“EMGs make everything sound the same...”

[OLDERBUDWISER]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

The same people don't talk **** about Steve Lukather's tone even though he used EMGs either

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Luke can make any guitar sound incredible. The guy is off the charts

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I heard they sound great in a mix, I like my passives any day, all day. I have the 57/66 and I tried, not sure gut the electronics or sell the guitar. Schecter, ebony, paint job changes colors. Hate to gut it and regret it

Why would you regret it? You can change the pickups back.

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[allstarrme]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I heard they sound great in a mix, I like my passives any day, all day. I have the 57/66 and I tried, not sure gut the electronics or sell the guitar. Schecter, ebony, paint job changes colors. Hate to gut it and regret it

You should try the fishman fluence classics, they plug straight into emg’s quick plugs. Much more versatile and can be wired to go from paf to hot rodded. Very non active sounding. In fact they sound like better passives.

 

[Mincer]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Also, every active Duncan uses the same connectors.

 

[B2D]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I worked there when they were still in a little storefront in Maplewood, NJ. Then he closed the store and we moved into a factory space in Palisades Park.

The guitars were cool. They had a great tone. It was a combination of the basswood body and the aluminum parts bolted on. Rick, the guy that started the company was a bit shady though. I ended up leaving after he was having trouble paying us (he used business loan money to buy a house and a vintage Ford T-bird). Then he stole my designs for the Kramer Showster guitars, which he had rejected at the time, after I left.

The current American Showster is a different company and they altered the design of the guitar. The new ones don’t look as nice.

Here’s one I built. I might start making them at some point. I still have an unfinished one in my workshop.

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I remember trying an American Showster guitar about 12 years ago that wound up in the Hollywood Guitar Center. It was very similar to the one you show here save for the fact that it had an EMG in the bridge.

I'd never seen one in person before and had no idea what to expect when I picked it up. Long story short it was super fun to play and it sounded really good!!

If you ever do start crafting them again, keep the board posted. I might be down for a hardtail one in matte black.

As far as EMGs go, I do not like the 81. I do like the 60A, the 85, the Gilmour Set, and the 57/66 set. Those tend to yield results that I like.

 

[Diego]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I think I've played active EMGs for maybe 15 minutes in total in my lifetime.
It was a 81/85 set in a cheap LTD and I really liked it.

I'd really like to try the 57/66 set.

 

[OLDERBUDWISER]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Why would you regret it? You can change the pickups back.

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Not that easy, would have to change the pots and all. Actives are all different, right?

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Yeah, the pots and jack need switched, as well.

 

[ibanezrocks]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Yeah, the pots and jack need switched, as well.

The jack doesn't need to be switched if you're going from active to passive. Only the other way. You can keep the stereo jack (used for breaking the circuit to the battery when unplugged) for passive pickups. Makes no difference.

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[JB_From_Hell]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I was thinking from passive to active.

 

[JMP/HBE]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”



I have an EMG-81 in an old Charvel i got from the defunct Mars Music {the pup} back in 1999. It screams in that guitar.

I had EMG SA single coils in a Stratocaster, sound great clean but was lame for rock/hard rock stuff.

I bought the Zakk 81/85 set for a Les Paul Custom. Was a big disappointment. sounded cold & sterile, couldn't put the Seymours SH-5/59 back in that guitar fast enough. Did the 18 volt mod & still sucked.
That was a $275 set too. overpriced IMO.
IDK if the older EMG's were made different or the ones now are made in China or what but im about done with buying EMG pups.
Too many great passive wound pups these days.

 

[Golem]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I really like the sound of the 60 in the neck clean for a jazz/blues humbucker tone. The 81 sounds odd to me clean. My biggest problem is that they don’t do mild levels of gain very well. They seem to get to saturated levels of gain faster than any other pickup I’ve used. Definitely like the sound Morello gets out of them but I think recall he uses an less common EMG like the HA.


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[ToneFiddler]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I really like the sound of the 60 in the neck clean for a jazz/blues humbucker tone. The 81 sounds odd to me clean. My biggest problem is that they don’t do mild levels of gain very well.

yes, absolutley. they don't crunch at all. for me they are a total one trick pony (81s).
if the gain is too low they don't cut it.

