What the hell (EMG Content Inside)

[AntonioPetrole]

So i was messing around with my other guitarists ibanez 7 string which can be seen here

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez-RG7321-7-String-Electric-Guitar-101859841-i1167515.gc

and messing around with my epiphone explorer with EMG 81-85's in it which can be seen here (without my EMGS)

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Epiphone-1958-Explorer-Electric-Guitar-101464113-i1150040.gc

Now, i was messing around recorded some riffs and I noticed something on playback. His Ibanez sounds WAY beefier and organic than my explorer. Do EMG's just have a very smooth flat character to them or am i doing something wrong? Maybe my pups are too close to the strings? This is really bothering me, because i LOVE how the ibanez sounds in comparison, makes me wish i didn't buy my guitar and pickups and just got one of those. Both guitars are in the same tuning, both played by me and ran through the same exact amp sim settings and eq.

I made 2 clips, one of the ibanez and one of the explorer. Tell me what you think

Ibanez http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2113488/Click Tracks/Stock Ibanez.mp3

Explorer http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2113488/Click Tracks/EMG.mp3

They both peak at the same spots, both were run through my Countryman type 85 DI box and into my profire 610.

 

[viralz]

From the two clips I actually prefer the explorer, it sounds chunkier to me.

 

[AntonioPetrole]

From the two clips I actually prefer the explorer, it sounds chunkier to me.

really? I thought the Ibanez sounded WAY more organic and way less harsh. Maybe im just losing my mind? haha any other opinions?

 

[Lasse Lammert]

the playing on the ibanez is better (and quite different tbh).
the overall sound is better on the epiphone IMO, but the position of your muting hand is way better on the ibanez, that's why the mutes on the ibanez sound chunkier and clearer.
if you find an equally good position for your palm on the epihone and then lower the gain a bit (different pickups need different settings of course) you'll prefer the epi I'm sure

 

[Robert W]

Found the Explorer clip painful to listen to.

My experience w/ EMG 707s is that they are kind of flat and sterile sounding, and particularly ill-suited to leads, at least in the mahogany bodied Hellraiser I had them in.

 

[Ohmission]

Dude that explorer clip is painful. No reason why it should be that way either. May I suggest thicker strings. It sounds to me like they are waaaay to light for the tuning although perhaps i'm out in left field on this. I use EMG 60s in the bridge and they are nowhere close to sounding as bright and squishy as that.

Cheers,
George.

 

[psychles]

Sorry, might be dumb question, but do you have the same size strings (same strings, period) on both guitars?

 

[Rex Rocker]

Flip the EMG's around so that you have the 85 in the bridge.

 

[prostetnic]

particularly ill-suited to leads

Well they seem to work for Jeff Loomis