There has been much chit chat lately ...

ratherdashing

ratherdashing

Kablamminator
... about EMG's in a Strat. I have heard many a glowing review, and a couple negative ones. I understand that active pickups aren't for everyone, but I am wondering if maybe they are right for my Number One Strat, which is overdue for a pickup change. I am a big Gilmour fan, so if they're good enough for him they're probably good enough for me :)

Here are my EMG newbie questions, feel free to answer some or all:

1. What, in your mind, is the main advantage to an active pickup versus a passive?

2. The general myth seems to be that EMG's are only suitable for metalheads etc. How much truth is there to this? Will I still be able to get that Clapton/Hendrix/Knpofler vibe, or will that be impossible?

3. Another myth I have heard is that EMG's make every guitar sound the same. Comments?

4. How much different is it to wire up EMG's versus wiring up passives? I know there is the battery, of course, but I'm sketchy on the details.

5. What set of EMG's would you recommend for H/S/S? I'm thinking 89/SA/SA because I want to split the 'bucker.

6. What do you think of Duncan Live Wires as an alternative?

All responses are greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

I will be watching this thread carefully as I've often contemplated this very thing. Unfortunately I have no personal experience with active PUP's whatsoever so I can only look and learn.
Loudriver
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

1. I don't really see too much of an advantage personally, but then again I'm a metalhead :D . One thing to take note of is there might be more clarity, but that's only with my experience with active humbuckers and high gain.

2. Depending on the pickup, especially if you're using the SA, you should be able to have a lot of versatility. I do not think at all that EMG's are only suitable for metalheads; but again it all depends on the model you choose. The 81 I would say is most definitely a metal pickup and not very versatile, whereas the 85 and 89 (basically an 85 and SA in one box) are considered far more versatile.

3. There have been many debates about this but the truth is that EMG's do not really make all guitars sound the same. Different woods still hold their different characteristics, although there will be some similarities between guitars with EMGs. I don't know if this is right, but I would say the EMG takes over the main tone, and the guitar's wood is more of a fine tune adjustment. (Tell me if I'm wrong dudes)

4. The general wiring is similar to a passive pickup with a few exceptions: first, the battery clip that you mentioned connects to the output jack and the pickups. Second, you need to replace your pots with the 25k ones that come with the EMGs. Third, EMGs have a Quik-Connect cable system that lets you basically "plug-and-play" different EMG models in the same guitar without completely rewiring. I'm probably missing some things but that's the gist of it.

5. I think the 89/SA/SA is a good option, as you get those cool EMG SAs, and the 85/SA in the bridge position. So really, you have EMG's most versatile humbucker, and a true single coil as well.

6. I have absolutely no experience with the LiveWires but I'm sure someone else will be able to give you a fair comparison.

Good luck in choosing your actives!
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

ratherdashing said:
... about EMG's in a Strat. I have heard many a glowing review, and a couple negative ones. I understand that active pickups aren't for everyone, but I am wondering if maybe they are right for my Number One Strat, which is overdue for a pickup change. I am a big Gilmour fan, so if they're good enough for him they're probably good enough for me :)

Here are my EMG newbie questions, feel free to answer some or all:

1. What, in your mind, is the main advantage to an active pickup versus a passive?

2. The general myth seems to be that EMG's are only suitable for metalheads etc. How much truth is there to this? Will I still be able to get that Clapton/Hendrix/Knpofler vibe, or will that be impossible?

3. Another myth I have heard is that EMG's make every guitar sound the same. Comments?

4. How much different is it to wire up EMG's versus wiring up passives? I know there is the battery, of course, but I'm sketchy on the details.

5. What set of EMG's would you recommend for H/S/S? I'm thinking 89/SA/SA because I want to split the 'bucker.

6. What do you think of Duncan Live Wires as an alternative?

All responses are greatly appreciated, thanks!
Click to expand...

