My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

[donaldr]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

EMG, SD, DMZ, etc., are just tools. Use the right one for the job. Some cannot stand EMG and me I cannot stand a Seymour Duncan JB.

I have a Strat with Rose pickups, a Strat with Seymour Duncan STK-S4/S7, a Les Paul with Gibson '61, a Peavey Vandenberg and a Godin Exit22 with EMG S/S/60.
They all sound different on their own and I would never commit to one and only one brand and/or model. I would choose my guitar depending on my mood and/or the songs I want to play that day. Surprisingly, the most versatile one is my Godin with EMG (remark it not the usual 81/85). It's the one I would pick if I go to a jam not knowing the songlist and/or not knowing the backline amp provided. I will always get a usable sound out of that guitar for blues/pop/classic rock/hard rock, and in some occasions it will be stelar.

 

[jeremy]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

i have one active guitar these days too but i used emgs for a long time. sv/sv/81 spc & pa2 in my main guitar and i enjoyed that setup for years but tastes changed, rigs changed etc... my current active ax is loaded with blackout singles which i like a lot. i rewired it last week to include my old spc and while i was at it, swapped the middle blackout for an sv. holy cow do the blackouts (without the jumper) have more output!! emgs have a certain sound and feel to them just like everything else. blackouts are a little less compressed than the s or sa models, i still like the sv but damn, the output mismatch is such that the middle blackout is going back in on the next string change

 

[bigcupholder]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

I've only used the 81/60 set. I found they're really compressed and they have a much narrower frequency response than passive pickups - you lose a lot of lows and presence. It makes things sound more consistent and more like a studio recording where the guitar is EQ'd to sit nicely in a heavy mix. That's not generally a fun tone to play with by yourself though.

If you want to record thrash and have your palm-muted chugging sound really tight and consistent, they're great. Otherwise I found the tone and feel uninspiring. I changed them out after only 2 weeks.

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[Rex_Rocker]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

As far as compressed... I dunno. Yes they're definitely not a vintage single coil as far as dynamics go, but I don't feel they're that much flatter than, say, a JB (I love the JB, BTW). Rather than compressed, I think they're consistent, but I feel they're every bit as responsive to picking dynamics as the average high-output pickup.

i have one active guitar these days too but i used emgs for a long time. sv/sv/81 spc & pa2 in my main guitar and i enjoyed that setup for years but tastes changed, rigs changed etc... my current active ax is loaded with blackout singles which i like a lot. i rewired it last week to include my old spc and while i was at it, swapped the middle blackout for an sv. holy cow do the blackouts (without the jumper) have more output!! emgs have a certain sound and feel to them just like everything else. blackouts are a little less compressed than the s or sa models, i still like the sv but damn, the output mismatch is such that the middle blackout is going back in on the next string change

I remember I tried the AHB-1B when I had it with an 81 in the neck, and it was just unusable. The Blackout would just completely drown the EMG out. My experience was the same as yours.

 

[Mincer]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

I had EMGs come stock in my Steinberger in my avatar, but they lasted maybe 2 months. They were too hot, too sharp, and made everyone who tried my guitar sound the same. So, I replaced them with an Alnico II Pro, and a Custom Shop 59/Custom Hybrid.

 

[DonP]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

To me, EMG's work with certain amps like Mesa Boogies or other high gain amps (5150?). Passives work great with Marshalls. Don't know about Fenders. Did Gilmore use EMG singles with Fenders?

I'm mostly in the Marshall camp and agree with the OP, EMG's just seemed lacking compared to passives. Might be different if I had Mesas or maybe 5150's.

 

[jeremy]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

gimour used emgs sa pup in the red strat with spc and exg controls

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

I'm mostly in the Marshall camp and agree with the OP, EMG's just seemed lacking compared to passives. Might be different if I had Mesas or maybe 5150's.

Zakk Wylde makes them work, though (huge Zakk fan here). Slayer too. I liked them matched with my old little Marshall DSL1... but then again, that Marshall was kind of a toy, LOL, so not really representative.

 

[Coma]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

I kinda hate how good EMGs sound in a band setting. I play in C standard through a 5153 and greenbacks with my band, and I much prefer the tone I'm getting with my Dimarzio passives, but there's no denying they can't hold a candle to EMGs when it comes to slicing through the bass and drums. It became painfully evident during the brief time we had a second guitarist who played EMGs through a Peavey 5150.

