What is the deal with EMG Pickups?!

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Katalepsy

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Aug 2, 2004
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Okay, since I have been playing guitar (A little over 2 years now), I have noticed that so many people who play metal seem to LOVE EMG pickups. I played on a few guitars with EMGs, and they sounded so bloody horrible. I just gotta know, what is it with people and EMG Pickups? What makes them SO awesome that EVERYONE seems to like them so damn much?

I have a Seymour Duncan Live-Wire Heavy Metal active bridge pickup on my guitar, and I think it sounds a thousand times (Big exaggeration) better than any EMGs, I just don't get what the deal is.
 
do yourself a favor, unless your using a crapload of effects steer clear of active pickups, there way too sterile sounding
 
I use EMG 81's and I love them. Amazing gain and really crisp cleans. I guess its "sterile" if you're doing anything besides metal, but if you're predominantly playing with a lot of high gain then they're great.
 
there ok pickups dont get me wrong, but I perfer the sound of a over-boosted x2n!!! (this is what i use-emg afterburner with x2n, crazy distortion!!) they do have a good sound for metal, but thats about it, though the 60 is the only one i would use myself
 
Yngvai X said:
I use EMG 81's and I love them. Amazing gain and really crisp cleans. I guess its "sterile" if you're doing anything besides metal, but if you're predominantly playing with a lot of high gain then they're great.
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I have an 81 in the bridge and an 85 in the neck. I can play from full-on metal to smooth jazz sounds with this combination. I hear absolutely nothing sterile from these monsters. They can cut through anything and they eat most pickups for lunch. They are very hot.

Perhaps the battery was worn down when you were playing yours?

I also outfit guitars with DiMarzios, but that's just because I'm an '80's kid.
 
Metal guitarists like EMGs for 2 reasons:
1. They sound the same in any guitar so you can throw em in a complete piece of crap constructed bolt on low end Jackson or whatever and they sound the same as they would in a gorgeous neck through mahogany beauty.

2. They make it reaaaaaaaaaaaaly easy to be playing sloppily and have it sound like you are playing fluently. EMG makes you sound better than you are, and makes it so you really don't have to perfect your technique because anything vaguely close will sound perfect to most people. If you ever listen to a Kirk Hammet solo closely, he's the sloppiest guitarist on the face of the planet and gets all sorts of string noise and mal-timed bends out of key, but to the amature ear, the EMG really masks those mistakes. I shudder to think about how he would sound through real pickups.

This is why none of the truly great guitarists use EMGs, and why I would recommend that if you don't want your technical ability to stop progressing because your pickups make your sloppy play sound fine, just stay away from EMG entirely.
 
I like to be able to understand what I'm playing, rather than having too much distortion cover it up. Granted, if EMGs sound good clean, then that's just awesome, because it's almost impossible to find a high output humbucker that doesn't distort on clean.

The reason why I have a Duncan Live Wire metal active humbucker is because Dimebag Darrel used them, and the fact that it sounds friggen awesome. This thing can create the raunchiest pinch harmonics you'll ever hear, it's amazing. The downside: Two 9v batteries crammed into the tiny electronics routing space in the back of the body.
 
SyXified said:
2. They make it reaaaaaaaaaaaaly easy to be playing sloppily and have it sound like you are playing fluently. EMG makes you sound better than you are, and makes it so you really don't have to perfect your technique because anything vaguely close will sound perfect to most people. If you ever listen to a Kirk Hammet solo closely, he's the sloppiest guitarist on the face of the planet and gets all sorts of string noise and mal-timed bends out of key, but to the amature ear, the EMG really masks those mistakes. I shudder to think about how he would sound through real pickups.
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Well, shit - why should I spend any more time practicing guitar? According to this theory, I can let all my technique come from my pickups. Wow. Thanks for the revelation. You've saved me a lot of anguish and really given me a bunch of free time in my day.
 
Thanx for that bit of info, i thought he had a 85 at the bridge and some sort of duncan at the front. Bad guess lol I tried to look it up before and couldnt find shit on his guitar, speaking of which were did you find that out at? I'm getting a guitar built and cant decide on pickups or body wood lol
 
SyXified said:
Metal guitarists like EMGs for 2 reasons:
1. They sound the same in any guitar so you can throw em in a complete piece of crap constructed bolt on low end Jackson or whatever and they sound the same as they would in a gorgeous neck through mahogany beauty.

2. They make it reaaaaaaaaaaaaly easy to be playing sloppily and have it sound like you are playing fluently. EMG makes you sound better than you are, and makes it so you really don't have to perfect your technique because anything vaguely close will sound perfect to most people. If you ever listen to a Kirk Hammet solo closely, he's the sloppiest guitarist on the face of the planet and gets all sorts of string noise and mal-timed bends out of key, but to the amature ear, the EMG really masks those mistakes. I shudder to think about how he would sound through real pickups.

This is why none of the truly great guitarists use EMGs, and why I would recommend that if you don't want your technical ability to stop progressing because your pickups make your sloppy play sound fine, just stay away from EMG entirely.
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Christ i dont think i've read more bullshit in my entire life. Personally i use the dimarzios that Malmsteen uses because well, he's my god and i want to be him...but i also have an EMG81, and its a damn fine pick up for playing metal. Really good high gain, bloody nice clean sound....and its sterile, so you can hear everything you're playing...so mistakes are more noticeable.

Oh and you mentioned 'This is why none of the truly great guitarists use EMGs', well i dont know what you think of Zakk wylde...but he is a damn fine guitarist...he uses EMGs.
 
Opus(sy) said:
Oh and you mentioned 'This is why none of the truly great guitarists use EMGs', well i dont know what you think of Zakk wylde...but he is a damn fine guitarist...he uses EMGs.
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Zakk Wylde is an excellent guitarist, but keep in mind that being a good guitarist doesn't make the pickups you use better. Dimebag Darrell is yet another friggin awesome guitarist, he uses Seymour Duncans. It's all a matter of tone preference, I prefer Dime's tone, so therefore I prefer Duncans, namely Invaders, Live Wires, Dimebuckers, and Vintage 59s. If you are playing metal, and you don't like your tone, then chances are you are playing a stock Bronze series BC Rich, or something equally shitty.
 
i like emg...

but 'm considering getting rid of my 81 cuz someone told me that same thing...every guitar sounds the same. i have a nice neck thru guitar, has a good tone...
but i LIKE the sound with the emg..i can't imagine why or how another pickup would sound better or give me more "of the guitar's natural tone".


good pickup for me tho...
 
Katalepsy said:
Zakk Wylde is an excellent guitarist, but keep in mind that being a good guitarist doesn't make the pickups you use better. Dimebag Darrell is yet another friggin awesome guitarist, he uses Seymour Duncans. It's all a matter of tone preference, I prefer Dime's tone, so therefore I prefer Duncans, namely Invaders, Live Wires, Dimebuckers, and Vintage 59s. If you are playing metal, and you don't like your tone, then chances are you are playing a stock Bronze series BC Rich, or something equally shitty.
Click to expand...

No i'm not saying that the pick ups you use make you the guitarist you are, i'm saying the opposite, it doesnt matter what pick ups you use....Syxified posted 'EMG makes you sound better than you are'. Load of BS.
 
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