Active Pick-ups

[GuitarsCanada]

I have gotten back into the EMG active pick-ups again. Got rid of them for awhile but loaded them back into my Heritage Gary Moore and I like it, a lot. :)

[Accept2]

I love EMGS. They are great pickups. I think they are best used with rack units. I also love Evans which get alot of the benefits of actives, only they are passive pickups, but then you had them in the old Signature...............

[GuitarsCanada]

Yes, the Signature..should have kept that one... but once again.. should have should have. That was a nice guitar.

http://www.guitarscanada.com/images/Oracle4.JPG

[Milkman]

Well, I have been using EMGs for many years and having tried all manner of passives including expensive boutique brands like Kinmans and Fralins as well as more garden variety SDs and DiMarzios I'm quite happy with the EMGs.



All of my electric guitars and even my lap steel are so equipped.

[Stratocaster]

Yes, the Signature..should have kept that one... but once again.. should have should have. That was a nice guitar.

http://www.guitarscanada.com/images/Oracle4.JPG

whoa what is that guitar?

[Accept2]

That guitar is a Signature Oracle. They were built by Larrivee in BC, and finished by the Signature Guitar Company in Aurora, Ontario. That one was especially tasty as it was neckthrubody, had a nice quilt top, and had Evans pickups..................

[Emohawk]

It's like anything else really - different tools for different jobs. I don't try to play metal on my strat with Kinmans, and I don't try to play blues on the Ibanez. I do want a EMG loaded guitar (don't currently have one). Soon hopefully.

[GuitarsCanada]

Yes, I ended up selling that Signature to a Dude in Finland, he just had to have it at any price, so it went. I miss it but.... easy come easy go. Always the same, should have kept it.

[Milkman]

It's like anything else really - different tools for different jobs. I don't try to play metal on my strat with Kinmans, and I don't try to play blues on the Ibanez. I do want a EMG loaded guitar (don't currently have one). Soon hopefully.


In my opinion, it's a popular misconception that EMGs are not suitable for genres outside of high gain metal.


Simply not true. I'm doing classic rock covers with my original stuff mixed in and have gradually converted ALL my guitars to EMGs.

It's all in the hands man.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b221/MikeLaPointe/S3000110.jpg

[Accept2]

You can use any guitar for any music, same for pickups. The guy in Overkill used to use a Fender Strat to play thrash. I also know of one old jazz guy who last I saw was about 300 years old, and he was playing jazz on shred guitars. He used them because jazz boxes were too bulky for his small frame, and the shred guitars had great action. In the end, whatever you play will sound like you, thats why signature gear will never turn you into Slash, Ace, EVH, or any of the others...........

[Emohawk]

In my opinion, it's a popular misconception that EMGs are not suitable for genres outside of high gain metal.


Simply not true. I'm doing classic rock covers with my original stuff mixed in and have gradually converted ALL my guitars to EMGs.

It's all in the hands man.

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b221/MikeLaPointe/S3000110.jpg

It's a matter of taste I guess. I'm not saying you can't. Hell - the better part of the first Sabbath album was played on a Strat, and Iommi is simply GOD when it comes to metal (note my avatar...). And single-coil actives work great for lots of stuff (Dave Gilmour uses EMG's in his Strats I think).

Personally, I like the feel of passives for some stuff, and actives for some stuff. And it gives me an excuse to buy another guitar, and that's never a bad thing! :D

[Milkman]

You can use any guitar for any music, same for pickups. The guy in Overkill used to use a Fender Strat to play thrash. I also know of one old jazz guy who last I saw was about 300 years old, and he was playing jazz on shred guitars. He used them because jazz boxes were too bulky for his small frame, and the shred guitars had great action. In the end, whatever you play will sound like you, thats why signature gear will never turn you into Slash, Ace, EVH, or any of the others...........


Exactly right in my opinion. EMGs do have a hot output, however all humbuckers passive or active tend to be too hot for a really good clean sound. That's why I use the Hum-Sing-Hum configuration with an 89 (tapped via a push/pull pot) in the bridge position. The combination of the tapped 89 and the single coil in the middle yields beautiful clean tones.

I also have an EMG equipped Tele and a Lap Steel with a single coil EMG.


No problem to do everything from Pink Floyd to Hendrix.

[Emohawk]

You can use any guitar for any music, same for pickups. The guy in Overkill used to use a Fender Strat to play thrash. I also know of one old jazz guy who last I saw was about 300 years old, and he was playing jazz on shred guitars. He used them because jazz boxes were too bulky for his small frame, and the shred guitars had great action. In the end, whatever you play will sound like you, thats why signature gear will never turn you into Slash, Ace, EVH, or any of the others...........

True enough. Whatever works I say. And also true about sig gear. I do have an Iommi sig head, but only because I got a great deal on it used, and because I love how it sounds.

[I Huff Paint]

True enough. Whatever works I say. And also true about sig gear. I do have an Iommi sig head, but only because I got a great deal on it used, and because I love how it sounds.


Isn't that head a single channel? I've always wondered what the newer Laney stuff is like. A friend of mine has an old AOR50, and it sounds pretty good.