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[pskorz]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

I've had very limited experience with EMGs. To me, I think that to get the full flavor of them, you'd be best off with a bunch of the active EQ tone controls to really expand what they can do.

Having said that, I bought a used SG a few years ago, first thing I did was put a set of Saturday night specials in it. However, when I got it, the pickups the previous owner had in there were an EMG 85 in the bridge (I didn't scrutinize what tone control he had on it) and a DiMarzio Super 2 in the neck. The way they were wired is that you either had one or the other. But I suppose that if you're adventurous and like characteristics of both passive and active, this would be one solution...

 

[allstarrme]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

I used to use Emg’s all the time. 81 bridge and 60 neck was my go to. I went to blackouts metal and black winters for a while.

Lately I’ve been replacing Emg’s with fishman fluence sets, both the classic and modern set are great. I’ve had my eye on a kse or carpenter set lately though. They are so much better in every way. I still have a Jackson with 81tw/89 set that I run at 24v but I’ll probably sell it. I’d like to try a retroactive Emg’s set in hss configuration, but I don’t have any use for the rest. The fluence are light years better. If anyone knows great tones it’s Frank.

I just picked up another set for 160 with battery pack, brand new still in box. Not only are the 2 voices great, but they split really well. I have them in 5 guitars at the moment.

 

[Jeffblue]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

Whenever I have had a guitar that I just couldn't get to sound good or acceptable to me with passive pickups, I could load the guitar with EMGs and the guitar then would sound excellent. I have found that with EMGs, it really didn't matter what tonewood the guitar was made of, the sound became acceptable. The thing that EMGs couldn't do for a unimpressive tonewood guitar is fix a bad sustain issue. It seems to me that the tone of a guitar was less important with active pickups.

I used to use EMGs exclusively until I tried a Seymour Duncan JB in a guitar. I personally like the inconsistency and unpredictability of passive pickups and I am a huge Seymour Duncan pickup fan.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

Good reads. I happen to really like the emg81 mostly because it's quiet.

The distortion has always been my favorite pickup until I got the blackout Emty ahb3's!

They are hands down the best combination of all the great things in passives and actives all rolled into one!
They are tight as heck and yet they wail with harmonics during solo..... amazing.

Eventually I think I'll have them in every guitar I own, they're that good.

 

[Nsatke81]

My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

Have you tried the Mick thompson Blackouts?

I have them in two guitars which I use commonly for heavy rhythm stuff. They have a lot of cut and articulation. Very pleased.

Over the years I’ve tried everything. I liked how quiet the EMGs are but they tend to sound familiar because so many people play them. Whenever I played them I always felt like I was 80% of where I was trying to be, sonically.

If given a guitar with an 81 in the bridge I could certainly play or track with it...but I would probably wind up switching it for a nazgul, black winter, 59/custom or mick Thomson depending on the guitar and tuning.

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[Peteshreds]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

Why not have one guitar with the EMGs which you would use for recording only, and another guitar with your preferred passive pups that you use for jamming/playing live?

I like this approach. I have several different Les Paul guitars, and my Epiphone Bjorn Gelotte (all mahogany, if I remember correctly) sounds monstrous with the 81/85 combo. If you have the option, I love the idea of versatility. You can have both, it seems.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

So what are you guys' recommendations for me to try next?

EMTY Blackouts? EMG 57/66? EMG GTV?

 

[Nsatke81]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

So what are you guys' recommendations for me to try next?

EMTY Blackouts? EMG 57/66? EMG GTV?

I really like the EMTYs for anything a step or more down. Highly suggested.


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[eclecticsynergy]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

gimour used emgs sa pup in the red strat with spc and exg controls

I have the same setup in a Floydcaster. My only EMGs, but they sound great and have remained in that guitar since 1980.
Completely different from the humbucker sets though, I think.

The SPC and EXG are cool and flexible but take a lot of getting used to when you're used to a regular tone control.

 

[Rex_Rocker]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

EMTY's do seem appealing. How about the 57/66 set?

 

[Diego]

Re: My struggle with EMG pickups... does anyone feel the same?

Tried the 57/66 combo already?

It's freaking killer.