*Update* Charvel Model 5fx Sounds Thin

I've thought about just getting a new EMG-81 cause it comes with the wiring etc. But I've debated if I wanted more versatility being able to go to single coil in the bridge pickup or not? I was reading up on the EMG-81TW, EMG-89R and EMG-57TW and some people said those pickups should fit my Charvel's bridge pickup cavity but I wonder how any of those would sound? I'm pretty sure the slant neck single coil is an EMG-SA although I've never removed it and the logo color is worn off.

How do the new EMG-81 sound for clean sounds?
 
Charvel1975 said:
I think years ago the guy I had set it up put an Orange Drop .047mf cap in it, I'm pretty sure that's the value cap he put in it and at that time, I had the newer EMG-85 in the bridge and he also replaced the factory phenolic nut with the Fender LSR roller nut and also at that time he had set my Charvel model 5fx up for drop B tuning for the band I was in at that time.

I'm just wondering if I should just get the new wiring kit from EMG with the short shaft potentiometer option or not? I also saw on the EMG site that their wiring kits, the pots are splined and the factory knows on my Charvel are the ones that have a screw on them so would that work or would I have to get solid shaft short pots?

Someone else mentioned that Poplar tends to have a somewhat harsh/shrill tone having little in the way of bass/lower mids and to find a bridge pickup with attenuated highs and boosted lows to compensate for the wood's sonic traits.
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I think EMG's use a .1 mfd capacitor.
 
Just curious, how much gain do you normally run?

Not to be accusatory, but it can be really hard to keep tones guitars from sounding thin when you're running a lot of gain or scooping mids

That being said, if the 81 is too thin for you, I would suggest an 85 or a retroactive if you want to stay with the EMG thing

I would also check that everything else in your signal chain is working properly
 
Don't know if you've resolved this yet, but honestly buying the EMG wiring kit and components isn't necessary. You can wire the EMG pickups with standard wiring and pots via soldering and heat shrink tubing - but the connectors on the EMG kit makes it sort of painless.
 
DanTravis62 said:
Just curious, how much gain do you normally run?

Not to be accusatory, but it can be really hard to keep tones guitars from sounding thin when you're running a lot of gain or scooping mids

That being said, if the 81 is too thin for you, I would suggest an 85 or a retroactive if you want to stay with the EMG thing

I would also check that everything else in your signal chain is working properly
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I run a lot of gain but also manipulate the volume pot on my guitar's too - Live I'm running a Boogie Mark V 90-Watt head and Harley Benton angled 4x12 cab with stock Celestion Vintage 30's and for our practices, running an EVH 5150III V2 6L6 head and Marshall 1960A cab.
 
DanTravis62 said:
Just curious, how much gain do you normally run?

Not to be accusatory, but it can be really hard to keep tones guitars from sounding thin when you're running a lot of gain or scooping mids

That being said, if the 81 is too thin for you, I would suggest an 85 or a retroactive if you want to stay with the EMG thing

I would also check that everything else in your signal chain is working properly
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I'm not familiar with the Retroactive's? Which ones are best suited for classic rock/heavy metal/80's hair metal to current?
 
Charvel1975 said:
I run a lot of gain but also manipulate the volume pot on my guitar's too - Live I'm running a Boogie Mark V 90-Watt head and Harley Benton angled 4x12 cab with stock Celestion Vintage 30's and for our practices, running an EVH 5150III V2 6L6 head and Marshall 1960A cab.
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That combination doesn't sound too 'Boomy'? In my head, I can almost feel the womp and boom from the Mesa and 4x12 w V30s! Not saying it's a bad thing, just curious if you find yourself fighting excess low end with that setup?
 
GuitarGuy08 said:
That combination doesn't sound too 'Boomy'? In my head, I can almost feel the womp and boom from the Mesa and 4x12 w V30s! Not saying it's a bad thing, just curious if you find yourself fighting excess low end with that setup?
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We get excessive low end from the bass player who's rig is always setup next to mine 😆 Yea seriously, it's something the other guitarist and me have been trying to work with him (the bass player) on but it's still a work in progress.
 
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