Active pickups... why?

[fatigueofheart]

Re: Active pickups... why?

i finally figure out another reason in my case, to like active pickups. they replace whatever volume booster, distortion or compressor pedals you have on your pedal board......in short....if you like the tone of an amp with a pedal in front then you'll like emgs.

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Active pickups... why?

Not to hijack.
Who are some guitarists who use (Used) EMG's. Not counting Zakk Wylde, Hammet, Hetfield, or Gilmore. This may help explain the pros or cons of the pups

 

[pinto79]

Re: Active pickups... why?

Not to hijack.
Who are some guitarists who use (Used) EMG's. Not counting Zakk Wylde, Hammet, Hetfield, or Gilmore. This may help explain the pros or cons of the pups

Steve Lukather of Toto (and other projects I can't remember at the moment...)
Also, Mark Knopfler has been known to use them.
Kerry King
Edward Van Halen used some on a tune once... he used a Steinberg Trans-Trem equiped guitar that had EMG's...

Prince, in his weird sign-shaped guitar...

Vince Gill...

ummm..... acording to www.EMGinc.com:

Stephen Carpenter

Les Claypool

The guys from Nickelback (Odd... I thought they used stock PRS's)

The guitarist who plays for Shania Twain

Just to name a few. Pretty diverse group...

I use them too... and my next guitar will get a full compliment of LiveWires...

 

[Reckless Abandon]

Re: Active pickups... why?

So I guess there are some advantages. Those guys are pretty good.

 

[DonP]

Re: Active pickups... why?

With all the discussion about battery life... I have a thought. Is it possible that the battery issue was not the active electronics but rather a wireless setup? I know that when I go wireless it EATS batteries like crazy. Just a thought.

Wireless will eat batteries because you need power to transmit the signal. Power = killing batteries. Active pickups are not putting out power - the amp is doing that.

A low impedance -> high impedance is ok, but high impedance -> low impedance = mud.

Tube amps have input impedance close to 1M. SS is typically much lower (10x - 100x) back before the 80's. Newer stuff is not too bad.

Some manufacturers list pickup impedance, and it is around the DC resistance usually.

So, you have a relatively low impedance pickup driving a high impedance tube amp = good tone. Old SS stuff with low impedance would load down the pickup and kill the high end.

Active pickups have extremely low impedance so that the highs don't get killed. Hence, they are considered bright and sterile. But the low noise is a very good benefit. Also, they can drive long cable runs a lot better. Works good if you are using cheap cables.

 

[Ransom]

Re: Active pickups... why?

the only active pickups i have owned are emg's i liked the 81, 85, and the 60. the 85 bridge and 60 neck was my favorite combo.

What are the tonal differences?

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Active pickups... why?

I think the battery life for EMG's is huge, there was a discussion on it here once, i'm pretty sure it was well over 1000 hours.

Yep, I calculated it out in a previous thread a few months ago, even if the plug is left in 24/7 you should have over 3 months battery life with 3 actives (The SAVs, which draw by far the most juice, more than 2x what any other EMG draws) and 3 tone circuits, more without extra circuits or with fewer/ less draining pickups....

 

[ksmith63]

Re: Active pickups... why?

active pups in a guitar are great -> extremely low noise, efficient (dont buy batteries often), they look cool (might matter to some), and they have a great sound to them. the only problem is that after the nostalgia wears off you will want to have the warm sounds of passive duncans. I have actives in all my guitars then i realized that i wanted something different.

 

[slash857]

Re: Active pickups... why?

Edward Van Halen used some on a tune once... he used a Steinberg Trans-Trem equiped guitar that had EMG's...

yeah he used them on summer nights. he had them custom shopped though, he found the stock emgs too sterile so he told emg to make them sound warmer.

i like emgs some of them actually do clean up nicely. i prefer the cleans of passives though, i think emgs clean sound a bit sterile in comparsion. but the overdrive for emgs is great. great harmonics and sustain. they also say on their website that with active p'ups the magnetic pull on the string is negligible so you can put your pups as close to the strings as you want.

 

[PFDarkside]

Re: Active pickups... why?

You know where EMGs are great? I love their bass pickups with EQ. If I ever replace my bass I think I might put some EMGs in it. (Current is a MIM 5-string Jazz, and I don't think ANY pickups are drop in replacements)

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: Active pickups... why?

they also say on their website that with active p'ups the magnetic pull on the string is negligible so you can put your pups as close to the strings as you want.

THAT is an out and out lie.
They have less pul than MANY passives, but they DO have some noticable string pull.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Active pickups... why?

THAT is an out and out lie.
They have less pul than MANY passives, but they DO have some noticable string pull.

It's not a lie...the pull IS negligible. You CAN put them as close to the strings as you want and sustain WILL NOT be changed.


You must be superman or something....99% of the people who use them find that they have no noticeable pull.

 

[Toejam]

Re: Active pickups... why?

It's not a lie...the pull IS negligible. You CAN put them as close to the strings as you want and sustain WILL NOT be changed.


You must be superman or something....99% of the people who use them find that they have no noticeable pull.

I agree. I've had a few guitars through the years with EMGs (81b/85n, 81/81, 85b/60n, 85b/81n) and have never noticed any kind of pull. My favorite combos are the 85b/60n or 85b/81n. EMGs rock, and their tone controls are VERY responsive!

 

[D-EJ915]

Re: Active pickups... why?

The 85 in a carved-top telecaster is one of the sweetest combos I've played. I was playing a fender showmaster tele custom goldtop with the zakk combo in it, I played the 85 nearly the whole time. Sounded great, 2nd guitar (out of 5) to sound really good with those pickups, haha. I would get ...85 neck

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: Active pickups... why?

paperclip + EMG = Sticks almost as well as any passive.

Part of the reason there's less NOTICIBLE pull is the rail poles.

THe magnetic field is more spread out, so it's not just pulling straight down on the strings.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Active pickups... why?

Part of the reason there's less NOTICIBLE pull is the rail poles.

THe magnetic field is more spread out, so it's not just pulling straight down on the strings.

There, you just said it yourself. Who cares about a paperclip.....they're not talking about paperclips on the website...it's obvious they would mean strings.


And suprise suprise that's exactly what they are made for use with.

 

[WICKED LESTER]

Re: Active pickups... why?

I use EMG actives simply because they are wound at a relatively low reistance(10K for the 81) and then boosted by a preamp
i also like that EMG uses a magnet with a real low pull
i set them very,very close to the strings.
the EMG stuff is the most clear,punchy,harmonic laden pups i have tried
all my guitars now have them :32: :32: :32:

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: Active pickups... why?

10k is low for a mini-humbucker?

One day I'm going to have a custom 4k dimebucker made and just run it into a little boost circuit in a guitar.

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: Active pickups... why?

There, you just said it yourself. Who cares about a paperclip.....they're not talking about paperclips on the website...it's obvious they would mean strings.


And suprise suprise that's exactly what they are made for use with.

THey're both ferrous metals.

They're both attracted to magnets.

I'm demonstrating the pricipal.

any given AII pickup os probably about the same.