Anyone experienced with EMGs here?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Will Onyx
  • Start date Start date
The only reason to do 24V is because it's a drop-in that requires no mods. I have a couple of them. Uses a pair of 12V batteries in a holder that's the footprint of a 9V.

FWIW, I've swapped enough PUPs in enough guitars to have come to the personal conclusion that if you don't like the tone of a guitar, no pickup is fundamentally going to change that. Subtle changes yes, but a dead guitar is a dead guitar.
 
GJgo said:
The only reason to do 24V is because it's a drop-in that requires no mods. I have a couple of them. Uses a pair of 12V batteries in a holder that's the footprint of a 9V.

FWIW, I've swapped enough PUPs in enough guitars to have come to the personal conclusion that if you don't like the tone of a guitar, no pickup is fundamentally going to change that. Subtle changes yes, but a dead guitar is a dead guitar.
Click to expand...

I’ll also state that EMGs are some of the pickiest pickups on the face of the earth with pickup height to the strings. You need to play your guitar and dial in the treble and bass sides with your ears with relation to the pickup height.

I swapped my 81/85 back to conventional Zakk setup and without setting pickup heights correctly I can hear the common complaints others have made. I’ve got it dialed in how I prefer. Too far away and the pickup thins out. Too close and you get mud. You need to set the bass side first to how you like, then set the treble to balance it out and un-mud things. Then set your neck to your bridge so that the treble tone doesn’t change drastically.
 
GJgo said:
The only reason to do 24V is because it's a drop-in that requires no mods. I have a couple of them. Uses a pair of 12V batteries in a holder that's the footprint of a 9V.

FWIW, I've swapped enough PUPs in enough guitars to have come to the personal conclusion that if you don't like the tone of a guitar, no pickup is fundamentally going to change that. Subtle changes yes, but a dead guitar is a dead guitar.
Click to expand...
EXACTLY.
That’s why I’m super careful about good deals on great guitars.
 
glpg80 said:
I’ll also state that EMGs are some of the pickiest pickups on the face of the earth with pickup height to the strings. You need to play your guitar and dial in the treble and bass sides with your ears with relation to the pickup height.

I swapped my 81/85 back to conventional Zakk setup and without setting pickup heights correctly I can hear the common complaints others have made. I’ve got it dialed in how I prefer. Too far away and the pickup thins out. Too close and you get mud. You need to set the bass side first to how you like, then set the treble to balance it out and un-mud things. Then set your neck to your bridge so that the treble tone doesn’t change drastically.
Click to expand...
This might be part of the problem. The guitar didn’t look like it had ever been properly set up and the pickups initially were pretty far away from the strings. I adjusted the action and raised the pickups, but may not have raised them enough. I’ll definitely adjust them using the method you described above.
 
Somewhere in the EMG archives I think it says 18 to 24 volts only yields marginal gains.. 3 chunky batteries might be hard to accommodate without modding the compartment..
 
GJgo said:
The only reason to do 24V is because it's a drop-in that requires no mods. I have a couple of them. Uses a pair of 12V batteries in a holder that's the footprint of a 9V.

FWIW, I've swapped enough PUPs in enough guitars to have come to the personal conclusion that if you don't like the tone of a guitar, no pickup is fundamentally going to change that. Subtle changes yes, but a dead guitar is a dead guitar.
Click to expand...
Yup, and that’s the worst part. I had 3 different Y2KVs in the early 2000s. Two sounded awesome but one was shrill and hollow sounding. Changed everything on that guitar except the wood and finish. It was so disheartening as it was a rare transparent red finish. Ended up trading it away after I put it back to stock.
 
I don’t think the problem is the guitar itself, it’s resonant and sounds pretty solid unplugged. So while I’m waiting for my 9v battery plugs to be delivered for the 18v mod, I messed about with the pickup height. Cranked them up much closer to the strings than I would ever do with my passive pups, and there was the bottom end that was missing. Got them dialed in to be very even sounding from top to bottom and am finally starting to ‘get’ what the EMGs are about. Will update again once I try out the mod. Thanks to everyone who has chimed in…. it’s all helped me out a lot.(y)
 
FWIW here's how I do the initial setup for all my EMGs. I fret the string at the highest fret, then I measure between the string & the middle of the PUP (at the screw). I adjust the screw until I get a 2mm gap on the low side, and a 1.5mm gap on the high side.
 
I’m a big fan of the 57 and the Fat-55. To my ear, the 57 is noticeably less compressed and more ‘open’ sounding than the typical 81/85 offerings. The Fat-55 sounds and feels to me like a great passive pickup with a transparent ‘clean’ boost in front of the amp.
 
I’ve always wanted to try a 81. It’s what I grew up with listening to Metallica.
 
