Guitars

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

Hey All,
Know it's kinda subjective but thought I'd ask anyway!
Have just got a guitar with EMG 81/85 setup and love it, just sounds amazing.
So... I have another one with the EMG-HZ's and they just lack something, don't think they're the higher end HZ's even. They sound ok but are way quieter than even other passives that I have or have had.
So is it worth getting more actives or are there passives that I should be looking at? Thought about going the DiMarzio PAF/Fred route to mix things up a bit.

Thoughts appreciated!

Cheers

Joined: 20 Aug 2008 Posts: 2188 Location: New York City

EMG HZ's always have sounded weak to me honestly. And it does depend on what kind of wood you've got on your instrument too.

However, I'd look into Bareknuckle Pickups. They are expensive (especially the one I'm looking at, the Black Hawk) but a lot of people are saying that they're incredibly good all around. The sound clips on their website doesn't help much, but a quick youtube search can satisfy most of your questions regarding their capabilities. Not to mention they provide a "fresh" look, and don't look like your average every day pickup, which is a plus IMO. I think part of the appeal of active pickups is the way they look.

But if that's a bit too expensive, you can never really go wrong with the DiMarzio X2N. I've got it on my KV2 and refuse to take it out unless I find a super cheap pair of Seymour Duncan Blackouts.

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 10:47 am

I agree with everything ashanu said. Although I would add that im a firm believer in what jon schaffer said about letting the guitar determine the pickups. The ones ashanu listed do what they do very well but could sound different in 2 seemingly identical guitars. Also I hate the hz's. And consider switching the 85 to bridge and 81 to neck. Its fatter and rounder , not my thing personally for my sound but I dont know, it might work for yours. The guys who like that set up, LOVE it

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

From online specs it's a mahogany body with maple set neck. exactly the same as one with EMG set in it already, just not sure about squeezing the battery into cavity and don't want to cut a hole for it!

Will think about swapping them round, although at the minute I love them the way they are Very Happy

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 11:31 am

For that the possibilities are endless. What do you like to play. What qualities do you want your tone to have?

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

lordkronos187 wrote:

For that the possibilities are endless. What do you like to play. What qualities do you want your tone to have?

Well, it varies but this guitar would be the one to rock out with, so pretty much a decent crunch with full warm sound. The current ones are kinda ok as get a half decent warmth out of them just not enough to them and have to turn the amp up.
Other ones I have Kent armstrong Pafs, Dean VX with stock, a vendetta beater with Irongears (cheap as bt sound ok) and the new one with actives. Get a nice variety from each so something different is always an option! don't want them all to sound the same otherwise can't justify having 5 to the wife!

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 12:17 pm

chuffed-addick wrote:

lordkronos187 wrote:

For that the possibilities are endless. What do you like to play. What qualities do you want your tone to have?

Well, it varies but this guitar would be the one to rock out with, so pretty much a decent crunch with full warm sound. The current ones are kinda ok as get a half decent warmth out of them just not enough to them and have to turn the amp up.
Other ones I have Kent armstrong Pafs, Dean VX with stock, a vendetta beater with Irongears (cheap as bt sound ok) and the new one with actives. Get a nice variety from each so something different is always an option! don't want them all to sound the same otherwise can't justify having 5 to the wife!

Warmth and crunch with a mahogany body and maple neckthrough? Blackouts or x2n by dimarzio. But again thats just me

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

lordkronos187 wrote:

Warmth and crunch with a mahogany body and maple neckthrough? Blackouts or x2n by dimarzio. But again thats just me

Nice one cheers, hey asked for opinions! know very subjective so all good

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 12:36 pm

Is youre amp super high gain?

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

lordkronos187 wrote:

Is youre amp super high gain?

nope it's a 90's Peavey Bandit 112.

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 12:56 pm

Just curious. Im partial to paf pickups with high gain amp or high output pickups with low gain

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

lordkronos187 wrote:

Just curious. Im partial to paf pickups with high gain amp or high output pickups with low gain

no worries, know what you mean used to have a Laney AOR protube 100 and that was daft the amount of gain on it, tried out a super distortion on it and was horrendous!

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 1:12 pm

chuffed-addick wrote:

lordkronos187 wrote:

Just curious. Im partial to paf pickups with high gain amp or high output pickups with low gain

no worries, know what you mean used to have a Laney AOR protube 100 and that was daft the amount of gain on it, tried out a super distortion on it and was horrendous!

