Talk me out of Active pickups...

  • Thread starter Thread starter nigelpkay
  • Start date Start date
Had plenty of experience with EMG. Right now I got a Dean RC7 with EMG 707.
The difference really happens when you record. In the studio I find eMG to be a lot more consistent and more even level and peak. This can equal sterile to some people, but to a guy like Steve Lukather, it's consistency.
I do think alnico v and single coil magnets are a lot more responsive to touch and dynamics. But if it's tight consistent precision you want, actives are ideal.
 
I started using EMGs in the 80's and used the for about 18 years solid. Love them. Played all kinds of music with them over the years.
For the last 15 years or so it's been all passives.
I dig them both. Either a guitar sounds good or it doesn't. There are multiple factors.
We all know some pickups sound amazing in some guitars and just ok in others.
Like Rupe said, sweeping generalizations and blanket statements will make make you sound unintelligent and immature.
Have a nice day. :thumbsup:
 
rupe":bxonwyca said:
moltenmetalburn":bxonwyca said:
Active IS equal to sterile and one dimensional, this is not subjective it is headroom and compression.

Whether or not that is your desire and goal is where the subjectivity lies.

End of story. Science not opinion.
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Can you point me to these scientific studies? I rarely even use actives but my ears tell me something different in some cases than what you're selling.
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Sorry I dont have studies to show you. This is an amalgam of my knowledge of the science of guitar. Ten years as a touring guitar tech, friendships with scientists and acousticians as well as a professor of electrical engineering at a local college i harass time to time. and tons of real world experimentation had led me here. I only trust science.

As an example Im probably the only guy on RT willing to spend the money on solid core pur silver wire in his guitars simply because ALL of the evidence proves beyond a doubt silver is more conductive than copper. More of the signal passes through it. all of my peers use it at this point.

All that having been said ill consult some friends and see if they can come in and sort out the details for you concisely.
 
:rock: I played dimarzio's for years before going EMG exclusive back in 2003. I find the X series to be a mish mosh of active/passive fusion. I play an SAX in the neck for strat sounds and an EMG 85x in the bridge. For years I would show up to a gig and set up only to hear this Ungodly hum coming out of my amps. I sold my Cornford because of all of the hiss. I sold a ton of pedals and went thru wall worts, expensive power conditioners and almost gave up. Then I bought a Reb Beach Suhr, just because I think Reb is cool. Bingo, no more hum! man I wish I had discovered this years ago. My cleans are clean and I can hear everything I put into my playing, good or bad. They do sound less dynamic and slightly more compressed than a passive, but hey I can play anywhere at anytime and know going in I will not have to deal with the house causing me grief do to hum and feedback. I will never go back and I have invested a great deal more funds into gear knowing my primary problem has been eliminated. ;)
 
Dude seriously forget the blackouts, they do not have the clarity or punch you seek. They have WAAAY too much gain and are just overkill honestly you end up with mud!. You want the best of both worlds? get an active pickup which has all the qualities of a passive pickup and an active pickup in one the new EMG 57 (bridge) and 66 (neck)....I used the blackouts and the EMG 81's for years, these were like a revolution to me and many fellow players. They are super touch responsive, crystal clear and articulate, have all the warmth and feel of a passiv while retaining the power and punch of an active, anyone who says these pickups are sterile or lifeless aint tried em yet! here's ademo vid https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgDeT2YVPNo
 
Blackouts and EMG bored me because the neck HB's are too hot and I hate using the bridge HB constantly.

If I ever decide to go active again, I'd try Lace. They have a fairly big variety of active humbuckers and in the last few years they've really courted the underground metal 'market'; a nice variety of players from different heavy subgenres use their stuff (so they aren't just catering to death metal dudes with TS9-->6505+ rigs).

Also, it warms my heart to see that Eric Clapton, Neurosis, and Pig Destroyer all use Lace pickups.
 
p4vl":1fkuhnkp said:
Blackouts and EMG bored me because the neck HB's are too hot and I hate using the bridge HB constantly.

If I ever decide to go active again, I'd try Lace. They have a fairly big variety of active humbuckers and in the last few years they've really courted the underground metal 'market'; a nice variety of players from different heavy subgenres use their stuff (so they aren't just catering to death metal dudes with TS9-->6505+ rigs).

Also, it warms my heart to see that Eric Clapton, Neurosis, and Pig Destroyer all use Lace pickups.
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Have you tried the new EMG57 and 66 set? completely different sound and response to the Blackouts / EMG81, 85 or 89 etc? I think you may be extremely pleasantly surprised....even folk who are of the "I only use passives" school of thought are loving them once they've tried em!
 
For me nothing beats a EMG 81 in the bridge of a mahogany guitar for metal. The fatness of mahogany compensate for the 81 high frequencies. Tight, punchy and gives you the aggressiveness you need for metal.

The Blackouts have more bass and is less focus in those lower frequencies. But they react more subtly to your playing like passives. From my experience, the Blackouts will be closer to the Holy Divers in tone than the EMG's. I just drop the bass knob a notch or two on the amp when i play with them.
 
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