Compatibility Question: EMG-89XR with EMG-SA Pickups?

[Charvel1975]

My Charvel Model 5FX has an EMG-81 in the bridge and an EMG-SA single coil in the neck, 3-way toggle switch, one volume & one tone controls and thinking about swapping out just the 81 for a EMG-89XR before going all passive pickups but wanted to know if there are compatibility issues with the SA in the neck or would I also have to get an EMG-SAX as well?

 

[TotallyRadGuitars]

Yes, there is a compatibility issue and it will not sound right. You can't mix X series pickups with non-X pickups. I found out the hard way myself

Note that if you don't have a tone control (I'm guessing you don't on the 5FX unless you modified it), the compatibility issue is less important. The X series uses an active tone control and regular EMG's use a passive 25k pot with different impedence requirements. In practice this just means that running an X through a passive tone pot won't sound right, or running a non-X through an active pot won't sound right.

 

[Charvel1975]

Yes, there is a compatibility issue and it will not sound right. You can't mix X series pickups with non-X pickups. I found out the hard way myself

Note that if you don't have a tone control (I'm guessing you don't on the 5FX unless you modified it), the compatibility issue is less important. The X series uses an active tone control and regular EMG's use a passive 25k pot with different impedence requirements. In practice this just means that running an X through a passive tone pot won't sound right, or running a non-X through an active pot won't sound right.

Ok thank you I've also been emailing back and forth with EMG and this is what they said:

"The 89XR is essentially an 85 in humbucker mode and an SA in single coil mode. The X Series preamp gives it a bit more headroom and dynamics than the classic non-X preamp. In humbucker mode, it will produce darker sounds than the 81, since it is alnico instead of ceramic. You do not have to swap out the neck pickup, but it will keep the feel of the response more consistent if you switch that one to an X Series pickup as well."

When I asked them what X series single coil they would recommend that would match well with the EMG89XR? They said the SAX or SLVX. The 89X basically becomes an SAX in single coil mode, so if you want to match the single coil, that would be the closest.

I think I'm going to try some different EMG'S in my Charvel one last time before I go to passive. I kinda want to keep EMG's in my Charvel because it's the only guitar I own that has active pickups and I like to have some variety.