Anyone Keep Going Back To EMG?

[Aliascent]

I was checking a set of 81/60 that didn't produce any sound, so I installed them in my Jackson COW6, I was surprised at how good the 60 sounded in the bridge. It's still high gain and tight but definitely sounds a bit more vintage.
Love it.

Unrelated, but EMG pickups seem to be less available on thomann lately, can't even order a standard 85.

 

[zw470]

What color EMGs and pickguard go best with an Olympic White strat? (HSS or HH)

Black inlays on maple fretboard > Lighter colored pickguard with black pickups
Cream inlays on rosewood fretboard > darker colored pickguard with cream pickups

 

[gclef]

You know, how funny is it that the pickup brand that is so polarizing has such a long thread? Also, one that hasn't left the first page here in months?

That's awesome

 

[lewis]

You know, how funny is it that the pickup brand that is so polarizing has such a long thread? Also, one that hasn't left the first page here in months?

That's awesome

It does suggest my very first post in here was correct - and that I wasnt alone in that feeling either.
once certain next big things and their hype dies down, they fizzle out in popularity leaving in this case, EMGs, as the more popular/long term choice to consumers.

Ive had Fishman moderns sitting in a finished strat project I havnt touched in over 12 months meanwhile my EMG equipped Bass VI gets played regularly

 

[Neon_Knight_]

It does suggest my very first post in here was correct - and that I wasnt alone in that feeling either.
once certain next big things and their hype dies down, they fizzle out in popularity leaving in this case, EMGs, as the more popular/long term choice to consumers.

Ive had Fishman moderns sitting in a finished strat project I havnt touched in over 12 months meanwhile my EMG equipped Bass VI gets played regularly

The popularity of SD Blackouts seemed to fizzle out within a decade of release, so Fishman's seem to be standing the test of time slightly better...but only slightly.

 

[Crungy]

The popularity of SD Blackouts seemed to fizzle out within a decade of release, so Fishman's seem to be standing the test of time slightly better...but only slightly.

I'm late to that party... I never heard of the hype since I wasn't playing much guitar at that time. I got an RGA7 that had Blackouts that I really liked so I figured I'd try the 8 string version. I like those even more than the 7's!

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

The popularity of SD Blackouts seemed to fizzle out within a decade of release, so Fishman's seem to be standing the test of time slightly better...but only slightly.

They fizzled out much quicker than that. They were fizzling out within about 3 years. I am curious how big the production is on Blackouts at this point. A lot of it seems like dealers are still trying to sell the pickups that they've had sitting around.

 

[MetalDestroyer]

The popularity of SD Blackouts seemed to fizzle out within a decade of release, so Fishman's seem to be standing the test of time slightly better...but only slightly.

SD Blackouts are not voiced for modern metal, Fluences are. And for the type of metal Blackouts do well, EMG's do better (and cheaper and lower battery consumption and with more options and with easier install and with conversion wiring included or the option to buy even cheaper without any wiring)

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Blackouts reminded me of a Distortion/Jazz set but turned up to 20 in a bad way. Liked them at first but the love didn't last long. The hype definitely wasn't sustained, and EMG releasing the 57/66 and Het Set pretty much made sure it died an even quicker death lol.

I thought it was funny how Alexi Laiho endorsed then for like 8 months then immediately went back to EMGs. And even Mick Thomson is moving into Fluence. It also looks like Dino is starting to use more of Ormsby's stock pickups in his guitars?

 

[Crungy]

Are his Ormsby pickups passive?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Blackouts reminded me of a Distortion/Jazz set but turned up to 20 in a bad way. Liked them at first but the love didn't last long. The hype definitely wasn't sustained, and EMG releasing the 57/66 and Het Set pretty much made sure it died an even quicker death lol.

I thought it was funny how Alexi Laiho endorsed then for like 8 months then immediately went back to EMGs. And even Mick Thomson is moving into Fluence. It also looks like Dino is starting to use more of Ormsby's stock pickups in his guitars?

What about Jeff Loomis?

 

[rowsi]

After several iterations of experimentation on my Mayones Setius (SD SH-4/Jazz to BK Aftermaths, to BK Black Dogs [these were in there for several years though], to 81/85 set), it is equipped with a 57/66 set. Those pickups just do what I want. And in a better way than the BK Black Dogs did. Mean metal stuff? Check. Lower gain crunchy stuff? Check. Cleanishto a bit of breakup? Check.

