Do EMG active pickups really suck?

[Hardvalve]

I don't like the 81 in the bridge, preferred the 85. I now have a 57 in the bridge of my Guild Liberator, and it slays.

 

[kurtsstuff]

85 at the bridge of every guitar I've ever owned...Yeah..I like em..

 

[sleewell2]

everyone posting in this thread who loves EMGs owes it to themselves to try fishman fluences. they are vastly superior to EMGs in every way possible. look at how many big name bands are using them now. its no coincidence.

i used an 85 in the bridge for years but now that i have fishmans its really a no brainer.

 

[DET1973]

Have them in all of my gigging guitars. I'm a fan of the 85 in the bridge though. I do have the Het set (57/66) in an Edwards guitar and I like the sound of it as well.

The Het Set & 57/66 are 2 different sets

Oh my bad. I thought they were the same. Then I've got the 57/66 in my Edwards.

It's all good man. I really want to buy the 57/66 set for one of my les pauls....simply cause I hear they are less compressed/warmer.

 

[vultures]

I think I've tried out almost every active EMG there is. I narrowed down my favorites to 85/60a in HH guitars and 85/SA for HS guitars. (I've got a thing for Alnico pickups). The Het Set was a nice change and solution for folks using 85 in the bridge, but I still couldn't dig the ceramic magnet EMGs. I had the 85/60a setup in a guitar for almost 10 years with and without 18v mod. They are fantastic pickups for metal and hard rock, they have clarity, compression and loudness, even if you didn't hit a quick note hard enough, it would still pop out. "Cheater" pickups.

After years I wanted a pickup that accented the tone of the guitar woods instead of just blasting it's own sound above everything. I will say the best/worst thing about EMGs is you can put them in any guitar and get the same sound out of them. You can put them in a crappy $300 guitar and sound great, you could put them in a $1500-2000 guitar and achieve the same sound. Took them out of my guitars and went to Dimarzios. They don't suck, just want something different now.

 

[shredhead7]

I have a friend that swears by them, but he is a huge Zakk fan. My friend has great hands and a killer vibrato, so he makes every guitar he plays sound good. With that, I have noticed that all of his guitars sound the same, does anyone else with multiple guitars with EMGs notice that it takes the wood out of the equation?

 

[DET1973]

I have a friend that swears by them, but he is a huge Zakk fan. My friend has great hands and a killer vibrato, so he makes every guitar he plays sound good. With that, I have noticed that all of his guitars sound the same, does anyone else with multiple guitars with EMGs notice that it takes the wood out of the equation?

All of my Les Paul's currently have EMG's & they all sound different. I have one LP Standard that is the best sounding guitar I have ever owned & it is the only guitar I would never sell. I'm not a Zakk fan per se, but I have been using the Zakk set for a long time. I Also have the 81/60 in one of my Standards. In my LP Custom I have dual 81 30th anniversary EMG's.

 

[VH4_BigRig]

Do they suck? No. Would I use them for anything other than metal rhythm guitar? No. Would I buy another guitar with them in it? No. That doesn't mean they are bad. YMMV. I have a LTD explorer with 81/85 and have flipped them and decided I don't really like the 85, and the 81 is good in the bridge for tight rhythm stuff. Both were awful in the neck, IMO; only seemed good for screaming leads- terrible cleans (85 was too boomy, 81 had no warmth). I haven't played that guitar much in years, because I hated the sound of EMGs with my VH4, and then when I picked up my Musicman with Anderson pickups in it, it became my baby and both my explorer and strat took a back seat!

 

[bish0p34]

I have a friend that swears by them, but he is a huge Zakk fan. My friend has great hands and a killer vibrato, so he makes every guitar he plays sound good. With that, I have noticed that all of his guitars sound the same, does anyone else with multiple guitars with EMGs notice that it takes the wood out of the equation?

My experiences have led me to believe they don't take the wood out of the equation, but they do take the individuality out a bit. I did clips years ago with an Ibanez S540, and LTD Ec1000, a LP Custom, and an Alder BC Rich all with an 81 in the bridge. The alder sounded vastly different than the mahogany guitars. The LP had a slightly more defined tone, but still sounded really close to the Ibby and LTD (which sounded almost exactly the same). The wood does make a difference.

All that said, I still love EMGs for certain stuff, and I still use them. I also think the 85 is a great bridge pickup, and far more versatile than an 81.

 

[Gsxrbusa]

fishman fluence >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EMGs

I would have never believed this until I tried a set myself. I now have 3 guitars with the Moderns. I was a DIEHARD EMG user. These pickups changed my mind. I am trying the Devin Townsend set next. After that I'll try the classics.

 

[SavageRiffer]

everyone posting in this thread who loves EMGs owes it to themselves to try fishman fluences. they are vastly superior to EMGs in every way possible. look at how many big name bands are using them now. its no coincidence.

i used an 85 in the bridge for years but now that i have fishmans its really a no brainer.

That's what people on the Seymour Duncan forum were saying when Blackouts hit the market, but I still like EMG's better. I have tried the Fluence pickups. They are good, but a different flavor. EMG has still got it.

 

[sleewell2]

blackouts suck

 

[Chester Nimitz]

Not all Blackouts ...

 

[wIsEbLooD]

emg 81 for me.
want to try a black winter though.

 

[sleewell2]

fishman fluence >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EMGs

I would have never believed this until I tried a set myself. I now have 3 guitars with the Moderns. I was a DIEHARD EMG user. These pickups changed my mind. I am trying the Devin Townsend set next. After that I'll try the classics.

at least someone here gets it. your clip with them was sooooo good. are you going to try the KSE set too?

 

[Gsxrbusa]

fishman fluence >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EMGs

I would have never believed this until I tried a set myself. I now have 3 guitars with the Moderns. I was a DIEHARD EMG user. These pickups changed my mind. I am trying the Devin Townsend set next. After that I'll try the classics.

at least someone here gets it. your clip with them was sooooo good. are you going to try the KSE set too?

Thanks brother! I tried the KSE set at Namm. They have a little less bottom end than the moderns. But I didn't play loud enough or long enough to really tell much of a difference. I still may try a set in something.

By the way, I am not here to bash EMGs. I still like them but prefer these Fishmans.

Blackouts fucking suck.

 

[RockyStar]

EMG's are not as bad as some people say. They are not my favorite nor do I use them anymore but I once did with great results. I think they are better without the over the top modern high gain type amps being paired with them. Slightly lower gain and they can pummel.

 

[Chester Nimitz]

I get good Chunk with this 81 ... its a perfect fit.

Got this @ the old MARS MUSIC in 1999', no sign of slowing down.

 

[9ball]

they don't "suck"...guitars are subjective. i like duncan blackouts better (because they're more organic/versatile) but i wouldn't say emg's suck

 

[Wizard of Ozz]

fishman fluence >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> EMGs

I would have never believed this until I tried a set myself. I now have 3 guitars with the Moderns. I was a DIEHARD EMG user. These pickups changed my mind. I am trying the Devin Townsend set next. After that I'll try the classics.

at least someone here gets it. your clip with them was sooooo good. are you going to try the KSE set too?

Thanks brother! I tried the KSE set at Namm. They have a little less bottom end than the moderns. But I didn't play loud enough or long enough to really tell much of a difference. I still may try a set in something.

By the way, I am not here to bash EMGs. I still like them but prefer these Fishmans.

Blackouts fucking suck.

Knowing and loving the tones you get... I might have to try some.

SD Blackouts do suck arse. They got this one wrong at the SD R/D dept.