EMG hate

Tried a set of EMGs back a few years ago. Pulled them out a week later and threw them in the trash where they belonged. Sterile. Horrible. Fake. I only use real pickups.
 
ive went through a dozen pickups in the past with several guitars and the issue in my opinion is the active nature of EMGs which boosts the output drive level of the guitar (which helps with noise) but reduces dynamic range into the preamp. Most guitar preamps are optimized around passive pickups and frankly the EMGs will overdrive them easier. Your introducing another drive stage into the preamp which will color and alter harmonic and frequency response which to some maybe acceptable. Not only too mention that as battery voltage diminishes the output drive level of the pickup will also reduce and alter sound. To each his own but id stay away from them as the choices in passive pickups are far greater.
 
Why so much hate for EMG active pickups. Reaction here (and elsewhere) to them seems to be tantamount to farting in a reception line to see the Queen.

I just picked up a stunning CU24. It has a set of EMG 89s in it (their double coil/single version of the 85). It was a huge bargain (probably because of the EMGs) and I was all prepared to yank them out immediately upon receiving it, but I plugged it in and gave it a test drive...and I didn't hate them at all. I should say here that I am NOT a metal head by any definition. My lead tone does use a lot of overdrive, but it's more to get a sustaining violin quality. I really loved the added sustain, and although a little more ragged in the distortion area, backing off the amp gain helps that.

But the big surprise, and the reason I'm really thinking of hanging on to these, are the single coil tone. When clean, these things just sparkle...damn near Tele like. I've never cared a whiff about the coil-tapping setting for any of the PRS pickups I've had, but I'm over the moon with these 89's.

So what am I missing? Is it the battery. I used to own a Gibson RD Artist; it wasn't the end of the world. Is it the horrible tone that the metal hordes spew forth? I agree, but Homey don't play that. I know the decision is ultimately mine, but I'm curious if I'm missing something:dontknow:

I once has an ESP LTD with EMGs in it and did not like the sound of it when using overdrive.
I bought a set of the Retroactive FAT 55s also from EMG. ( A straight swap with no soldering which took about 15 mins to complete).
The FAT 55s sounded like a vintage PAF totally changing things for the better.
If you look at the EMG website you should see 3 different models of RETROACTIVE pickups.
 
They were immensely popular for a time, considered by many to be the only real pickup a serious guitarist would use. Anything that gets that popular is going to draw the ire of “the crowd” once the wave passes. Do a little reading on pop culture and you’ll see why this is. Hint: It isn’t based on fact or reason.

It’s a pickup. It will sound a certain way in a certain guitar. If that sound is good for you, use them!
 
So I recently purchased a Paul's Guitar SE and I really like the sound out of it but the neck pickup is way too muddy for me. So being that I typically look into buying a set of EMG's and seeing this thread I also looked into the 57/66TW because I do want to keep coil splitting available. So here's my jingle; I have grown into that "like to play alot of things" hence me getting a coil splitting fiddle. But I like the articulate response of active picups in the past but this time I really want to look into passive PRS \m/ pickups in neck and bridge. Here's my question; i read someone say they are similar. I would like that if they were so I can keep my guitar all PRS just with some premium pickups. I also dont want to deal with 9v batteries anymore but thats not such a huge deal... I am planning on putting the metal PRS in the Paul's guitar and then I have a single cut SE I would like to put the Dragon 2's into.
 
Tried a set of EMGs back a few years ago. Pulled them out a week later and threw them in the trash where they belonged. Sterile. Horrible. Fake. I only use real pickups.

I find that hard to believe. You dont say what set, and theres many, and pulling a $250 set of electronics who arguably over half of the industry trusts with well made products you have to totally rewire for and putting them in trash? Really man? You dont go and do that....NOBODY DOES THAT.....
 
They were immensely popular for a time, considered by many to be the only real pickup a serious guitarist would use. Anything that gets that popular is going to draw the ire of “the crowd” once the wave passes. Do a little reading on pop culture and you’ll see why this is. Hint: It isn’t based on fact or reason.

It’s a pickup. It will sound a certain way in a certain guitar. If that sound is good for you, use them!

I disagree. They are probably the best known brand of pickup in the USA and that says more then "the world". Not to mention they put some other companies into bankruptcy and more recently have more signature sponsored pieces then any other manufacturer. The only reason they havent been put in more guitars is because of the snobs that were scared of batteries blowing up years ago. Which never happened....

And I am going to mention they are most widely known for active pickups but offer just a broad range of passive pickups and bass pickups which not everyone does. AND singlehadedly cornered the 7 and 8 string guitar pickups years ago when nobody would touch them. Sorely I disagree. SD is the only company comparable.
 
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Well I dont know what to think about some of these replies. You can tone match anything with effects so I guess we are talking about dry voicing. I see a lot of comments saying they "did not like them". I dont think you cant not like pickups you just paid for can you? I mean if they lack treble, turn the knobs, or whatever. I think alot of these replies are opinions based on research only. I cant see anyone putting a set of active pickups in a previously passively wired guitar and simply saying MEH NOT FOR ME..... you didnt play a guitar with them in it or go online and listen to them or anything and you bought them and just decided they were not good for you. That's totally not what a guitar player does....they tweak the knobs until they find the damn sound they like and then come to forums and say "yeah they are great"!

