Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

[JALIN]

Thinking about a new LP with EMG 81b/85n and was wondering what is best neck to compliment these pups?
I like both maple fingerboards and ebony so any favor one over the other with EMGs?

 

[some_dude]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

I prefer one that comes complete with frets.

:laugh2:

Don't you think you're being a little picky? Forget about your pickups and just pick whatever one you like best. You're the one who has to play it....

 

[JALIN]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

Not being picky about it, I don`t know jack about EMG and thier tone. I want the full blown metal sound and EMG will deliver but I was wondering if the maple is to bright with the EMG.

 

[Rainmaker]

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.

 

[Rainmaker]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

That being said, I'd go for the ebony - it's a little darker... in more ways than one ;P

 

[Imp]

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

 

[JALIN]

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.

Very helpfull, thanks.

 

[JALIN]

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

So EMG are not clear as they claim? When you say color the tone, in what way?

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

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.

 

[JALIN]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

I hear ya on the maple, I just loved the neck on the wolfgang.

 

[y2stevo]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

Ditto

 

[nuntius]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

someone corrrect me if im wrong but Zakk uses the 81 with a maple necked ebony boarded lp into a marshall which is already a bright sounding amp anyway

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

... & Zakk's tone is very bright!!

 

[nuntius]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

lol i didnt mean to say it wasn't

just using it as a guidline

 

[That90'sGuy]

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

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.

 

[Guitarist]

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.

How do you compare with a passive model such as the SH-6?

 

[Guitarist]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

Oh, and JALIN, I've heard great things about the 85 in the bridge...I'd check that out as well. I think it's the treble spike in the 81 that turns some off.

 

[some_dude]

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)

 

[Zerberus]

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

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Which fingerboard neck type best for EMG 81?

How do you compare with a passive model such as the SH-6?

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).