software

This is a few words on EMGs and actives in general from a guy I know and have been in contact with through email. He is a great guy and very knowledgable....I'd love to hear some feedback from the Duncan board.

quot;I find passives to be a little quot;dryquot; sounding and prone to percussive quot;spikeynessquot; if a guitar isn't played very lightly. Passives with a more even frequency response are difficult to come by due to the nature of their design (unless a very weak pickup is used). EMGs have a more even frequency response because they use weaker magnets and coils which aren't wound as much. Some people hear this as quot;compressionquot; but in reality it's quot;less inductive spikeynessquot; they're hearing, not a compression. The pickups just don't make certain frequencies jump out more than others--it's not like they're compressing it though. At higher volumes, the effect is quite amazing--with the more even EQ response, the amp doesn't seem to suffer quot;woofy lowsquot; or quot;glassy highsquot; as easily.
With passives, the resonant frequencies of the guitar and the pickups interact and it can be tricky finding quot;the right pickup for the guitarquot;. EMGs generally don't have that problem (I imagine that's why there aren't a whole lot of EMG designs). As long as your guitar sounds good, the EMGs should let the guitar sound good. If the guitar isn't that great, then you'll get what people refer to as the quot;lifeless soundquot; which they look to passives to cure. Given that passives have that inductive spikeyness, they can make a less lively guitar sound more lively.
The 81 is probably what makes a lot of people think EMGs are overall quot;not very natural soundingquot; because it's more aimed at focus and aggression. I want a classic sound, so the 85s are going in. Although they still have high output, they have alnico magnets and a warmer overall sound. I'll probably use the volume turned down somewhat--with EMGs, this results in a naturally lower output compared to when you turn the volume down on passive pickups. And I am going to put in an EMG-RPC to tame the lows and add more quot;twangquot; to the highs when I want it.quot;

Yes yes yes and yes. I love my 85 you'll probably like yours too if since you have the same perception about actives as me.

i think as stage guitars and all-round versatility goes, EMGs can work very very well - your post is a very well thought one, too

i've been through the 81, 85 and 89- the 81 isn't versatile enough for me, but i loved the others. on stage, they make awesome pickups if you're packing a nice valve amp.

i agree with you on the 81, many people's views on EMGs in general are formed on it - its not a pickup you can sit in the front room with, at a very low volume level, and go aaaaaah, like most duncans - its a balls-out metal pickup, aimed at a really savage live sound. for that, it excels!

and, after playing a 60a, i think if i had to choose, it'd be 89b/60n

tom

I'm not much of an EMG guy, but I do agree with his point about them needing a good sounding guitar.

When I was searching for a strat a couple of years ago, a dealer friend let me play a bunch of his personal guitars. He had a few strats with EMGs and kinmans that sounded pretty poor to me, but he also had a basswood tokai strat with an extremely thick rosewood board and an EMG SA set that sounded just incredible, one of the best dtrats I've ever come across.

Having said this, the Tokai in question also held the distinction of being the ONLY EMG equipped guitar of any type that I've ever liked. And I've played a lot of 'em. I'm guessing a set of Fralins or antiquities in that Strat would probably be mind-bendingly good. Unfortunately, the guy wouldn't sell it.

'Inductive spikiness' aside, EMGs have always seemed like a pretty extreme compromise in the search to reduce pickup hum. I totally understand why metal guys go for EMGs for that extra tightness, though.

1 - high gain players are the ideal candidate, which is why the majority of their endorsees are metallers hehe

and as for the 'non-metal' endorsees.. dave gilmour? think about the effect chains that guy uses lol - regular pickups would sound like arse. EMGs, with the booster and all, keep most of what they had at the output jack. the same is true for having a very long lead, like if you're using a big stage?


Originally Posted by Imp 1 - high gain players are the ideal candidate, which is why the majority of their endorsees are metallers hehe

and as for the 'non-metal' endorsees.. dave gilmour? think about the effect chains that guy uses lol - regular pickups would sound like arse. EMGs, with the booster and all, keep most of what they had at the output jack. the same is true for having a very long lead, like if you're using a big stage?

Agreed. And there are other artists that use them as well. Vince Gill for example, used to have an EMG set designed for him. I don't know if he uses them now or not, but he did for a time.

wasnt steve lukather a fan, too?