EMG 57/66

[Johnny the Kid]

So I'm not really digging the 81/707 combo in my new guitar. I like the 81, but the 707 just seems really flat and lifeless. Does anybody have any experience with the 57/66 set?

I like the to use the neck pickup for leads and cleans and it just sounds really flat and dull. And when I roll down the tone knob, there's really no difference in sound.

If not the 57/66 set, then what would you recommend? Blackouts are also a possibility, but I'd like to use this guitar to try out some active pickups that I wouldn't have tried before.

 

[Shooter.556]

Re: EMG 57/66

Check the Papa Het set out too. I jammed on a Snakebyte with the Hetfield set and they are phenomenal and I don't like active pickups.
Punchy articulate and tight!

 

[Myaccount876]

Re: EMG 57/66

If the tone knob doesn't make a difference in the sound, and the pickup sounds dull and lifeless, check to see if the tone knob is working/wired correctly. This has separate volume/tone knobs for each pickup right?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

If the tone knob doesn't make a difference in the sound, and the pickup sounds dull and lifeless, check to see if the tone knob is working/wired correctly. This has separate volume/tone knobs for each pickup right?

Yes. It's a Shadow killswitch pot on the neck tone. The bridge pickup sounds better when you use the tone knob.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

If the tone knob doesn't make a difference in the sound, and the pickup sounds dull and lifeless, check to see if the tone knob is working/wired correctly. This has separate volume/tone knobs for each pickup right?

I just opened it up and everything is connected properly. So what could be the issue?

 

[shred4Him]

Re: EMG 57/66

Jeff Loomis is/was a big 57/66 user, but he has a new set of signature Seymour Duncans coming out at NAMM. Sorry I can't add wisdom to your problem. The only thing I can think is that the tone pot might be faulty.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

Jeff Loomis is a big 57/66 user, but he has a new set of signature Seymour Duncans coming out at NAMM. Sorry I can't add wisdom to your problem. The only thing I can think is that the tone pot might be faulty.

Yeah, actually the connection between the output and the tone pot fell off, so I'm gonna have to resolder that next week when I get home.

 

[shred4Him]

Re: EMG 57/66

Glad to hear you found the issue.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

Got it resoldered and it sounds much better, but still lacking, still dull. The tone knob is much more dramatic, but that 707 is kinda like a that road kill I saw on the side of the road today. It's usable for now, but I just ended up ordering the 66/57 set. I liked all the demos I've heard with those two pickups in any configuration I could think of. I'm looking forward to trying these. I love passives, but I've seen a lot of people using them in cool ways, so I pulled the trigger.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: EMG 57/66

Personally, I think 57/57 is a better set. I don't like a pickup set that is too balanced. I originally got 57/66, but ended up replacing the 66 with another 57, as I found the 66 too stiff and not juicy enough for my liking in the neck position. It sounds much more "traditional" now, with a brighter and weaker bridge pickup compared to the neck pickup (or vice versa – a significantly warmer and stronger neck pickup than the bridge pickup). The guitar is an all mahogany G&L import, and the 57/57 set works perfectly in it IMO.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

Personally, I think 57/57 is a better set. I don't like a pickup set that is too balanced. I originally got 57/66, but ended up replacing the 66 with another 57, as I found the 66 too stiff and not juicy enough for my liking in the neck position. It sounds much more "traditional" now, with a brighter and weaker bridge pickup compared to the neck pickup (or vice versa – a significantly warmer and stronger neck pickup than the bridge pickup). The guitar is an all mahogany G&L import, and the 57/57 set works perfectly in it IMO.

I love a balanced pickup set, especially because I use my neck pickup for all sorts of things and I have a boost if need be. If I was using the neck pickup strictly for leads, I'd probably consider a 57/57.

 

[dominus]

Re: EMG 57/66

The 707 is a basically an 85. Is it in the neck or the bridge?

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

The 707 is a basically an 85. Is it in the neck or the bridge?

Neck. I liked the 81 in the bridge, but the 707 sounded dull to my ears.

 

[dominus]

Re: EMG 57/66

Neck. I liked the 81 in the bridge, but the 707 sounded dull to my ears.

85 sounds dull in the neck as well. Makes a good bridge pickup though. Try swapping them just to see what you think.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

85 sounds dull in the neck as well. Makes a good bridge pickup though. Try swapping them just to see what you think.

I'll let you know. Probably won't happen till tomorrow though.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: EMG 57/66

Talking about balanced and unbalanced sets o pickups... I always thought the 81 bridge / 85 neck combo is one of the most unbalanced sets that are still very popular. JMO.

I think the 85 in the bridge and 81 in the neck is a bit more balanced, but then again, the 85 isn't really my favorite pickup overall. It does sound great in the bridge position some particular guitars, but in many of mine, it has always been low-mid tubby galore. I'm exaggerating a bit. I don't hate that pickup. For a while, I loved it, but I always found myself wanting more bite from it. It does seem like the 57 addressed that.

 

[Johnny the Kid]

Re: EMG 57/66

Talking about balanced and unbalanced sets o pickups... I always thought the 81 bridge / 85 neck combo is one of the most unbalanced sets that are still very popular. JMO.

I think the 85 in the bridge and 81 in the neck is a bit more balanced, but then again, the 85 isn't really my favorite pickup overall. It does sound great in the bridge position some particular guitars, but in many of mine, it has always been low-mid tubby galore. I'm exaggerating a bit. I don't hate that pickup. For a while, I loved it, but I always found myself wanting more bite from it. It does seem like the 57 addressed that.

I ended up having more time than I thought I would because my family left earlier than I had planned. I switched the pickups and I like the 85 a lot better in the bridge, but I still look forward to trying out the 57/66 set.

 

[Brow]

Re: EMG 57/66

If I can sell my set of BKP Abraxas pickups I'm hoping to try the 57/66 set in my LP Standard with Ebony fretboard. I look forward to your review of them.