[pooo]

Hey guys, i've got some questions regarding this pickup. What's it's tonal curve like? Emailed EMG about it and they couldn't give me a specific answer other than it sounds more 85 like. Haven't tried actives before so i don't know. Does the EMG707 clean up nicely if you back down on the volume knob? I wonder if it's a versatile enough to cover a variety of styles, from jazz, blues to hard rock and metal.

Was looking at all the other passive options, non of which i have tried before, and the descriptions somehow aren't convincing enough. Plus, i really like those Black plastic covers. Btw it's the pickups of my RG1527 that i wanna swap. Any suggestions would be appreciated

[EverDream]

Hi, I've never had active pickups before, I heard they take batteries, and the battery will wear out if you have it plugged in? Is that true? Because that sucks, I wouldn't like to have a new thing to have to buy constantly (along with strings).

[006]

Well, to hear it doing metal, check out my two threads ("Seven strings = the shit (mp3 inside)", and "Another Song! (mp3 inside!)"). I could record some cleaner stuff for you if you wanted. I just got my Schecter Hellraiser C7 a few days ago and it has dual EMG-707's, and all I can say is that they are great pickups, but I already want to switch out the bridge with an EMG 81-7 for a more clear sound. Yep. Latah.

~006+1

[aldog1330]

EMG707's and 81-7's require routing to be done to your guitar so they will fit since they are in bass housings. I've run EMG's in my 6 strings, and normally a battery will last 2000-3000 hours, so you don't have to worry about changing them every week. As long as you don't leave the guitar plugged in overnight or for long periods of time when not playing, you will be fine.

[006]

Lol, I love all the misconception with the battery life on active pickups. Ok, in my EC-1000 I have dual EMG-81's, and that is my main guitar out of all the ones I own. I use it for my current band. We practice a LOT, and we play a LOT of shows. So it's always plugged in. I always leave it unplugged if I'm not using it, of course, such as after we're done practicing, after/before shows, etc. The one single 9v will last me over a month..and almost two whole months...with THAT much usage. Now say you aren't in a band, and just playing by yourself once every couple of days...it will last a lot longer. And I use Energizer 9v's, I buy them two at a time from the gas station down the road from my house for $5 for the two. $5 every 4-5 months is not bad at all. Yep. Latah.

~006+1

[EverDream]

That doesn't sound bad, but what are the advantages to active pickups?

[pooo]

Originally Posted by 006

Well, to hear it doing metal, check out my two threads ("Seven strings = the shit (mp3 inside)", and "Another Song! (mp3 inside!)"). I could record some cleaner stuff for you if you wanted. I just got my Schecter Hellraiser C7 a few days ago and it has dual EMG-707's, and all I can say is that they are great pickups, but I already want to switch out the bridge with an EMG 81-7 for a more clear sound. Yep. Latah.

~006+1

If it isn't too much of a trouble for you, please do record them on clean or something. Thanks.

Part of my plan is to include the Pi and EXG accessories along with the 707s. Heard the EXG works great on cleans. Is that right?

[pooo]

Forgot to ask, is there any sort of "aw" type of vocal quality in the 707s when doing leads?

Pardon me for all these questions man, where i live, there is absolutely no chance for me to try out any of these pickups, Dimarzio and SD included, makes tone seeking a living hell

[aldog1330]

Originally Posted by EverDream

That doesn't sound bad, but what are the advantages to active pickups?

From what I've found when using them (and I've used duncan's for a long time too), EMG's seem to have a more in your face attack, plus send a hot signal to your amp that sustains a long time, but without feedback. They are slightly compressed due to the internal preamp (they use a weak magnet which is then amplified with the preamp, which is what requires the use of a battery), which can be either a good or a bad thing depending on your tastes. They also tend to color your sound somewhat, taking away from some of the inherent differences in woods, etc, but I find that the coloration is not as bad as others have seen. I personally prefer an 85 in the bridge over an 81 since the 85's have more of a balanced sound where the 81's have more high's, and they seem to be a bit warmer/less harsh since they use an alnico magnet over a ceramic one. Some love em, others hate em, its really all up to your ears.

[Hawksmoor]

3 Things:
- Sustain for ages
- Punchy rhytm sound
- Clear cleans.

And I like it that way