active pickups/volt mod

cronnin

cronnin

New member
I still don't get it. If active pickup is stated to have an 22 volt circuit, what does it mean?
It works with a 9 volt battery by default, but you can run it with any voltage up to 22, if you have the place in your guitatar to put the batteries?

What do you get with a higher battery voltage?
Do you get a higher output voltage of the pickup? Is it the useless for the cleans then? Does it facilitate a higher gain on the same amp?

Is volt mod usefull at all, and for what models?
( I'm not interested jet since I'm still on passives, but I'm sure some would like to know right now what impact will it make on the sound of the specific pickups)
 
Re: active pickups/volt mod

If the pickups circuitry could be used up to 22V, This practically means you can use 2 batteries in series=18V. From my own experience of building active preamps, this means two things: 1= More Output (&sensitivity) 2=More headroom of the active circuitry.
If it is clean you want, The output can be taken care of by turning back that volume knob. The increased headroom will prevent the active circuitry from clipping itself. This is especially evident directly after pick attack. I am not a great fan of active circuitry myself, but overall I find well engineered 18V systems preferrable. Hope this information is of any use to you.
 
Re: active pickups/volt mod

I've seen lots of discussion regarding the 18V mod on forums like the espguitars.com forum since a lot of the members there are metal players and/or owners of guitars which have EMGs in them.
 
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Re: active pickups/volt mod

Roosje Urbach said:
If the pickups circuitry could be used up to 22V, This practically means you can use 2 batteries in series=18V. From my own experience of building active preamps, this means two things: 1= More Output (&sensitivity) 2=More headroom of the active circuitry.
If it is clean you want, The output can be taken care of by turning back that volume knob. The increased headroom will prevent the active circuitry from clipping itself. This is especially evident directly after pick attack. I am not a great fan of active circuitry myself, but overall I find well engineered 18V systems preferrable. Hope this information is of any use to you.
Click to expand...
I'd say that's a pretty good explanation. I think SD used this knowledge when they designed the Live Wires. They're designed to run at 18V.
 
Re: active pickups/volt mod

Mh..yeah...more output means more sensitivity...I forgot that one.

OK I wont bother you more.
I'll see with those metalheads on EMG forum, they will cover it all :)

thanx
 
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