Wrecknine
Member
Even though there are some splittable EMG humbuckers, I love the crazy combos I can easily get with a passive H-H or H-S-H setup and a 5 way super/megaswitch.
I'm a passive pickup guy now!
- Thread starter Ermz
- Start date
shredder10
Replace that #@#|@#â!!
I've never had a EMG/active pup on my guitars, just got to love the dynamics and character from a passive one!
Joshua Wickman
Yes Sir!
I like passive pickups in bass guitars much better than actives. Not sure how i feel on guitar yet. I like both but i'm on the fence still.
prostetnic
Jeff's DI's AGAIN?!
- Nov 12, 2010
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Harry Hughes
âââ¬â¬
- Apr 25, 2009
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I find it odd that people (including you Ermz) tend to take a kind of black and white approach to this, things either being bad or good.
Despite what people have said about passives, I've always enjoyed passive pickups (in fact I really love the JB and have been a fan of it for years now) and despite what the "EMGs ARE SO STERILE MAN!" crowd say, I enjoy them.
They both have their uses and are highly practical for a number of situations.
I'm not so much an EMG 81 or 81-7 guy, but I think the EMG 85 and 707 are still pretty nice sounding pickups and I'm sure you can still have an appreciation for them on records that use them that have good sounding guitars tones.
As far as Dimarzio goes, they seem to pair best with basswood a lot of the time, although basswood seems almost more like a wood that works better with leads rather than heavy rhythm.
BKP, I'm kinda 'eh' on that one. The 'mainstream' pickup brands like Dimarzio, SD and EMG are already good enough, no need to go with BKP unless you can get them for a fair price (fairly priced they are certainly not here in Australia, that's for sure).
Despite what people have said about passives, I've always enjoyed passive pickups (in fact I really love the JB and have been a fan of it for years now) and despite what the "EMGs ARE SO STERILE MAN!" crowd say, I enjoy them.
They both have their uses and are highly practical for a number of situations.
I'm not so much an EMG 81 or 81-7 guy, but I think the EMG 85 and 707 are still pretty nice sounding pickups and I'm sure you can still have an appreciation for them on records that use them that have good sounding guitars tones.
As far as Dimarzio goes, they seem to pair best with basswood a lot of the time, although basswood seems almost more like a wood that works better with leads rather than heavy rhythm.
BKP, I'm kinda 'eh' on that one. The 'mainstream' pickup brands like Dimarzio, SD and EMG are already good enough, no need to go with BKP unless you can get them for a fair price (fairly priced they are certainly not here in Australia, that's for sure).
Rex Rocker
Call me Hugo!
I still like my EMG's. I find I like the 81TW/60 combo the most. 
There's TONS of passives I'd like to try, tho.
There's TONS of passives I'd like to try, tho.
Matt-Steele
Member
Well, I was never much of an '81' guy, but I did have an appreciation for 85s and 707s, the latter of which I've had in my main personal guitar for several years now. The problem is that I keep hearing their undesirable characteristics whenever they're recorded. They always seem to have this flat, compressed sound, no matter how they're run. Sure, passives may take more work to seat in dense metal arrangements, but the end results usually end up being more sonically pleasing to me. I don't like to compromise whole mixes just for the sake of one element... EMGs always force me to do that.
There are only so many times you can have that experience before you stop trying to see the shades of grey, save yourself the heartache and just say 'screw the actives'.
On a sidenote you guys really ought to hear the guitar sound we're getting on an album that's being tracked here right now. '59 in an all-Mahogany guitar, Rosewood fretboard, no paint. It's absolute bliss. I don't think there is a single unpleasant high frequency in the raw sound. I'm trying to get Studio Fredman onto the reamps, to do it absolute justice.
There are only so many times you can have that experience before you stop trying to see the shades of grey, save yourself the heartache and just say 'screw the actives'.