Some of these are lunacy.
 
I have a really nice warmoth partscaster - one of the best strat style guitars I've ever played on. And it's been on a ton of recordings. When I first put it together back in the early 90's, I went through a pile of different pickup sets trying to find the sound. What ended up sticking, and they've been in there more than 24 years now, is the EMG David Gilmour set. They sound great, and are incredibly flexible in the sounds they can produce. https://www.emgpickups.com/dg20-davidgilmour.html
 
Well I dont know what to think about some of these replies. You can tone match anything with effects so I guess we are talking about dry voicing. I see a lot of comments saying they "did not like them". I dont think you cant not like pickups you just paid for can you? I mean if they lack treble, turn the knobs, or whatever. I think alot of these replies are opinions based on research only. I cant see anyone putting a set of active pickups in a previously passively wired guitar and simply saying MEH NOT FOR ME..... you didnt play a guitar with them in it or go online and listen to them or anything and you bought them and just decided they were not good for you. That's totally not what a guitar player does....they tweak the knobs until they find the damn sound they like and then come to forums and say "yeah they are great"!

Some of these are lunacy.

If I like a pickup in a guitar or not starts by it's "dry" sound. I then go further with effects but not usually too deep, much like SDs sound samples clean, crunch, and dirty. If I don't like it clean I have to love it somewhere else to even think about keeping it. I listen to sound samples or watch youtube to get a general idea but really so many of them are bad and you can't often tell what they'll sound right through your rig. Or I'm on my laptop or phone which doesn't give the greatest sound variance. SDs samples are good example of this. If I don't have my headphones on it's hard sometimes to tell much difference if at all between pups on their pickup finder.

Myself, I do like EMGs. They aren't my end all be all choice but not many pickups or brands are. I have a HSS strat I love with EMGs I'd never take out. My girlfriend doesn't typically care for strats but that one she's a major fan off. My Torero with 81/85 I never really bonded with the 81 bridge and was about to do a pup swap to some DWs, but when I went to remove the EMGs I decided to try the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck first. Now, I love the way it sounds! Granted I liked the 85 in the neck a hair better than the 81 but the 85 in the bridge is exponentially better than the 81. I now suggest it all the time to people to try 85/81, It's a winner!
 
If I like a pickup in a guitar or not starts by it's "dry" sound. I then go further with effects but not usually too deep, much like SDs sound samples clean, crunch, and dirty. If I don't like it clean I have to love it somewhere else to even think about keeping it. I listen to sound samples or watch youtube to get a general idea but really so many of them are bad and you can't often tell what they'll sound right through your rig. Or I'm on my laptop or phone which doesn't give the greatest sound variance. SDs samples are good example of this. If I don't have my headphones on it's hard sometimes to tell much difference if at all between pups on their pickup finder.

Myself, I do like EMGs. They aren't my end all be all choice but not many pickups or brands are. I have a HSS strat I love with EMGs I'd never take out. My girlfriend doesn't typically care for strats but that one she's a major fan off. My Torero with 81/85 I never really bonded with the 81 bridge and was about to do a pup swap to some DWs, but when I went to remove the EMGs I decided to try the 85 in the bridge and the 81 in the neck first. Now, I love the way it sounds! Granted I liked the 85 in the neck a hair better than the 81 but the 85 in the bridge is exponentially better than the 81. I now suggest it all the time to people to try 85/81, It's a winner!

That makes a lot of sense. The 85 has an alnico magnet and is big fat and warm. The 81 is ceramic is therefore a bit brighter. To me the neck PU can get muddy, so an 81 in there does sound like a great idea!! Glad you shared that.
 
I prefer passives, but I do like actives from time to time. I just bought a set of Retroactive Fat-55s for my new S2 594 Thinline. I don't really care for the stockers and figured I'd try something different. I haven't got them in yet but I'm looking forward to it.

Also, check out the late great Michael burks. Before he switched to an R9 in his last couple years, he used to play a Flying V with 85/85. This is not the tone you'd expect with those. So how you apply them makes a difference. His tone is not vintage, but it's good (in my opinion.)

 
Thread resurrection time!

A couple weeks ago, after much research, I replaced the stock pu's in my el-cheapo (but solid) Agile 3200 LP clone with EMG 57/66 (non-splittable type).

Ho-lee chit these are nothing, and I mean NOTHING like the old 81/85. These suckers rip and pinch harmonics are oozing out on all 6 strings. Definitely "hot PAF" territory.

EMG has indeed evolved and I'm loving them, so much so that the 58/15 MT in my 594 and the 85/15 in my CU24 are getting nervous.

Not to mention that their plug and play install is so much easier (and smarter) than the old soldering way, and I'm very experienced, albeit out of practice and my fingers aren't what they once were.

Everyone should keep an open mind, active doesn't mean what it once did! I, like others do very much love the 81/85 for Thrash - but the 57/66 and Het sets are very versatile, very airy and dynamic - and neither benefit from 18v+ battery mods, a single long lasting 9v is it.
 
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