stratguy23
New member
The Schecter Sun Valley Super Shredder FR guitars are in stores now. I've played 3 to date, through a variety of amps. They are very nice, mid-level Charvel-esque superstrats.
They come with EMG Retro Actives, specifically the 55 neck and 77 bridge (so I was told by an EMG rep). This is not a set you can buy as such, as the 55 and 77 normally come in dedicated sets.
The 55 is PAF-inspired with an unspecified Alnico magnet. The 77 is "nspired by the varied guitar tones created in the 70’s" and has a ceramic magnet, so I'm guessing that it's influenced by the Super Distortion.
The pickups really impressed me, both on their own and for the fact that they felt unlike any other EMG humbucker I've played. These are very different from the 57/66, which I feel are like passives only in that they have pole pieces. The 57/66 sound good, but they are super hot and, to me, don't have anything resembling passive response.
The 55 neck was genuinely low output - at last, an EMG humbucker that doesn't punish the preamp! It had immense clarity. I really liked its stringiness - think rockabilly, oldies rock 'n' roll, country even. I just wanted to play 50s and 60s stuff through it all day. I did not take it to high gain, so I can't comment on its performance there.
The 77 was, naturally, a little hotter with some poke to it. It didn't feel or sound like it had high output, though. It had a hint of top end clanginess that could be good or bad, depending on context. It, too, was pretty clear. As bridge humbuckers go, this is just a good all-around one for everything up to hard rock or classic metal. Again, I didn't push it up to high gain, but EMG has a whole stable of pickups for that. If you are just a good old-fashioned rock player, EMG now has pickups for you with the 55 and 77.
So, how much passive quality vs. active quality? I would say 80% passive, 20% active. I did not get the feeling like I usually do with actives - EMG or SD - that my pick attack is bottoming out on some hard surface. If I did not know these were active, I would not have guessed they were active.
That said, that 20% active quality manifested itself not in subpar response to pick attack, but in a slight sterility. It's not bad at all and certainly less sterile than, say, a run-of-the-mill 81/60 set. I would liken the sterility to that which I feel from stacked humbucking single coil pickups. The response is still passive, but some of the fur has been cleaned away from the edges. Sometimes with passives, the experience can get a little hairy (Pearly Gates, Distortion, 498T, etc.), which I like. These Retro Actives didn't have that. Great performance, articulation, clarity, and vintage vibe, but no wildness.
I'd never played active humbuckers with a genuine vintage vibe until Retro Actives. I will always be a passives guy, but I appreciate this new offering - and look forward to how SD Duality pickups will compare.
They come with EMG Retro Actives, specifically the 55 neck and 77 bridge (so I was told by an EMG rep). This is not a set you can buy as such, as the 55 and 77 normally come in dedicated sets.
The 55 is PAF-inspired with an unspecified Alnico magnet. The 77 is "nspired by the varied guitar tones created in the 70’s" and has a ceramic magnet, so I'm guessing that it's influenced by the Super Distortion.
The pickups really impressed me, both on their own and for the fact that they felt unlike any other EMG humbucker I've played. These are very different from the 57/66, which I feel are like passives only in that they have pole pieces. The 57/66 sound good, but they are super hot and, to me, don't have anything resembling passive response.
The 55 neck was genuinely low output - at last, an EMG humbucker that doesn't punish the preamp! It had immense clarity. I really liked its stringiness - think rockabilly, oldies rock 'n' roll, country even. I just wanted to play 50s and 60s stuff through it all day. I did not take it to high gain, so I can't comment on its performance there.
The 77 was, naturally, a little hotter with some poke to it. It didn't feel or sound like it had high output, though. It had a hint of top end clanginess that could be good or bad, depending on context. It, too, was pretty clear. As bridge humbuckers go, this is just a good all-around one for everything up to hard rock or classic metal. Again, I didn't push it up to high gain, but EMG has a whole stable of pickups for that. If you are just a good old-fashioned rock player, EMG now has pickups for you with the 55 and 77.
So, how much passive quality vs. active quality? I would say 80% passive, 20% active. I did not get the feeling like I usually do with actives - EMG or SD - that my pick attack is bottoming out on some hard surface. If I did not know these were active, I would not have guessed they were active.
That said, that 20% active quality manifested itself not in subpar response to pick attack, but in a slight sterility. It's not bad at all and certainly less sterile than, say, a run-of-the-mill 81/60 set. I would liken the sterility to that which I feel from stacked humbucking single coil pickups. The response is still passive, but some of the fur has been cleaned away from the edges. Sometimes with passives, the experience can get a little hairy (Pearly Gates, Distortion, 498T, etc.), which I like. These Retro Actives didn't have that. Great performance, articulation, clarity, and vintage vibe, but no wildness.
I'd never played active humbuckers with a genuine vintage vibe until Retro Actives. I will always be a passives guy, but I appreciate this new offering - and look forward to how SD Duality pickups will compare.