No s#%t? I thought super distortions were lower output. Amni wrong?

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

lordkronos187 wrote:

No s#%t? I thought super distortions were lower output. Amni wrong?

Quick look on their website puts em in High with 425 output... only a few above them. Made me think then! wondered whether I'd got the wrong one, might still have! age you know!!

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 7:53 pm

chuffed-addick wrote:

lordkronos187 wrote:

No s#%t? I thought super distortions were lower output. Amni wrong?

Quick look on their website puts em in High with 425 output... only a few above them. Made me think then! wondered whether I'd got the wrong one, might still have! age you know!!

oh weird. I might be using the wrong word. I mean dc resistance, I thought that was the output. I dont know what the 425 number is but the super d is 13.76k ohms. Thats average from what I can tell. The higher ones go to like 17-19k, lower ones and pafs are usually under 10k. Ive heard a lot of combinations with super d that was great, maybe it wasnt a good fit for that guitar, or amp, or both lol

Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 1391 Location: Lutz, Fl.

The 425 MV reading for the Super Distortion is the millivolt reading. It is a much better way of telling power than ohms.

Usually a vintage pickup is around 7K-9K ohms. Medium is from 9K-11K and hot runs 12K and up.

Usually the rule (although it can be broken) is that a pickup will peak in power around 14K. Once the wind starts going higher than that, not all the "energy" will make it to the end. That's why a Steve's Special has 18K ohms, but is only 390 millivolts. Yes, it has more ohms, but the Super Distortion at 14K ohms and 425 millivolts is a hotter pickup. I hope that makes sense. In the future, henries are the best way to measure pickup power, and millivolts come in second.

Posted: Mon Feb 11, 2013 9:55 pm

Oh wow. The more you know Smile

Joined: 10 Feb 2006 Posts: 1391 Location: Lutz, Fl.

lordkronos187 wrote:

Oh wow. The more you know Smile

Well, I had a few good teachers along the way. And I have to thank the posts by Bill and Becky Lawrence. There is a lot of basic and advanced knowledge I learned from them. The info on the Wildegate forum is priceless.

It's just a lot of years listening and playing different makers and types of pickups. And I am thankful for my cello teacher helping me develop my ear. There's a lot of good players that don't have an ear for music. I may not be the best player, but I'm glad that I can hear the nuances in musicial instruments.

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

Ok I got a set of 85-81 cheap on ebay, so question now is:-

Can I just wire in the battery connection to the input jack(got stereo one) and the wires from pups or do I need to change pots and capacitor on them. Currently are 500k pots and a .22 wotsit capacitor, orange one fairly decent, wired them myself. OR get a solderless kit and be done with it

Cheers

Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 8293 Location: Ontario, Canada

Emg's use 25K ohm pots. Not sure On the capacitor value. There's probably a wiring diagram on their website.

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

'87 sherwood wrote:

Emg's use 25K ohm pots. Not sure On the capacitor value. There's probably a wiring diagram on their website.

Yeah no capacitor values though! opened up my LTD with same pups and has one labelled 407k 100v.
Means f*** all to me though!

Joined: 23 Nov 2005 Posts: 8293 Location: Ontario, Canada

You need a 0.1uf capacitor.

Joined: 30 Nov 2003 Posts: 10625 Location: Canada

If you like EMGs, you may want to try Duncan's Blackouts. They use the same pots as active EMGs do.

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

'87 sherwood wrote:

You need a 0.1uf capacitor.

Nice one cheers!

Joined: 14 Aug 2012 Posts: 95

Thanks for the help here guys,
Found the parts I needed spplit between online and locally. Installed 85 and 81 yesterday and my god what a difference! Smile

sounds amazing now

Joined: 13 Feb 2004 Posts: 5634 Location: phoenix az.

Ive had emgs and blackouts all sound processed to me and make the strings feel weird.( guess i like a little pull from the magnets)I use duncan invaders.all this hype bout them being muddy is crap heres a clue dont put them so close to the strings!The pickup has mass gain and is quiet as hell,fat tone just great pickups!

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 2:35 am

My first comment was that if you like the 81/85 set, then why not?

Optionally, if you want to mix it up, what sound is it that you would like to change? More/less bass/mid/treble/output/glass/thickness what?

And through what gear? To play what? and how does the guitar sound acoustically?

Then we can talk about what will make you happy.