Before the 57/66 set I has the classic 81/85 set in there. These realy did not work with that guitar for whatever reasons. But that 81/85 set works realy well in my good old Schecter C-1 Blackjack in drop B. That particular guitar had the BK Aftermaths in it for years, but the 81/85 pretty much does the same for a third of the price.

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

What about Jeff Loomis?

...forgot about him lol. Never see anything about his pickups

 

[Aliascent]

B

The popularity of SD Blackouts seemed to fizzle out within a decade of release, so Fishman's seem to be standing the test of time slightly better...but only slightly.

Blackouts are weird pickups. I have one in my Ibanez RGR08LTD and a set in my BC Rich NT Jrv, they sound brutal especially on the crunch channel of the Ultra + or the boosted vintage mode of the Rectifier, but they really feel like a wall of "all the frequencies, all the gain".

I still love them, however at 140€ per pickup or 291€ for a set on thomann, it's a hard pass for me.

Even the Fluence modern is only 229€.

57/66 tho? 199€. The Zakk Wylde set used to be around 170€. You can't beat the tone/ease of install/ price ratio.

 

[gclef]

It does suggest my very first post in here was correct - and that I wasnt alone in that feeling either.
once certain next big things and their hype dies down, they fizzle out in popularity leaving in this case, EMGs, as the more popular/long term choice to consumers.

Ive had Fishman moderns sitting in a finished strat project I havnt touched in over 12 months meanwhile my EMG equipped Bass VI gets played regularly

This is true.

Hey, I've got an even bigger flash in the pan active set!

The Mustaine livewires! They're supposed to be an active jb/59 set. How the heck has nobody played these? They should have been huge!

 

[Mprinsje]

This is true.

Hey, I've got an even bigger flash in the pan active set!

The Mustaine livewires! They're supposed to be an active jb/59 set. How the heck has nobody played these? They should have been huge!

Well if they're supposed to be active JB's, why not just use passive JB's...

I like JB's and have them in some of my guitars, but never have I thought I needed an active variant of that. Whenever I use active pickups I want to sound dumb as fuck and I just want that EMG 81 sound.

I just bought a rectifier and that with a boost in front, using a guitar with emg's is the heaviest shit I've ever heard. It sounds great with my other guitars but sometimes an EMG is just what you need.

 

[Zhysick]

JB/Jazz not 59.

But yeah... apparently they fix nothing, just sounding more gainy and more brittle and draining batteries pretty quick as all blackouts so...

No improvement at all apparently.

This is true.

Hey, I've got an even bigger flash in the pan active set!

The Mustaine livewires! They're supposed to be an active jb/59 set. How the heck has nobody played these? They should have been huge!

 

[MASS DEFECT]

You guys are crazy. I went from EMG to Fluence back to EMGs (had a lot of HetSets and 57/66s) then now to the Blackout AHB1 set (Just bought my 4th set. Nobody wants them and they go for $95-$120 most of the time). Thick and massive-sounding pickups (once you set the pickup height right)! Lots of bass and low mids and scooped just right for 90s death metal. I suppose people still don't like them in 2023.

I think I should do an "Anyone keep going back to Blackouts" thread for April Fools. lmao

 

[Crungy]

You guys are crazy. I went from EMG to Fluence back to EMGs then now to the Blackout AHB1 set. Thick and massive-sounding pickups (once you set the pickup height right)! I suppose people still don't like them in 2023.

I think I should do an "Anyone keep going back to Blackouts" thread for April Fools. lmao

I guess I'm a weirdo for liking them in 2023... The 7 string ones are gnarly and the 8 string ones are even better. The only other 8 string pickup I'd want to try is a Retribution.

 

[MASS DEFECT]

I guess I'm a weirdo for liking them in 2023... The 7 string ones are gnarly and the 8 string ones are even better. The only other 8 string pickup I'd want to try is a Retribution.

I installed a Retribution in my Christian Wolbers Jackson 7 string (blasphemy!). They sounded like a drier AHB1 with less woof. That's about the only difference I can hear. The stock EMG 707 went back since that can do old Jeff Loomis tones.