Les Paul tragic considers ESP

  • Thread starter Thread starter ZEN Amps
  • Start date Start date
ZEN Amps

ZEN Amps

Well-known member
So I'm an LP lifer and have a few with hot pickups, but for some reason I've been feeling the urge to grab an ESP with EMG's. Probably an Eclipse so if I squint it'll still look right.

Been years since I've bothered with active pickups. For heavy shit what are you guys using in mahogany axes? What do you find an active pickup achieves that a hot ceramic doesn't?
 
ZEN Amps said:
So I'm an LP lifer and have a few with hot pickups, but for some reason I've been feeling the urge to grab an ESP with EMG's. Probably an Eclipse so if I squint it'll still look right.

Been years since I've bothered with active pickups. For heavy shit what are you guys using in mahogany axes? What do you find an active pickup achieves that a hot ceramic doesn't?
Click to expand...
Stick to the old faves like the 81, 85 and 89 (which is my fave for bridge).

Some of the more modern ones, like the set that comes on the Eclipse are more thin and modern focused.
 
I used to be a big EMG fan but started disliking them years ago. Took them out of all my guitars except one - my ESP Eclipse II. I have a set of BKPs I bought to replace them a year ago but I'm scared to do it cause that guitar just sounds right with the stock pickups.
 
With the EMG’s it’s really just “that” sound that especially the 81 and 85 have with the how the preamp is voiced. Whether we like it just because we’ve heard it on records so many times or whatever it is its own thing and nothing else really does it, including other active pickups. It’s that baked in compression and consistent attack in the upper midrange.

I would never have a guitar with them as my only guitar because they lack dynamic response and aren’t that flexible sound-wise. Eventually you want something other than that baked-in sound. But I do like having the option!
 
ZEN Amps said:
Ok cheers guys. Maybe it's because I've been listening to And Justice lately, I think that was EMG's.
Click to expand...
Dude, I’ve played a couple of those fish man and they were surprisingly bad ass. I thought they felt and sounded much better than EMG. I played a modern and I think classic? They were both great and on the push/pull you can switch between different tones. Definitely try them.
 
I love the idea of having something different to pick up and play. Going active EMG or Fishman would be cool if you don’t have any. I have 1 LTD M1000 with an 81/85 set. It was great to pick up and get a different feel and sound from time to time. I’d recommend either the defacto standard 81/85 or something like an 81 or 85 in the bridge and a 60 in the neck. I loved the 60 in the neck best.

They have variants now with extra headroom and such, but hard to beat the balls to the wall 81, 85, 60 classics for an aggressive in your face sound.
 
Bardagh said:
With the EMG’s it’s really just “that” sound that especially the 81 and 85 have with the how the preamp is voiced. Whether we like it just because we’ve heard it on records so many times or whatever it is its own thing and nothing else really does it, including other active pickups. It’s that baked in compression and consistent attack in the upper midrange.

I would never have a guitar with them as my only guitar because they lack dynamic response and aren’t that flexible sound-wise. Eventually you want something other than that baked-in sound. But I do like having the option!
Click to expand...
100% this. I have a variety of guitars with various pickups...But I always keep a couple ESP guitars loaded with EMG's around. They have a flavor that no passive (even very hot w/ ceramic) can fully duplicate. I really like the 81 in the bridge of mahogany bodied guitars, and the Hetfield model is great as well.
 
Last edited:
I like having an EMG loaded guitar in my arsenal, and a nice eclipse is a great fit for them IMO.

I don't think they offer anything in particular that passive pickups don't, they're just a different flavor that sound & feel right in some situations. I do like the quick connect system though, as I really like both the 81 and 85 in the bridge position, it's nice to be able to swap them out every few string changes.
 
Any thoughts on the LTD EC-1000 vs ESP Eclipse? I don't think I've ever played an LTD but some seem to think the Korean ones weren't half bad.
 
