First off you can reach these recording at "soundclick".
The URL is
http://www.soundclick.com/therealub5studio
Now onto the madness . . . . .
To Explain the entirety of the experiment I will first give a FULLY detailed description of ALL of the variables involved. Then I will state the major changes of all of the test together and then get into specifics of each test of each pick up in each situation. These will all have samples.
+++++ THE GEAR ++++++
**Dirty**
Gibson SG Voodoo > Ernie Ball "Slinky Top Heavy Bottom's (10-13-17-30-42-52) DROP C > { EMG 85 (Bridge) & EMG 60 (Neck) > Noise Suppressor (BOSS NS-2) ~~ Threshold MAX / Decay MIN / Mode Reduction ~~ > Tube Screamer (TS808) ~~ Overdrive 20% / Tone 36 % / Level 63 % > (( 8-ohm )) Marshall JCM 2000 British Model ~~ Presence 74% / Treble 79% / Middle 81% / Bass 29% / Volume 38 % / Gain 40 % / NO REVERB, ONLY Lead 1 Button Pushed in, All others not ~~ > Avatar ((8-Ohm)) (Green with Wheat Grill ha-ha) X patterned Cab > V30 Micd with 57 Straight on 1 In. Away > Mackie ONYX 400F 85%!!
**Clean**
Gibson SG Voodoo > Ernie Ball "Slinky Top Heavy Bottom's (10-13-17-30-42-52) DROP C > { EMG 85 (Bridge) & EMG 60 (Neck) > ((8-ohm) Peavey JSX ~~ Clean Presence / Resonance / Treble / Mid / Bass / Volume ~~ Avatar ((8-ohm)) (Green with Wheat Grill ha-ha) X patterned Cab > V30 Micd with 57 Straight on 1 In. > Makie ONYX 400F 51%!!
+++++ Ok, So Let's Begin +++++
The first and honestly one of the biggest differences was VOLUME. ( OF ALL OF THE PICK UPS )
I scaled back the Gain on the pre-amp from around +60 dB to around +30 dB ( BECAUSE I HAD TO ) IT was Way over peaking(when I put in the 2nd Battery). . . . .
So one of the most obviously differences was the output. . . . It was tremendous how much of a change in Volume the 18 Vs were opposed to the 9Vs
The Second was that the entire EQ of the pick up seemed to change. . . . It thickened the pick ups with out overly distorting the signal. It did make each one a little less "brash" which personally I liked and was glad to get rid of . . . but this is not my opinions just observations so back to the matter at hand.
The biggest problem with this mod is that you HAVE to find somewhere to stick and extra floating battery. Mine ended up ducked taped to the back of my guitar. Which Is just a temp. thing for right now.
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++++EMG 85 Clean Bridge++++
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**KEY POINT* When I describe notes on the actual guitar I will use standard drop d as examples for the fact that most people relate to the high E rather than "high D" even though we are relating to DROP C*
**9V**
PROS : Has clarity in picking and strumming.
CONS : Quite thin and almost a bit hollow with an extensive attack on the G String. Not so much balls and thickness even for a bridge pick up. I find others such as pearly gates seem to have more life here. Sounds quite bland with not so much distinction for each note. Some stand out a bit to much some don't stand out at all. Just not much life on each string independently or together. Doesn't deliver much sustain.
NEUTRAL : Dry
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**18V**
PROS : Full of body and resonance. Not so much of the bitter/dry frequency that the 9V test offered. Sustain is much much more intense. Spits attack amazingly. Has more of a body in it in the mid range to low-mid range esp. The higher notes cut more than bite. . There is more integrity to each note. Every note comes through. (Although some are a bit lost**SEE BELOW) Has a sort of elegance.
