Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

[Benjy_26]

Hello ladies & gents.

I'm writing this post to share what I found when comparing the EMG Dave Gilmour set in my MIJ 62 RI and a HSH set of Livewires in a customer's RG770 ( Classic/strat/Classic).

I was expecting the LW's to be hot, clean, clear, and open sounding due to the 18v operating system.

What I found was different. While they are hot and relatively open sounding, they did sound flat and muddy.

The note seperation under gain was not all that great and the clean tones were uninspiring.

By comparison, the DG20 set in my strat sounds tighter, cleaner, clearer, hotter, and just plain better.

For passives, Duncan rules, but for actives, I'll stick to EMG's.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

I had a different experience altogether with the live wire classic humbucker. I wouldn't call it muddy at all, under gain it is very clear, and I loved the clean tone. (I have it in the neck only) Of course, they are a little different guitars, so that might have a little to do with it.

I assume they put the right pots in it.

 

[DML]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Strange comparison!! However can you compare a Strat with a RG? Would you expect they sound (almost) the same with passive pups? I know I wouldn't. The same with active pups.
So what's your point of sharing this with us?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

I didn't check the pots, to be honest. It's my assumption that they are the proper value.

 

[BachToRock]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

You have to compare apples to apples to make any kind of fair judgement...

The DG20 set has 2 active tone circuits in it that help it acheive some great tones.

Also, you are comparing a H-S-H setup to a S-S-S setup in 2 ENTIRELY DIFFERENT GUITARS!

Are they the METAL Live Wires or the Classic Live Wires?

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

While some construction aspects are different between both guitars, the materials used and the scale length are the same.

The point of this comparison is that there isn't much info on the Livewires. I was just putting a bit more info out there.

If you don't care for the contents of this thread, forget about it and move on.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

SPC and EXP circuits were set flat so as to color the tone as little as possible.

Yes, I am comparing HSH to SSS, but that's all I could get my hands on.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

They are the Classic Live Wires, including the single in the middle.

 

[loudriver23]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Thanx for the post Benjy,
I've been currious about the whole EMG/Livewire thing for years now. I keep saying if I get another strat I'll have some kind of active setup.
Maybe your review isn't exactely Apples to Apples, but I can appreciate the spirit of the comparison and I believe it to be of value. At least to me.
Loudriver

 

[DML]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Hmm, I thought a '62 RI's body is made of alder, the RG is made of basswood. Strat has a Vintage Trem, RG a Floyd Rose.
Strat has 21 frets, RG has 24 frets.
Strat has a straight headstock, the RG has a tilted headstock.
Are the fretboardmaterials the same?

It's not that I don't care about your contents but I think you should compare, like BachToRock said, apples with apples.

 

[Curly]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

we asked Evan for a description of the Livewires at NAMM ...

EMG's: hotter, more "modern" tone

Bartolini: clean, low output

SD Livewires: somewhere in between. It sounds to me like they are more in line with SD's passives - more "vintage"

so, I think what you expected was probably closer than what you got

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Maybe I need to by another SL2H to put some EMGs in.




:laugh2: As if I needed another excuse!

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Hmm, I thought a '62 RI's body is made of alder, the RG is made of basswood. Strat has a Vintage Trem, RG a Floyd Rose.
Strat has 21 frets, RG has 24 frets.
Strat has a straight headstock, the RG has a tilted headstock.
Are the fretboardmaterials the same?

It's not that I don't care about your contents but I think you should compare, like BachToRock said, apples with apples.

My MIJ RI is made of basswood as well and has a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard, just like the RG. 24 frets do not affect the tone of the middle pickup, which is a single and is what I was mostly comparing to the SA's in my strat. The effect of the "tilted" headstock (actually, it's angled, not tilted) is nullified by the use of a locking nut.

Acoustically, both guitars are similar as far as loudness goes, with the RG being brighter and snappier. This leads me to beleive that if one were to put the same set of Livewires into my strat, they would lose even more definition and tightness.

Of course it's not apples to apples, but at this point, I just like the taste of oranges a lot more.



I think I need to get a set of Bartolini's and another strat. Clean and low output with no noise is an enticing combo.

 

[ParameterMan]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Hey, thanks for your thoughts. I appreciate your observations. I find it suprising that so many take issue with a less than positive review of these, as I couldn't even get someone who actually uses these to talk to me in the thread I started.

Maybe it's the fact that they lost out to EMG's...

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

I used the LiveWires Classic for Strat on the Forum CD a few years back. I thought they were really dynamic and sparkly, and totally quiet. I really liked them.

Curly, my comments about our active pickups vs. EMG and Bartolini was directed at active bass pickups, not guitar. I think I might have mis-understood you. Sorry.

 

[JacksonMIA]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

...as I couldn't even get someone who actually uses these to talk to me in the thread I started...

I can remember one, specifically.

:beerchug:

 

[ratherdashing]

Re: Seymour Dunncan Livewire vs. EMG's

Any info about Live Wires is good info IMO. There is so little written about these pickups.

The new Dave Mustaine set is encouraging to me, not because I want them, but because it shows that Duncan is keen on actives. The main problem for actives from my point of view is that there simply aren't enough different models to choose from.