# New from EMG: 57-TW/66-TW "TWIN" pickups (coil-split 57/66 set)



## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 13, 2018)

In the latest ESP "press release":


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## Flappydoodle (Dec 13, 2018)

Cool. The 57/66 are brilliant. This would just be more versatility. Nice


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## TheWarAgainstTime (Dec 13, 2018)

I'm a fan of the 57/66 set as it is, so this will be cool to see!


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## Hollowway (Dec 13, 2018)

So, I'm not sure how this works on active pickups, but would that make it sound like a single coil pup, or do active single coils not sound like passive single coils? I'm not sure how the whole low-output-with-preamp translates.


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## Quiet Coil (Dec 13, 2018)

Emailed EMG about a splittable 57-7 soapbar to replace the 707TWX-R in my DCM100. I’d imagine they’ll be silent until after NAMM, but we’ll see.


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## Quiet Coil (Dec 13, 2018)

Hollowway said:


> So, I'm not sure how this works on active pickups, but would that make it sound like a single coil pup, or do active single coils not sound like passive single coils? I'm not sure how the whole low-output-with-preamp translates.



Not sure I know how to answer your question so I’ll just say I friggin’ love the SC tone on the 89 and 707TW series (X, R and otherwise).


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 13, 2018)

Hollowway said:


> So, I'm not sure how this works on active pickups, but would that make it sound like a single coil pup, or do active single coils not sound like passive single coils? I'm not sure how the whole low-output-with-preamp translates.


Iirc the way EMG does it is by shoving 3 coils on one housing; two on top and one on the bottom. So the two top coils make the hum bucking pickup, and when you "split" the pickup it kills the top coils and turns on the lone coil. It's why the dual mode pickups are so thick.


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## Hollowway (Dec 13, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Iirc the way EMG does it is by shoving 3 coils on one housing; two on top and one on the bottom. So the two top coils make the hum bucking pickup, and when you "split" the pickup it kills the top coils and turns on the lone coil. It's why the dual mode pickups are so thick.


Ah, interesting! I was wondering how it works with actives.


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## KailM (Dec 13, 2018)

In B4 "I'm ditching my Fishmans; they just don't have the openness and clarity of the new splittable EMGs..."


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 13, 2018)

KailM said:


> In B4 "I'm ditching my Fishmans; they just don't have the openness and clarity of the new splittable EMGs..."


press x to doubt


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## KnightBrolaire (Dec 13, 2018)

KailM said:


> In B4 "I'm ditching my Fishmans; they just don't have the openness and clarity of the new splittable EMGs..."


press x to doubt


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## Quiet Coil (Dec 14, 2018)

Reply from EMG...

“So, these new dual mode ones are being released through some OEM’s only for now, but we will start selling them direct as well after that and I am sure they will expand later. I wouldn’t hold your breath as far as it being “soon” but I will say that it is in the works.”


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## JD27 (Dec 14, 2018)

I always liked the 57/66 set, surprised they hadn’t done this sooner. They’ve had other dual mode pickups like the 89 forever.


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## lewis (Dec 15, 2018)

Woah I had sworn off EMG for 2019 for Fishman BUT I will pick up one set of these now for the coil split. Good news.

Also, Im still a little annoyed we never got 8 string soapbar versions of the TW

like an 81-8XTW would be pretty cool etc


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## juka (Dec 15, 2018)

JD27 said:


> I always liked the 57/66 set, surprised they hadn’t done this sooner. They’ve had other dual mode pickups like the 89 forever.



I'm pretty sure I've heard some sort of announcement from EMG ("We're working on a SC mode for the 57/66") at last Winter NAMM and already started wondering what took them so long.
I always loved the 89, but only for the neck, because to me it always felt that they had sacrificed the humbucker sound compared to the 85, which I absolutely loved in bridge position. Hope this doesn't happen to the 57/66.



lewis said:


> Woah I had sworn off EMG for 2019 for Fishman BUT I will pick up one set of these now for the coil split. Good news.
> 
> Also, Im still a little annoyed we never got 8 string soapbar versions of the TW
> 
> like an 81-8XTW would be pretty cool etc



Let's see what Fishman comes up with for 2019 first ;-)
Not sure if that "OEM exclusive first, than we will see" strategy works well for EMG, but I as a long time EMG user (and still having one 57/66 guitar besides all my Fishmen ;-)) am not happy with this move!


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## lewis (Dec 15, 2018)

juka said:


> I'm pretty sure I've heard some sort of announcement from EMG ("We're working on a SC mode for the 57/66") at last Winter NAMM and already started wondering what took them so long.
> I always loved the 89, but only for the neck, because to me it always felt that they had sacrificed the humbucker sound compared to the 85, which I absolutely loved in bridge position. Hope this doesn't happen to the 57/66.
> 
> 
> ...



