EMG Pickups

[thechamp96@hotmail.c]

I have a pair of EMG 81/85s that I'm debating throwing in to my Agile AL-3000 maple top guitar (it is a les paul style knockoff). I like the stock pickups but I have a real hankering to try out the EMGs.

Just wondering if there are many forumites who use EMG pickups and I'm trying to get a feel for whether or not people think they are "metal only" pickups or they are versatile enough for classic rock, blues, modern rock, etc.

[Milkman]

I have a pair of EMG 81/85s that I'm debating throwing in to my Agile AL-3000 maple top guitar (it is a les paul style knockoff). I like the stock pickups but I have a real hankering to try out the EMGs.

Just wondering if there are many forumites who use EMG pickups and I'm trying to get a feel for whether or not people think they are "metal only" pickups or they are versatile enough for classic rock, blues, modern rock, etc.

I've been an EMG user for quite a few years now. Metal only? Some people would like to think so but that's just pure nonsense in my opinion. I'm a classic rocker and I really don't use a lot of high gain sounds. The cleans from EMGs are better than any Passive I hve ever used. Add to that the fact that they're virtually silent (no hum) and the added safety of not having a ground attached to the bridge and it's a great choice all around.


I have three guitars loaded with EMGs at present and they're far and away the best sounding pickups I have ever used.

[ajcoholic]

I have used a lot of EMG's also - a tele set, dual 85's, 81/85 and some singles.

I liked the Tele set, and the 85 is a great pickup for me. I hated the 81, although in other's guitars I have liked the tone.

I think an 85 is a great place to start - plenty of great clean and overdriven tones to be had. I dont buy the "negative hype" surrounding these that many seem to talk about on the forums. They are just as capable of providing a wide range of sounds as any other.

AJC

[Archer]

I like EMG single coils. Not a fan of their Humbuckers.

[violation]

EMGs are definitely not just for metal, they're just more popular with those types of players. My step dad uses them for classic rock.

I personally have the 81, 85, 89 and 60... my main complaint is the dynamics of them. With a passive the tone of my picking and how easy it is to control the volume of my picking just sounds much better to my ears. I also think they have too much output but it's all preference. The only reason I have them, really, is because I found them pretty cheap used... one of those impulse buys.

For pickups I'm a passive guy, Dimarzio Tone Zone and Super Distortion is where it's at for me.

[Diablo]

I agree with most of the posters above, as I have had 2 guitars with that exact set, and have another set I'm thinking of putting in my Explorer. 81/85's are not just for metal.
In fact, I would say they are over-rated for metal.
I've played many passive pickups that are hotter than 81/85's.

[buddroyce]

Active EMG's are great pickups and definitely aren't just for Metal. Don't believe me? go ask Dave Gilmour, Buddy Guy and Steve Lukather. If you do get EMG's, you may want to check out the 18v mod that makes the EMGs run with two 9v batteries. The extra voltage gives more headroom and takes away that compressed sound that EMG's have.

If you're looking for EMG's to do only metal, you'd be much happier with the Duncan Blackouts which is taking EMG's when it comes to metal.

[Budda]

i've played 1 LP with 81/85 set, but the battery was running low so it wasnt full EMG punch :( sounded decent though.

if no mods to the guitar need to be made to put them in, i'd test it out. if you dont like it, try out a different set of pickups (JB/59 or Custom/Jazz anyone?)

[DeleriumTrigger]

I have on the 81/85's in my main guitar and I do think that they are best suited for rock and high gain applications. They are OK for other stuff, but you could get a lot better. If you plan on playing with heavy distortion more often than not though, they're a good choice.

[Milkman]

Here's my $0.02 (although I've already posted my opinion).

I've always believed that MUCH of your sound is in your hands. That being said, I have used pretty much all major brands of pickups over the years and was always able to get my sounds with no trouble.

This is no different with EMGs. I get a wide range of tones from pristine cleans to raging gain and anything in between. The EMGs do it quieter and more safely.

I currently only have one guitar (a Tele) with passives (Bill Lawrence) and they're fine, but I think it pales in comparison the other Tele I have which is equipped with EMGs.

