Why no EMG love at TGP?

[filtersweep]

I was curious why the EMG 81/85 combo receives scant mention here, and thought I would do a search--- and believe it or not, there were zero search results for EMG. None. It is as if the word were banned by the forum. Of course at Ultimate Guitar there are hundreds of search results....

I wouldn't put them in some classic vintage guitar, but certainly there are those with a wall of guitars that have something containing EMG actives. I picked up a "cheap" extra guitar for playing more "modern" tones, and have been quite surprised at how versatile these things are. I get it why a cork sniffer wouldn't recommend them, but who else here can admit to owning at least one guitar containing actives?

 

[M55ikael]

Try Google instead. The built in search engine is poor.

 

[Random]

I have a candy apple red strat made to Gilmour specs.
There's got to be more than a bunch of people with that.
My best Strat.

 

[snowblind56]

No EMG love here is because they aren't vintage style PAF's hand wound by some dude in a run-down shed.

 

[M55ikael]

https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads/942900

You still get the whole it doesn't matter what guitar you put them in myth though.

 

[mhuxtable]

No EMG love here is because they aren't vintage style PAF's hand wound by some dude in a run-down shed.

basically.

and honestly, the 81/85 buckers are some of the worst sounding pickups I've ever heard.

I have the EMG David Gilmour pickup set in my Strat and LOVE them.

 

[EADGBE]

I think I like passives better. I think they're warmer sounding. And I like their distortion better. I only have one guitar with an EMG. And I don't think that's enough to form a thorough opinion.

 

[Dumo]

The EMG 60 is one of the nicest neck pickups I've ever played. Surprised the hell out of me how much I liked it. EMGs are essential if you play with heavy modulation effects. They retain their core tone really well. I'm not a hater at all.

 

[RedTiger]

1. Not PAFs.

2. Associated with metal, which TGP cannot take seriously because it all sounds like "GC kids on a Saturday afternoon" to them.

3. Too "compressed", whatever that means, probably "not vintage enuff"

4. Too "sterile", whatever that means, see above

5. The "they sound the same in everything" myth. Zakk Wylde should ditch his Les Paul for a shredder axe, what's the point if he uses EMGs? (no lie, someone actually posted that. )

6. Don't realize the connection they have to jazz players who use them for a very clean tone

7. Don't like the way they look. That's a legitimate preferences, although they're starting to come out with more variety these days

8. Last and certainly least, some just don't like the way they sound. That's perfectly ok.

Did I miss anything?

 

[MetalOctane]

I just replaced the EMG 81tw & 89R in my guitar a couple weeks ago. I tried to like them but I like the warmth and mids of the passives I installed better. I really like the clean look of EMG's, and they are very quiet. I could definitely see sticking the EMG's back in this guitar after I add 2-3 more guitars the mix.

 

[Hard2Hear]

5. The "they sound the same in everything" myth. Zakk Wylde should ditch his Les Paul for a shredder axe, what's the point if he uses EMGs? (no lie, someone actually posted that. )

Apparently you haven't seen the Deans and Gibson V-ish he's been using mainly in the past few years. Yeah, same EMG's... yeah, sounds the same.

That being said, I did buy a guitar with that set in them one time and I didn't hate them. I just didn't like the EQ curve on them.

 

[omfg51]

I think it's just because TGP seems to be more traditional gear oriented as far as forums go. Most of the stuff you see on here is vintage or styled after vintage gear. It's not that EMG's are bad and everyone here dislikes them, they just aren't a hit in this atmosphere.

 

[Jim]

Larry Carlton had some very nice tone going with his Valley Arts guitars with EMG's. They are not vintage sounding but do sound nice in certain settings.

Jim

 

[RocksOff]

No EMG love here is because they aren't vintage style PAF's hand wound by some dude in a run-down shed.

I hope you're joking.

EMGs have their place, but not in most guitars that are being used for mid-gain stuff. Gilmour is, of course, an exception... but I must say that i prefer his clean tones with EMGs to his distortion tones with EMGs anyday of the week.

I always come back to the personal belief that most EMGs just don't sound 'organic' enough, whatever that means. It makes sense though, since they aren't very similar to traditional pickup sounds, and aren't constructed that way either. I feel the same way about lace sensors for the most part.

I'll take the ones wound by a dude in a run down shed, complete with their imperfect sound and all their warts.

 

[Lemon Crush]

I have been wating to do a clone of this for a couple years

Partially because of the man playing it, but also, I've never heard regular EMGs sound bad.

 

[superrock]

i had an 80's schecter strat with an old set of them, but it's gone now... the strat set was particularly sweet and not "sterile" which contradicts many opinions here. it had big texas sting a la SRV and could cop Gilmour spot on. part of that was the guitar, but i miss the pups for what they did...

 

[GulfportBound]

8. Last and certainly least, some just don't like the way they sound. That's perfectly ok.

That would be me. Can't stand the way they sound. Never could.

 

[kurtsstuff]

Lukather digs em, Holdsworth digs em..They sound pretty good with em??



Oh and....I dig em...

 

[TimSt.L]

I like emg's. I have them in three of my guitars. I put one in a tele and it still sounds like a tele. I like passive too though.
... I'll just be passive about this thread all together.
(Bad joke)

 

[c_mac]

Apparently you haven't seen the Deans and Gibson V-ish he's been using mainly in the past few years. Yeah, same EMG's... yeah, sounds the same.

Wow. That's awesome you got to be in a room with Zakk while he played his guitars by himself. That must have been awesome! So they all sounded the same huh? Did you get a chance to play any of them? Did he do some clean stuff or just he usually drenched in distortion sound?