Which Active pickup do you like?

[Benjy_26]

Hey everyone. Recently, I've been having an itch to try more active pickups. I bought a Hamer Studio with a set of EMG 60's and while they sound cool, I'm sure there's stuff out there better suited to what I do. I play mostly low gain stuff and clean. The heaviest distortions I play are STP style rythms and leads. Have any of you guys tried the Classic Live Wires or the EMG 89's? I would preffer something that I can coil split, if possible.

Thanks a lot, y'all. :burnout:

 

[Thames]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

Urk.. "active"

I had such "itch" to try active stuff recently, but hopefully, my pal hitted me with a chair and suddendly brought me back to reality. :chairshot

Seriously, I really, really dont like active stuff. For low gain and clean stuff, you'll never get the feel of a good PAF style ... passive pickup ... you'll get sterile sounding, uncolored, uninspiring tone. But if you like that..

Call me if you want a chair shot !

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

I have plenty of PAF style pickups around. I'm just interested in a bit of a departure. BTW, listen to the EMG Dave Gilmour set. Simply gorgeasmic!

 

[fenderiarhs]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

you could try the emg 85 or even better the emg89 which is voiced like the 85 plus it is splittable. But i warn you the 85(and the 89) are not "low gain" pickups. I would also be interested in trying the david gilmour set but i didn't have the chance untill now.
Don't hear the people that are repeating the same old usual cliches about actives.....sterile cold, e.t.c e.t.c.......most of them haven't even tried them.Of course they are different than passives but they are amazing at what they do......just the same way passives are amazing in their own field.Anyway if you have more than one guitar i think it would be perfect to have one active and one passive.............best of both worlds.I have done that with 2 of my stratsne comes with the emg85/SA/SA set and the other with duncan JB/stock single/stock single and i love the way both are sounding.

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

How does the 89 sound split? I read on EMG's web site that it's very similar to the SA's when split and the 85 when in full humbucker mode. How does the 85 do cleans? Is it warm or bright sounding. The 60's I have in the Hamer are have a solid, cutting sound.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

I don't like bridge clean tones, so I won't comment on them.

I have an 85/81 set in one of my guitars. For cleans, the 85 in the neck is too bassy for my taste. It sounds great doing overdriven/distorted leads, but for clean and/or chord work it's way too much bass. I'm thinking of replacing the 85 with an 89 so that I have a usuable clean tone in this guitar.

I'm looking at loading another guitar with EMG's, and I plan on installing a 60a in the neck.

 

[ranalli]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

I'm looking at loading another guitar with EMG's, and I plan on installing a 60a in the neck.

The 60 in the neck will do you well IMO. I have one and it's very very good in the neck. Not quite as sparkly or chimey as a classic single coil type sound but it's somewhere in between that and a low-output humbucker. Very nice cleans IMO.

 

[TheGZeus]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

Well, if you liek that SOUND but don't want to deal with the battery and similar issues, there's always Lace Sensors.

 

[theodie]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

I like the DG-20 setup mainly because I am such a huge Glimour fan and I love his sound but, I think other actices I have tried sound like A$$. Lifeless and digital sounding.

 

[Young Angus]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

Im interested in the gilmour actives just because his tone is awesome, also in the classic livewires but any hot actives you can count me out of.

 

[Imp]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

Hey everyone. Recently, I've been having an itch to try more active pickups. I bought a Hamer Studio with a set of EMG 60's and while they sound cool, I'm sure there's stuff out there better suited to what I do. I play mostly low gain stuff and clean. The heaviest distortions I play are STP style rythms and leads. Have any of you guys tried the Classic Live Wires or the EMG 89's? I would preffer something that I can coil split, if possible.

Thanks a lot, y'all. :burnout:

Hey man, i got a 85/89 set- traded out an 81. theyre good all rounders for me - the split 89 really warms up the middle position, without causing mud. its a good, generic, usable clean tone for me, considering what EMGs are really designed for at heart..

for lower gain, just stick with passives IMO - unless you're up for the whole 80's solo tones - the 85 is lovely for that

 

[Thames]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

BTW, listen to the EMG Dave Gilmour set. Simply gorgeasmic!

Ah! I owned this particular set for a couple of month and I'm the main guitarist of a PinkFloyd tribute band. Let me tell you that Gilmour gets great tone out of his rig, not from these pickups. Multiple EQs, comp, enveloppe, other gizmos and Hiwatts ARE the only way to get his tone.

Ive got rid of those DG20 and installed back some good old vintage SC's, and my tone got better, and I can still nail his tone easily.

Gilmour use this set because :
- it keeps the signal strong throughout is EXTENSIVE rig.
- Quiet, very quiet.
- Pete Cornish (rig designer) uses a different design for bypassing effects (not the common "true-bypass" way), it's a strange combination of buffers, and Pete recommended such pickups to match with this setup.

So, if that kind of pickups sound "gorgeasmic" to you... you must have a battery in you ass! :fing25:

 

[Benjy_26]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

Ah! I owned this particular set for a couple of month and I'm the main guitarist of a PinkFloyd tribute band. Let me tell you that Gilmour gets great tone out of his rig, not from these pickups. Multiple EQs, comp, enveloppe, other gizmos and Hiwatts ARE the only way to get his tone.

Ive got rid of those DG20 and installed back some good old vintage SC's, and my tone got better, and I can still nail his tone easily.

Gilmour use this set because :
- it keeps the signal strong throughout is EXTENSIVE rig.
- Quiet, very quiet.
- Pete Cornish (rig designer) uses a different design for bypassing effects (not the common "true-bypass" way), it's a strange combination of buffers, and Pete recommended such pickups to match with this setup.

So, if that kind of pickups sound "gorgeasmic" to you... you must have a battery in you ass! :fing25:

I friend of mine has this set in a mexi strat, and he does not play any Floyd tunes. He plays originals in a blues/R&B style.

BTW, these pickups, through his rig, do sound very good to me, and no I don't have a "battery in my ass".

 

[Thames]

Re: Which Active pickup do you like?

Oh well. that's ok. you might really like 'em then... but dont say we havent warned you!