EMG's in a cheap guitar

[Nitronium Blood]

I used to belive the whole "actives like EMG simply sterilize a guitar" thing as well, till I read James Murphy's words and decided to try an EMG 85.

I've learned that:

- Actives have minimal noise compared to an equivalent output passive.
- Actives are doing just that: actively listening and passing through every subtlety of one's playing. Think of it as some sort of marketing "What you play is what you get".

The misconception is that Actives are ONLY FOR HIGH GAIN OMG! No, they are simply the BEST for high gain. You won't have to push your amp as hard as well.

Want to play something bluesy? That's good too... your guitar has a volume knob and so does your amp, and your amp has a gain knob. Turn those down, your active pickup will still capture your beautiful performance.

As for tone? I am super happy with my EMG 85. I had an 81 in my Epi LP Classic and wanted more. Wow... this EMG 85 has this beautiful round tone that has lovely mids as sweet and thick as maple syrup.

That's my understanding and that is all.

 

[AmirH]

I have a 200 dollar epi sg with emgs- I had an 81 bridge/85 neck for almost a year and was never really happy with the tone. After browsing this forum a while I decided to switch em around- and WOW night and day. The 81 sounds a lot more like it should and the 85 just rocks in the bridge. Emgs are very rich sounding and DO exert a lot of character on the guitar. Not every guitar with emgs sounds the same but with any pickup that has strong characteristics you can tell the pickup is there and playing a part in shaping the tone. Personally I'm glad I put emgs in that guitar- it made it extremely usable for metal, and while the tone isn't the absolute best, it's certainly adequete. As far as cleaner/bluesier stuff goes- I personally don't like them for this but that's just me. Could be the guitar too- who knows... but I think it did that better with the stock pickups.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

EMG made an RPC (resonant peak control) device... what does that tell you? It's so you can "control" that gnarly EMG r.p. which is about 4k.

The Duncan livewire metals rez freq is 1.2k which gives them this hardcore high mid "floooooornnng" thing. It's rad for leads, cuz it kinda sounds like a half cocked wah, but it starts to GRATE you after a while when doing the starty/stoppy chugga bits.

EMG85 is a rad bridge pup, but it is NOT the be all end all. I dont care for the 81.

I like Dimarzio X2N passive pups.. and i like em alot. I also love Duncan JB's.. Passive.. neutral. I like Duncan Custom/Custom.

James* loves Macs, and James loves EMG's.. dont fuck with James.

Emg pups have a preamp, your amp has a preamp, your mic pre is a preamp... etc. I wont say that EMG pups sterilize, but my god when did the bible all of a sudden say that you HAVE to use an EMG bridge pickup to be metal! )!@(#&

My story.. that is.... and sticking to it... I am.

* No James Murphys were meant to be insulted with this text.

 

[James Murphy]

The Duncan livewire metals rez freq is 1.2k which gives them this hardcore high mid "floooooornnng" thing.

1.2k is not a "high mid" frequency.

James* loves Macs, and James loves EMG's.. dont fuck with James.

why are bringing my name up? no one invoked my name as an argument for EMG's or Macs here... this is came from your mind, and it is very revealing as to how you think. and anyway, Andy loves EMGs and Macs too but you didn't use his name in your smarmy little quip. i don't care what anyone uses, but when asked my opinion i give it.... if someone here tries a suggestion i give and likes what they find why is that then an automatic target for out-the-side-of-the-mouth ridicule?

my god when did the bible all of a sudden say that you HAVE to use an EMG bridge pickup to be metal! )!@(#&

no one ever said it did... this, again, came only from your mind. with the way you decided to percieve the fact that several here tried my suggestions and liked them are you truly meaning to insinuate that your peers here have no minds or ears of their own? i wouldn't worry about any inusuting me, you haven't, but if i were anyone else on here i think i would be.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

Simmah.

Everyone knows you are the EMG Nazi.

How is it that you do not consider 1.2khz to fall within high mid range?

I'm certainly open to interpretation, James.

 

[006]

Actually I consider 1.2kHz to be just highs. Usually when somebody says "mids" to me, I think 400-900Hz, anything above or below is highs and lows, respectively, to me anyway. But it's not a perfect science and there's no one exact or perfect view on what frequencies correspond to what "range". I mean, everyone knows that there is low, mids, and highs, but really where each falls is argumentative when you start trying to get specific. I could sit here and say that I personally think that the lows are from 400Hz down (not true, but for example)...but somebody else might say to them lows are from 250Hz down...Rather silly to argue about really.

*waits for lashing*

~006

 

[James Murphy]

Simmah.

lol... advice you'd do well to take more often than not.

Everyone knows you are the EMG Nazi.

talk is cheap, show me proof. so what are you? the Nazi Nazi? i seem to recall some denial from you on here that the holocaust ever occurred, so the name "Nazi" coming from you is particulary funny.

