits for someone looking for "passive-like" response and tone

                              Comment


                              • #30
                                Re: Actives with passive feel

                                Originally posted by Masta' C View Post
                                Makes it sound like the JR set could be a nice middle ground between the 81 and JH set with some additional benefits for someone looking for "passive-like" response and tone
                                Yes, that is a good summary. With less words than my ramblings... [emoji1]


                                Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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