[Emohawk]

Isn't that head a single channel? I've always wondered what the newer Laney stuff is like. A friend of mine has an old AOR50, and it sounds pretty good.

Yeah - it's s single channel. I was actually planning on a TT50H, but this just fell into my lap and I couldn't pass on it. It can do a decent clean, but it's a pain in the ass to get it there. The voice a lot like a Marshall in some ways, but hot rodded to hell & a little more upper mid. It's a very bright amp which is probably why it doesn't get along with G12-T75's. It LOVES V30's though.

But, it is a one-trick-pony. It's all about paint-peeling high gain metal. I'm looking for another head with more versatility, but I can get by with my old Line6 for now. I don't gig so it's not a huge issue.

[ajcoholic]

I have been an EMG user since 1985/86 when I got my first set of Tele pickups. SInce then I have used a few 85's and one 81 HB. I have had good and bad luck with them, and it is very dependant upon what guitar they are in. For instance, I have had the same 85 HB (the exact same pickup) in three different guitars. One ash body/maple cap with a mahogany neck, one mahogany body/maple cap and mahogany neck, and one poplar with maple cap and maple neck (all three guitars of my own construction - I build guitars as a hobby). In two of them the 85 sounded great! In the mahogany/maple guitar it sucked. The 81 also sucked (to my taste). But in the poplar/maple for instance (which I was just playing) guitar for instance (where I have one 85 in the bridge and one n the neck position) the 85's can go from a beautiful clean sound to a raw and dirty rock and roll sound.

I think they are suited towards ALL styles of music - but it does depend upon your guitar, and amp, as well as your playing. Tone comes from many sources not just your pickups.

I also play a number of other pickups including FRalins (in one of my tele's, my strat and one HB guitar) and some rio grande's (P90's) and many others. EMGs are just another choice in the pickup world - not the "best" or the "worst" as many want to make them out to be - just another choice! :)

AJC

[David St Hubbins]

I second the EMG recommendations. I love them and have several combinations that I use.

[KHINGPYNN]

Emohawk... have any pics of the Iommi Sig head? Do you mind if I ask what you pais for it? You said you were looking for a more versitile head. I can suggest a Koch Multitone. I own the Multitone 100 2x12 and it is Awsome. I also own a Soldano Hot Rod 50 and marshall JCM800 and Randal RG80. The Multitone is my fav for versitility and overal exceptional tones.

I have active PU's in my Ernie Ball Music Man Silhouette Special. All my other guitars have passive PU's. I like both styles.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned what active PU's really are and what the advantages are over passive... so I'll start on that.

Active PU's are the same as passive PU's it's the circuit that they are in thats "ACTIVE". An active PU does not need as powerful a magnet the active circuitry amplifies the guitars signal. So when active PU's are built they silpy have a lower output than passive PU's. The advantages are better sustain due to a lesser magnetic field. What MAY BE a disadvantage is that the active circuitry colors the tone. EMG are an excellent design and the cct involved is designed very well and becomes part of the voice of the PU's.
Another advantage is you get less incedental noise from active PU's. Resting you hands on the strings with active PU's will give you less pops and such while the stronger magnets in Passive PU's tends to pick up way more of the strings. Another disadvantage with active PU's MAY BE that they need batteries to run the active circuitry while passive PU's do not.

As for versatility and musical genre suitability... well thats just limited by the player.

Khingpynn

[Benee Wafers]

A battery to run actives?
You mean you've got to rout your tele in order to accomodate EMG'S?
Benee

[KHINGPYNN]

Not sure what EMG offers in way of a battery hook up but it is likely they have retro fit methods that will not comprimise origional condition.

The following is a pretty good read on what passive and active pickups are all about...

http://users.chariot.net.au/~gmarts/pickupin.htm

The Dimarzio pickups in my EBMM Silhouette Special are according to Dimarzio... a single coil design based upon the Blue Velvet. Which have been customized to operate with the Music Man Active Preamp Circuit and are only available to Music Man. Onboard preamps are nothing new they have been around for years and used with older styles of PU's to add boost to the guitar signal. Nowadays there is a more refined approach to active guitar circuitry with many many design choices. Basically when you say Active Pickups you are really saying pickups that are desiged for use with active guitar cicuitry.The pickups themselves all have similar operating principles.

Khingpynn

[rippinglickfest]

I've got a set of EMG's 81/85 in my Charvel and although they are a sound of their own.............they are great pickups and very quiet.......and a 9volt battery lasts for about 90 hours. If you dont forget to unplug

Ray

[Metalmortal]

I have EMG Pups in all of my guitars except for the one. And that has a SD - soon to be an EMG. But I would and will recommend EMGs to ayone. They are totally worth the money. And as for Batteries, they are very simple for installation, there is usually some room you can find around. just make extra sure that they dont touch the Pickups haha.

[Xanadu]

Active pups for bass.
Passive pups for guitar.
:DevilGuitar:

[Metalmortal]

Active pups for bass.
Passive pups for guitar.
:DevilGuitar:

I personally love active pups in guitars. They give you that extra boost. For what I play, nothing suits it better.