How is it that you do not consider 1.2khz to fall within high mid range?

subjective... tell someone to boost midrange and most will reach for around 1k... tell them to boost high mids and most will certainly go higher than 1k. nothing more to that statement than that.

i submit to you Ether that you just like to stir shit. you got yourself big 'ol shit stirrin' stick and this forum is sometimes your bucket. hey, i don't mind, just don't quote my name while you do it.

 

[James Murphy]

Actually I consider 1.2kHz to be just highs. Usually when somebody says "mids" to me, I think 400-900Hz, anything above or below is highs and lows, respectively, to me anyway. But it's not a perfect science and there's no one exact or perfect view on what frequencies correspond to what "range". I mean, everyone knows that there is low, mids, and highs, but really where each falls is argumentative when you start trying to get specific. I could sit here and say that I personally think that the lows are from 400Hz down (not true, but for example)...but somebody else might say to them lows are from 250Hz down...Rather silly to argue about really.

*waits for lashing*

~006

1k is technically the very bottom on the "high mid" range, when diving mids in half: low mids / high mids. my response was more a function of how the term is used in practical studio situations. never, ever, in 18 years of being in studios have i ever heard any engineer, ever, refer to 1k, or 1.2k, as "highs".

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

JM - I submit to you that you are completely wrong about the shit/bucket theory.

I personally consider 1.2k part of high mid band.

No stirring.

 

[Razorjack]

JM - I submit to you that you are completely wrong about the shit/bucket theory.

I personally consider 1.2k part of high mid band.

No stirring.

You're allowed to think what you want, whether it's right or not is another matter...

 

[James Murphy]

JM - I submit to you that you are completely wrong about the shit/bucket theory.

I personally consider 1.2k part of high mid band.

No stirring.

the shit/bucket theory was in reference to your use of my name in one of your previous posts... not your concept of frequency ranges.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

I suppose we will have to agree to disagree.

My intentions are not nefarious in nature, JM. And if they were, there are much better places than here to "stir shit". I still stand by the fact that you are indeed EMG Fan #1, and there is nothing wrong with that.

In fact, you are working with them on a new design for single coils, are you not?

 

[James Murphy]

I suppose we will have to agree to disagree.

My intentions are not nefarious in nature, JM. And if they were, there are much better places than here to "stir shit". I still stand by the fact that you are indeed EMG Fan #1, and there is nothing wrong with that.

In fact, you are working with them on a new design for single coils, are you not?

about what?

wrong

wrong

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

Hmm...

About 6 months ago, there was yet *another* EMG thread and you mentioned how you did not really like the SA's. At that time, you said you were either working with, or giving input to EMG about how to improve upon the SA. I will try the search function and see if I can pull up that thread.

 

[James Murphy]

Hmm...

About 6 months ago, there was yet *another* EMG thread and you mentioned how you did not really like the SA's. At that time, you said you were either working with, or giving input to EMG about how to improve upon the SA. I will try the search function and see if I can pull up that thread.

expressing a desire for hotter version of the SA does not = working with EMG on it. i'm well aware of everything i have said on here... you are not going to "catch me out" with the search function, so use your time more constructively.

 

[EtherForBreakfast]

Search function is not working properly at the moment.

I am positive you mentioned that you were working with/assisting EMG with the design - it was more than just a passing mention of a desire for a hotter SA.

Oh well, obviously I must be mistaken since you are always right. No point to argue, and it's really not that important in the big scheme of things.

You win, buddy. Have a great day!

 

[James Murphy]

i said i would LIKE to get them to make me one. have never discussed it with them. yes, i'm always right, i'm the EMG Nazi, the Mac Nazi, and the biggest jerk on the forum.. and you Ether... you never, ever stir up shit. ever.

 

[Ermz]

Getting off that a bit, I've always considered the mids to go from about 500Hz to 4-5k. To me 'THE' mid frequency is 1k. If someone's talking about 'warm' they're usually talking around there, in my experience.

 

[006]

I guess I'm just wierd then. I've thought that 20Hz-450Hz is the lows, 450Hz-950Hz is mids, and 950Hz-20Khz is highs. I mean, thats just me, whenever clients ask for something, "can I get some mid scoop on my guitars?", I'll snag a range between 450Hz-660Hz and make a smiley face, usually that satisfies them. Maybe I should do some research and correct my associations with frequency ranges....

~006

 

[Metal Overload]

on another EMG related note, i've got a project in the studio right now that i'm co-producing with Peter Wichers.... yes, the recently former Soilwork guitarist. Guess what pick-ups he has used in the bridge position of all his guitars on every Soilwork recording since and including the very first album?..... that's right, EMG 85 bitches. .QUOTE]


James , do you know what model of Randall he used on the Natural Born Chaos? that´s one of my favorite guitar tones, it´s killer!