Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
- Thread starter Dave Locher
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Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
I'm personally not a fan of active pickups, but I do feel that they are not exactly meant to be used the same way as passive pickups.
On passive pickups, we dime everything as that's the "natural" sound, and then we roll off either volume or tone to attenuate output and frequencies (with tone knob, it's treble) that we want to cut.
This is not true for active pickups. Their "neutral" point is actually everything at 50% up. Diming the volume and tone knobs actually means boost. So if we operate them the same way we operate passive pickups, we're actually over boosting everything and compressing everything, and that yields the "over-compressed lifeless tone" that we passive pickup users talk about.
Why do I still not like them? For me it's a combination of things. The hassle of dealing with batteries, the fact that I really have to be careful with the control knobs because they are much more sensitive, and still the tone. Perhaps this can be solved by installing the EMG SPC, but I feel that active pickups do not have the sweet treble roll off and the various bumps in mid that passive pickups have, and those EQ curves are what we perceive as "character" for a pickup. The sensitive control knobs don't help, I'm either getting a buzzy treble, or it just sounds too dull. The mids don't sound as natural to my ears either.
I'm personally not a fan of active pickups, but I do feel that they are not exactly meant to be used the same way as passive pickups.
On passive pickups, we dime everything as that's the "natural" sound, and then we roll off either volume or tone to attenuate output and frequencies (with tone knob, it's treble) that we want to cut.
This is not true for active pickups. Their "neutral" point is actually everything at 50% up. Diming the volume and tone knobs actually means boost. So if we operate them the same way we operate passive pickups, we're actually over boosting everything and compressing everything, and that yields the "over-compressed lifeless tone" that we passive pickup users talk about.
Why do I still not like them? For me it's a combination of things. The hassle of dealing with batteries, the fact that I really have to be careful with the control knobs because they are much more sensitive, and still the tone. Perhaps this can be solved by installing the EMG SPC, but I feel that active pickups do not have the sweet treble roll off and the various bumps in mid that passive pickups have, and those EQ curves are what we perceive as "character" for a pickup. The sensitive control knobs don't help, I'm either getting a buzzy treble, or it just sounds too dull. The mids don't sound as natural to my ears either.
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
I never got this from pickups, and never defined 'I just don't like these pickups' as them causing specifically ear fatigue...but certain players' tones will do that to me (no matter what pickups), as well as how some albums are mastered/EQ'd.
I never got this from pickups, and never defined 'I just don't like these pickups' as them causing specifically ear fatigue...but certain players' tones will do that to me (no matter what pickups), as well as how some albums are mastered/EQ'd.
Dave Locher
New member
Dave Locher
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
This is what I was thinking, too. I would think amp, speaker, signal chain, and player's hands would play a much greater role than the pickups. Although I also agree that a flattened-out, over-compressed sound is boring and just disappears after a while and I can see how a super duper high power pickup could contribute to that. But I have heard plenty of hacks get that "constant buzz" tone out of a Strat with stock pickups!
This is what I was thinking, too. I would think amp, speaker, signal chain, and player's hands would play a much greater role than the pickups. Although I also agree that a flattened-out, over-compressed sound is boring and just disappears after a while and I can see how a super duper high power pickup could contribute to that. But I have heard plenty of hacks get that "constant buzz" tone out of a Strat with stock pickups!
Chickenwings
Alnico 6/8
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
lol turn your amp down.
lol turn your amp down.
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
Yeah and a record that's squashed to hell in terms of compression as part of the loudness war already does that to your ears: the constant loudness in every frequency with very little dynamic range makes you "feel" exhausted, because it's getting closer and closer to white noise.
Now there are musical styles that specifically aim for that type of sound, and the guitars in those styles are very compressed because they are there for a different purpose: to provide an even, constant percussive chug. They're not quite used to take the driver's seat and express the melodies very much. As to getting ear fatigue from that... yeah well, you'll probably get it if you listen to it all day long. Or you don't, because you're used to it.
As for pickups doing that to your ears, nothing you can't fix with amp settings and the control knobs. Certainly there are players who don't pay much attention to that, or sometimes in a small live situation, they just don't get to tweak it before going on stage.
Yeah and a record that's squashed to hell in terms of compression as part of the loudness war already does that to your ears: the constant loudness in every frequency with very little dynamic range makes you "feel" exhausted, because it's getting closer and closer to white noise.
Now there are musical styles that specifically aim for that type of sound, and the guitars in those styles are very compressed because they are there for a different purpose: to provide an even, constant percussive chug. They're not quite used to take the driver's seat and express the melodies very much. As to getting ear fatigue from that... yeah well, you'll probably get it if you listen to it all day long. Or you don't, because you're used to it.
As for pickups doing that to your ears, nothing you can't fix with amp settings and the control knobs. Certainly there are players who don't pay much attention to that, or sometimes in a small live situation, they just don't get to tweak it before going on stage.
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
The JB wears out my ears quickly. Gives me a headache...or feels like it's going to.
beaubrummels
Well-known member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
The way to combat ear fatigue is to roll back the distortion for a while. Switch to the neck for a bit. Maybe play clean for a while. Kick on a phaser or chorus. Switch to a delay. Jump on the wah for a little. Or maybe EQ the sucker differently. Try something else. Change is good. Change is the stuff music is made of.