1. to me there is no advantage or disadvantage.......they are just different........just like the way i prefer the JB to the custom 5

2. despite the fact I never play or played metal in my life i have emgs in 3 of my guitars.....It's true though that the emg humbuckers because of their really high output(higher than almost all passive pickups)are really good for metal.....Knopfler uses emg in his pensa suhr.......I think you could get a good clapton sound too...............for the hendrix sound i would not choose emgs.......I have to say here that i find emg SAs to be very good at clean sounds (although they are a little bit dark sounding compared to most strat pickups) but i was never satisfied from the "clean but dirty" bluesy sound i was getting from them.......

3. I may be wrong on all of my other responces here but you can trust me on this......i have three different guitars all with the emg85/sa/sa combo and they all sound completeley different.......

4. the only difference is the battery and the stereo jack......two more soldering points.......

5. 89/sa/sa...............i would like to try also the sv or the sav singles.....:)

6. ????????????????
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

Great responses so far, guys. Keep 'em coming!

I should point out that I have another Strat that has a set of Classic Stacks in it. I will be leaving that one as is. The Strat that will get the new pickups currently has Pearly Gates/Texas Special/Texas Special. It's not bad, but I'd prefer something with a bit less mud and more clarity. That's why I thought EMG's might be the way to go.
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

I am also a huge Gilmour fan and was contemplating the EMG setup. What swayed me away was a simple analysis of Gilmour's tone. What tones of his do you like? For me it's the Meddle - Animals era, and he used stock pickups and a Dimarzio. I'm not a huge fan of the '87+ tone. It's not bad, but I like the older stuff.

My friend's guitar had an SA/SA/89 setup, so with the 89 in SA mode it was basically the DG pickup combo, but no SPC and EXG. I thought they were incredibly "flat", just not good for cleans and slight distortion. Now, I've heard that the SPC and EXG really make the EMGs shine. Also, consider the reason why Gilmour went to them... High power, noise-free and low impedance, he was using a massive signal chain through a wireless made up of a lot of vintage pedals.

However, consider that Gilmour, Vinve Gill, Metallica, etc. all use EMGs and I am a beroom hack... lol
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

knopfler used them too!

very versatile pups, the singlecoils.. they're active, so they respond very well to EQ pedals and the like.. metalheads like them because of the low noise and the slight 'fizz' they have.. (listen to emgs played at loud volume, i can tell a difference..)

just don't expect as much of the 'organic, breathing' quality of an antiquity ;)

tom
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

I don't know that Gilmour recorded with them though. They were used live but it was my understanding that his early 50's strat was the studio choice
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

PFDarkside said:
I am also a huge Gilmour fan and was contemplating the EMG setup. What swayed me away was a simple analysis of Gilmour's tone. What tones of his do you like? For me it's the Meddle - Animals era, and he used stock pickups and a Dimarzio. I'm not a huge fan of the '87+ tone. It's not bad, but I like the older stuff.
Click to expand...

You make a good point. My favourite Gilmour tones have always been from The Wall, followed closely by Wish You Were Here.

Imp said:
knopfler used them too!

very versatile pups, the singlecoils.. they're active, so they respond very well to EQ pedals and the like.. metalheads like them because of the low noise and the slight 'fizz' they have.. (listen to emgs played at loud volume, i can tell a difference..)

just don't expect as much of the 'organic, breathing' quality of an antiquity ;)

tom
Click to expand...

Do you know when Knopfler used them? I know he had some in his Suhr toward the end of Dire Straits, but can anyone name specific albums where he used EMG's?
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

1. What, in your mind, is the main advantage to an active pickup versus a passive?
Click to expand...

Different strokes for different folks. I find that under gain the EMGs retain more clarity than a high output passive humbucker. The 81 is the clearest pickup I have ever played.

2. The general myth seems to be that EMG's are only suitable for metalheads etc. How much truth is there to this? Will I still be able to get that Clapton/Hendrix/Knpofler vibe, or will that be impossible?
Click to expand...