On a sidenote you guys really ought to hear the guitar sound we're getting on an album that's being tracked here right now. '59 in an all-Mahogany guitar, Rosewood fretboard, no paint. It's absolute bliss. I don't think there is a single unpleasant high frequency in the raw sound. I'm trying to get Studio Fredman onto the reamps, to do it absolute justice.
amarshism
Member
~BURNY~
Member
- Apr 20, 2005
- 5,091
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I perfectly happy with emg 89's for metal kind of tones. But 95% of what I record isn't metal and my favourite pickup ever both as player and an AE is the P90.
Generally speaking I think it's more a matter of getting the right pickup in the right guitar between the right hands at the right moment.
Generally speaking I think it's more a matter of getting the right pickup in the right guitar between the right hands at the right moment.
Abandoned my account the moment I realized nothing outside of the monikers 'prog' or 'djent' exists in the place.
LeSedna
Mat or Mateo
Haven't read the thread yet, but I found it funny, cause the more I play/record, the more I hate my EMGs, because they sound so sterile, and there is something wrong with them for soloing. I don't know, everytime I hear a wonderful solo tone that reacts well to the player's style and vibrato and on and on, it's a passive one. Most EMG solo tone sound like shit to me, and no matter what I try, it's the same with my ESP SV in EMG 85 + 81. And the other day, I try the ESP horizon II at a friend's, mounted with SD, and I immediatly felt more pleasure and response, my vibrato sounded like it should (expressive) and it overall felt like I was more in control. I don't care anymore if EMG 81 sound clear and are easy to deal with for rythms, cause they sort of destroy the player's style and characteristics of playing imo. In the future I wanna switch to a classic SD setup and see how it goes.
jangoux
Member
- May 9, 2006
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Yeah..tried liking EMGs a while ago, gave up on it, put on passives and the smile is back 
also recorded some bands a while ago with 81s and every one of them had a TOO similar sound (Ok, they were all EC1000s and EC500s so that may be part of it). Passives FTW!
also recorded some bands a while ago with 81s and every one of them had a TOO similar sound (Ok, they were all EC1000s and EC500s so that may be part of it). Passives FTW!
drew_drummer
Dancefap
So dudes.... what Seymour Duncan pickups would you recommend for a solid body Les Paul, mahogany body, mahogany neck, very dark rosewood fretboard? Coz I'm giving some thought to switching from my BKP Nailbombs.
FWIW I bought a used Les Paul Classic a few months ago..came with stock 500t in the bridge(which from what I've been told are the highest output passives Gibson makes). I found them to be too fizzy and had a lot of harsh spikes in the high end. I just put the JB59 bridge pickup in and so far I'm digging it. Lot's of clarity..and while it doesn't push the amp like actives do..I just find the high and mids to be much more pleasing to the ear. I may move up to more of a medium output passive later and see..but so far the 59's are sounding great.
egan.
daylightdies.com
Matt-Steele
Member
LeSedna
Mat or Mateo
I personnaly discovered I hated my EMGs when I went back to my $200 Lâg stratocaster-like beginner guitar. It sounds like shit globally, but the way the shitty pickups react to my playing make me prefer recording a solo with it just for the sake of the bigger dynamics. I didn't use it for my EP because my ESP still is more hi-fi sounding than a crappy noisy guitar, but I almost did.
Aren't you the guy who just recently based his judgment on the worth of peoples' experience, based solely on their taste in music? Maybe lead by example.
There is nothing self-defeating here. It's a personal revelation. Experience after experience slowly eroding away inherent bias. In the real world, most call this a 'good thing'.
It's not meant to be something that garners universal agreement. There are plenty of people out there who will continue to use, and enjoy using, active pickups - all power to them. Until I have a single experience where I find the use of active pickups on a record to have been a beneficial thing, I'll no longer be one of them.
My suggestion would be Duncan Custom, or Duncan JB in the bridge and a '59 in the neck.
The JB has more pronounced midrange which is great for gainy stuff and solos, but can sound honky or nasal in the mids for clean stuff. The Custom is a little hotter and has good highs and lows. They're both good pickups. It just depends if you want a strong mid punch or a more balanced pickup.
