Anyone Keep Going Back To EMG?

[noob_pwn]

I'm a bareknuckle snob yet i still think EMG's are fantastic pickups, the 81 in particular is so damn good and i still have a guitar loaded with them. They just sit so well in a mix, feel so easy to play on and do their thing extremely well. Not always ideal, not always for everyone but not as bad as they're sometimes made out to be by biased people.

 

[lewis]

Question. Do the “TW” series sound different from the pickup they’re based on? I know technically it’s just two pickups stacked, the “base” and the “single coil”. But has anyone found that the “base” sounds at all different from the non-splittable version?

I wondered this and found some youtube demos of the old 81 and 81TW comparisons and both humbucker sounds seemed to sound identical.
If there was any difference is was completely negligible over youtube

 

[lewis]

I'm a bareknuckle snob yet i still think EMG's are fantastic pickups, the 81 in particular is so damn good and i still have a guitar loaded with them. They just sit so well in a mix, feel so easy to play on and do their thing extremely well. Not always ideal, not always for everyone but not as bad as they're sometimes made out to be by biased people.

Refreshing to read this from a Bareknuckle fan.

 

[Endnote]

Question. Do the “TW” series sound different from the pickup they’re based on? I know technically it’s just two pickups stacked, the “base” and the “single coil”. But has anyone found that the “base” sounds at all different from the non-splittable version?

I have both but in guitars that are different in scale length/ construction/ and woods. That said, I think the spirit of the 81 is there, and the single coil sound has been worth it so far. I've read other opinions over the years and never gave the TWs a shot because so many said they were too different. Now that I have a set, I'm perfectly fine with the 81TW having that name. It's still tight as all hell and is close enough for me to be completely satisfied.

 

[Korneo]

I used to not be a fan of EMG at all in the past. I was a Die Hard fan of the Blackout (AHB1), which are still great, but after years, I think the EMG 57 is the best pickup ever FOR ME.
On the same guitar, a Jackson Custom Shop, I've 3 sets of active pickups. First I use the Blackout. I use it since it came out so I perfectly know their sound but in 2016, I want to try the EMG 57 66 set and don't really like it first.
Then, 3 months later, I swapped the 57 for a Fishman Modern ceramic which I immediately hate.
The best I can describe it is lifeless and boring.

At this time, my guitar which have the blackout for years have the 57 and my custom have the Fishman. I compared them a lot and really prefer the 57. The fishman is complete garbage to my ears.
Then I put back the Blackout and even if I LOVE the mids and output, the 57 is way clearer and tighter.
Don't change anything for 3 years when I buy a Lespaul Custom with 2 EMG 81 and wow, just wow. This guitar is made for this pickup. So agressive, clear and fast tracking ! I can compare it to the 81 for a long time.

Now, after years of thinking, the Fishman is sold and the 57 66 stay on my Jackson and I trully think it's my best pickup set ever.
The 57 is aggressive and tight as the 81, but with throaty/fatty/ballsy lows which I love so crazy much !
I don't like to have 2 guitars with the same pickup (I prefer diversity and I'm curious about he Black Winter set) but If I need an other set of pickup for metal, I'd go for the 57/66.

I'm now an EMG guy after 15+ years with SD exclusively ^^'

 

[Restarted]

Refreshing to read this from a Bareknuckle fan.

I think "fan" is a bit of an understatement there haha

 

[lewis]

I used to not be a fan of EMG at all in the past. I was a Die Hard fan of the Blackout (AHB1), which are still great, but after years, I think the EMG 57 is the best pickup ever FOR ME.
On the same guitar, a Jackson Custom Shop, I've 3 sets of active pickups. First I use the Blackout. I use it since it came out so I perfectly know their sound but in 2016, I want to try the EMG 57 66 set and don't really like it first.
Then, 3 months later, I swapped the 57 for a Fishman Modern ceramic which I immediately hate.
The best I can describe it is lifeless and boring.

At this time, my guitar which have the blackout for years have the 57 and my custom have the Fishman. I compared them a lot and really prefer the 57. The fishman is complete garbage to my ears.
Then I put back the Blackout and even if I LOVE the mids and output, the 57 is way clearer and tighter.
Don't change anything for 3 years when I buy a Lespaul Custom with 2 EMG 81 and wow, just wow. This guitar is made for this pickup. So agressive, clear and fast tracking ! I can compare it to the 81 for a long time.

Now, after years of thinking, the Fishman is sold and the 57 66 stay on my Jackson and I trully think it's my best pickup set ever.
The 57 is aggressive and tight as the 81, but with throaty/fatty/ballsy lows which I love so crazy much !
I don't like to have 2 guitars with the same pickup (I prefer diversity and I'm curious about he Black Winter set) but If I need an other set of pickup for metal, I'd go for the 57/66.

I'm now an EMG guy after 15+ years with SD exclusively ^^'

Its funny because its true.
The Modern set is way more sterile and Anaemic sounding than EMGs, and yet no one ever mentions that because of the hype.

Yet EMGs still get religiously slated on that front all the time.

