EMGs.. Sterile?

[Julz]

You don't want to run the EMG X with 18v, IMO. The EMG X series was designed to provide a similar tone at 9v that you get with standard EMGS at 18v. Standard EMGs at 9v compress or clip a little... to give them a little more headroom, you go 18v. The X series has that headroom already built in...

Thanks, I'll give that a shot.

[Treachery]

EMG-81 in the bridge position.

Thank you very much and best regards.

[Force]

EMG-81 in the bridge position.

Thank you very much and best regards.

+Infinity......................................

I will add that this works best for me in alder, scooped eq can go f**k itself.

[vector]

I have quite a bit of experience with EMG's as a former dealer and installer. I think they are a great pickup for metal and other heavy styles, and they can sound good in other situations as well depending on the rig used. I used to have a Gilmour set in one of my strats and it sounded great...extremely versatile.

That said, I agree for the most part with the people that said they are sterile. Straight into a tube amp they lack the dynamics and response of a passive pickup. If you dime everything, that probably won't matter to you. They are essentially a cold sounding pickup that processes extremely well and excel in that situation. If you use alot of outboard gear, EMG's are definitely worth trying, but if you are looking for a warm tone through a tube amp, passive is the way to go. Anyone who describes an EMG as having warmth doesn't understand the term.

Finally, a great deal of what we hear when we play comes from our hands and not our equipment. My comments are regrding EMG's will be accurate for most people, but for some they may not hold true. Ultimately you should try things out and let your ears make the decision.

Excellent summation.

ETA- I've got a set of EMG 81X and SA-X in a 'hog bodied, maple/ebony-necked Hamer Cali and they do sound a LOT better to my ear than the 81/85 set in my alder/maple/rosewoord CS Charvel. A bit more full without getting mushy in the low/middle. Retains a lot of the low end tightness and high end clarity and punch of the regular EMG's but with a bit more organic sounding mids.

[MetalDaze]

Wow. A guy signs up in 2005, only to make his first post in a thread that's been dead for 9 years!

This is what happens when we go back in time

[xenophobe]

Excellent summation.

ETA- I've got a set of EMG 81X and SA-X in a 'hog bodied, maple/ebony-necked Hamer Cali and they do sound a LOT better to my ear than the 81/85 set in my alder/maple/rosewoord CS Charvel. A bit more full without getting mushy in the low/middle. Retains a lot of the low end tightness and high end clarity and punch of the regular EMG's but with a bit more organic sounding mids.

The EMG X series just gives you more headroom. You can get an 81 or 85 to sound like the 81-X/85-X by adding a 2nd 9v. Not the same, but close enough...

[Brandenburg]

i went these actives on one of my guitars
http://www.axetec.co.uk/guitar_parts_uk_104.htm

I just wanted something different other than EMG's or SD live wires.. I havent had a chance to run them through their paces much but they seem like they will work out for me.. Will really have to compare them to my EMG 85 in another guitar.. for the most part, unless I wire the emg's to the guitar with the volt.. such comparison is probably meaningless for the most part

[toejam]

This is what happens when we go back in time

And your hot tub time machine malfunctions! Maybe Stewie Griffin can make me a new one.