# Cepheus pickups - Active or Passive



## Nykur_Myrkvi (May 13, 2012)

I am getting a Custom shop Agile Pendulum 8 string and I have already gotten a lot of help here regarding scale length and have therefor decided everything but I still want to get some opinions on the pickups from those who've played them. Decided to start a new thread rather than continue hijacking others.

I'm usually not the biggest fan of actives, I feel it takes a bit of the personality of the guitar away but I'm always open to new things so if these are the active pickups that are going to change my mind I may reconsider.

Are either ones (active or passive) considered "better" by most or is it simply 50/50, some like actives overall and some like passives?

Thanks in advanced. I always liked this forum while lurking but I think I'm ready to love it as a user now and you guys are making it way too easy for me.


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## Explorer (May 13, 2012)

You're going to get a lot of opinions, most of which will boil down to the user's personal preference.

Actives generally sound more transparent, but are more compressed. Going with the 18v mod (lots of topics about it here on SS.org) clears up the compression.

Passives aren't compressed, but generally impose a sound character on the instrument. Some pickups, like the Q-Tuner (soon to be back in production) and the Lace Alumitones *can* be manufactured in a more transparent form (X-Bar versus Deathbar), but even then you have to buy the version made for that. 

Personally, I like transparency at the instrument, and then adding whatever character I want. I'm not such a fan of my D-Activators, and really like the sound of my 18v-modded EMG 808s. I'm about to install an X-Bar/Q-Tuner combo in an Agile Pro 828, and if I like it I'm totally screwed financially.

Good luck!


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## Nykur_Myrkvi (May 13, 2012)

Pretty much what I was expecting though.

I like what I've heard from the Cepheus Actives (Cameron Barton videos and more) so I think I'm going to give Actives a chance.

Maybe I'll look into this 18v mod.


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## Nykur_Myrkvi (May 13, 2012)

I've heard so much about actives sounding a whole lot worse clean, is that an actual problem or is it exaggerated? I play a lot clean (jazz stuff, relaxed other stuff) but a lot overdriven/distorted as well so I need a good balance of both sounds.

Anyone with experience with the Cepheus pickups who can shed a little light on this matter?


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## Dayn (May 13, 2012)

On the topic of actives and cleans, I love the sound of my EMG808Xs with direct input, if that's of any help.  'Terrible cleans' depends on the pickup, and is only used as an argument against active pickups by people who have no idea what 'EQ' is. As Explorer said, they tend to require some EQing; it's generally not a matter of 'plug-and-play'... but then as I just said, I _love_ my EMG808Xs with direct input, but can EQ it to something different anyway.


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## Empryrean (May 13, 2012)

If you haven't already, give a listen to drewsifstalin's musical endeavors, he's got some intrepid in there, and afaik he uses the stock pups


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## Explorer (May 14, 2012)

Nykur_Myrkvi said:


> I've heard so much about actives sounding a whole lot worse clean, is that an actual problem or is it exaggerated?



Remember I talked about passives imposing "character" on the sound? That's why I prefer my actives on cleans, because otherwise one gets "character" instead of a completely clean and *transparent* sound. As I said, I'm not too pleased with trying to get a transparent sound from my D-Activators, although they do sound like an electric guitar.

I don't think this is just my opinion. Otherwise, people wouldn't talk about a humbucker sounding like a humbucker, and different from a single coil, right?

I'm not saying it's bad to want character from a pickup, even if one wants to play clean. "Clean" doesn't equal "transparent" to a lot of folks, and you'll often hear the word "sterile" tossed out by some to mean that a pickup doesn't impose a particular sound profile on the output. 

If you want your guitar to always have a particular sound profile, as opposed to using tone knob/balance/EQ/anything after the pickup to get anything imaginable, then character can be just the thing. 

As I suggested earlier, yes, I have a bias. *laugh* However, my bias is for transparency, not active versus passive.


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## Nykur_Myrkvi (May 14, 2012)

Explorer said:


> Remember I talked about passives imposing "character" on the sound? That's why I prefer my actives on cleans, because otherwise one gets "character" instead of a completely clean and *transparent* sound. As I said, I'm not too pleased with trying to get a transparent sound from my D-Activators, although they do sound like an electric guitar.
> 
> I don't think this is just my opinion. Otherwise, people wouldn't talk about a humbucker sounding like a humbucker, and different from a single coil, right?
> 
> ...


That actually sounds pretty good. I'd love to be able to get exactly the sound I want onto it, although I quite like the character on my passive Dimarzios (Ibanez Jem user \m/) but I think for this I might want quite a range of sounds that would perhaps be better suited for individual EQ-ing (jazzy sounding cleans, light overdrive for Shoegaze playing and heavy distortion for tech metal) so perhaps you have given me the perspective I need.

Thank you all, you've all been very helpful.


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