Gimme your go to active pickups !

[boltzthrower]

I liked EMG's for the longest time, but the Opamp they used for the preamp got discontinued somewhere around 2018. If you can hunt down pre-2018 EMG's, those are the good ones. I've ordered a 57/66 and an 85 after that, and they all sounded like ass. I got rid of all of those, and bought some scratched up beat up 57/66's from 2017 which sounded glorious

But have you tried the post 2017 EMG’s with the EMG PA2 or EMG AB boost? You add the right amount of boost and I swear it sounds just like the old EMG’s. And with the PA2 + newer EMG’s you flick the switch and have lower gain allowing better clean tones than you had with the old EMG’s.

 

[TheGreatGreen]

I had no idea EMG pickups were changed and are bad now. That sucks.

I've been using an 81 / 89 (which is an 85 in humbucker mode and S single coil in split mode) pair in my main guitar for probably 20 years. Love them.

 

[stephen sawall]

If I remember correctly the 89 doesn't split. It has a single coil and humbucker that are separate.

I had a few 89. I really liked it. I always used it in the neck. 81 in the bridge.

 

[The One]

Ah, yeah, kinda. But that's the EMG thing. They're not mid-forward. They're basically all mids and nothing else.

The 57 does have a slightly more detailed top-end than the 81. And you can run them at 24V to help that too. But they'll never be as detailed as a passive.

Someone once said to me that the EMG 81 is like a Active SD JB with No Low End. Would you agree Rex?

 

[dave74]

Someone once said to me that the EMG 81 is like a Active SD JB with No Low End. Would you agree Rex?

Nothing like the jb at all, other than they both have good upper-mids.

81= super weak ceramic-powered twin-rail that has a 9v powered preamp/boost built into the housing
JB= hot wound and fairly strong alnico5-powered with screws and slugs for poles

 

[acceptance]

I had no idea EMG pickups were changed and are bad now. That sucks.

I've been using an 81 / 89 (which is an 85 in humbucker mode and S single coil in split mode) pair in my main guitar for probably 20 years. Love them.

I thought I got screwed on a recent purchase. Made the guitar sound like it was pine wood or something. Hope they figure this out ‘cause it was pretty noticeable and people are going to stop using them.

 

[Rex Rocker]

Someone once said to me that the EMG 81 is like a Active SD JB with No Low End. Would you agree Rex?

Very loosely speaking.

An 81 is more mid-forward than any passive, I find. The JB is pretty mid-focused for a passive, but put against an 81, it might actually sound scooped.

The JB is slightly lower output than an 81, but not by much. The JB is pretty hot itself, but also, the 81 is not as hot as many people think. What little low-end the 81 has is also fast and bold. The JB has a somewhat spongy/stuffy low-midrante that some people describe as "loose".

 

[The One]

Very loosely speaking.

An 81 is more mid-forward than any passive, I find. The JB is pretty mid-focused for a passive, but put against an 81, it might actually sound scooped.

The JB is slightly lower output than an 81, but not by much. The JB is pretty hot itself, but also, the 81 is not as hot as many people think. What little low-end the 81 has is also fast and bold. The JB has a somewhat spongy/stuffy low-midrante that some people describe as "loose".

i've always wondered which passive has the fast attack of the 81 with slightly more low end but also would be warmer & not use a ceramic magnet.

 

[Rex Rocker]

i've always wondered which passive has the fast attack of the 81 with slightly more low end but also would be warmer & not use a ceramic magnet.

"Fast attack" says Ceramic to me. But like I was saying, for me, no passive comes close to the sound of the 81. It's just not possible replicate that hi pass/lo pass effect with some slight compression/clipping without having a preamp.

The JB kinda reminds me more of the 85 but with way more bite.

If you don't mind active, the 57 or the Fluence Modern Alnico might be good choices for what you want.

 

[The One]

"Fast attack" says Ceramic to me. But like I was saying, for me, no passive comes close to the sound of the 81. It's just not possible replicate that hi pass/lo pass effect with some slight compression/clipping without having a preamp.

The JB kinda reminds me more of the 85 but with way more bite.

If you don't mind active, the 57 or the Fluence Modern Alnico might be good choices for what you want.

that is what i was thinking as well. Either the 57 or the 85.

 

[napalmdeath]

The only actives I have..View attachment 271062

I almost bought one of those. Super nice looking, and wide neck profile.

 

[napalmdeath]

Fishman Fluence for me. It's actually a toss up.. I played the Moderns more, but had a Jackson DK that had the Classics, and they sounded damn good too.

 

[Hamer95USA]

Fender Floyd Rose Classic Strat with EMG 85/SA/85 with Super Switch & Mark Knopler mod installed.

Fender Japan Contemporary Strat with EMG SA/master volume & tone/ SPC module

Reverend Eastsider T with EMG T pickups & SPC module.

 

[the4thlast1]

My favorite has been the Fishman Will Adler set. Tried most of the Emg and Fishman stuff. I think they nailed it with that one.

 

[Spaceboy]

Since finally trying the Fishman Fluences, I'm never touching another EMG... haha.

 

[Rex Rocker]

My favorite has been the Fishman Will Adler set. Tried most of the Emg and Fishman stuff. I think they nailed it with that one.

I like those as well, and I'm glad they ofer more options other than the silly gold cover.

For me, the perfect Fluence bridge pickup would be either Voice 1 on the Adlers + Voice 1 on the KSE's. Or Voice 1 on the Modern Alnico + either voice on the Classic Bridge, I like both.

 

[peterc52]

Yeah, they were in the one I had. Came from factory that way.

Not mine. And the solders where original

 

[thenine]

Not mine. And the solders where original

View attachment 272733

Ok well super cool.

I’m still looking to replace mine. Stupidest deal ever ve ever done. Still beating myself up over it.

 

[Dadrocks]

EMG 81. Use them for AJFA tones.

 

[GreatRedDragon]

But have you tried the post 2017 EMG’s with the EMG PA2 or EMG AB boost? You add the right amount of boost and I swear it sounds just like the old EMG’s. And with the PA2 + newer EMG’s you flick the switch and have lower gain allowing better clean tones than you had with the old EMG’s.

I'm thinking of swapping the tone controls in my Edwards Les Paul for the AB 220 and EXG. But I'd put the AB 220 after the bridge volume and the EXG after the neck volume, rather than before the jack like the instructions say, so they're only on one pickup each.