Yeah im still going to be like 90/10 split in favour of Fishman. My first Modern set in Brushed steel came in yesterday


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## juka (Dec 15, 2018)

lewis said:


> Yeah im still going to be like 90/10 split in favour of Fishman. My first Modern set in Brushed steel came in yesterday


Yes, brushed steel is my favorite finish, too, on both EMG and Fishman.


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## juka (Dec 15, 2018)

I really would like to see Fishman's take on the 57/66 set for NAMM


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## lewis (Dec 15, 2018)

juka said:


> I really would like to see Fishman's take on the 57/66 set for NAMM


could you argue their classic set is probably a 57/66 equivalent?


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## Seabeast2000 (Dec 15, 2018)

juka said:


> I really would like to see Fishman's take on the 57/66 set for NAMM



I'm just going to wait for the plugin. EMG's split plugin then Fishman's take on EMG's split plugin. Then the Fortin amp that incorporates a special voicing for split coil inputs, then the IR/Plugin that emulates that emulation. Sooner or later there will be a pedal made to reproduce that Split Era Sound and then the plugin that emulates that pedal too. Don't jump the gun by buying any pickups, IMO.


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## juka (Dec 15, 2018)

lewis said:


> could you argue their classic set is probably a 57/66 equivalent?


Had a guitar equipped with a classic set to try out for only a few days. I really liked them, but didn't hear much of a 57/66 equivalent


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## juka (Dec 29, 2018)

When Andy James did some sort of beta testing for the 57-TW/66-TW some time ago, I thought they would be promoted sort of his "signature" set, but obviously he doesn't use 57/66 any more.

His new Kiesel signature guitar prototypes sport some sort of open coil humbuckers, from which he claims they will be a "big surprise", "still active" and "definitely NOT Fishman"!?

Maybe a new Retroactives Signature Set or did he leave EMG for good???


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Dec 29, 2018)

juka said:


> When Andy James did some sort of beta testing for the 57-TW/66-TW some time ago, I thought they would be promoted sort of his "signature" set, but obviously he doesn't use 57/66 any more.
> 
> His new Kiesel signature guitar prototypes sport some sort of open coil humbuckers, from which he claims they will be a "big surprise", "still active" and "definitely NOT Fishman"!?
> 
> Maybe a new Retroactives Signature Set or did he leave EMG for good???



Got a link? Maybe some Kiesel-designed actives.


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## JohnIce (Dec 29, 2018)

Hollowway said:


> So, I'm not sure how this works on active pickups, but would that make it sound like a single coil pup, or do active single coils not sound like passive single coils? I'm not sure how the whole low-output-with-preamp translates.



I've used SA7's in my main guit for a few years, and while they sound more like singles than humbuckers, I'd say they have their own thing going. If you listen to their DI, they sound more like piezos than singlecoils to me, they're far more hi-fi and flatter, their treble rolloff starts a lot higher up than any passive pickups. It's unusual but cool, with some pre-EQ before the amp though they can sound very singlecoil-like, and they're dead silent.

- edit - You can hear the SA fairly isolated after the 17 second mark in this clip from a recording I did:


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## Isurez (Dec 29, 2018)

I had set of 57/66 pickups in two guitars. Honestly, these are my favorite pickups from EMG and I'm very curious about TW version of them. I hope I will test them soon.


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## juka (Dec 29, 2018)

HeHasTheJazzHands said:


> Got a link? Maybe some Kiesel-designed actives.


Don't know how to link Instagram posts here. But you can find it on Andy's Instagram page and then have a look in his comments.

Jeff's comments on active pickups (from his live Q&As) doesn't seem it likely that he will develop actives of his own.
Maybe passives with an active preamp, but Andy's comments don't sound like that.


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## TonyFlyingSquirrel (Dec 29, 2018)

I actually wish there were a trim pot or level pot on the back of the pickup to allow you to raise the level of the single coil voicing, and to have the wire scheme set up to where it could split in the #2 or #4 positions on the blade switch. I don't like having to use the push/pull pot to split, and I don't like the volume drop from hum to single. I want the levels uniformly the same across all pickup switch selections.


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## narad (Dec 30, 2018)

juka said:


> Let's see what Fishman comes up with for 2019 first ;-)



Pickups that don't look dumb, I hope.


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## HeHasTheJazzHands (Jan 1, 2019)

Probably not threadworthy, but apparently Prashant Aswani and Frederiksen are getting signature sets.


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