Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

[kufojohn]

Hello everyone

As the title says, I want to change the default EMGs 81/60 on an ESP Eclipse I (Mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard).
I play many types of music, from total clean to really heavy metal (not too modern sound metal though. I do not droptune).
My experience so far was EMGs 81/89. Playing them for 25 years now. So, I keep hearing that actives suck more or less, and especially when talking about a good guitar, passives rule, for organic sound, character and expression.
Given the above, I was thinking, either to get the EMGs 57/66, who are supposed to be much more to the passive feeling, or go full passive, with either a SD jb/59 set, or BKPs, like Holy Diver, or Ceramic Nailbombs for bridge, and Emerald for neck.
I keep looking, but as I am new to the pickup evaluation, I wanted your opinion. Is there a suggestion for a super versatile combination that can offer me the full, powerfull sound of metal rythm and solos, and at the same time sweet neck solos, or cleans? Or even some more rock orientation if wanted?

Also I was wondering. Is the certain brand or type of pickup that crucial? I mean, ok, you want fat metal sound? you get a humbucker, and after all, with all the amounts of distortion or equalisation we have these days, we bring the sound to our likings (or not?)

Thanks in advance

George

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

The BKP forum would be a good place to ask about those models. They are pretty active there. Granted, the Kool Aid is a little deep over there.

Otherwise, it might help if you could expand a little on what it is you want more/less of from the pickups you have and what's going on with your current rig.

Additionally, Pickup brands don't matter as much as it can be made to seem. Most of them have something for everyone.

 

[kufojohn]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

ok
But what about the EMG 57/66. Are they worth getting considering my needs? Are they close to a passive feel or should I go for real passives?

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

ok
But what about the EMG 57/66. Are they worth getting considering my needs? Are they close to a passive feel or should I go for real passives?

My take is that If you want a passive feel, go with passive.

 

[dave74]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

^^^ amen to that!




I guess I just don't really get the current craze for actives that feel like passives.

 

[Dahla]

Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

You seem to be lured by the common internet lore that EMG suck donkey balls. Passives is the only way to go, right?

You've played EMG for 25 years. What do you want to change?

Do you wanna loose the battery? Passives is the only way to go then.

If you want a different tonal response, the recent het set, 57/66 and retro-active is way more dynamic, have a different feel etc. To me, het set is as close to perfection as it gets even though I highly enjoy the BB1/BB2, JB/Sentient, WLH and the BW. But put a gun to my head, and I'll choose the het set. Every time. (To bad they run on batterys, eh?)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[jonsick]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

I dunno, EMG 81/85 is pretty much my go-to pickup. I just like them in everything. There's only a few guitars of mine that it just didn't work in.

If you haven't really tried passive before then I would suggest going straight for the tried and true tested sets. That would be either the Duncan JB/59 or JB/Jazz combo, or if you want DiMarzio, go for a Super Distortion and a PAF Pro in the neck. I like all of those in LP type guitars, you can't go wrong. My current LP Standard has a DiMarzio Super D and a Gravity Storm in the neck. I love it just fine. I did have the Gravity Storm bridge but it just felt a little strangled to me.

Get those, play them for a while and when/if you fancy a change, come back and say what you don't dig about those. They're not as exotic as some of the newer flavors, but to me things like the Custom 5 or the Full Shred are pickups you sort of evolve to over time as they do an X thing that something more rudimentary like the JB didn't do.

If you can, get the JB Antiquity. I favour it pretty much completely above the standard JB. But you have to like the JB tone in the first place. I have JBAnts in my Jackson KV2s and to me the improvement over the standard JB is night and day. It's a lot less on the LP though for some reason. But then the Alder/Maple construction of the KV2 is always going to be a little brighter and snappier than the shorter scale all-mahogany LP.

 

[gclub]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

really passive.

 

[kufojohn]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

Thank you so much for all the answers so far.
There is nothing wrong for me with the EMGs 81/89 I was using so far. And I dont really care changing the battery when I have to
It is just that so many years I am playing with them. I was never troubled on actives/passives/organic/dynamics etc etc.
Now that I get the new guitar, I thought that maybe I should explore and see what I am missing all this time (if I am really missing anything)
The reason I mainly ask you guys, as you are much more experienced on this, is because on video checking, I never heared anything that different between pickups, or to state it more correctly, I never heared a difference that would not be fixed with some dist or eq tweeking. But I do know, that recorded samples, especially through youtube, can be hugely different to the live thing.
So , I keep searching

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

because on video checking, I never heared anything that different between pickups, or to state it more correctly, I never heared a difference that would not be fixed with some dist or eq tweeking. But I do know, that recorded samples, especially through youtube, can be hugely different to the live thing.

You just totally nailed the problem with watching videos (or listening to samples) on a computer or device.

 

[kufojohn]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

Sadly I cant check live BKPs where I live

 

[darthphineas]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

Sadly I cant check live BKPs where I live

They aren't stock in much of anything.

And most guitars in stores are loaded with the "big seller" models from pickup companies, so it's not always easy to try that many.

 

[daenius]

Re: Pickups for ESP Eclipse I: BKP vs EMG

Well if you just want to try something different, the BKP Alnico Nailbombs are great. You won't be disappointed by those pickups if you're used to the EMGs. They have a tremendous amount of output, but are very articulate and clear while maintaining a lot of warmth. Unlike EMG 81s they aren't going to have bright cutting sound (maybe the Ceramic version will? I've never tried though), but then if you're just looking to try something different, I'd say that's kind of the point, isn't it?

You also don't necessarily have to break the bank with BKPs to get great results out of passives too. The Duncan JB and Custom are excellent pickups for not a whole lot of money, and while I love my BKP Nailbomb that came with the guitar, I would have been perfectly happy if it came with JB or Custom or Dimarzio Tone Zone and never feel the need to ever buy a BKP to drop in there.