First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

LowThudd

LowThudd

New member
I just got a Epi Prophecy Futura Custom EX. I love the guitar, but the Pups I'm not sold on. Came with EMG 81/85. And while I can get some decent sounds out of the 81, I am just not happy with the 85. I was hoping to get more of a vintage Explorer sound out of this guitar, and the 85 is just not cutting it.

Also, this guitar picks up more noise from my computer being near it. Is that only because the bridge is not grounded? Or is there something wrong with the wiring. My passive guitars don't pick up nearly as much noise.

Is there a better neck pup for me to try and get a vintage Lynyrd Skynyrd type sound? This is my only active pup guitar, and so far I am thinking that these EMGs may be great for heavy metal crunch(They Are!), maybe actives in general are not my best bet.

I am fine with soldering, and I am thinking of wiring in a Varitone switch to try and get some interesting sounds(image below). I would like to keep the actives if I can. TIA



 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Varitone won't work that well because actives use a different value capacitor than passives.

First, try the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck. EMGs usually have a three pin connector so you can swap them easily, just pop the cable off the pickup. You can also try lowering the pickups to reduce their output. You can also try getting an EMG with less output like an EMG60, or one of the newer EMG 57 or 66.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

dominus said:
Varitone won't work that well because actives use a different value capacitor than passives.

First, try the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck. EMGs usually have a three pin connector so you can swap them easily, just pop the cable off the pickup. You can also try lowering the pickups to reduce their output. You can also try getting an EMG with less output like an EMG60, or one of the newer EMG 57 or 66.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I have played with the pickup heights quite a bit. I will try to swap them. Not sure if they are the new style EMGs. They are soldered to the pots, and the guitar was possibly made as early as 2003. But I have some new tuners coming in, while I have the strings off I'll pop em out and see.

So, Kirk Hammett switched to a lower output neck pickup? lol I notice on the EMG site they are saying that he is using the 60 now instead of the 85. I'll have to look for a used one. I'd love to try the 66 out, but I am on a budget.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Active for Skynyrd? Not saying you can't. I'd try with my Blackout - but I set the volume AND my expectations low.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Aceman said:
Active for Skynyrd? Not saying you can't. I'd try with my Blackout - but I set the volume AND my expectations low.
Click to expand...

I'm just hoping for a little more versatility. Mainly I am really wanting more tone in the neck pup. I can live with the bridge, in fact I kind of like it. But when I plugged in my LP some cheap Alnico 5 artec HBs in it after the actives, I just couldn't believe how much better they sound playing relatively clean. The 85 in particular is rather muddy. Maybe it will sound better in the bridge? And maybe the 81 will sound better in the neck. IDK, but I'll give it a shot.

My thinking with the varitone(that I have on hand but haven't used) is that the .100 cap that is in the guitar now is a bit dark for the neck pup. But the varitone has from .022-.100. Always wanted to mess with a varitone anyway. lol
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

The 85 can sound muddy in the neck of some guitars. The 81 can sound thin in the bridge. The qualities of the 85 often make it a great candidate for a bridge pickup; it's loud and has pretty full bass, plus the top end won't take your head off. On the other hand, I think the 81 is a little thinner and brighter, which can liven up the neck position of a dark sounding guitar.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

I am probably going to put a set of Fralin High Output Humbuckers in my Futura , way aggressive and a ton of output( was think about mini humbuckers too). You might want something more in the realm of PAFs for that sort of sound because that's more or less what they were putting in those 60s and early 70s Explorers. Go find something cheap on evilbay but not any of the chinese stuff bad try 9k bridge and 8k neck for that little bit more sounds you want.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

I will say that my Blackouts are super - flexible pickups. I have played EMGs before, quite a big.

The 81/85 does nothing for me, particularly in a classic rock sense. That said - the Blackout I would be ok with (Not great - but ok….)

A PG / 59 set, however, would rock the hell out of that explorer. Or better, a PG / Custom with a 50's mod on the bridge volume.

