EMG single coils

[hotdogtime]

Anyone ever use them? What's your opinion of them?

Thinking about putting 2 of them in the mid and neck position on this Charvel I'm working on. Already has an 81 in the bridge. Thanks.

[ELVIS]

One of my Strats I built years ago has an EMG 89 (which is dual/single coil operation) in the bridge position and an SA single coil in the neck and i'm about to put them on ebay...

After I discovered the richness of real American made passive pickups the EMG's started to sound lifeless...not bad...it's kinda hard to explain, but in my experience, they definitely don't cut through with a band, seemingly no matter how loud you turn your amp up...and at that time I was using two 100 watt Marshall Super Lead Half Stacks...

Well, one was a Super bass...still have them...

The EMG's are good and quiet and all that, and can sound great jamming at home at low volume, but I rarely touch that guitar and it plays really nice...

I also hate changing batteries, especially when I forgot to unplug the guitar and i'm out of expensive batteries...

[ELVIS]

So, my answer is put the 81 on ebay and buy a matched set of real pickups...

[hotdogtime]

Interesting. To be honest, I really like the 81 in the bridge for heavier stuff. It hasn't seen any live use by me yet, but it really seems to have an "edgier" tone than my passives on other guitars. I've been playing it thru a DSL50 and 1960A cab. Of course I have to turn the gain down a tad compared to the passives. That being said, I wouldn't use the EMG for playng blues or anything less than full-on distortion/overdrive. The clean is really bright, although somewhat thin. That's probably more a function of being in the bridge position though. I'm going to do some jamming with my buds before I pass judgment on it. It may have some use for harder metal and stuff.

So did both of the EMGs sound lifeless to you, or was it just the HB or SC? Which did you like better? Also what model Strat are they in?

Thanks man.

[ELVIS]

The single coil in the neck sounds better...I go for a clean Yngwie type sound...

But you said "The clean is really bright, although somewhat thin."

That sums up my experience trying to play with them live...

[hotdogtime]

Perfect. That's what I needed to know. Thx

[ELVIS]

I would also wait until Gar answers your thread...just to get a second opinion...

[jhale667]

One of my Strats I built years ago has an EMG 89 (which is dual/single coil operation) in the bridge position and an SA single coil in the neck and i'm about to put them on ebay...

After I discovered the richness of real American made passive pickups the EMG's started to sound lifeless...not bad...it's kinda hard to explain, but in my experience, they definitely don't cut through with a band, seemingly no matter how loud you turn your amp up...and at that time I was using two 100 watt Marshall Super Lead Half Stacks...

Well, one was a Super bass...still have them...

The EMG's are good and quiet and all that, and can sound great jamming at home at low volume, but I rarely touch that guitar and it plays really nice...

I also hate changing batteries, especially when I forgot to unplug the guitar and i'm out of expensive batteries...

I used the 81 or 89/SA combos for quite some time, and pretty much agree...they are quiet, but started to sound lifeless. I now have a box full of EMGs possibly going on Ebay too...

I'm not a fan of the hum of true single-coils, even though I love their tone; but as for stacks, I like the Duncan Classic Stacks, but seems like the Dimarzio Virtual Vintage series offers a bit more in the way of variety. HS-3s and YJMs are cool, too.

Eventually I want to check out a set of true single-coils with one of the Suhr Noiseless backplates...

http://www.suhrguitars.com/news2.aspx?story=SSC

[ELVIS]

Eventually I want to check out a set of true single-coils with one of the Suhr Noiseless backplates...

Me too...

What's strange, remember the guitar I was building, the SRV body with early small headstock Yngwie neck (I posted pics of the parts) ??

Well it's done, with gold hardware, gold anodized pickguard and Fralin pickups...

Well, the strange thing is, with the Gold anodized pickguard, and the body is shielded from the factory, it hardly hums at all...

The pickups are Fralin Woodstock pickups with grey/purple bobbins and peace signs stamped on the back, but basically 1969 Hendrix copies...

I may put an HS3 in the bridge though, just because I love the way they sound cranked...and I have about six or eight lying around I picked up off ebay for next to nothing...

I need to post some pics...

[twonabomber]

I would also wait until Gar answers your thread...just to get a second opinion...

just Google it, that's all Gar is going to do.

[ELVIS]

[hotdogtime]

The YJM sounds interesting. Damn you guys, now I have to rethink my entire theory on this guitar!

[ELVIS]

Beware, thr YJM or the HS3's are not hot output pickups, but they overdrive great with very little feedback...

They just sound good...

The only difference between the two are the magnet stagger and if you have a fretboard radius greater than 12 I would go with the HS3 with the flatter magnet stagger...

[jhale667]

If you want higher output, say for the bridge position, I'd recommend the Virtual Vintage Solo or Heavy Blues. The regular Blues Sounds cool in the neck position also...

[ELVIS]

I prefer lower output pickups...

You hear more of the actual guitar and the strings even on an overdriven sound...