Yes, I have experience with many EMG’s,
18volt mods etc.
From what you described..,
That’s a massive piece of telecaster shaped mahogany, talk about ‘body’!
It also has a very thin finish on it.
I would say give the Jim Root signature EMG’s
Daemonum set with the 18volt mod a faithful go at it.
They actually have a somewhat familiarity to passive pick-ups and the neck has more fangs.
The bridge is killer as well.
They are much more versatile also for lower gain and edgier’ break-up.

The monstrous piece of mahogany is a great match for the ebony fretboard which is critical with those solid necks.
Really balances everything out.
The Daemonum’s ooze a ‘livelier’ clean tone as well, especially in the middle pick-up setting, more jangle without the crusties’.
I believe these are JR’s answer to the 81/66 set he used throughout his career.
I’ve had the Tele, the Jazz and now I have the JR Strat.
I like the Strat most.
Except it needs a wiggle stick!
I put the JR EMG’s in that with the 18volt mod.
Super killer now homie!!
Really dig them with the 18volt mod.
The pick-ups are fairly priced as well,
Just snap them in.
Leave your pots intact.
 
Last edited:
I just bought the zakk complete setup in the classifieds and ordered a 24 volt mod kit. My greco's wiring was all screwed up so I said fuck it. Change it all. I've lost interest in emg so I hope the 24v mod does it for me.
 
JackBootedThug said:
I just bought the zakk complete setup in the classifieds and ordered a 24 volt mod kit. My greco's wiring was all screwed up so I said fuck it. Change it all. I've lost interest in emg so I hope the 24v mod does it for me.
Click to expand...

I used EMG's for 10years starting in my teens because guitarists I idolized used them. Anytime I would get a new axe, I would also grab a set of EMG's to immediately replace them. That all changed years later when I got a guitar, and had to wait for the EMGs to arrive. I played this guitar at several gigs, and many rehearsals with the stock passive pickups. When I finally got the EMGs in, it was clear that the tone took a major dive. I tried a few shows, but I knew the passive pickups sounded far superior. So went I went passive, and never looked back.
 
CrazyNutz said:
I used EMG's for 10years starting in my teens because guitarists I idolized used them. Anytime I would get a new axe, I would also grab a set of EMG's to immediately replace them. That all changed years later when I got a guitar, and had to wait for the EMGs to arrive. I played this guitar at several gigs, and many rehearsals with the stock passive pickups. When I finally got the EMGs in, it was clear that the tone took a major dive. I tried a few shows, but I knew the passive pickups sounded far superior. So went I went passive, and never looked back.
Click to expand...
and that is the same exact experience that I had. my last guitar with emg's did me in. that's why I'm hoping that this mod helps change my mind...just on this set anyway. like I said-that Greco sykes is wired backwards, plus the tone pots are not even connected either. Spiderwars put that 81/85 quick connect set for sale with jack,switch, and pots for 90 shipped....fuck-divine intervention. and if it doesn't work out-I know a guy that not only builds killer pups-he has a killer set of legs as well....just sayin...
 
JackBootedThug said:
I just bought the zakk complete setup in the classifieds and ordered a 24 volt mod kit. My greco's wiring was all screwed up so I said fuck it. Change it all. I've lost interest in emg so I hope the 24v mod does it for me.
Click to expand...
Where did you order your 24v mod from?
 
So here’s my update:
I tried out the 18v mod and really liked what it did. The pickups lost some of that top end bite, smoothed out and opened up a bit. It’s a subtle difference, but totally effective. The bad part is that the control cavity is not big enough to house the 2d battery without really mashing it in, so I think I’m going to get the 24v mod since apparently it will fit in the regular 9v battery cavity. Additionally, I did a full setup and changed the strings to my regular 10s (can’t stand 9s at all) and tweaked the pickup height just a little bit more. End result is that this guitar is a total banger that just needed to be setup and tweaked. It sounds full, balanced and detailed which is a complete 180 from when I first played it.
 
I love the 85/SA/85 with Knopfler mod on the 5 way Super Switch on my Floyd Rose Classic Strat, the SA/SPC module on my '87 Fender Japan Contemporary Strat, and the T set/SPC module on my Reverend Eastsider T guitar. I had the ZW set with the EMG 85/81 active pickups and didn't like the 81 that much.

Guitar George
 
Will Onyx said:
So here’s my update:
I tried out the 18v mod and really liked what it did. The pickups lost some of that top end bite, smoothed out and opened up a bit. It’s a subtle difference, but totally effective. The bad part is that the control cavity is not big enough to house the 2d battery without really mashing it in, so I think I’m going to get the 24v mod since apparently it will fit in the regular 9v battery cavity. Additionally, I did a full setup and changed the strings to my regular 10s (can’t stand 9s at all) and tweaked the pickup height just a little bit more. End result is that this guitar is a total banger that just needed to be setup and tweaked. It sounds full, balanced and detailed which is a complete 180 from when I first played it.
Click to expand...
awesome! that's the whole reason I went 24v...same footprint.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top