Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
- Thread starter JALIN
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Rainmaker
Bee Bee King
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
From http://www.jemsite.com/axes/htm_features/wood.htm
Fretboard Woods:
Perhaps more significant than neck wood, the fretboard is the place your string launches from. It is the “bridge” on the other side. Fretboard differences are as dramatic as those between a hardtail and a tremolo.
Maple:
Very bright and dense, Maple is highly reflective. When used on a fretboard, Maple encourages tremendous amounts of higher overtones and its tight, almost filtered away bass favors harmonics and variations in pick attack.
Ebony:
Ebony has a snappy, crisp attack with the density of Maple, but with more brittle grains, oilier pores, and a stronger fundamental tone than Maple. It has a tremendous amount of percussive overtones in the pick attack, that mute out shortly thereafter to foster great, long, sustain.
From http://www.jemsite.com/axes/htm_features/wood.htm
Fretboard Woods:
Perhaps more significant than neck wood, the fretboard is the place your string launches from. It is the “bridge” on the other side. Fretboard differences are as dramatic as those between a hardtail and a tremolo.
Maple:
Very bright and dense, Maple is highly reflective. When used on a fretboard, Maple encourages tremendous amounts of higher overtones and its tight, almost filtered away bass favors harmonics and variations in pick attack.
Ebony:
Ebony has a snappy, crisp attack with the density of Maple, but with more brittle grains, oilier pores, and a stronger fundamental tone than Maple. It has a tremendous amount of percussive overtones in the pick attack, that mute out shortly thereafter to foster great, long, sustain.
Imp
New member
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
EMGs colour the tone a hell of a lot, i don't think i would be able to tell the difference in fingerboard woods..
IMO, EMGs make an $80 guitar sound like a $600 guitar, in terms of tone (depending on which ones you take) - problem is, they'll also make a $1400 guitar sound like a $600 one
EMGs colour the tone a hell of a lot, i don't think i would be able to tell the difference in fingerboard woods..
IMO, EMGs make an $80 guitar sound like a $600 guitar, in terms of tone (depending on which ones you take) - problem is, they'll also make a $1400 guitar sound like a $600 one
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
If you like EMG player's tone, like Zakk, then you will enjoy it. I'm not a fan of active pups ...
For fingerboard, I always go for maple, when I can.
If you like EMG player's tone, like Zakk, then you will enjoy it. I'm not a fan of active pups ...
For fingerboard, I always go for maple, when I can.
TwilightOdyssey
Darkness on the edge of Tone
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
... & Zakk's tone is very bright!!
... & Zakk's tone is very bright!!
That90'sGuy
DyzaBoyzologist
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
I'm surprised no one else mentioned it, but Imp.
Listen to this man ^^^^^
EMGs are active and that means it colors your tone A LOT. Trust me, I owned the Zakk Wylde set (the 81/85s). I also owned the EMG-DG20 Dave Gilmour system in my old strat.
No matter what you choose, it will sound like EMG. It's really hot, doesn't get great cleans (unless you look at another model) and it is very articulate and works IMHO probably the best out of any pickup I've ever tried with distortion.
With that said, you'll probably want something that feels great and will help you play fast. Ebony fretboards help with this. As far as the neck wood, what feels good to you? I found maple can work at going pretty fast.
Crappy guitars sound great with EMGs because they cover up their lack of tone.
Imp said:
I'm surprised no one else mentioned it, but Imp.
Listen to this man ^^^^^
EMGs are active and that means it colors your tone A LOT. Trust me, I owned the Zakk Wylde set (the 81/85s). I also owned the EMG-DG20 Dave Gilmour system in my old strat.
No matter what you choose, it will sound like EMG. It's really hot, doesn't get great cleans (unless you look at another model) and it is very articulate and works IMHO probably the best out of any pickup I've ever tried with distortion.
With that said, you'll probably want something that feels great and will help you play fast. Ebony fretboards help with this. As far as the neck wood, what feels good to you? I found maple can work at going pretty fast.
Crappy guitars sound great with EMGs because they cover up their lack of tone.
some_dude
Raging BB Gunologist
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
I just did a quick check of some of the signature models that use EMG's;
Kirk Hammet -> Rosewood
James Hettfield -> Ebony (although it wasn't a signature model)
Kerry King -> Rosewood
Mick Tompson -> Rosewood
Zakk Wylde -> Ebony (White Bullseye), Maple (the camo Bullseye)
I just did a quick check of some of the signature models that use EMG's;
Kirk Hammet -> Rosewood
James Hettfield -> Ebony (although it wasn't a signature model)
Kerry King -> Rosewood
Mick Tompson -> Rosewood
Zakk Wylde -> Ebony (White Bullseye), Maple (the camo Bullseye)
Zerberus
Baron Von Shred
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
I have a ZW Set in my LP Gothic (Ebony board) and I much preferred the tone with the 85 at the bridge and the 81 at the neck. Gonna do the 18Volt mod sometime soon, it´s supposed to open them up a bit and give more headroom :22:
I´d definitely go for ebony, though. IMO it just plays and sounds better, and I think it would complement the 81 at the bridge better by rounding off the highs more than a maple board
I have a ZW Set in my LP Gothic (Ebony board) and I much preferred the tone with the 85 at the bridge and the 81 at the neck. Gonna do the 18Volt mod sometime soon, it´s supposed to open them up a bit and give more headroom :22:
I´d definitely go for ebony, though. IMO it just plays and sounds better, and I think it would complement the 81 at the bridge better by rounding off the highs more than a maple board
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That90'sGuy
DyzaBoyzologist
Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?
That's something you'll have to ask in the pickup section
However, if you really play primarily distorted stuff, you will love the pickup. Who knows? Maybe the 18v mod gives it enough headroom to be used clean.
Now passive pickups, those you'll have to look towards the woods you're using and what will compliment them (for instance, you wouldn't want a dark sounding alnico II based pickup in a mahogany guitar).
Guitarist said:
That's something you'll have to ask in the pickup section
However, if you really play primarily distorted stuff, you will love the pickup. Who knows? Maybe the 18v mod gives it enough headroom to be used clean.
Now passive pickups, those you'll have to look towards the woods you're using and what will compliment them
(for instance, you wouldn't want a dark sounding alnico II based pickup in a mahogany guitar).
