Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

[sixstringsamurai333]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

I used a variation of the classic EMG set for quite some time back in the day - EMG85/60 in my old BC Rich Mockingbird. I chose the 85 for the bridge rather than the usual 81 because it was a bit beefier and not quite as hot.

However, I've been passive for at least 6 years now (ha, sounds like being a drug addict!). I just don't play the kind of metal that I used to back in my late teens/early 20s, and I don't need the saturation, focus and compression that I associate with active pickups.

I think it's a horses for courses thing - just depends on your personal application.

 

[drakeonyou]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

Go passive bro.. Better pickup response and easy to maintain.. I was using active pickups before and they were decent, but when I got back to using passive pickups, (inf 3 and 4 of ibanez) I was surprised that the output was decent but there was spot on response.
just to cut to the chase, I am now using a dimebucker and I'm loving it. Very good high end and has an open sound especially when I'm on any decent distortion and it looks better than those boring active pickups..

Well, this might just be me but I think my riffs sound better (especially the ones with pinch harmonics) because of the attack I never had with those active pickups..

 

[jafo]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

Actives sound quiet and balanced. Passives sound like a guitar. I'm biased, so take that with a mountain of salt.

 

[youngthrasher9]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

I originally had the emg 81/85 set in my #1, then the EMTY set, and now an a8 59/custom hybrid in the bridge and a a4 '59 in the neck. I like these ones the most. I'm more of a passive pickup fan.

 

[B2D]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

Thanks for the input, people.

I yanked the EMGs from my EC1000 and will install a passive set as soon as I get the money from the EMGs being sold.

 

[MkIII Renegade]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

If I could only have one type, it would be passive. But thankfully, we don't live in such a world.

I absolutely love the EMG 85 for the bridge. It is beefier than the 81 and better for rhythm and lead. The only time I could see the 81 as having an advantage would be if you are into downtuned and/or very fast metal and need absolute clarity. But the 85 is better for just about everything else (81 is actually nice in the neck position). Active single coils don't have the same draw for me, although they do have some good points. I don't really care much about the EMG X series, because I like the original EMGs for what they are---trained assassins.

But for most of the kind of hard rock/metal I like to play, the better passives are as good as any active out there for heaviness, and better at more things. The Duncan Distortion is one of my favorites for the bridge, along with the Evo2 and JB. For the neck position, passives win hands down. Can't get enough of the Air Norton and love the '59 also.

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

Tried some of the earlier generation Duncan actives. Can't even remember the name of fat line any more, but it was the 'metal' model of that line. Very hot. Not subtle at all. Then I went with EMGs, trying the 85 and 81 is different positions and options, settling on the 81 in the neck and the 85 in the bridge, eventually putting the 89 in the bridge. Used the 18v mod. The active route was fun to try out. It was really easy to cop Metallica tones, for example.

In the end, while it was a neat experiment, it just wasn't the voice I was looking for. I can see where a people would dig them and stick with them.





Sent from my armored space station using Tapatalk on iPad

 

[Petrovsk Mizinski]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

Thanks for the input, people.

I yanked the EMGs from my EC1000 and will install a passive set as soon as I get the money from the EMGs being sold.

What pickups you gonna go with?

 

[rumblebox]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

no passive pickups feels tight enough to deal with B standard tuning when playing metal.

A very common, yet 100% false perception.

 

[rumblebox]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

I used actives for about 13 years, when I was almost completely ignorant of technical stuff, then switched to passives and never looked back. I have a few active instruments still (including my first two basses and my first guitar), but I have played them only a handful of times in the past 10-12 years. It isn't that the difference is that huge; I just never seem to gravitate toward the active instruments. They are the best for super-sterile, super clean, "solid statey" sounds, though. But they sound like **** to me when they start breaking up. And they tend to be really ugly too.

This is almost exactly my same story.

I like EMG's in my bass, but the characteristics i love about them for bass, i hate for regular guitars.

 

[B2D]

Re: Active vs. Passive - for those that have used both, what did you stick with?

What pickups you gonna go with?

In the neck, I'm gonna start with an old Music Man Axis neck pickup I have lying around. It needs some wire extensions and a gold cover to work for the looks and function in this axe but that's nothing I can't do. I'll pair it up with a Norton in the bridge.

If I wind up not liking that and wanting Duncans instead. I'll go with a '59n with a UOA5 or A4 magnet in the neck, and a Custom 8 in the bridge. I'm not ruling out a Brobucker set either. However, the last option is the most expensive so I'll save it for the end if I need to go there.