Not true at all. As was stated, the 81 is a more specialized pickup, but the other models are well suited for any genre, especially the SAs. They won’t get you what many believe is *the* strat tone, but the sound is still “stratty.” In other words, the vibe is still there.

3. Another myth I have heard is that EMG's make every guitar sound the same. Comments?
Click to expand...

Not completely true (at least to my ears). But I will say that there’s something about the active circuit that relies less heavily on the tonal characteristics of the woods. There are differences from guitar to guitar, just not as pronounced as the differences when comparing different guitars with passive humbuckers.

4. How much different is it to wire up EMG's versus wiring up passives? I know there is the battery, of course, but I'm sketchy on the details.
Click to expand...

Nearly identical if you ignore the active circuit.

Here’s a bunch of EMG’s wiring diagrams and tech support. This should give you a good idea of what to expect when wiring it up.

http://216.26.190.134/support.asp

5. What set of EMG's would you recommend for H/S/S? I'm thinking 89/SA/SA because I want to split the 'bucker.
Click to expand...

That’s really your only bridge option if you’re splitting the bucker. I’ve never used the 89, so I can’t speak to its tone.
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

ratherdashing said:
You make a good point. My favourite Gilmour tones have always been from The Wall, followed closely by Wish You Were Here.



Do you know when Knopfler used them? I know he had some in his Suhr toward the end of Dire Straits, but can anyone name specific albums where he used EMG's?
Click to expand...


You can hear Knopfler using his emg equipped pensa suhr(emg 85/sa/sa) live in the ON THE NIGHT CD.....

D. Gilmour used his emg equipped red strat (that, an emg steinberger, and a gretch duo jet for rythm parts) for the albums momentary lapse of reason and the division bell.
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

PFDarkside said:
I am also a huge Gilmour fan and was contemplating the EMG setup. What swayed me away was a simple analysis of Gilmour's tone. What tones of his do you like? For me it's the Meddle - Animals era, and he used stock pickups and a Dimarzio. I'm not a huge fan of the '87+ tone. It's not bad, but I like the older stuff.

My friend's guitar had an SA/SA/89 setup, so with the 89 in SA mode it was basically the DG pickup combo, but no SPC and EXG. I thought they were incredibly "flat", just not good for cleans and slight distortion. Now, I've heard that the SPC and EXG really make the EMGs shine. Also, consider the reason why Gilmour went to them... High power, noise-free and low impedance, he was using a massive signal chain through a wireless made up of a lot of vintage pedals.

However, consider that Gilmour, Vinve Gill, Metallica, etc. all use EMGs and I am a beroom hack... lol
Click to expand...
What dimarzio model did he use?
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

I hink EMG's in a strat are great. I have recently switched out the EB/MM Albert Lee sig set out of my MIJ 62 RI and put in a Dave Gilmour set. For the way I pl;ay and through my rig, no other strat pickup can beat them for live use. I've used the aforementioned ALbert Lee's (made by Duncan), the Antiquity 1's, Dimarzio VV, Fender CS 62's, Lace Sensors, and the EMG's.

The Antiquity 1's, 62's, and Albert Lee's are very, very cool, but since I'm mainly a live player, they don't work too well for me. That's why I now have EMG's in my fave strat and amlooking at getting another Dave Gilmour set for my '77 strat.

If I was mainly recording, I'd definately keep the Albert Lee's in my 62 RI and get a set of Antiquities for my '77. they are awesome at low volume or during recording, but I like the extra beef and output I can get from the EMG's.

To answer your questions:

1. Versatility, low noise, and high output with clarity are the main advantages that I get from EMG's. Besides, both of my strats are vintage routed, so regular 'buckers are out of the question.

2. Like you said, it's a myth. I can play anything from surf tunes to metal with the SA set combined with the SPC and EXG. I may not be able to exactly nail Clapton's, Knopfler's, Hendrix's, or Vaughan's recorded tones, but then again,neither can most of the people that bag on EMG's, regardless of the pickups they're using. Like I said, for live use at high volumes, these do a damn good job of anything a good strat can do and more.

