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A good metal/rock pickup (un-EMG)


pariah223

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Hey everyone,

 

I am into metal and rock. And i love the EMG pickup... but they dont leave much room for versatility because i find that the tone on them kinda sucks for clean stuff. Has anyone here converted from EMG's to something else and wont ever go back? ALso, has anyone used the EMG single coils? If i go with EMG, im looking at the SA/SA/81 combo. Any info on anything would be great.

 

I have looked at the SH-4 JB and the tone zone. Both seem to be pretty versatile.

 

Also, has anyone had any good clean tones coming out of other EMGs like the 85, or the other numbers? theres so many of them.

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The JB is a great pickup. Also check out the Alnico Pro 2. One of my favorites is the Gibson 57 Plus. Great humbucker for rock, and it can push a Marshall very nicely.

I've used EMG single coils, they were OK but I prefer passive pickups.

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I never liked JB at all, in my opinion it's too ice-pickey (in both mahogany or alder bodies, tried it myself) with its upper-mid peak. On the other hand, I like the 81 very much. It's good in both bridge and the neck, and the clean is good in both positions. I call the common opinion about the 81's sterility as bull{censored}.

SA is a very good friend for a bridge 85, I have them in my Ibanez. Looking at the EMG website, I'd imagine S model is similarly good a friend for a bridge 81.

Tone Zone is a bit muddy in a mahogany guitar, at least in my personal experience. A friend of mine has a Duncan Custom model in his LP Classic and it suits the guitar well, you can get all the thrash sounds (think of Slayer) and the traditional LP rock sounds from it.

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Originally posted by Eastwood

I never liked JB at all, in my opinion it's too ice-pickey (in both mahogany or alder bodies, tried it myself) with its upper-mid peak. On the other hand, I like the 81 very much. It's good in both bridge and the neck, and the clean is good in both positions. I call the common opinion about the 81's sterility as bull{censored}.


SA is a very good friend for a bridge 85, I have them in my Ibanez. Looking at the EMG website, I'd imagine S model is similarly good a friend for a bridge 81.


Tone Zone is a bit muddy in a mahogany guitar, at least in my personal experience. A friend of mine has a Duncan Custom model in his LP Classic and it suits the guitar well, you can get all the thrash sounds (think of Slayer) and the traditional LP rock sounds from it.

 

 

Thanks for the excellent opinions. THis is the kinda stuff im looking to hear.

 

Just so you all know, im putting these pups in a custom built guitar. Here is the 3d render of what im going for.

 

http://www.venneris.com/bass/bodyrender.jpg

 

I designed it and modeled it out in 3d max, the build process is on the way but i have no pics.

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Originally posted by pariah223

Hey everyone,


I am into metal and rock. And i love the EMG pickup... but they dont leave much room for versatility because i find that the tone on them kinda sucks for clean stuff. Has anyone here converted from EMG's to something else and wont ever go back? ALso, has anyone used the EMG single coils? If i go with EMG, im looking at the SA/SA/81 combo. Any info on anything would be great.


I have looked at the SH-4 JB and the tone zone. Both seem to be pretty versatile.


Also, has anyone had any good clean tones coming out of other EMGs like the 85, or the other numbers? theres so many of them.

 

 

 

I've used EMG singles a lot (mostly SA's) and they are absolutely my favourite single coil.

 

For the record, the EMG 89 is tappable via a push / pull tone pot and the tapped tone is great.

 

I'd recommend an 89,SA,SA combination.

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Originally posted by pariah223

if you have the resources.. could you possibly record some samples of the single coils and the 89? i would love to hear them. You can email the samples to me at
if you can do it... thanks a million in advance if its possible!

 

 

 

Done.

 

 

Please be discrete with these files.

 

 

Thank You,

 

Milkman

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I know what you're talking about. The EMG's sound great through a cranked up Marshall or similar amp but when you try to mellow out they loose all of thier character.

The JB, while a good pickup, will probably leave you in a similar situation. It is great for overdriven leads but too bright and in-your-face for clean playing.

I personally like the Dimarzio Breed. It's hot enough to be used for hard rock and metal but also sweet enough to clean up nicely. Unfortunately it lacks that in-you-face punch that the JB or EMG has. But a good booster with a mid range "hump" can help with that.

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I have the same question, but was wondering if any of the gfs pickups have any redeeming metal qualities. i'd like to try something else in my agile as well as the H/s/s wired pickguard i'm thinking of getting for an old squier strat i've got lying around.

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I will recomend getting the EMG SAV's!! They are great single coils that sound great clean and with a little dirt. I dont like the 81 so I would recomend the 85 for the bridge but that is just me. The Steve Lukather set has 2 SLV's wich are similar but a little hotter than the SAV's but would be my second choice for single coils.

I really Like the Dimarzio breed in the bridge. It is a very versital pickup with lots of power!

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Originally posted by jrfan

I know I'll be flamed for this but how about a Carvin c22b?

 

 

 

No flame here. The C22B is a great, very versitile pickup.

Carvin gets alot of crap for their pickups, but the C22s have gone through some major changes since the 90's and really are very good. I have a gibson with a Duncan Distortion in it, and a Carvin CT with the stock c22b and the thing wails, I can get everything from blues to thrash from it.

 

oh and also, its cheap (54$)

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Originally posted by mparsons

For an HSS guitar and versatility...


You want 89/SV/SA.

 

 

The SV is allright but SAV much better all around. SV is thinner sounding and SAV has more of that strat sparkle quality to it without being icepicky.

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Originally posted by pariah223

Hey everyone,


I am into metal and rock. And i love the EMG pickup... but they dont leave much room for versatility because i find that the tone on them kinda sucks for clean stuff. Has anyone here converted from EMG's to something else and wont ever go back? ALso, has anyone used the EMG single coils? If i go with EMG, im looking at the SA/SA/81 combo. Any info on anything would be great.


I have looked at the SH-4 JB and the tone zone. Both seem to be pretty versatile.


Also, has anyone had any good clean tones coming out of other EMGs like the 85, or the other numbers? theres so many of them.



http://www.bareknucklepickups.co.uk

Bareknuckle Pickups, boutique hand wound pickups that simply crush EMGs, DiMarizo's, and Seymour Duncans. Only downside is they are expensive, read the reviews on this site and other though, they are well worth it. For what you're asking for I'd say go with the Nailbomb or the Warpig, the latter being designed to sound similiar to an EMG 81 albeit in a passive pickup with more repsone, tone, and harmonics.

Nailbombs
battle distressed
img_0413_852.jpg

urban camo covers
nailbomb_ammo_142.jpg

Warpigs

battle distressed
warpigs1_183.jpg

burnt chrome
burnt_pig_200.jpg

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