Choosing Active Pickups

[wolverine1190]

Hey,

 

I play an Epiphone G-400 SG. It's the faded vintage model, not that that matters any. Recently, I have been thinking about someday getting new pickups for it. I remembered seeing a guitar with active pickups when I first started playing and thought it was the coolest thing in the world. They were EMG's as I recall. So, I started to do my research.

 

EMG's were the only active pickups I really knew about, so I assumed when I got new pickups they would be EMG's, most likely the 81/85 combo. Then I noticed the X series from EMG. I had no idea which series was better so did more research, looking at different brands as well. THAT is when I realized I had no idea what I wanted/needed for my guitar as far as pickups go.

 

I play mostly classic rock, the heaviest being stuff by Metallica or Megadeth (that sort of thing anyway). I want pickups that are better than the stock pickups that came with my guitar, but still have the versatility to play different types of music and won't completely trash the natural tone of my guitar.

 

So.. TLDR:

 

As far as EMG's go, any input on the 81/85 combo, or the 81 vs 81x, would be appreciated in regards to tone and music styles.

 

Or, if you think I'd be better off with Blackouts, let me know why.

 

If there is some brand I may not know about with active pickups that's suitable for anything from classic rock to metal, let me know. Or if you think installing active pickups in my guitar is a waste of time/money because of my music choices, tell me. I really just want all the feedback I can get.

[the_gunslinger]

With the style of music you listed, I suggest maybe going with passive like maybe a Seymour Duncan JB/59 combo or such.

 

If your dead set on buying actives, EMG 81/85 or 81/60 with 18v mod will work, but back down the gain on your amp a tad. 81x and 85x sound like passive's although they are def. active. Still continuing with actives, the Dave Mustaine Livewires are voiced like JB/Jazz pickups, those could be a possibility too.

 

But really in this case, I think passives will work better for you.

[Spike Li]

 

With the style of music you listed, I suggest maybe going with passive like maybe a Seymour Duncan JB/59 combo or such. If your dead set on buying actives, EMG 81/85 or 81/60 with 18v mod will work, but back down the gain on your amp a tad. 81x and 85x sound like passive's although they are def. active. Still continuing with actives, the Dave Mustaine Livewires are voiced like JB/Jazz pickups, those could be a possibility too. But really in this case, I think passives will work better for you.

 

 

Apparently the 85x/81x is supposed to sound like the 85/81 combo with the 18v mod.

 

I agree with this point tho, unless you are dead set on goin active, passives would probably be the better (ie. more versatile) choice. Best advice is to go out, try some guitars with diff pups and see what you like if you are not sure what you are after.

[wolverine1190]

Ok, thanks for the input. I guess what you're saying is active pickups sound too much like newer "heavier" music, as compared to the 70's and 80's. The main reason I was considering actives was the longer sustain, harmonics are more easily heard, and clarity. But if I can get those things from a passive, that would be just as awesome.

 

Now, the 81x and 85x "sound" like a passive but are active... are you saying they aren't extremly high output/gain and would allow me to work with the tone more as compared to other actives?

[pak066]

ya for your music choice, it seems that passives would be better for you. if you were to get EMGs, i highly recomend the 85 in the bridge and 60 in the neck. the 85 is thicker then the 81 and sound nice and full yet can be a great lead pup too. Hetfield uses 85/85 in almost all his guitars.

[the_gunslinger]

 

Ok, thanks for the input. I guess what you're saying is active pickups sound too much like newer "heavier" music, as compared to the 70's and 80's. The main reason I was considering actives was the longer sustain, harmonics are more easily heard, and clarity. But if I can get those things from a passive, that would be just as awesome. Now, the 81x and 85x "sound" like a passive but are active... are you saying they aren't extremly high output/gain and would allow me to work with the tone more as compared to other actives?

 

 

Like Spike Lee said, they are made to sound like 81/85 with the 18v mod, but without having to do the 18v mod.

