Are EMGs now becoming obsolete?

[chunktone]

I know many great players get great tones with EMG's, and they do metal rhythm stuff really well, but I just don't care for them when compared side by side with say a Duncan Custom 5 or Custom Custom. I need a pickup to do more than just metal, and I've found the EMG's to be the least versatile pickups I've tried.

 

[Juggernaut]

LOVE EMGs, EMG85 in the bridge is


tried blackouts, HATED them, sure they have tons of output, but people always talk about how sterile EMGs are, the BOs are 1,000,000 times worse.

 

[Crunch Master]

Guys, if you haven't yet, please read my review of the new 85x here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=55341

I have since also installed a 60x in the neck position, and it sounds beautiful.

Bottom line, I had the same complaints as many of you may. The EMG pickups had their strengths for sure, but they also had their weakness as well. My main issues with them were the over-compressed nature they have, the lack of dynamics and such. These things are really not an issue any longer with the new X-Series. I recommend everyone that is thinking about trying them out, or has the standard EMG models installed to give them a shot, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.

 

[JTyson]

Even though i don't have any EMG's in my guitars, i still really like the 81 + 85 combo in a Les Paul. They sound killer for metal and more aggressive tones!

I'd take EMG's over Blackouts any day of the week.

This. I really like the bite of the 81 in the bridge, personally. The 18V mod helps make them sound bigger and more open, too.

The reason everyone is making pickups that are supposed to be "better" than EMGs is because most people know what they sound like. It's the same thing when it comes to the PAF, the JB, etc. It's just a comparison standpoint.

Code, are you just wiring the batteries in series, or is there more to it than that?

 

[thegame]

cleans and rock I love single coils and low output passives, but for tight metal stuff, nothing beats the silent tight EMGs

+10000.

 

[Code001]

Code, are you just wiring the batteries in series, or is there more to it than that?

Yup, just wire it in series.

http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/sh ... p?t=941907

 

[RaceU4her]

they just released the 81x and 85x. anyone know what the deal is with those??

 

[Mailman1971]

EMG 81 / 85 combo........
I love it!

 

[headlessdeadguy]

they just released the 81x and 85x. anyone know what the deal is with those??

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=55341

 

[Death by Uberschall]

EMG 81 / 85 combo........
I love it!

+1,000,000

Also really like the SA single coils too.

 

[MichaelG]

They are definately not obsolete at all. Either you like them or you don't; personally I don't as I just cannot get along with the bite in the treble frequencies. They probably sound just fine in the right guitar though.

I'll take my MCP/BKP/WCR passives over EMGs anyday.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

For me, EMGs are not going anywhere anytime soon.

This is something I threw together for a contest on another forum. It had a 1 minute time limit.

Guitar used: Gibson Les Paul Gothic w/EMG81/85 pups, D'Addario XL 10-46 strings, Fender Graffiti heavy pick, Eb tuning
Bass used: Gibson Les Paul Gothic w/EMG81/85 pups (not a typo ), D'Addario XL 10-46 strings, Fender Graffiti heavy pick, Eb tuning
Guitar Amps used: PODxt Live: Clean - L6 Sparkle Clean, Rhythm and Solos - 1968 Plexi Variac'd w/all knobs dimed
Bass Amps used: PODxt Live: Line6 Prog Metal Bass
Software used: Vista64 Home Premium, RiffWorks Standard, Instant Drummer - Sonic Reality Lo-Fi Funk drums
Console: My Hewlett Packard dv9930us laptop and Altec Lansing desk top speakers w/sub

First things first: My sincerest apologies to the bass players on the board, I'm not one and just played what I thought fit.
And I don't own a bass guitar. But I think the Les Paul covered it pretty well.

Wanted to do something cool and laid back, but builds as it goes along. Everything was planned out and played with a purpose. Except for the last solo, I wanted to have some fun with it. So I just said to hell with it and went for broke, raw and in your face.

Oh what I could have done with more than one minute!!!!

Notes:
All guitars and bass are single tracked with the exception of the lead lines @ 48-58 sec, they were triple tracked and blended/panned to give that section an "airy" quality.
All clean tracks used the EMG 85 pup
All hi-gain rhythm tracks used the EMG 81 pup
Solo/lead lines and pup used: EMG 85 @ 26-41 sec and 59-1.10 sec, EMG 81 used 42-58 sec.
Bass guitar tracks used the EMG 85 pup
Bass guitar tracks start at 16 seconds in
Guitar volume and tone controls at full on for all tracks

I turned off the EQ on Windows Media Player during test plays and had everything pretty much set flat when I was recording and mixing this down. So if you run a normal V-shaped EQ you may want to adjust it as needed, or to your personal taste and preference.

Any and all comments welcome.

 

[johnny q]

This is hilarious to me (a thread about EMG's becoming obsolete) because after nearly 30 years of playing, I just got my first ever EMG equipped guitar (A Washburn HM series)

Better late than never I guess!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

This is hilarious to me (a thread about EMG's becoming obsolete) because after nearly 30 years of playing, I just got my first ever EMG equipped guitar (A Washburn HM series)

Better late than never I guess!

And how do you like them??

 

[MrDan666]

Even though i don't have any EMG's in my guitars, i still really like the 81 + 85 combo in a Les Paul. They sound killer for metal and more aggressive tones!

I'd take EMG's over Blackouts any day of the week.

I really liked the 81/60 combo I had in that floyd Paul I had, real heavy metal machine for sure.

But since when did passives not do metal tones???

Passives can definitely hang for Metal tones without a doubt!

I use passives in my guitars, but i do think EMG's can be really cool for certain things. Like when recording some aggressive tones, you could do one take with an EMG loaded guitar and the other take with a more thicker sounding passive loaded guitar. Then you get some really cool sounds coming out, the edge and grind of the EMG's but the thickness and chunk of the passives!

 

[Crunch Master]

they just released the 81x and 85x. anyone know what the deal is with those??

Guys, if you haven't yet, please read my review of the new 85x here:
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=55341

I have since also installed a 60x in the neck position, and it sounds beautiful.

Bottom line, I had the same complaints as many of you may. The EMG pickups had their strengths for sure, but they also had their weakness as well. My main issues with them were the over-compressed nature they have, the lack of dynamics and such. These things are really not an issue any longer with the new X-Series. I recommend everyone that is thinking about trying them out, or has the standard EMG models installed to give them a shot, I think you will be pleasantly surprised, I know I was.

Check it out!

 

[johnny q]

This is hilarious to me (a thread about EMG's becoming obsolete) because after nearly 30 years of playing, I just got my first ever EMG equipped guitar (A Washburn HM series)

Better late than never I guess!

And how do you like them??

They ROCK!

 

[scottywompas]

I've been using EMG's for 20 years. I only have one guitar right now that has them but it is my go to when I want to do Hard Rock/Metal.

I appreciate passives as well it just depends on what your doing. For me, heavy stuff needs EMG's.

Scott

 

[sixstrings]

Eh I like EMG's better. The Seymour Duncans I've tried, Livewires & Blackouts, didn't impress me. I think EMG's sound better, particularly the EMG81. I'm not much of an active guy, but when I did use actives, EMG's were always my first choice.

 

[stephen sawall]

You just need to change the battery's ..... they well not be obsolete for a other year or so.