EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

  • EMG

    Votes: 21 17.8%

  • SD

    Votes: 97 82.2%
  • Total voters
    118
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

Like most have said... guitar dependent. However, I will say that I replaced a set of EMG 707's in a Schecter Hellraiser NAMM show special with a set of Blackouts. The difference was immediate and positive. Whatever the frequency response differences are between the two brands, the SD's in the Schecter were a better choice. Greater clarity without the "fuzziness" and there was a mid-range boost that just sounded great. Just my opinion....

Jason
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

I have SDs in one of my guitars and EMGs in another one. They're both great, and they both do pretty much everything I want them to do.



ex-250 said:
yes, and i think theyre f*cking awful. but duncans are used by megadeth, maiden, and (was by) dimebag. all them completely blow away lamb of god or anything similar, but they use duncans too so i get your point.
Click to expand...


Methinks Dime mainly lent his name to the Dimbucker. He really used the Bill Lawrence 500-XL.
 
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Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

Duncans all the way. SD's actives sound better than the company that created the market for actives.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

i was a total emg head till blackouts came out, i recently started using a het set, and demsh!tzizcrazy, sonz.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

WICKED LESTER said:
this is not very fair?
you would have to ask which one for metal then EMG would win by a landslide
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Don't bet on it. Some EMG fans here, but they're a small minority.

With sensible levels of gain and effects, EMG's sound cold, bright, and sterile to me. A good part of a PU's tone comes from it's windings, and EMG's don't have much, hence their need to be boosted by a battery. Interesting concept on paper, but I have no use for them.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

Myaccount876 said:
The EMG 85/81 is one of the perfect pickup sets IMO. Sorry Seymour, your actives still kick ass.
Click to expand...

1exploitableiamdisappoi.jpg
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

all the EMG lovers can flame me all you want, but i was stubborn enough to use them exclusively for 10-11 years before trying passives and making the switch almost instantly and wondering WHY THE FRACK i didnt open up my mind sooner. i was more tonally lost than helen keller in musical chairs.

TO ME: EMG's sound like all output and no tone/clarity. playing metal with EMG's after playing with a DD, customX or a PG+, it sounds like there's a pillow in front of the cab. and i'm talking about metal, because that's the only application i could even remotely see them as being useful. i can't get any picking dymanics out of them... but more of a "thud". no clean tones whatsoever. etc etc. the only reason i could justify using EMG's is if the guitar is plywood and you actually WANT to color the tone with the pickups instead of the guitar. and the 18v just makes it even worse.

tonello said:
EMG. Tell me another company that makes actives that are as popular as the EMG's.
Click to expand...
popularity is not synonymous with quality.... lil wayne is popular.... nickelback is popular....




I KNOW THIS IS A SUBJECTIVE, OPINION BASED ISSUE. THIS IS MY OPINION.
 
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Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

blueman335 said:
'Sounding better' is not the same thing as 'most popular.'
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I never said it was. I just said that EMG created the market for actives. I think that Blackouts, while not as popular, sound way better than the EMGs so loved by many metal players.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

This is interesting reading that actives are seen by many as being suitable only for high gain tones. I've always thought that actives sound ****ty with high gain, and excelled at the super clean sound. I am talking about Strat pickups, though. Active humbuckers may be different.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

The 81 is especially midrange oriented, lends itself to hitting a preamp hard, is stupid tight, dead quiet, and it's not overly bright or bassy, so it works great for extreme high gain applications. The 85 is similar, but has a wider response EQ wise. If you grew up on circa 1990 metal they were THE pickup.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

Ayrton said:
1exploitableiamdisappoi.jpg
Click to expand...

:haha:

But Seymour has the majority of "perfect" pickup sets IMO. Just Seymour really lacks in telecaster stacks/noiseless pups. EMG actually has a telecaster set I am very intrigued by. But I mainly prefer passives so Seymour, GFS, and Dimarzio. Would like to try Motor City.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

rumblebox said:
I think actives color the tone so much, they sound the same in every guitar.
Click to expand...
rumblebox said:
Everyone knows 2 guitars with identical tone can sound completely different in the hands of different artists.
Click to expand...

rumblebox said:
ok maybe not all actives, but EMG's do. there's no arguing that... i mean you can argue about anything you want.. and be wrong.
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...and boy were you wrong

rumblebox said:
all the EMG lovers can flame me all you want, but i was stubborn enough to use them exclusively for 10-11 years before trying passives and making the switch almost instantly and wondering WHY THE FRACK i didnt open up my mind sooner. i was more tonally lost than helen keller in musical chairs.

TO ME: EMG's sound like all output and no tone/clarity. playing metal with EMG's after playing with a DD, customX or a PG+, it sounds like there's a pillow in front of the cab. and i'm talking about metal, because that's the only application i could even remotely see them as being useful. i can't get any picking dymanics out of them... but more of a "thud". no clean tones whatsoever. etc etc. the only reason i could justify using EMG's is if the guitar is plywood and you actually WANT to color the tone with the pickups instead of the guitar. and the 18v just makes it even worse.


popularity is not synonymous with quality.... lil wayne is popular.... nickelback is popular....




I KNOW THIS IS A SUBJECTIVE, OPINION BASED ISSUE. THIS IS MY OPINION.
Click to expand...

I'm just waiting for you to start up another 'I hate EMGs' thread and delete it in the same day.
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

Nothing i said was contradictory last year. 2 guitars that sound the same in one person's hands can sound significantly different in someone elses hands, with the player being the factor and not the guitar.

I was in a pretty ****ty mood that day and was generally pissed off all the time back then. i don't really HATE EMG's as youve been led to believe. I just don't like them.... But what i DO hate is when people say thinks like, "you HAVE to have EMG's for metal." Their perception is simply flawed.
 
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Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

2005 thread! jim root, stephen carpenter, kerry king, the Down guitarist, and a ton of others use active pickups for DOWNTUNED HEAVY ROCK/METAL. Why? because it is their choice and their opinion that emgs/actives sound great! here are a bunch of other EMG endorsers that could put any brand of pickups in their guitar but choose emgs:

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars.html

I am proud to own my epiphone sg standard with factory standard EMG81/85s :)
 
Re: EMGs VS Seymour Duncans

rumblebox said:
Nothing i said was contradictory last year. 2 guitars that sound the same in one person's hands can sound significantly different in someone elses hands, with the player being the factor and not the guitar.

I was in a pretty ****ty mood that day and was generally pissed off all the time back then. i don't really HATE EMG's as youve been led to believe. I just don't like them.... But what i DO hate is when people say thinks like, "you HAVE to have EMG's for metal." Their perception is simply flawed.
Click to expand...

using your logic, every EMG loaded guitar should sound the same, no matter who's playing it.
 
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