3. Again, a myth. One that's promulgated by the "internet parrots", or people who just repeat what they read on the 'net. Anybody who's tried EMG's can tell you that the guitar has a definite inmpact on the tone. EMG's do have they're own sonic signature, but so does the JB, Antiquity PAF, or Antiquity Texas Hot Custom. They all have their respective tonal curves, but they all sound different in different guitars.

4. If you get the Dave Gilmour set, all you have to wire is the output jack. Pretty much all the pro sets (for strats) come prewired like that.

5. 89/SA/SA would definately get the job done. I do reccomend you get the SPC and EXG controls with the set though, as they provide fantastic versatility.

6. I can't comment on the Livewires, but I too would love to know how a set of Livewire singles would sound.
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

EMG's are amazing but the tone is kinda "sterile" in that it is sooo perfect and let's you hear the guitar almost perfectly. It doesn't have that "vintage-y" coloration to the sound like the APS's might have. Vince Gill rocks EMG's, perfect for snappy country a la VG and Brad Paisley. These pickups are amazing thru effects and have great balance and power like the Dimarzio PAF PRO or LACE SENSORS.

I usually tell people, if you like LAce Sensors, you might like EMG's.

When it comes to EMG's you haev amazing options with circuits - SPC, Mid Boost, Expander - you can have a built in set of controls that can travel with you anywhere, without floor effects. The SPC for instance give your that mid scooped acoustic-y sound. I loved my EMG's on my tele. I am back to old fender sounds now.
 
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

OlinMusic said:
The SPC for instance give your that mid scooped acoustic-y sound.
Click to expand...


I think you have your controls confused. The SPC cuts presence and boosts high mids while giving you slightly more output. I think that you meant the EXG, which does cut the mids, but also boosts the highs and lows.
 
Last edited:
Re: There has been much chit chat lately ...

ratherdashing said:
... about EMG's in a Strat. I have heard many a glowing review, and a couple negative ones. I understand that active pickups aren't for everyone, but I am wondering if maybe they are right for my Number One Strat, which is overdue for a pickup change. I am a big Gilmour fan, so if they're good enough for him they're probably good enough for me :)

Here are my EMG newbie questions, feel free to answer some or all:

1. What, in your mind, is the main advantage to an active pickup versus a passive?
Click to expand...

The main advantages are low impedance (less treble bleed over long cable runs), output, clarity.

EMG's have a rather "broad" sonic spectrum to it.....which some find rather flat or sterile. Others like it. This broad spectrum tends to react well with effects.

That said, the most important advantage/disadvantage is tone. You either like it or you don't, and if you don't all the advantages in the world won't make them worth sticking in your guitar.

2. The general myth seems to be that EMG's are only suitable for metalheads etc. How much truth is there to this? Will I still be able to get that Clapton/Hendrix/Knpofler vibe, or will that be impossible?
Click to expand...

Hendrix....no. As mentioned, the 81 is the "metalhead" pickup. Plenty of country guys seem to rock EMGs. I assume it's so they can get a single coil tone without single coil buzz/hum. Plus they have plenty of attack/snap to them.

3. Another myth I have heard is that EMG's make every guitar sound the same. Comments?
Click to expand...

Not true. They dominate the sound of the guitar, but each guitar will still sound different. Also, they don't dominate the tone of the guitar any more or less than many other pickups, and most people who complain about this are talking about the 81, which has a rather extreme EQ to it to begin with.

4. How much different is it to wire up EMG's versus wiring up passives? I know there is the battery, of course, but I'm sketchy on the details.
Click to expand...

Different pots, output jack, and a battery.

5. What set of EMG's would you recommend for H/S/S? I'm thinking 89/SA/SA because I want to split the 'bucker.
Click to expand...

89/sa/sa or 85/sa/sa. I'm interested in the SAVs, but I've never heard them yet.

6. What do you think of Duncan Live Wires as an alternative?
Click to expand...

Most people seem to complain that they're way too middy.
 
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