I still have a 1986 Schecter with EMG’s that sometimes has its place for me. The vintage EMG’s seem better to me fwiw. Not something I use that regularly, but they do have this ripping quality to them on powerchords, unique feel & saturation, despite all the tonal & dynamic limitations they inherently have. Much better imo than the fluences. And yes like you said I get an instant Metallica vibe for them, especially through my c+ or other boogie amps of mine. I also get a Rusty Cooley vibe when sweep picking probably since he also used them

For me, even for heavier stuff, I generally still prefer using vintage lower output pickups, especially in mahogany guitars, but for highoutput passive some of the best IME have been the vintage Bill Lawrence’s, Dirty Fingers & Mighty Mite 1400. All the current made pickups I’ve had sounded like uninspiring garbage in comparison imho
 
Last edited:
ZEN Amps said:
Any thoughts on the LTD EC-1000 vs ESP Eclipse? I don't think I've ever played an LTD but some seem to think the Korean ones weren't half bad.
Click to expand...
Honestly with some of the quality gear you’ve got I wouldn’t really recommend either if you’re choosing guitars for tone as the priority. I’d get a good LP-type guitar that uses nitro or shellac finish and other specs that lend themselves more to tone over other qualities that some seem to judge guitars more by
 
braintheory said:
Honestly with some of the quality gear you’ve got I wouldn’t really recommend either if you’re choosing guitars for tone as the priority. I’d get a good LP-type guitar that uses nitro or shellac finish and other specs that lend themselves more to tone over other qualities that some seem to judge guitars more by
Click to expand...
Hmm fair point. Just looking for something different I guess, and figured if I could find something already with EMG's I could just flip it if doesn't work out.
 
EMG's don't have a ton of low-end at all or particularly airy highs. They're just a focused punch in the upper mids. So they're some of the tightest pickups around. Objectically and measurably tighter than ANY passive, IME. Don't get me wrong, I think good passives have their place as well, but they just don't do the tight, focused (that sometimes people feel is sterile) thing as well.

I used to love EMG's. I tried every different one from the classic non-X range I could get my hands on (not really ALL of them, but the 81, 85, 60, 89, 81TW, 57, 66, and Hets). I even tried a couple of the X series and the Jim Root set. I started playing EMG's maybe like 20 years ago at most, but I always thought they sounded consistent...

... Until a couple of years ago. I got an 85 and a 57/66 set. They all sounded horrible.

I started doing some research, and apparently, one IC that they used on the preamp was discontinued on 2018. So I sourced an older 2017 set of the 57/66 set, and night and day difference.

Nowadays, I find Fishmans do the EMG thing better than EMG's. Especially since they've got a few slight tweaks on the Modern Ceramic recipee, which I find is comparable to the EMG 81, just tighter even and clearer.

Also, couple of interesting EMG facts I've found throughout my experience with them that you don't usually read about. I don't find the 81 all that hot. A really hot passive like an X2N, 500T, or Black Winter easily overpowers it. Also, the 85 is actually hotter than the 81. So is the 57. And the Het Bridge is by far the hottest.

Techincally, they are all the same output because the preamp running at 9V limits what they can put out. But some of them are louder before they hit the preamp, so the preamp clips and distorts more, making them feel hotter than they actually are.

So yes, I guess you could call EMG's "compressed" in a sense. But I think the right term would be "clipped". They distort a little internally when you strum hard. At least they do at 9V. So it's almost like they've got they're own little subtle overdrive/boost circuit built in that activates when you strum hard.
 
Last edited:
Quick ESP primer:

- Most MIJ & MIK are thin, but there are models that are full thickness. USAs are all full thickness, but kind of a different animal.
- If budget is a concern and you still want a killer guitar, look for any W-serial LTD 1000 series Eclipse. They hit above their pay grade.
- If you can spend a little cash, look for an older SS-serial Eclipse with ESP on the headstock. (Note I would recommend this over an E-II as they are more hit & miss.)
- If you can spend more cash for one of the finest instruments you will find, look for a K-serial Eclipse with ESP on the headstock.
 
ZEN Amps said:
Hmm fair point. Just looking for something different I guess, and figured if I could find something already with EMG's I could just flip it if doesn't work out.
Click to expand...
That’s a fair point also you’re making. They seem to be popular on here lately, so probably not as a hard sell if you don’t bond with it and since emg’s do so much of the heavy lifting you can get away with that more, but I still think it makes a difference what guitars Emg’s are in, just not as much so as with most passive pickups
 
Last edited:
ZEN Amps said:
Any thoughts on the LTD EC-1000 vs ESP Eclipse? I don't think I've ever played an LTD but some seem to think the Korean ones weren't half bad.
Click to expand...
I've had two EC-1000's that I was quite happy with, and a comparable EC400 that stuck with me for 10 years, but back then you could find them used for $500 all day.

The used market for those has blown up quite a bit in the past few years, to the point that an ESP is probably a better value if you can find one you like.
 
LTD Eclipse Full Thickness if you can find one...cheap and very high quality for the price.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top