CONS : Some notes are drawn out by having so much body. Some are accentuated a bit more than others in an extreme value. Such as the A & D. Presence almost sounds more like an acoustic simulator type of presence. The strumming sounds slightly Abrasive unlike the 9V Test. Attack of more than one notes sometimes ends in higher value not being drown out a bit and a little "in the crowd" of the lower value notes. Sounds a little to "Acoustic Simulated" for certain applications.
NEUTRAL : More Warmth. MUCH MORE AWARE OF ACTUAL NOTE ATTACK.
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++++EMG 60 Clean Neck++++
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**9V**
PROS : Has a "Soft and Sweet" Airy-(but not to) type of tone. Distention VERY well with each note both Strumming and Picking. Very VERY well rounded. Not to much body so that notes are "lost". Has lots of diversity.( when using tone knobs / eq's / effects etc. ) Has a slight ring to notes hit harder than other notes. Has good attack and decent sustain (not to much of one or the other).
CONS : Lacks a little bit of punch on the mid range value notes. When strumming and Picking.
NEUTRAL : A solid WELL ROUNDED Sound for most applications. Average Resonance and Presence.
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**18V**
PROS : Has more body and intensity in strumming. Has a sort of character to more enunciated notes by the "user". Delivers incredible sustain and warmth. Becomes a VERY almost completely different pick up with a slight turn of the tone knob. Has a little "lift" in the sounds "soul". Easy to the ears. Comes across as a unbiased PickUp(Being that it doesn't stick to one type of tone or note more than another) Everything stays well rounded no matter what EQ you have. It actually acts off the amp a lot. I can not really express this enough.
CONS : Again a little to Acoustic Simulator for my taste(But fixable, For this I had a Constant Variable). Can be EQ'd out to sound a little more life like than the 85 Clean Bridge.(This can be changed unlike the 85 where it just sounds a bit to processed.)Some higher value notes again do get process somewhat lost.
NEUTRAL : Fairly constant level. Warm Sound. "MUCH MORE AWARE OF ACTUAL ATTACK ON NOTES". THIS PICK UP CONFIG. HAS SOOO SOOO SOOO MUCH TO DO WITH AMP EQ and PLAYER. WHICH ALL DO BUT FOR THIS EXPERIMENTS PURPOSE.
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++++EMG 85 Dirty Bridge++++
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**9V**
PROS : Has an intensity without being to brash and unwanted. Delivers great sustain. More of a high mid and low mid like sound. Has good depth. Sound more of a solid granite rock than "block of wood". Has an edgy sound that is infamous with "heavier styles". Breaks up well so that the "user" can be sloppy :-\ Isn't to unpleasant on the ears as the 81 is. Has Incredible grind.
CONS : Muddy. Has a SLIGHT unwanted attack on certain mid valued notes. Lacks just a bit lower chunk without nasty distortion that the 85 18V offers. Higher value notes are a bit drab and lack a sort of sustain. Almost "fights for life" Sounds a bit to compressed and dilated. Feels sometimes like it has a "slower" attack than its sister 81.
NEUTRAL : Is the sound of an EMG we are all accustomed to. (ha-ha)
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**18V**
PROS : Has less of the "ugliness" that the 85 offers. Shows a bit more respect for sustain and enunciation. Lower notes are more distinctive than 9V Version. Higher notes are allowed more "headroom". Shows quite a special interest in clarity. Divides notes VERY well without having the unpleasantness that the 81 has. Is MUCH MUCH less muddier than the 9V Version.
CONS : The difference is so much that it almost seems as if the pick up wants to do more. Causing a certain Ear fatigue in thinking that it will even more rise. (Kind of the I just got high let me get higher Idea). Sounds like the pick up wants to break out of its shell.
NEUTRAL : Sustain is More Drawn out. COMPLETELY different than the 9V Version.
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++++EMG 60 Dirty Neck++++
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**9V**
PROS : Has balls. Great Lower range attack. Middle Value notes again have a certain type of specifics to attack. Great lo-fi type sound. Notes are left being non abrasive. Has a certain type of pleasant attack. It is not in any way ear piercing. Sustain is present and doesn't get toppled on lower notes. Has a certain "character" that I have not heard in any other pick up EVER.
