Do EMG active pickups really suck?

USofguitars

USofguitars

Member
I've read so many times that EMG pickups sound sterile or simply suck I was convinced of it.

Recently acquired a EMG 81/85 equiped Flaxwood and I must say it's not that bad as many claim.
They surely will never be my favorites. But although they indeed do sound colder and more compressed than most pickups they're actually much more dynamic and open sounding than what I've heard.

What do you think? What is your own experience with them?

 
I like them.

TBH my other guitarists low end Schecter with EMG 81 sounds slightly better than my ESP Horizon with BKP miracle man.

However I tested with straight high gain metal chugs and that's it. Didn't mess with legato or rolling volume so maybe that would have an impact Idk.
 
I think of EMG pickups as having your guitar plugged into a overdrive/boost set to subtle settings, forever.

Probably entirely wrong. But thats the only way I can appreciate them
 
I've been an EMG 81 user for over 20 years...They are compressed & can sound sterile depending on amp settings. I'd really like to try the 57/66 set which is supposed to be warmer & less compressed but has the attack that the 81 does. I play mainly Hardcore Music...EX: Terror, Judge, Agnostic front, Madball. I'm using a Soldano Avenger 100 watt sometimes with a boost.
 
Killswitch Engage used emgs for just about all of their recorded material and their guitar sound has always been top notch.
 
I hate them, but a lot of other people make them sound great. I had the opposite experience than maddnotes'. When I got my esp horizon it had emg's and I practiced with them one time and it was just not my tone, sounded congested and narrow. Put a set of painkillers in it and it was a great sounding, open tone again. Put the emg's in my backup ltd eclipse and took it to practice through my marshall, and fought with it the entire night. I just can't get my sound with them.
 
I think they do what they do pretty well. I think if you gave an EMG 81 user the best PAF ever made they would think it sucks because it's just so different. I had the David Gilmour set in a Strat for a while and liked it at the time...a time when I was an incessant pickup swapper.
 
I have used them for a long time,and they work great for me. I have a box full of high end(read spendy)passives that just didn't cut it. As the above post stated,i have gotten used to the 81 and all my guitars sound pretty consistant. I understand that others find them unsuitable for them,but it is all subjective.
 
2 of my guitars still have the 81/85 combo from when I got them new in 1992. They are very tight and very focused. I never understood when guys would say "they make any guitar sound the same" as I have never found that to be the case. At one point in time I had about 12 guitars loaded with them and though they were similar sounding, there clearly was a difference. Like with a lot of pups, some guitars just didnt sound as good as others with them in it, but overall they have always kicked ass in the right guitar. :)
 
I also think some amps like them better.

Before I got my Bogner I tested Leib's Rev 2 and TJ. From what I remember the Rev2 loved Actives while the TJ sounded better with passives. Granted the gear we were using at that time will play a factor and results may vary.
 
phil b":ggu8cmzi said:
I never understood when guys would say "they make any guitar sound the same" as I have never found that to be the case.
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I've heard that regurgitated many times about EMGs. Nonsense imo. They have a sound/voice just like any pickup does.
 
Yeah, absolutely. They don't sound the same in every guitar at all and it drives me crazy when I read that. And I find it entertaining that people say the EMG tone sucks, but then go on about Dave Gilmour's Pulse tone, or Master of Puppets or whatever. But then it's 'internet cool' to hate on EMGs at the moment so..

I will say that I really like the 85, I'm not so into the 81 which is just kind of dead sounding to my ears. But it's all subjective..
 
Oblivion DC":1rzc70ip said:
Killswitch Engage used emgs for just about all of their recorded material and their guitar sound has always been top notch.
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i think they are using fishmans now, they have a sig set.
 
Tone Monster":17jtc44i said:
A bit of a one trick pony .
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Even that's not true. When u have metal guys, guys like Gilmour, and country guys (kieth urban) they have a pretty diverse group of sounds.
 
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