Evo 7 vs EMG

[Vince]

Vince, I've heard time and time again that the Evo7 is somewhat similar to a passive EMG in tone. I've never played an EMG equipped guitar (shocking, I know), so I can't say personally, but you have = any thoughts?

Burt (Flesh-Eating Monkey) came over to my pad last night and we A/B'd the two guitars. He's the guy that bought Shannon's SC-607. Since you asked, Drew, about the differences between the EMG 7-string pickups and the Evo 7, we listened for the differences. Startling results to say the least.

First off, it may be because of how the ESP guitar is set up, but the Evo 7 in my 7620 actually was putting out more gain. It had a hotter output. It could've been because the Evo 7 was a bit closer to the strings than the EMG pickup was, but both guitars have great low action, so their setup individually is already ideal. The strings on the ESP are just angling up a little bit towards the higher bridge, so the EMG is slightly further away than the Evo 7.

You were asking about the tonal difference, and to be honest, both the EMG and the Evo 7 sounded nearly identical. We ran them through my rack with a few different presets and the guitars sounded only slightly different. No major differences, and no real tonal differences. The only really noticeable change was that the Evo 7 was getting more output. We were messing around with some harmonic and whammy bar stuff on the 7620, and it's unfuckingbelievable how much sustain we were getting out of the Evo 7.

The EMG, however, did have the superior clean sound, because when you roll the tone knob down on an EMG, they sweeten up a bit. For clean sounds, I usually like coil-taps, but the EMG has a great clean sound if you don't mind the fact that it's a humbucker.

Both pickups sound absolutely spectacular for heavy metal rhythm and lead playing.

Also, I'm not sure which EMG we were using, but Burt says it's the 81-7 that comes stock in the SC-607 and I believe he's correct.

Burt will probably post his opinion later, I think we both came to the same conclusions on the pickups.

Anyway, I hope that info helps and answers your question, Drew.

Here's pic of Burt with the SC...

 

[Drache713]

Burt (Flesh-Eating Monkey) came over to my pad last night and we A/B'd the two guitars. He's the guy that bought Shannon's SC-607. Since you asked, Drew, about the differences between the EMG 7-string pickups and the Evo 7, we listened for the differences. Startling results to say the least.

First off, it may be because of how the ESP guitar is set up, but the Evo 7 in my 7620 actually was putting out more gain. It had a hotter output. It could've been because the Evo 7 was a bit closer to the strings than the EMG pickup was, but both guitars have great low action, so their setup individually is already ideal. The strings on the ESP are just angling up a little bit towards the higher bridge, so the EMG is slightly further away than the Evo 7.

You were asking about the tonal difference, and to be honest, both the EMG and the Evo 7 sounded nearly identical. We ran them through my rack with a few different presets and the guitars sounded only slightly different. No major differences, and no real tonal differences. The only really noticeable change was that the Evo 7 was getting more output. We were messing around with some harmonic and whammy bar stuff on the 7620, and it's unfuckingbelievable how much sustain we were getting out of the Evo 7.

The EMG, however, did have the superior clean sound, because when you roll the tone knob down on an EMG, they sweeten up a bit. For clean sounds, I usually like coil-taps, but the EMG has a great clean sound if you don't mind the fact that it's a humbucker.

Both pickups sound absolutely spectacular for heavy metal rhythm and lead playing.

Also, I'm not sure which EMG we were using, but Burt says it's the 81-7 that comes stock in the SC-607 and I believe he's correct.

Burt will probably post his opinion later, I think we both came to the same conclusions on the pickups.

Anyway, I hope that info helps and answers your question, Drew.

Here's pic of Burt with the SC...

didn't shannon swap out the 81-7's that come stock in the sc607 with 707's? if the emg logo on the pickups is silver they're 81-7's, if the logo is gold they're 707's.

 

[7StringofAblicK]

From the picture, the EMG logo on the bridge pup looks silver(81-7) while the neck looks more Gold(707). but, it may be the flash.

 

[7StringofAblicK]

Nice review Vince...very good information and analysis, might be helful in the near future for me!

 

[Metal Ken]

From the picture, the EMG logo on the bridge pup looks silver(81-7) while the neck looks more Gold(707). but, it may be the flash.

They both look silver to me.

 

[sepsis311]

Did u photoshop the picture? The guitar looks WAAAAYYYY to big. The body is almost the size of the guy holding it!