They seem to get to saturated levels of gain faster than any other pickup I’ve used. Definitely like the sound Morello gets out of them but I think recall he uses an less common EMG like the HA.

pretty sure he is using the H/81 combo in his Arm the homeless.
one of my guitars spots this combo and i really like the neck.
The EMG H (same as EMG S, just humbucker housing) are really great for anything from clean to high gain.
They are my favorite neck PU for moderate to high gain rhythm work right now.
and it sounds spot on for e.g. Sleep Now In The Fire, Microphone Fiend, ... .

The bridge doesn't match tonally and lacks balls in my guitar to my ears (alder body + tremolo).
but it is also spot on for his sound (e.g. Bullet In The Head, bombtrack, ...).

always loved his neck rhythm tone (tele and Arm the homeless). i am not so fond of his bridge sounds.
He is actually the guy who brought me into dirty neck rhythm sounds. I always used the bridge for dirty rhythm before. But for years i used too much bass, so the bridge sounded nice and ballsy, the neck therefore always sounded boomy and like ass and i never really used it. so i learned to dial the bass down for that.

 

[Lovegun]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I have 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck in my Jackson. First I had them set as close to the string as possible and to me it did not sound good. So I lowered them as low as possible and they sounded much better. More open and more like normal pickups. I like 'em in that guitar.

I think some of the bad reputation is that players crank up everything when the opposite is better. With less gain they sound better to me.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

I think many people also dislike EMG's because they have only tried the 81B/85N combo not realizing they make lots of other models that can be used in both positions. Not to say the 81/85 combo is bad, but it is a very specific sound which many may not like.

I don't find the 60 in the neck "overly compressed" nor the 85 in the bridge "sterile" at all, personally.

The 81TW is also less compressed and fatter than the regular 81, if you're wanting a slightly tweaked, more open, chunkier 81. The single coil mode is also nice and twangy.

The 60 in the bridge is an interesting option. Like a mid-output, screaming, bright, 80's-sounding pickup.

The JH-B is also chunkier than the regular 81, but it's fiercer and hotter. The JH-N is like a 60 on steroids too.

The X series is not my thing, but they're definitely another option to consider if you consider the standard series too focused.

I'm sure the 57/66 has its own thing going on too, but I have not tried them.

 

[JB_From_Hell]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Incidentally, I wound up putting the PRS's stock pickups back in. That's like the third set I've tried, and wound up preferring the stocks. Unless I grab a deal on a real HFS/Vintage Bass set, I'm done swapping with that one. Hopefully the #7s in my incoming S2 Standard fare as well.

Regardless, the Schecter still slays with any combo of EMG 81 & 85. I'd like to get another 85 so I can try a pair of those, have a feeling it'll be awesome.

 

[greekdude]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

that might be true.

i had the EMG81 in a 10 lbs gibson LP custom Bridge spot and i liked it MUCH better then in my tremolo alder 25.5" scale guitar where it is now. the difference is HUGE. i would be glad if they would sound the same!
But yeah, the host guitar doesn't matter as much as with PAF style PUs.

You may put 85 in the bridge and move 81 to the neck.

 

[ToneFiddler]

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

Re: “EMGs make everything sound the same...”

You may put 85 in the bridge and move 81 to the neck.

thanks for the Suggestion. i will try that again soon or later i have a spare one laying around.
with the next string change i will try the 85 or the 60 in the Bridge.

actually in the LP it was the 89/81 and later the 60/81 Combo (this guitar now spots Seymour Duncans and i am happy)
and in the bolt on style guitar it's the H/81 Combo NOT 85/81.
i tried both in the Bridge spot of a LP over a century ago, but my taste since then changed.
as far as i remember the 89 in the Bridge was too muddy with that LP. might be different with the bolt on.
the EMG 60 attack was too thin for my liking back then, but it may match fine with the H in the neck now.

also will try the Std Blackout NECK in the Bridge of that guitar. The Blackouts Bridge is way too hot for me