 

[Korneo]

Its funny because its true.
The Modern set is way more sterile and Anaemic sounding than EMGs, and yet no one ever mentions that because of the hype.

Yet EMGs still get religiously slated on that front all the time.

I have a lot of friends who buy some Fishman to replace EMG's and a lot of them are "hype players" (buy everything during the hype) and when we record them before and after, I never prefer the Fishman Modern.
You have a lot of clarity with them, I admit it. But they're so blank in a non musical/uninspiring way. It's hard do describe this feeling.

Before that, I don't want/like the EMG 81/85/60 because everybody use them and I've never follow and trend or a hype. But after this comparison, I understand why so many player use and abuse of them.
The 57/66 have less hype and it's a shame, they sound so crazy well.

 

[conorreich]

It's funny to see all of y'all that don't like fishmans. I don't either and prefer emgs over them. I had a modern ceramic in my ex360 and hated it so I swapped it back to my 81. It will be getting a 57 soon.

 

[Korneo]

Please, tell us which difference you can ear between the fishman and the 81 ?
I like to ear different opinion ^^.

And do the same when you got the 57

 

[conorreich]

Please, tell us which difference you can ear between the fishman and the 81 ?
I like to ear different opinion ^^.

And do the same when you got the 57

Well the 57 to me sounds tighter and you can hear each individual string much more clearly. The 81 is chunky, tight, and slightly less articulate than the 57 to me. The moderns to me sounded like Fishman tried to take the 81 and compress the tone less. They are very articulate though. YMMV with each guitar they are in. I've heard wood makes less of a difference with emgs than passives, but that's not true to me.

Just my 2 cents here.

For context: warlock with an 81, LTD ex360 with an 81, LTD h207 with an 81-7, Interceptor 828 with a 57-8/808. The 808 will be replaced with a 66-8 when my funds get replenished. I'm working on making some clips using a Rectifier patch on my hd500x.

 

[hensh!n]

Its funny because its true.
The Modern set is way more sterile and Anaemic sounding than EMGs, and yet no one ever mentions that because of the hype.

Yet EMGs still get religiously slated on that front all the time.

It's interesting how the Moderns are able to be more sterile, yet less compressed than EMG's. If you think compression is the key to sterilization of pickups, listen to the Fishman Modern set. With that being said, I recently have fallen for the passive voice of the Fishman Modern set. At low volume it sounds quite dull and sterile, but at higher volumes it sounds more clear and dynamic (whereas the active voice has this really narrow EQ that makes it unpleasant). It would be nice to find some middle ground with relatively high output pickups that have low noise, less compression, but use several passive voices with a modern(ish) frequency response. I'm sure many people would just say to use passive's instead, which I'm fine with, but I haven't found a set that I love (besides certain guitar companies proprietary pickup models that you can't buy separately). There are simply too many after market pickups that lack modern features (voice changing, low noise, etc.) that I look for besides the typical output level and frequency response/EQ.

 

[Legion]

It's interesting how the Moderns are able to be more sterile, yet less compressed than EMG's. If you think compression is the key to sterilization of pickups, listen to the Fishman Modern set. With that being said, I recently have fallen for the passive voice of the Fishman Modern set. At low volume it sounds quite dull and sterile, but at higher volumes it sounds more clear and dynamic (whereas the active voice has this really narrow EQ that makes it unpleasant). It would be nice to find some middle ground with relatively high output pickups that have low noise, less compression, but use several passive voices with a modern(ish) frequency response. I'm sure many people would just say to use passive's instead, which I'm fine with, but I haven't found a set that I love (besides certain guitar companies proprietary pickup models that you can't buy separately). There are simply too many after market pickups that lack modern features (voice changing, low noise, etc.) that I look for besides the typical output level and frequency response/EQ.

I'm reading all this...but in 16 years of guitar playing I still have no fucking idea what the fuck the word "sterile" (and similar pseudo-descriptors) even means...

Some EMG's are lovely (85X/60X, 57/66, HetSet), some are awful (707), and some are industry standard staples (81/85). They do their thing, and that's that.


As for Fishmans...they're one of only four pickup technology innovations in electric guitar history (single coils, humbuckers, active pickups, and printed circuit active pickups) so I will give them that. As far as tone is concerned, I don't see them being drastically different from what's out there already...I do see some advantages they offer though. But beyond that, people going "FiShMaNz HaZ oRgAnIk ToAnZ" are talking out of their ass.

 

[lewis]

I'm reading all this...but in 16 years of guitar playing I still have no fucking idea what the fuck the word "sterile" (and similar pseudo-descriptors) even means...

Some EMG's are lovely (85X/60X, 57/66, HetSet), some are awful (707), and some are industry standard staples (81/85). They do their thing, and that's that.


As for Fishmans...they're one of only four pickup technology innovations in electric guitar history (single coils, humbuckers, active pickups, and printed circuit active pickups) so I will give them that. As far as tone is concerned, I don't see them being drastically different from what's out there already...I do see some advantages they offer though. But beyond that, people going "FiShMaNz HaZ oRgAnIk ToAnZ" are talking out of their ass.