CONS : MUDDY MUDDY MUDDY. Bass drowns out everything else ( Yes I know being it at the neck does matter a great deal ) Almost has a slap type of effects when attacking notes harder. Almost "brick-walls" itself. HIGH NOTES ARE DEAD. Sustain on higher notes without NOTHING else being played is quite impressive.
NEUTRAL : Keeps a consistent level of intensity.
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**18V**
PROS : Has more bite. Presence is boosted.(to almost a point of recognition hahah) Maintains the integrity of being a EMG 60 rather than more or less changing its WHOLE character like the 85 did. Does not "bury" itself in anyway. Almost sounds like a bridge pick up in attack. Pulls a lot of the "bad mood" out of the pick up. Has more exactness. HIGH NOTES DO EXIST. EVEN WHEN PRESENT WITH LOWER NOTES. Has more of a sculpted type of sound. (More chiseled). Sustain of lower and higher notes are quite the same. Nothing (lower mid or higher value notes) get much more attention than any other. All of them kind of blend well considering they sound like they come from different places. (almost like each notes has a tone of their own). SO SO SO SO SO MUCH MORE CLARITY. Almost bellows "PUT ME IN THE BRIDGE(ha-ha)"
CONS : I honestly can't find any unless you are against the clarity that the 18 V offers. It has a bit of a metallic type sound that some "users" might not enjoy but overall. I loved everything I got from it. (Again Just an opinion but back to the description)
NEUTRAL : Takes a slack in bass and "balls" while trading that "balls" for bite. (This is all opinion that is why this comment is neutral, Some like it, Some don't) Still quite consistent of intensity.
++++++++++++++Conclusion++++++++++++++
For the studio I think it is a superior Idea to run BOTH a GUITAR WITH 9V and 18V (battery) pickups because of the major "headroom" you get with the 18V and the Grimy almost wicked tone you get from the 9V. Although the 18 does its job while still allowing for a major jump in fullness and thickness; not taking away to much of the aggressive nature of an ACTIVE EMG Pickup. It all comes down to personal preference again. Which for some of you looking for a quick answer this may hurt to hear but honestly it depends on what YOU like and what YOU want to hear. It is a great mod especially for the $2.79 it cost (solder&5 Pack of battery connectors from Radio-Shack)(not including the soldering iron) for my personal opinion because I like More of a modern sound with as little grainy and unwelcoming distortion as possible. For cleans I think it just adds so much to the pick up (body & integrity) that it again for me is a no brainer to stick with this mod. BUT BUT BUT I will say that I will definitely keep a 9V of the same Guitar set-up around just because of the NEUTRAL aspect the 9V version offers. I personally feel like after doing this I would feel like I was letting myself not really "experience" my EMGS as I should with just keeping either the 9 or 18V Versions and Although I don't know how much it changes for some of the other models as well as bass models. It would seem to me that it would Get rid of what most of us don't like in an 81(running it 18V). The breaking up that the signal does Esp. Through a Ts808 or gain booster is horrible. I think for this case the 18V Serves its purpose. So if you are looking for a cheap way to make a $154.00 sound like $300 I Think it is the right mod for the case. (IF YOU LIKE WHAT YOU HEAR) It brings a whole new life to these guys(emgs). But for the clarity and body you get without the "ugliness" I think the mod is well worth it. But I have heard more than once I like a bit dry of a tone. So take all of this for what you would. I am totally glad I got to be the Genii pig on this one. It was something I am glad I did FOR MYSELF and I would encourage each of you to give it a try whenever you get the time and few bucks. Its like anything the more you manipulate it the more you know and the more you know what you DO and DON'T want.
I hope this was all helpful I will be doing a thing on Passive EMGS and Actives sometime in the near Future.
Thanks
Justin
:Smokin:
