EMG hate

[swede71]

They don't sound the same.I do alot of partocasting,trying different parts and necks etc etc.EMGs reacts as every other pickup to the different parts you have there.They become part of the tone just like every other pickup.

 

[Rachmaninoff]

Based on my own experience, EMG will sound pretty much the same on any guitar, or with minimal difference.

I've heard with my own ears an young guy who had a cheap Chinese guitar, with cheap plastic nut and the worst bridge you can imagine, testing this guitar before and after slapping a set of active EMGs on it. With the EMGs, the guitar sounded pretty much the same of a Jackson Soloist with the same pickup model.

Everyone in the room got baffled.

 

[Gandalf the Charcoal Grey]

Thats just not true, as someone who owns a true jackson soloist, and myriad of guitars from super cheap to fairly high end, and a PRS, to say a cheap nothing guitar sounds the same as an american jackson soloist, im not sure what people are listening to. actives have that active quality about them sure, but modern actives especially have achieved all sorts of different voices. as far as emg, if you want to retain at least some of the tonal qualities of the guitar in your prs, and want that active fullness and power as i do, go for the 57/66 set, its an incredible set of pickups, gives the low end thump, with tightness, and still retains the quality of the guitar. are there similarities in some aspects of the tone from guitar to guitar in emgs? sure, you can recognize it, but this notion that a guitar is totally ruined is just absurd. ive found few guitars amongst all my friends and jamming partners that rival my roasted maple se with the 57/66 i just put in them, everyone freaks on how good that guitar sounds, ive got my metal power, a beautiful full lead voice, and full chords sound crisp and lush.

this is all subjective of course, set your guitars up how youd like, we all have our preferences - if you dont like emg, fine, but this modern notion that all those emg pickups totally destroy the voice of the instrument isnt true. it DOES change things to certain degrees, it may not be for everyone, but for me, i havent heard a sweeter tone than my PRS with this set of 57/66's, at least for the styles im going for. this guitar freakin sings with power, and its just an se.

 

[elvis]

I thought I would like active pickups. But I didn't. Don't know why.

If they are good enough for so many pros, they are not garbage. Just not my thing, or I didn't understand them well enough.

Not sure why they are so controversial. I don't like every passive set either.

 

[markd21]

When I was doing more aggressive music I liked EMG. Using higher gain and playing fast, intricate runs, the EMG pickups stay tighter and have a nice percussive 'bounce' that I couldn't get with passives. Overall, it just depends on the application of music. Currently I have no EMG equipped guitars.

I do agree that EMG pickups in a bass - especially with EMGs EQ systems - are really awesome. My Masterbuilt Warwick has the MEC actives, but if I ever change them out, I'll get EMGs.

I also like EMG single coils. I ALMOST put an SV set in my EG-3. Decided on Duncans to keep it "accurate" to original spec. But I know it wouldn't have really lost anything with the SV set.

 

[drdoom8793]

I think the biggest thing is that when people think of EMGs, they often think of the 81/85 set. That set certainly does have the issues that a lot of people talk about: sterile cleans, sound very similar regardless of the guitar they're in, very compressed, etc. However, that set is very good at a particular thing (metal) and is still widely seen in that genre. But EMG has a wide variety of pickups that sound great for tons of different applications.

 

[Bowtiefanatc]

When I was doing more aggressive music I liked EMG. Using higher gain and playing fast, intricate runs, the EMG pickups stay tighter and have a nice percussive 'bounce' that I couldn't get with passives. Overall, it just depends on the application of music. Currently I have no EMG equipped guitars.

I do agree that EMG pickups in a bass - especially with EMGs EQ systems - are really awesome. My Masterbuilt Warwick has the MEC actives, but if I ever change them out, I'll get EMGs.

I also like EMG single coils. I ALMOST put an SV set in my EG-3. Decided on Duncans to keep it "accurate" to original spec. But I know it wouldn't have really lost anything with the SV set.

I have EMGs in my Torero which I have tuned to full D and I think they sound good. Of course it's basically modeled after the band who's stuff I try to play with that guitar but that's beside the point

 

[Gandalf the Charcoal Grey]

Fair enough elvis, understood.

the 57/66 set really is a nice evolution of their pickups, a nice compromise of having the active bottom end - i love what markd21 described the 'bounce' - and still plenty of tone on through the range. the first set i had took some getting used to, they were nothing like playing the ole 81/85. I still play mostly metal but also mess around with some Rush that ive played my whole life, so they really wok for me personally, I like a big, heavy sound but also with some articulation. the PRS guitar coupled with those pickups is just a win for me, clear, beautiful tone and a ton of power. but i can see where it doesnt quite suit players of every style, though backing off the volume/gain/etc, might give some players the tone their looking for as well. cheers.

 

[Fullmoon 1971]

Like others has said the 57/66 set are a really nice pairing, with regards to the tried and trusted 81/85 set, these have a bad reputation because just about every player just follows the pack and puts the 81 in the bridge & the 85 in the neck, try swapping them around its make a lot of difference. I've owned many guitars that have this mod. Currently I use a SE Nick Catanese with pickups reversed and love some of the blues tones I can get out of it. it's not as classic as my McCarty or my 2014 Gibbo LP Trad but not far off.



This guitar also uses a 24 Volt mod (2 x 12 volt camera batteries - fits in same size compartment, see link) EMG's are designed to work with power supplies up to 27 volts, so just using a 9 volt is like driving a supercar around only using 1st gear. with the 24 volt mod you get a lot more clean head room and better note seperation.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/EMG-81-8...935099?hash=item2ce9d9effb:g:QX8AAOSwYmZXMOuR

 

[dogrocketp]

Thats just not true, as someone who owns a true jackson soloist, and myriad of guitars from super cheap to fairly high end, and a PRS, to say a cheap nothing guitar sounds the same as an american jackson soloist, im not sure what people are listening to. actives have that active quality about them sure, but modern actives especially have achieved all sorts of different voices. as far as emg, if you want to retain at least some of the tonal qualities of the guitar in your prs, and want that active fullness and power as i do, go for the 57/66 set, its an incredible set of pickups, gives the low end thump, with tightness, and still retains the quality of the guitar. are there similarities in some aspects of the tone from guitar to guitar in emgs? sure, you can recognize it, but this notion that a guitar is totally ruined is just absurd. ive found few guitars amongst all my friends and jamming partners that rival my roasted maple se with the 57/66 i just put in them, everyone freaks on how good that guitar sounds, ive got my metal power, a beautiful full lead voice, and full chords sound crisp and lush.

this is all subjective of course, set your guitars up how youd like, we all have our preferences - if you dont like emg, fine, but this modern notion that all those emg pickups totally destroy the voice of the instrument isnt true. it DOES change things to certain degrees, it may not be for everyone, but for me, i havent heard a sweeter tone than my PRS with this set of 57/66's, at least for the styles im going for. this guitar freakin sings with power, and its just an se.

I think they’re the same people who say all PRSi sound sterile and the same. My ears just didn’t care for EMG’s, but they have a characteristic sound. As Gandalf says, if you like it, go for it.

 

[Ovibos]

They seem to work well for Gilmour and Wylde, which runs the gamut.

I’m thinking of putting together a bass, and I’d likely go with the very highly regarded GZR PJ passives.

 

[Emtcustom24]

I would personally LOVE to have a custom 24 with emg’s. I think they are great pickups. At one time I had a schecter with the 81/89 and a ltd with the 81/60, same scale length, same body and neck woods and the Ltd was a turd compared to the schecter in sound. The build quality does make a difference in tone. Just my 2 cents.

 

[Glide-bpm]

I used to have a Schecter Hellraiser with EMG's. I did an 18VDC mod on it and those things turned into clarity central!
Had a Floyd, so I grew tired of it eventually. LoL!

 

[Boogie]

I was saving these for a Valley Arts SuperStrat...that never appeared.

 

[SteelHorse]

I was talking with the guys at EMG they will be releasing a 57/66 set with coil splitting at NAMM. It will be the EMG 57TW/66TW set. ESP currently has it on an exclusive 1 year agreement. I am jonesing to get my hands on a couple sets of them without buying a new guitar.

 

[Mattldm]

I was talking with the guys at EMG they will be releasing a 57/66 set with coil splitting at NAMM. It will be the EMG 57TW/66TW set. ESP currently has it on an exclusive 1 year agreement. I am jonesing to get my hands on a couple sets of them without buying a new guitar.

Kinda late reply, but I just played the new LTD ec-1000 with the TW split coil EMGs, and they sound pretty darn good. I have always been a fan of EMGs for metal, had a set in two Ibanez’s for years and years. I’ve been thinking of getting another prs already lol.. I wonder if EMGs would fit in a single cut S2? Is there room for the battery in the existing cavity? If not maybe I’ll just pick up that Ltd it played great and sounded great.

 

[11top]

If you like 'em and they work for you, don't worry about the hate.

This 100%

 

[elvis]

I just feel like I’m missing something. I got a Jim Root Tele a while back. Was psyched to rock it. Found the output to be anemic. I had read for years that EMG were high output.

What is the trick with using EMG?

 

[Mattldm]

I just feel like I’m missing something. I got a Jim Root Tele a while back. Was psyched to rock it. Found the output to be anemic. I had read for years that EMG were high output.

What is the trick with using EMG?

Which model did you get? The cheaper ones don’t use the active emg’s. And have you checked the battery?

 

[elvis]

The most expensive model. New battery. Output was noticeably lower than in my passive pickup guitars. And those are not super high output passives.