 

[Vince]

Did u photoshop the picture? The guitar looks WAAAAYYYY to big. The body is almost the size of the guy holding it!

no, I didn't. If I'd have photoshopped it, I would've made Burt into Aria Giovanni, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, or Jenny McCarthy

 

[Jason]

Did u photoshop the picture? The guitar looks WAAAAYYYY to big. The body is almost the size of the guy holding it!

no he is just a wee lil man like a hobbit

 

[Metal Ken]

So tell me, is the EMG as brittle as the Evo? ;p ;p

 

[The Dark Wolf]

no, I didn't. If I'd have photoshopped it, I would've made Burt into Aria Giovanni, Rebecca Romijn-Stamos, or Jenny McCarthy

Dude, fuck dat. Beyonce! Keep them skinny ass white girls (Aria is tight, though )

But man, Vince, I agree with HB'er. It's to bad you keep having to play these brittle pickups.

 

[Shannon]

Sorry I'm late....

Yeah, the guitar originally came with 81-7s, but I did swap them out for a set of 707s (which it has now). The 707s sound much better in this all-maple guitar.

I'm glad you're enjoying the new axe!

 

[Drache713]

so since the guitar has 707's in it, let's keep that in mind when comparing it to the evo 7. Sure because it's maple it has a good high end, but it would have even MORE high end/treble if the 81-7's were still in it. Perhaps too brittle for most of us, but not others....hahaha....

 

[Shannon]

so since the guitar has 707's in it, let's keep that in mind when comparing it to the evo 7. Sure because it's maple it has a good high end, but it would have even MORE high end/treble if the 81-7's were still in it. Perhaps too brittle for most of us, but not others....hahaha....

Exactly. The differences in 81-7s vs 707s are pretty minimal, but it's a difference nonetheless. If anything, the 707s had a tad more low end & a touch of brittle high end rolled off. When it comes to EMGs, I've always felt the 707 was superior.

 

[grimmchaos]

Yeah, the 707 was designed to sit somewhere between an 81 and an 85 for the 6er's. While obviously the 81-7 is meant to sound like an 81! It's too bad they don't make an 85 version for a 7 string, but then again it may be too warm and muddy due to the low B unless you are extremely careful with your eq settings. From what I've read and heard though, Shannon's description is pretty accurate.

 

[sepsis311]

For me, the 707 was always THE seven string pickup. I have to say though, since i found the Evo7, i've had no desire to tear up another guitar for 707's.

 

[Flesh-EatingMonkey]

no he is just a wee lil man like a hobbit

I'm really 5'7". I don't know what happened with the pic, but I look like an oompa-loompa. Me thinks I was holding the guitar toward the camera and away from my body a bit.

A/B'ing the EMG's with the Evo7 was really surprising. The Evo7 had more output, and the tone was nearly identical. I had no idea the Evo has so much output!! I also didn't know the guitar had 707's (thought they were 81-7's). Learn something new every day, I guess. I'm happy with the sound, I'm sure the highs would be too brittle with 81-7's (as Rev. Shannon testified). Overall, I think the Evo7 is the better p/u, because the coil tap options, and it's ability to get sick harmonics to sustain for a freakin' long time. I used to have an LTD MH-307 with Evo7 and AirNorton7. That guitar sounded like God. Must have been the mahogany neck/body on it.

 

[The Dark Wolf]

What about the quiet factor? The EVO7, being passive, is susceptible to hiss/line noise like every other passive pickup, whereas the 707, being active and low-impedance, should be noticeably quieter (I know a gate changes everything from the listener's perspective.)

What did you find? (Did you test the two without a gate to see?)

Just curious. For me, a MAJOR selling point to active pickups is the quietness of the signal, thanks to the buffered output and low magnetic field.

 

[sepsis311]

I would doubt that body wood really makes a difference in tone when using active emg's like the 707... i rarely noticed a difference with the evo7 in my basswood lacs7 or my mahogony rg7ct.

 

[Vince]

I would doubt that body wood really makes a difference in tone when using active emg's like the 707... i rarely noticed a difference with the evo7 in my basswood lacs7 or my mahogony rg7ct.

I disagree, to a point. The difference in tone between my mahogany S-series 7-string and my basswood RG is striking. The Evo is the first pickup to kinda even that out a bit, but the mahogany guitar still has more body in it's sound. The better the wood, the better the guitar IMO.

On the same note, on Burt's new ESP with the maple body you could really feel the notes when you played them. Because the neck and the middle of the body were all one piece, you could feel the guitar vibrations with your left hand when you fret a chord or note. Neck-thru guitars have amazing tone because of that. The stop-tailpiece on it also further enhances that effect. It's a beautifully crafted guitar.

Basswood guitars are good. Mahogany and maple guitars absolutely rule. There is a difference. I can see your point though about the EMGs, and I'd love to hear Burt's ESP with an Evo/Air Norton in it

 

[sepsis311]

The S has far less wood in the body than your rg. I'm sure that mass is definately more of a factor than body wood when comparing high output pickups, hence your comment about the neckthru.