I generally believe its people blaming pickups for poor technique.

Ive seen some dudes with the worst vibrato technique ive ever seen and they strike me as the type to then say "oh these pickups are too compressed and sterile"

nah mate, your technique is just shit.

Anytime something is too thin and too hifi sounding, I personally dont vibe with it. Im funny about mid frequencies too. I hate the mids used to emphasis the modern set. Cocked wah nonsense. Was the same reason I hated the Nazgul. And the Lace Deathbar.

All weird mid frequencies that sounded like trash.

I vibe with EMGs because they have instantly fast tracking (despite what anyone says they defo pop quicker than Fishmans do) and because of that response they feel more fun to play my style of riffs. They just sound right too. No weird over emphasised crap you dont want and similarly sit in mixes perfect.

When I supported Monuments - I opted for my Fishman modern set for that show. I regretted it afterwards. No matter what i did during soundcheck I couldnt get them to sound anything other than thin, hifi and weak.
I tried maxxing bass and resonance on my AX8 and I think I even tried having treble on 0 and it still sounded thin.
Thankfully our live review was ace which helped me get over it - but personally I hated my guitar tone that night.

 

[c7spheres]

I'm curious about the 57-7. I know it's Alnico with stell pole pieces, but does it use a bar inside at all like the 707 and 85-7 use on the covered side? If so are they close or far spaced coils? I'm thinking of picking one up to try out. I like my 707's but always though the 57 would be next on my list to try.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

I generally believe its people blaming pickups for poor technique.

Ive seen some dudes with the worst vibrato technique ive ever seen and they strike me as the type to then say "oh these pickups are too compressed and sterile"

nah mate, your technique is just shit.

Anytime something is too thin and too hifi sounding, I personally dont vibe with it. Im funny about mid frequencies too. I hate the mids used to emphasis the modern set. Cocked wah nonsense. Was the same reason I hated the Nazgul. And the Lace Deathbar.

All weird mid frequencies that sounded like trash.

I vibe with EMGs because they have instantly fast tracking (despite what anyone says they defo pop quicker than Fishmans do) and because of that response they feel more fun to play my style of riffs. They just sound right too. No weird over emphasised crap you dont want and similarly sit in mixes perfect.

When I supported Monuments - I opted for my Fishman modern set for that show. I regretted it afterwards. No matter what i did during soundcheck I couldnt get them to sound anything other than thin, hifi and weak.
I tried maxxing bass and resonance on my AX8 and I think I even tried having treble on 0 and it still sounded thin.
Thankfully our live review was ace which helped me get over it - but personally I hated my guitar tone that night.

You're reminding me how fucking Matt Heafy loves Fluences so much because they'res no "latency" and make him play better.

Like dude, pickups aren't fucking digital. Also you played passive pickups and EMGs for like 2 decades and all of a sudden you can't record with them? I think Fishman just offered him a signature model on the spot and he needed to think up some buzzword.

 

[lewis]

You're reminding me how fucking Matt Heafy loves Fluences so much because they'res no "latency" and make him play better.

Like dude, pickups aren't fucking digital. Also you played passive pickups and EMGs for like 2 decades and all of a sudden you can't record with them? I think Fishman just offered him a signature model on the spot and he needed to think up some buzzword.

I was absolutely referencing that when I wrote what I did.

Look I like Matt alot and Trivium are still pretty cool despite not being what they once were. But that line from him is such obviously BS I dont even know what to do with it.

It makes me laugh and feel anger in equal measures anytime I think about it.
God what shit hahaha

Not only is it blatantly a lie, the idea you cant play in time properly with a drummer using anything but Fishmans is also absolute braindead nonsense

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

There is such low latency with Fishman, they break the space-time continuum and go forward in time, slightly, to play the notes you're thinking of playing! Buy them NOW!

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

There is such low latency with Fishman, they break the space-time continuum and go forward in time, slightly, to play the notes you're thinking of playing! Buy them NOW!

Stop, you're given Susi ideas.

 

[hensh!n]

I'm reading all this...but in 16 years of guitar playing I still have no fucking idea what the fuck the word "sterile" (and similar pseudo-descriptors) even means...

Usually "sterile" means overly compressed. In the sense that every note sounds exactly the same and there are extremely limited dynamics. Of course even EMG's have dynamics (all pickups do), but the sense and feel of each pickups dynamic varies from pickup to pickup. For Fishmans, I'd say that they sound compressed in a different kind of way. More like a using a Limiter Vs. a Compressor. Also the Moderns tend to sound sterile because they're very clean and clear, but lack a lot of body and "feel" you might get from another set (either active or passive). Shouldn't be surprising for a company that traditionally specializes in piezo type pickups. Both pickup brands specialize in "stage" pickups, meaning something that will cut through the mix live. Of course they also do the same in the studio too, but they aren't exactly the pickups you go to for playing jazz or blues in your home (even though some do use active pickups for this purpose).