Active guitars. are they worth bothering?

[Chordite]

Having just posted that I am happy with what I've got I have to say I have never played an "active" guitar.

How do you guys feel about these? Do they offer serious benefits or is it a gimmick?

[ido1957]

My Clapton Strat is way more versatile than my non-active model.Bought it as soon as I tried it back in 89 and will replace if ever lost or stolen

[WRGKMC]

Adding active electronics can be pretty cool. These Artec circuits can do wondrous things for tone, are very inexpensive and the power consumption is so low the batteries don't need to be changed for years. http://artecsound.com/pickups/electronics/index.html

 

I've put several of these in guitars. The EXP and BCU are my favorites. The VTC booster will do

wondrous things for P90 pickups. It not only boosts them up it adds allot of presence. I also have the

MT3 three band EQ in my electric Sitar which uses Lipstick pickups and its exactly what was needed

for dialing up decent tones through a guitar amp.

 

Active pickups can give you some cool tones too but you really don't need them unless you want that specific tone.

For $10~20 you can add all kinds of tonal variations. The BCU unit sounds great in a Strat because you can dial up anything from a normal, to a hyped, Strat tone,

to a boost in mids that drives a dirt pedal nicely. Doesn't take up much space either and you have enough room for it and a battery under a Strat pickguard.

[billybilly]

I am not a fan of active pickups (like your EMG or Blackouts) but am a fan of adding an active circuit to passive pickups. Like the Clapton and the ones WRGKMC has mentioned.

[mister natural]

active pickups/preamps in a bass guitar = oh yeah, baby

active " / " in a guitar = loss of finesse / loss of "touch"

[Mr.scary96]

Only ones I tried was EMG and Mighty Mite both didn't impress me at all but that's my 2 cents

[Ripper7620]

Not a fan of run of the mill actives, but I'll hit a SD Metal Live Wire Bridge pup all day.

[wankdeplank]

I'm primarily a rhythm player so they don't appeal to me that much. My lead player (garage unit - not gigging currently) has EMGs in his Strat and I have to admit that with those and his golden cello pedal, he really gets some great tonez. But it's a trade-off, he can't get those chimy chords that I live on, so together we make a good team. The closest I'll probably come to actives are the lace sensors I'm currently installing in one of my Strats - got one in, just ordered another. I expect that Strat to be my most versatile and give me a little more oomph on my solos.

[DeepEnd]

It would depend on the guitar. If I fell for a guitar that happened to have active electronics that would be fine but in general I prefer passive.

[WRGKMC]

There's really no difference between having an active circuit in a guitar or in a pedal.

If you're into getting all your tones from a tube amp only, then I can see where not having

an active circuit on board would be a preference. If you do use SS pedals, then there's no

scientific differences. If the circuit is good it can even be highly beneficial because the signal

is buffered before the longer cable between the guitar and amp can add its capacitance and resistance.

 

Plus if you wire the circuit so its true bypass, you can take it off line and still have the passive circuit only. Its

of course something you cant do with active pickups.

[jtr654]

I've had EMG for 30 years and they have no 60 cycle hum sound great in all types of situations.

[PurpleTrails]

I am not a fan of active pickups (like your EMG or Blackouts) but am a fan of adding an active circuit to passive pickups. Like the Clapton and the ones WRGKMC has mentioned.

 

This. I've got a Carvin AE185 with active controls and a piezo blend circuit. I can get way more cool tones out of that guitar than anything else I own, from really chimey to a growl. That is a preamp circuit.

 

I've also contemplated putting an active buffer, stratoblaster or onboard effects loop in a strat to give it a bit more oomph and to drive cables better.

 

Not a big fan of EMGs and similar active pickups, though.

[jtr654]

You can get any tone you want out of any high quality Guitar, Pickup and Amp but you have to work at it and put in some time to get it right.

[knotty]

My Blade Delta has 3 band eq boost. Different frequency boost is switchable in addition to different pup selection. Adjustable by 3 pots on the rear. True bypass on 3 position switch.

From metal to scooped mid to gary moore to twang all at the flick of a switch. Whats not to like?

[billybilly]

You can get any tone you want out of any high quality Guitar' date=' Pickup and Amp but you have to work at it and put in some time to get it right.[/quote']

 

I believe you believe the above but I don't. I believe some guitars have inherent qualities that cannot be duplicated no matter how much tweaking.

[jtr654]

Yeah maybe a Tele it's hard but it can be done you really have to have a amp with sensitive EQ. Yes it's easier to just bring one (Tele) than spend that much time but you can get close if it just one song that you need that sound. It come to how well you know your equipment and how versatile it is.

[knotty]

With an active eq you go from option to option at the flick of a switch.

If you stop and frig around with the amp for 20 mins the audience tend to notice. Ruins the song, even if its a U2 cover.

[Steve2112]

There's really no difference between having an active circuit in a guitar or in a pedal.

If you're into getting all your tones from a tube amp only, then I can see where not having

an active circuit on board would be a preference. If you do use SS pedals, then there's no

scientific differences. If the circuit is good it can even be highly beneficial because the signal

is buffered before the longer cable between the guitar and amp can add its capacitance and resistance.

 

Plus if you wire the circuit so its true bypass, you can take it off line and still have the passive circuit only. Its

of course something you cant do with active pickups.

 

Are you saying no difference between active and passive pickups? If so...I very much disagree. The pickup is the first "electronic" component in the signal. Everything else effects how the guitar itself can respond, ie hardtail vs floyd, but the pup is the first order of business. It's design has a huge influence on how the guitar is electronically presented.

 

If you are saying the active preamps in the guitar vs a boos pedal? ...I also disagree with that. Just having a different model of active circuit can matter. My USA jackson had dip switches on it's preamp...do you thyink that would make a difference between it any any pedal? Any other guitar preamp? Of course.

 

I also think it doesn't matter if you have a tube amp or not....a good active circuit in the guitar can make a HUGE difference in how the guitar responds no matter what kind of amp you use.

 

I know you are very fond of graphs and charts- which don't always translate into human feel and hearing...I also know you are fond of discerning detail...so I am a bit surprised.

 

If I have misinterpreted...by all means...I'm listening.

[Steve2112]

You can get any tone you want out of any high quality Guitar' date=' Pickup and Amp but you have to work at it and put in some time to get it right.[/quote']

 

I agree with billy this isn't necessarily true. "any tone you want".....should read "a good tone". I think a good player can get good tone out of almost any kind of gear...even that of lesser quality. The good player has to discern what the gear is capable of, and adjust his playing...let the gear lead you so to speak.

 

It most often takes very specific gear to "get the tone you want".