Passive and active are both great sounds - but there is a time and place for everything. You should be able to sell the ENGs, get the Duncans, and have cash left over.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

If the pickups have the three-pin Quik Connect™ wiring harness, it will be simple to swap the make and model of active pickups without requiring a complete wiring overhaul.

Like Aceman, I am not a fan of the EMG-81/-85 pairing. I very much prefer the -X versions. For a more believable Gibson vibe, I would try either the EMG-57/-66 pair or a Seymour Duncan Live Wire Classic II pair.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Funkfingers said:
If the pickups have the three-pin Quik Connect™ wiring harness, it will be simple to swap the make and model of active pickups without requiring a complete wiring overhaul.

Like Aceman, I am not a fan of the EMG-81/-85 pairing. I very much prefer the -X versions. For a more believable Gibson vibe, I would try either the EMG-57/-66 pair or a Seymour Duncan Live Wire Classic II pair.
Click to expand...

I would love the 57/66s. Just WAY too much money right now. So the LIve wires are decent? They play clean OK?
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

I cannot remember. I almost invariably run my valve amplification distorted then roll back the guitar volume pot to clean things up.

What I will say is that the LWC2s have far more of a Gibson vibe than any EMG that I have ever tried. Less output and a less aggressive tone.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Well, I swapped the 81/85s to 85/81. MUCH better! Thanks for the advice! I haven't adjusted them yet, but this will work far better for a classic rock vibe, and I can dial in the amp and knobs accordingly. Why didn't I join this forum earlier? That was a quick fix! lol
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

LowThudd said:
Well, I swapped the 81/85s to 85/81. MUCH better! Thanks for the advice! I haven't adjusted them yet, but this will work far better for a classic rock vibe, and I can dial in the amp and knobs accordingly. Why didn't I join this forum earlier? That was a quick fix! lol
Click to expand...

In the world of classic pickup sets, and this is IME:

EMG 81 is to Duncan JB
as
EMG 85 is to Duncan Jazz
as
EMG 60 is to Duncan '59

You owe it to yourself to try a 60 in the neck position. East disconnect swap, one of mine (and James Hetfield's) favorite neck pickups.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

9unslin9er said:
In the world of classic pickup sets, and this is IME:

EMG 81 is to Duncan JB
as
EMG 85 is to Duncan Jazz
as
EMG 60 is to Duncan '59

You owe it to yourself to try a 60 in the neck position. East disconnect swap, one of mine (and James Hetfield's) favorite neck pickups.
Click to expand...

Jesus. That's not experience. Those are wildly inaccurate guesses.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Success! I put the varitone in with caps ranging from .05 to .150 and the effect is awesome. Really gives a lot more control to the vol pot under different conditions, and drops some of the extended highs of the EMGs for more bluesey sound, without having to dip into the tone pot and losing some clarity.

I didn't install the choke yet because I need to get a 25K PUSH/PULL to switch it on. I just don't think I would want the effect all the time.

Great mod if you have some EMGs and want to tame them or just want more effective tone control.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

LowThudd said:
Thanks. I have played with the pickup heights quite a bit. I will try to swap them. Not sure if they are the new style EMGs. They are soldered to the pots, and the guitar was possibly made as early as 2003. But I have some new tuners coming in, while I have the strings off I'll pop em out and see.

So, Kirk Hammett switched to a lower output neck pickup? lol I notice on the EMG site they are saying that he is using the 60 now instead of the 85. I'll have to look for a used one. I'd love to try the 66 out, but I am on a budget.
Click to expand...

I don't think Kirk ever used an 85. I know he uses an 81 in the neck of a lot of his guitars with the 60 in some of them to mach Hetfield's clean tone. the 57 and 66 would be appropriate models to switch to for Skynard.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Skynyrd, puh-leeeeeease.
 
Re: First time Poster. Also first Active Pups.

Funkfingers said:
Skynyrd, puh-leeeeeease.
Click to expand...

Huh? If your saying I CAN'T play Skynyrd, you're right. lol That was just an example of what sound I was shooting for. If your saying EMG 85/81 can't do the job, maybe not. But the guitar sounds a hell of a lot closer to a classic rock sound now. If you're saying you don't like LS, well I can't help you there. To each his own.
 
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