The way to combat ear fatigue is to roll back the distortion for a while. Switch to the neck for a bit. Maybe play clean for a while. Kick on a phaser or chorus. Switch to a delay. Jump on the wah for a little. Or maybe EQ the sucker differently. Try something else. Change is good. Change is the stuff music is made of.
metalchurch79
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
Pretty much it's not what you have equipment wise, it's knowing how to properly operate it. Kinda hard to put blame on just one piece of gear that most times you couldn't pick out blind folded one from the other.
Pretty much it's not what you have equipment wise, it's knowing how to properly operate it. Kinda hard to put blame on just one piece of gear that most times you couldn't pick out blind folded one from the other.
DavidRavenMoon
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
I'm not sure I agree here. I used to use EMGs quite a bit. They aren't really any louder than passive pickups, so there's no boost. After all they are just passive pickups with a built in buffer amp. There's no gain built into the preamp. They have both coils running separately into the op amp, so they are sort of wired in parallel.
The difference is when you turn the volume control down their tone doesn't change. That's because they are buffered.
I think people equate treble with a lack of "organic" tone and then say the pickup is sterile. I like a bright tone where I can actually hear the notes I'm playing.
As it is I generally leave my volume on 10. I don't use it to clean up my sound. I switch to a different amp/effects setting for that. Except for swells, I use the volume to mute the guitar when I'm not playing. Lol.
But everyone has their preferences. I want my guitars to go from crystal clean to dirt. I don't use one tone for every song.
I stopped using EMGs when I started winding my own pickups.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I'm not sure I agree here. I used to use EMGs quite a bit. They aren't really any louder than passive pickups, so there's no boost. After all they are just passive pickups with a built in buffer amp. There's no gain built into the preamp. They have both coils running separately into the op amp, so they are sort of wired in parallel.
The difference is when you turn the volume control down their tone doesn't change. That's because they are buffered.
I think people equate treble with a lack of "organic" tone and then say the pickup is sterile. I like a bright tone where I can actually hear the notes I'm playing.
As it is I generally leave my volume on 10. I don't use it to clean up my sound. I switch to a different amp/effects setting for that. Except for swells, I use the volume to mute the guitar when I'm not playing. Lol.
But everyone has their preferences. I want my guitars to go from crystal clean to dirt. I don't use one tone for every song.
I stopped using EMGs when I started winding my own pickups.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Lewguitar
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
I don't use pickups that give me ear fatigue. That's my solution.
I don't use JB's or hot pickups.
I like PAF style humbuckers and vintage 50's/60's style single coils.
I never get tired of them.
And I don't use a lot of distortion or effects.
I use some...just not a lot.
And I know what speakers I like and which I don't.
I don't use pickups that give me ear fatigue. That's my solution.
I don't use JB's or hot pickups.
I like PAF style humbuckers and vintage 50's/60's style single coils.
I never get tired of them.
And I don't use a lot of distortion or effects.
I use some...just not a lot.
And I know what speakers I like and which I don't.
2ndhandband
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
Funny... I'm revisiting the Alice Cooper catalog right now and over the past two days I've been listening to Brutal Planet and Dragontown... his "industrial" phase. They're actually not bad records, but the guitar sound actually makes my ears tired! So... friggin... compressed...
Funny... I'm revisiting the Alice Cooper catalog right now and over the past two days I've been listening to Brutal Planet and Dragontown... his "industrial" phase. They're actually not bad records, but the guitar sound actually makes my ears tired! So... friggin... compressed...
metalchurch79
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
Yea good point actually cause they are what projects/interperates the sound. Crap speakers will kill any semblance of good tone. Same as using the wrong speakers for the task.
2ndhandband
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
I always say you can make low-output pickups sound as muscular as you want using outboard gear... you can not go the other direction.
As a soundman too much distortion is the bane of my existence. I wanna strap every modern metal guitarist to a chair and force then to listen to Rainbow Rising on repeat until they get that you don't need to be gained straight to hell to sound heavy.
Your last point is so important. I deal with more people than I could list who struggle with their tone but are just using whatever speaker came with their amp or cab...
I always say you can make low-output pickups sound as muscular as you want using outboard gear... you can not go the other direction.
As a soundman too much distortion is the bane of my existence. I wanna strap every modern metal guitarist to a chair and force then to listen to Rainbow Rising on repeat until they get that you don't need to be gained straight to hell to sound heavy.
Your last point is so important. I deal with more people than I could list who struggle with their tone but are just using whatever speaker came with their amp or cab...
Jacew
New member
Re: Why would hot humbuckers lead to ear fatigue?
You're making a false assumption, that you can imitate higher output pickups with low-output pickup and a booster. That's like saying there's no point having big engine in your car, as it's just the same to turbocharge a small one. It's not a same thing.
Vintage strat pickup is not going to sound like P90, no matter what boxes you link in your signal chain.
You're making a false assumption, that you can imitate higher output pickups with low-output pickup and a booster. That's like saying there's no point having big engine in your car, as it's just the same to turbocharge a small one. It's not a same thing.
Vintage strat pickup is not going to sound like P90, no matter what boxes you link in your signal chain.