 

With regular EMG's, this mod helps remove some compression in the pickups, gives it a rawer natural sound. The X series is still a relatively new pickup and uses a new preamp and is meant to capture that sound without having to put in an extra battery. Hence it makes it sound more like a passive pickup. If clarity is your thing actives would be a wise choice, the reason I suggest backing down the gain is because these are really high output pickups to begin with, and will really drive your amp. You don't need as much gain with these as you would with passives, especially for classic rock tones.

[wolverine1190]

Thanks for all the input guys, I appreciate it. One thing I forgot to mention may be an important detail... I always run my guitar through my Digitech RP 250 processor. So when I said I was afraid of losing my natural tone... maybe I already have lol. What I should have said was I'm afraid of my SG losing the ability to sound like an SG. With the RP 250, sure there are lots of effects, but I can tell I'm playing an Epiphone.

 

To be as specific as possible, this is what I'm on the fence about. For that brutal, thrash metal, Metallica "Kill 'Em All" tone, I want to be able to have that in your face, ripping your head apart chugging and bite to my tone. I really love lots of clarity, mids, and treble. I just don't want to lose the ability to do the standard crunch either (AC/DC for example). If I were able to use 81x/85x and still get the older crunch distortion because of my pedal's different effects, I'd be fine with that. I just don't want to have pickups that sound the same all the time no matter what I do.

[cross.bones]

If you want THAT EMG tone, which you see, to then go EMG. Easiest and cheapest way is the Zakk Wylde set. For the metallica tone put the 81 in the bridge. I actually prefer the 81 in the bridge it sounds a bit more raw.

 

The blackouts are as good as the EMG's but they are more like a very high output passive pickup thats been very well eq'd.

 

 

I have the 85/81 with the 18v mod in my Ibanez SZ which is mahogony body and maple cap and its awesome. It also cleans up well. Compares very closely to my Ibanez s520 that has JB/Jazz set.

[theAntihero]

 

Hetfield uses 85/85 in almost all his guitars.

 

 

I always thought he used 60s? I thought i read somewhere that a 60 in the neck was his main tone.

 

 

Honestly while i like EMGs well enough for classic rock im not sure youd like it. Also there is a lot more work changing pickups if you are going from passive to active.

[cross.bones]

According to his latest signature he has 81 in the bridge and 60 in the neck.

 

http://www.espguitars.com/guitars_james.html

[shredtilurded]

 

ya for your music choice, it seems that passives would be better for you. if you were to get EMGs, i highly recomend the 85 in the bridge and 60 in the neck. the 85 is thicker then the 81 and sound nice and full yet can be a great lead pup too. Hetfield uses 85/85 in almost all his guitars.

 

 

This is wrong. He uses 81/60.

[Spike Li]

 

This is wrong. He uses 81/60.

 

 

+1

[wolverine1190]

Ok, so to sum all of this up from everything that's been said: EMG's may be fine for me, possibly if I get the X series due to the more passive sound, and I shouldn't lose too much versatility with tones if I play with different amp/gain settings on my RP 250. If I'm completely wrong by thinking this say something lol I guess, if I do decide on actives and EMG's, I'll have to decide which combo to get. thanks for the advice

[p4vl]

Actives don't really do classic rock very well, unless you put an EMG85 or Blackouts Neck in the bridge position.

 

I hate the EMG81's deadness and have a set of blackouts that are much more 'musical' than EMG's.

 

What does the rest of your rig look like?

[wolverine1190]

The rest of my "rig" lol xD . It isn't much of a rig. I have my Epiphone G-400 SG run through my Digitech RP 250, and I use a cheap 25 watt practice amp. That's it lol. You're scaring me when you say actives in general can't do classic rock very well. I want to be able to do the Zeppelin, the AC/DC, the Pink Floyd, etc... but at the same time I want to be able to do 80's heavy metal with all the chugging and harmonics and bite to the tone. Maybe I'm asking for something that's really not possible lol. Maybe getting all of those tones is just too much versatility for one guitar setup.

 

Are the 85's (or 85x for that matter) any more "musical" than the 81? Or should I just give up on the idea of actives...