[thechamp96@hotmail.c]

WOW, great feedback! Thanks to you all... Well I think the take-home message is that I should try 'em out. They're just sitting here anyway so I might as well put them to use. If I hate them, I can always go back to the stock pups or save up and buy something new.

I'm in the process of moving right now, but after I move I'll throw them in and give you guys an update on how they play. Thanks again for the help!

:rockon:

[Emohawk]

I'm a little behind the times with this thread (been out of the loop around here lately) but here's my take on EMG's. Looking forward to hear about your results!

Back in the 80's EMG's became extremely popular for metal because players wanted more gain. The ultra hot actives were an easy way to get there. If you wanted to overdrive the hell out of an old 2203/2204 or an early Boogie, this was the ticket.

With modern "high gain" amps you really don't need ultra-hot pickups. I have a Laney GH100TI and a Traynor Custom Special 100 and I never pump the gain past noon (maybe 1:00 if I'm feeling extra-raunchy). At those levels with my 490R/498T Gibsons it's a HELL of a lot of gain. With my EMG 81/85 Ibanez it's off the map. When I want to push my 2204 the EMG's do the trick nicely.

And I agree - EMG's are great for any style really and are a joy if you're playing in electrically "noisy" environments. The tradeoff is dynamics, especially with the humbucker models (I don't think any of us will say Gilmour's tone isn't "dynamic"! :)). I find passives to be more touch-sensitive and overall a little more organic.

[Accept2]

Actually EMGs arent hot at all. They have a very low signal. They became very popular in the 80s because they seem to gel very well in a rack environment which was popular back then. As well, lots of people used frequency delays and other rack processors which dont like hot pickups. I know whenever I feed too hot of a pickup thru mine, it sounds like poop, but the EMGs shine. For EMGs, its not the genre thats important, its what you are feeding them thru and what you want to come out the other side........

[Archer]

That isnt really t he case (EMG's arent hot) at all. They are a hot pickup but they are using different measures to get their 'heat.' In the case of an EMG the coils work along with a preamp. That preamp changes EVERYTHING as far as how one needs to interpret a spec sheet.

For example the EMG 81 is a VERY hot pickup but if you compare the specs of an EMG to a passive the EMG will not LOOK like it is a hot pickup.

The technologies are so different that you are doing a disservice to yourself if you are trying to use the same standards to define 'hot' b/w passives and actives.

[Budda]

Emohawk, the pickups you and i have in our LP's are just plain ridicoulous, my good man. i cant believe gibson makes hotter pickups, because my bridge pickup drives my JSX clean channel lol.

i'm curious to know how buddy gets on with his ZW set in the LP

[Emohawk]

Emohawk, the pickups you and i have in our LP's are just plain ridicoulous, my good man. i cant believe gibson makes hotter pickups, because my bridge pickup drives my JSX clean channel lol.

i'm curious to know how buddy gets on with his ZW set in the LP

Although Gibson does make "hotter" pickups - the 496R & 500T for example - I find them rather muddy/undefined. The exception is the Iommi sig, but that's a different animal altogether. In fact, I even find the 490/498 muddy in some applications (I have another SG with a JB/59 setup for better clarity).

I actually have the ZW set in my Ibanez RG (it's just a 81/85 set actually...nothing special). I love it for ripping it up, but I prefer the passives in my other guitars for most stuff.

Accept2's comment below is correct if you look at it in a pure numbers way. What the EMG's do is change the EQ to make it appear hotter in the upper mid & top end to give a tube pre-amp a "gainier" feel, especially for leads, but it also sounds a little thinner for rhythm as a result. I guess that's why some guitarists also use the EMG SPC add-on to fatten things up a bit (Jeff Hanneman from Slayer comes to mind).

Truth be known my SG & my roommate's LP (490R/498T) both sound "hotter" overall than either my RG or his LTD KH-602 with similar settings/gain levels. Maybe "fuller" or "fatter" would be a better description. The Ibanez & LTD will rip the head off either of them for leads & deal with noise far better.

I guess no solution is ever perfect!!! That's why we all have collections of toys... :D

[kellythebastard]

Been using them in my paul since 96 with no complaints, find passives woolier and the emg's more defined. I am using 13 gauged strings with the 18 volt mod so I do get a lot of kick. But it doesn't seem that much more than my JB/Jazz set in my other guitars