How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

Also, EMG guitar pups do NOT have active tone controls, just "active values" which is shorthand for not explaining...
You're half right. When the EMG X series came out many of their tone controls became a circuit unto themselves rather than a singular capacitor to ground. But the right capacitor value to ground would also work for those.
 
Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

You're half right. When the EMG X series came out many of their tone controls became a circuit unto themselves rather than a singular capacitor to ground. But the right capacitor value to ground would also work for those.
Thank you, I was hoping to use these. After building a preamp, this would be the easier way of going than looking for random capicotvvalues and, any attempts at trial an error. I want to invest more time and funds into the preamp.

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Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

Quick connect? Bolt down terminals?

If youre not comfortable with soldering, this project is way over your head

Also, EMG guitar pups do NOT have active tone controls, just "active values" which is shorthand for not explaining every time that EMG pups require 10-50k ohm impedance potentiometers instead of the usual 200-500k ohm potentiometers used in passive wiring
If I'm building the preamp, I would, need quick disconnects for the circuitry going in and coming out, betas far as the preamp itself, I'm willing to solder that. Just ounce it's actually built I would like to salvage what I can. I would probably have to mod and build the preamp several times, but re doing the entire circuitry.

And as far as x-series, the tone controls are active, to make up fir the different out put impedence on their preamp vs the standard preamp. Again do to the extensive nature of building the pre-amp, I'm not willing to invest in tone circuitry more than this, I'll have to build the preamp over and over.

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Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

I have a spare Emg, but I think it's one of the older ones or a knock off, I bought from over seas. I, as open it up,,but I want to jump the connections correctly.

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Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

You're half right. When the EMG X series came out many of their tone controls became a circuit unto themselves rather than a singular capacitor to ground. But the right capacitor value to ground would also work for those.


Thats an aftermarket mod onto itself and just as useable with other actives as well

I have an 85X in the bridge of my ESP Eclipse, it's not wired any different and totally interchangeable with ANY quickconnect EMG or Blackout.

It simply doesnt HAVE any additional input points for an external piece of electronics to access any onboard preamp controls (which hence simply dont exist)
 
Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

I can't tell if you're disagreeing with me or what. Some EMG's have powered tone controls, some use a simple capacitor. What are you trying to clarify?
 
Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

What's an "organic" sound? People say that, but when you think about it, it makes no sense.

The difference with active pickups are they don't lose the top end when you turn them down. People seem to think that muddying or "warning" of the tone sounds more natural. But it's because you have gotten used to hearing that. A buffered pickup is the true tone of the pickup.

The reason you need active tone controls is because the low impedance output doesn't lend itself to passive tone controls.

On a passive pickup the tone control forms a resonant 2rd order low pass filter.

I used to make active bass pickups. I put the preamp external to the pickup so you could switch the coils from series to parallel. I used active tone controls, because they were low z coils, but for a standard hi z pickup you could put the tone control between the coils and the preamp. Or even incorporate it into the op amp's feedback loop.


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I use that word "organic" often. The gear I use does have what strikes me as having an organic sound...as opposed to a steely or artificial or inorganic sound.

And what organic sound means to me is a sound belonging to the natural world (NATURE) as opposed to being man created.

Organic sound includes everything from the sound of the human voice to the sound of a fart.

But it's a sound belonging to and originating from organic living things.
 
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Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

I use that word "organic" often. The gear I use does have what strikes me as having an organic sound...as opposed to a steely or artificial or inorganic sound.

And what organic sound means to me is a sound belonging to the natural world (NATURE) as opposed to being man created.

Organic sound includes everything from the sound of the human voice to the sound of a fart.

But it's a sound belonging to and originating from organic living things.

Yeah, organic means living things. Which a guitar isn't. And a guitar has steel strings. So it is "steely" and it is man made.

I get it though. That's the problem with trying to come up with words to describe sounds.

But still, the only difference with active pickups is they can often be brighter. It still sounds like a guitar. And if we are talking about single coils, these "inorganic" tones are acceptable.


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Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

I can't tell if you're disagreeing with me or what. Some EMG's have powered tone controls, some use a simple capacitor. What are you trying to clarify?
He means access to the preamp that's inside the pickup.
 
Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

Okay. I have an idea, if I change the impedence it should require powered tone controls. If I don't want to essential with changing or using 2 or more capacitors. I'll open up my active from aliband see the preamp amp inside.

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Re: How to make an active pickup x-replica(amateur), but with adjustable pole pieces?

This is a regular preamp, not the X-series, but I'm pretty sure it's a knock off, going off memory of those I've seen online, if not perhaps from an older release of the 81, again, not X-series. I bought this to replicate a pre-amp, but how I would I got converting the impedence to handle full modern coils, using powered tone control pots. And if there is any disagreement, please check Emgs website on that, if not I'll go on and post pics of the downloaded manuals.
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