Have you ever seen the inside of an EMG pickup?

[Fabbio]

Hi guys!!!

It's an eternity that I would love to see what's inside an EMG pickup but unfortunately and obviously I cannot afford to open one of mine, they're too expensive.

Do some of you guys know what the inside looks like? ANy picture of it?

Well anyway, if it's illegal to show the interior specifics, nevermind, I am just curious.

 

[commandante]

It looks like a DiMarzio X2N with a circuit-board mounted under it.

 

[JeffTD]

Yeah, but it's smothered in epoxy. I ripped open an EMGHZ3 to find out once...it's like two bobbins and a metric ton of epoxy glue covering the thing.

 

[Kazrog]

Why do they put a ceramic shell on their pickups anyway? I don't mind or anything, in fact I love the way they sound and look, but is there some technical or sonic reason?

 

[JeffTD]

It's a bit of a cost cutting thing... To have a normal looking pickup with an active preamp like that, you'd either have to have them seperate or spend a bit more to make it look up to snuff. I'll get pics of it real quick.

Pictures taken by Wixomwhat on the Seymour Duncan forum.

Now, this is an HZ pickup, so it may very well be different on the USA EMG's, but I've heard that it's more or less the same.

Notice how despite being a rail pickup, they used a polepiece bobbin? Cracks me up... and, one of the blades doesn't even extend underneath the low E.

 

[JeffTD]

http://seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43135&page=2&pp=20&highlight=emg+cover+epoxy

Thread, with more pics, and on the second page, MontyJay (mod on the ESP forum, as well as SDF member) has pictures of his bastardized 60, which he wanted to put a gold cover on. The covers worked out great, the EMG looked like a block of cheese underneath.

 

[Kazrog]

Thanks for the pics/link/info. Really interesting. I love my EMGs, what can I say. I also love Seymour Duncans (in fact I work right next door to their headquarters), but if I had to play one pickup company for the rest of my life it would easily be EMG (85+81 or 85+89, and of course the ever-mighty 707.)

 

[J the TyranT]

a MAN's pickup... bitch.

Actually, that's what came in my ESP Custom... so I kept it, cuz it sounds good... I want one with a Full Shred and one with an X2N in it also, just to try some shit out... I just dont have any other custom ESP's lying around right now, that's all.

J

 

[Mendel]

i think it's realy 1 big magnet or something. what really cool is, if i have allot ofdistorsion, and talk to the pick up. i can hear my voice in he amp. verry cool

 

[Fabbio]

Oh my god!!!

Well, the one you posted the pic of was an HZ, so the much more expensive active ones should be more precise in the wounding.

Anyway thanks for the pics, really!!! It's very interesting... ...all that glue...

I will definitely try a Seymour Duncan in the future.

I must say that EMG pickups, though, are really good. I just brought home my Rg 7321 from the luthier, I had it routed and changed from the original Ibanez pickups to the 707. Much better... ...on the CLEAN sounds!!! I'm serious, really good clean sounds with the JCM 900 model from the PodXT.

 

[commandante]

Well, the one you posted the pic of was an HZ, so the much more expensive active ones should be more precise in the wounding.

They are. But I saw the inside of an EMG 81 on another forum and it was the same. Lots of epoxy, X2N look alike-coils, circuit-board mounted underneath.

 

[JeffTD]

Thanks for the pics/link/info. Really interesting. I love my EMGs, what can I say. I also love Seymour Duncans (in fact I work right next door to their headquarters)

No shit? What models do you use? I've got a JB/JB in my RR-1, and a Custom/Jazz in my Schecter, but might switch the neck pickups around. I wish I would've found this forum sooner, I would've let you know about the User Group Day we had. Tons of guys from the SDF went and had a factory tour, got a free pickup and got to wind it themselves (custom shop specced to whatever they wanted, too), and then we had a big dinner/jam at a local hotely. Had some celebrity guests come, as well; I had dinner with Dave Mustaine and George Lynch .

 

[commandante]

Jazz is a GREAT neck pickup. Very clear and bright, I love it.

 

[JeffTD]

The JB in the neck, while far less popular, is like a Jazz on crack. Not as bright, but insanely articulate. Sings like no other.

 

[Kazrog]

No shit? What models do you use? I've got a JB/JB in my RR-1, and a Custom/Jazz in my Schecter, but might switch the neck pickups around. I wish I would've found this forum sooner, I would've let you know about the User Group Day we had. Tons of guys from the SDF went and had a factory tour, got a free pickup and got to wind it themselves (custom shop specced to whatever they wanted, too), and then we had a big dinner/jam at a local hotely. Had some celebrity guests come, as well; I had dinner with Dave Mustaine and George Lynch .

Yeah, so you must live in G-town Goleta also? I've got a JB and a hot rails in my ESP Michael Wilton series Horizon. I love that guitar for leads, hell for everything! It kicks ass, best passive pickups ever.

 

[JeffTD]

Yeah, so you must live in G-town Goleta also?

ToRidDisease from AIM here, still live in Ventura. Close enough though, eh?

 

[greyskull]

YIKES!
well that thread got almost as ugly as the inside of an EMG
if i played the metalz id probably be all over the EMGS; they aint to my taste, but for THAT sound; they're just the ticket. Had 3 seymour duncan's (2 jb and a hotrail) the jbs both need rewinding and the hot rail raped all the character out of my tele so the single coil went right back in so they can fuck off.

"hello bareknuckle pickups?"

 

[muckypup1]

EMG's without the cover's are fuckin hideous. I like the way the look with covers anyway...

 

[cobhc]

Oh damn dude, fuckin' necro!

 

[slashvanyoung]

I once dreamt about cutting an EMG open, only to find the Duncan logo beneath the cover and a little note that reads: "Fools"!