Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

[guitarslinger213]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

oh i know people dont like him but i dont really care what some people think. i love metallica so in turn i obviously have to like hammett. i mean hes not my favorite guitarist by far but he dosent suck.

I like Metallica too, but I think Gilmour sounds cooler than Kirk.

Get some SA's.

 

[Perry D]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

well in comparison its two totally different styles, but i agree with you on that one. well my only issue with that is i ordered a couple of S's and they took 6 mos. to get here. i really dont want to wait 6 more months to get different ones. so im just gonna suck it up and use what i got. im going to put an 81 in the bridge. i mean for metal thats all you really need anyway. i was just wonderin if anyone ever heard an S before.

 

[Screaming In Digital]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

Here's what the SA sounds like to me Perry.

I currently play an EMG-SA in the neck position of my Strat and I absolutly love it. The cleans are amazing. It has sounded superb through several amps. It's so clean and beautiful. It really works for me. When I kick on the high gain I get a great single-coil kind of dig. It also has a John Petrucci warmth when I kick on the BD-2 and do some tremolo picking runs. I can roll off my gain and get a great bluesy sound. So far the SA has served me well.

I tried out a Fender American strat with a set of EMG S's. It had great sound as I recall, especially on the clean channel. As for metal, perhaps not the best bet. I play alot of metal and I love to solo in the neck position with the SA.

 

[Perry D]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

damn. i dont know what to do. i got 2 S's that are brand new unopened and now it sounds that they are not very good. i might not worry about it. its just a backup guitar. my main one i dont have any issues with.

 

[Mephis]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

IMO, the EMG single coils are some of the ****tiest singles I've heard.


Throw traditional singles in your tele, unless you're plugging into an amp of unholy gain and sitting right by a computer at full volume, hum won't be an issue.

My tele is probably my quietest single coil guitar.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

I hve the full EMG DG-20 set in my '77 strat (maple neck, CAR ash body) and it sounds spectacular. By tweaking the SPC and EXG controls, I can get everything a good strat can do (Knopfleresque quack, SRV style chime/growl, Jimi style shriek) all the way up to hot humbucker sounds.

The S set is really cool also, but I'd only use it in a warm sounding strat (rosewood/alder) as they can have an extended high end through a bright amp.

 

[alanizjohn]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

I have a set of EMG SA's in MIM Strat. Yes they do sound like single coils. It just depends what single coil sound you are looking for. EMG's are a hot, active pickup. The DG 20 setup uses prewired SA's with SPC and EXGs mounted to pickguard.

I would not use the EMG's without their SPC and EXG or RPC tone controls. That is where EMG's SA's standout - the flexibility and variety of tones that can be achieved. There are EQ pedals or racks that do similar things, but I prefer to control my tone directly from the guitar. If you tend to play one style of music, another pickup may be better suited for you.

I use Seymour Duncan's JB and Jazz in my Ibanez, semihollow AS30 for the same reason - range and flexibility.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

My grandfather was one of those country pro touring types.....he used EMGs in his Tele. It always sounded great, never had any hum to it, and perhalps most importantly....it always sounded like a Tele.

 

[esandes]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

if you want single coils without noise, maybe consider the lace sensors. dave gilmore and eric clapton use them.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

if you want single coils without noise, maybe consider the lace sensors. dave gilmore and eric clapton use them.

Laces always sounded like a big bag of ass to me. The one's I've tried (Silver, Gold, and Red) sounded thin, weak, and lifeless with no mojo. Maybe they'd work with an onboard preamp, but alone they're not very good IMO. Heck, they're not even as quite as a set of Cool Rails. :burnout:

 

[veryhungrycaterpilla]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

yes they sound like single coils. But be warned that they dont sound like any set of good passive singles. Emg pickups have an emg sound that tends to either work for people or fail miserably.

I like the way emg singles sound, especially the sa models.

+1

 

[frankfalbo]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

Hey guys the Blackouts Singles and Livewire Classic II singles have been shipping. Someone go order those and report back with your findings. I think it would benefit this thread!

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

I dont have proper EMG single coils, but I do have an 81TW/89 set in my explorer, which both have a single coil mode with its own preamp. I have to say this is a very versatile set and I love the single coil setting. To be honest I use the single coil setting more than the humbucker setting which is saying a lot as I like metal and this is my shred axe.

 

[Johtosotku]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

I dont have proper EMG single coils, but I do have an 81TW/89 set in my explorer, which both have a single coil mode with its own preamp. I have to say this is a very versatile set and I love the single coil setting. To be honest I use the single coil setting more than the humbucker setting which is saying a lot as I like metal and this is my shred axe.

What is the 81TW? I've never heard about it Is it like an S + an 81 in the same housing?

And the way I've always understood the 89 is that it's actually an SA or two made to sound like an 85 when humbucking, not the other way round.

 

[ratkent]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

I have the EMG RT in the bridge of my Aerodyne Tele with the SPC preamp and it sounds great to me. With the preamp off it sounds like a Tele and with it up it sounds like a big fat Tele on steroids. I am not a big EMG fan in general but I had a DG20 set years ago on my strat and loved the SPC preamp so I had the idea of trying it on my Tele. It worked out great.

 

[Mark Le Comte]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

"Inside the EMG-89 pickup are both single and dual-coil pickups, each with its own output. The single-coil mode is an Alnico loaded stacked EMG-SA. The dual-coil mode consists of two Alnico loaded coils opposite one another creating a pickup similar to the EMG-85. A push/pull volume or tone enables you to switch from the clarity of a single-coil to the fatness of a humbucking. Virtually noiseless in both modes, it can also be used with several EMG accessories such as the SPC, EXG expander, or the PA2 preamp booster."

In other words the pup is based on an EMG SA then has an humbucking option that is close to an 85.

"The EMG-81TW humbucking pickup takes an EMG classic to a new level. The dual-mode design allows for maximum flexibility, with the original 81 providing all the crunch and aggressiveness it's famous for and an all new single-coil that features a fatter tone with plenty of punch and clarity. Either mode is accessed through a push/pull pot for versatility. Dual internal preamps, one tuned for single-coil mode and the other for dual-coil mode, give the 81TW two distinct sounds while delivering EMG's well known noise cancelling technology in both modes."

In other word the pup is based on an 81 but then has a single option that is close to an EMG S.

The way I see it, I get something pretty close to a 81/85 set with good single coil options too. Apologies for the EMG rap on SD website! Although I am about to get two set of SDs for my other two guitars.

 

[SAVAGE DISTORTION]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

I have one guitar i loaded with two 89's
and it is my favorite
in the split mode the SA really shines and sounds very strat like
most passive buckers i tried did not sound this good split
the SA is a great single coil tone ask dave gilmour , mark knopfler or steve lukather

 

[Animal]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

No mention of the SV or SAV single coils??? The SV is supposed to be more vintage sounding.

I think my mate has a set of either SA or SV singles in his custom made strat. I can tell by the exposed pole pieces but I can't tell which one, he doesn't even know himself. Anyways, it sounded a lot less sterile than I thought it would after hearing him play through that guitar. Has all the quirky single coil characteristics one could ask for but MUCH more powerful/meaty and with minimal noise. As far as sounding and feeling like a true passive single coil, I'm a bit doubtful. There always seems to be a compromise when you take a pickup that far and transform into something else whilst still retaining what it used to be.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Do Emg's single coils Sound like Single Coils?

For what it's worth, I really like the sound of the 89 in single mode. The humbucker mode sounds awful in a Les Paul and great in an Alder Strat for me.