Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

[master of tacos]

I'm a passive fan all the way, but it would be nice to have that compressed, emg-crunch available for covering certain metal bands. I know emg makes that one toggle switch which adds a bit of a boost to your pickups (I think Kerry King has it on his guitar), but...eh, screw routing guitars.

I've looked into the seymour duncan pickup booster, but does that pedal even serve this function? If not, are there any pedals out there that can do this?

 

[James Rock]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

I mean any line driver style pedal with possible volume boost will give you the low impedance high output advantage but probably not the eq curve or response of an active pickup. I did hear of a preamp circuit that people put in there guitars being offered in pedal form. It may have been on the guitar electronics website.

 

[Tom Huff]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

A treble booster might give you a similar result in that it can push your signal into the amp a bit harder.

 

[astrozombie]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

the seymour pedal booster would definetely pump up the sound, though i dont think anything would really give you that EMG crunch.

you can try using a compressor.

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

I'm a passive fan all the way, but it would be nice to have that compressed, emg-crunch available for covering certain metal bands. I know emg makes that one toggle switch which adds a bit of a boost to your pickups (I think Kerry King has it on his guitar), but...eh, screw routing guitars.

I've looked into the seymour duncan pickup booster, but does that pedal even serve this function? If not, are there any pedals out there that can do this?

The EMG AB & PA2 (like you said) might be the closest thing for what you are looking for.

http://www.emginc.com/products/category/4/4 - AB

http://www.emginc.com/products/index/135/142/4 - PA2

Maybe add a GOOD comp. pedal to compress that signal even more, as that is what EMG's do according to my ears . . . they compress the tone (way to much for my liking).
YMMV



James

 

[SlowGroove]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

You can also try the DiMarzio D-Activator's as they are marketed as (battery-less)passives, that sound like actives.
Never tried them though !


James

 

[Empty Pockets]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

i would just use a good ol tubescreamer man...level maxed, gain dropped, tone to taste.

tightens the bass, boosts the mids, increases output. I can pull decent slayer tones out of a cranked JCM800, a tubescreamer and a Les Paul...

At home i get the 'tight somewhat scooped but aggressive and crunchy' metal thing by running my Tubescreamer and my modded DS-1 at the same time (i run the DS-1 the same way, level maxed with maybe some gain added on but never much) into my Bassman and it's heavy heavy heavy heavy. SOmetimes i'll turn on the Big Muff too just to be a dick.

Been my strategy for a while...run a boost or overdrive into whatever is giving you a good basic 'rock tone'...that should send the 'rock tone' over the edge to a nice heavy metal tone...if you need more gain...use another boost pedal hahaha

 

[phil_104]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

I had a EMG set in a Les Paul a few years back, and the closest I can get to that sound now is by using active pickups into a EHX Metal Muff, and using a compressor very heavily. It will get you in the ballpark, but not nail it.

Besides that, it's not the same.

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

Empty Pockets has a good idea there.

A compressor pedal would work well also.

 

[trevorus]

Re: Is there a pedal that makes passive pickups sound active?

http://store.guitarfetish.com/neacpr.html