Anyone Keep Going Back To EMG?

[zjb7777]

Just dropped a set of 81-7 and 707 into my 7 string today, replacing a DiMarzio Titan and Liquifire set. It kind of took me by surprise how closely the Titan and 81 are voiced, but the 81 has more grind and aggression and a bit less clarity, but not by much. Overall really happy with the results, and I love how stupid easy installation is. It should be the industry standard.

 

[RevDrucifer]

Zakk's tone on NMT/NRFTW is, to me, THE Marshall hi-gain sound; it's that perfect level of midrange growl, with a little bit of bass in it to not be entirely dry and thin; I mean, shit look at the first verse of No More Tears when he plays those three chords and listen to how thick it sounds while being what, Drop Db? It's wild/wylde.

EXACTLY!

 

[HeHasTheJazzHands]

Brace yourself, but I prefer Zakk’s tones over Sykes.

I’m a huge Gilmour fan, but going for Hank Marvin’s tones won’t get me any closer to Gilmour’s!

Zakk's tone on NMT/NRFTW is, to me, THE Marshall hi-gain sound; it's that perfect level of midrange growl, with a little bit of bass in it to not be entirely dry and thin; I mean, shit look at the first verse of No More Tears when he plays those three chords and listen to how thick it sounds while being what, Drop Db? It's wild/wylde.

I'm eh on Syke's Mesa sound, but when he switched back to Marshall and started using those Jose-modded 2204s in the early-mid '90s... wew.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I'm eh on Syke's Mesa sound, but when he switched back to Marshall and started using those Jose-modded 2204s in the early-mid '90s... wew.

That tone is better than anything Zakk has ever gotten.

 

[RevDrucifer]

I'm eh on Syke's Mesa sound, but when he switched back to Marshall and started using those Jose-modded 2204s in the early-mid '90s... wew.

It’s definitely a killer tone, but I’m going for that kind of tone more with the Orville than I am the Edwards. The Edwards is fucking sick, BTW.

 

[lewis]

What happens if you put the afterburner with the 81?
I mean presumably you get swedish death metal vibes?
Anyone ever gone mental with this?

 

[TheBolivianSniper]

What happens if you put the afterburner with the 81?
I mean presumably you get swedish death metal vibes?
Anyone ever gone mental with this?

not the exact thing but I used a PA2 with both a 57 and an 81TWX, it was really good to blast the 57 for super loose breakdown stuff or turn it into a sort of sustainer for leads, and gave some teeth back to the 81TWX but also a little too much mush and pick attack

I would presume it would get ugly but in a fun way

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

I am unsure what you want from the Afterburner, but if you just want to boost the 81's output/change the EQ some, an EXG and SPC might work better. Not sure what you're going for though.

 

[lewis]

I am unsure what you want from the Afterburner, but if you just want to boost the 81's output/change the EQ some, an EXG and SPC might work better. Not sure what you're going for though.

Well my go to tone these days which is similar to modern Whitechapel, seems to be accomplished by stacking ODs.
Wondered if the onboard afterburner on full would allow me to only have to rep 1 OD on the board instead.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Well my go to tone these days which is similar to modern Whitechapel, seems to be accomplished by stacking ODs.
Wondered if the onboard afterburner on full would allow me to only have to rep 1 OD on the board instead.

The afterburner on full would likely sound muddy. I have the ABQ from the EMG ALX set and the boost was around 50% from the factory, if memory serves. That was muddy, though perhaps into a lower gain setup it may work better.

Which ODs are you stacking and into what amp?

 

[lewis]

The afterburner on full would likely sound muddy. I have the ABQ from the EMG ALX set and the boost was around 50% from the factory, if memory serves. That was muddy, though perhaps into a lower gain setup it may work better.

Which ODs are you stacking and into what amp?

Ah that's a bummer. I do have the RPC too.

My physical setup doesn't really have the room for 2 hence this idea but my plugin setup always has 2stacked. Recently an Od808 and an sd1 plug in.

 

[InfernalVortex]

Just dropped a set of 81-7 and 707 into my 7 string today, replacing a DiMarzio Titan and Liquifire set. It kind of took me by surprise how closely the Titan and 81 are voiced, but the 81 has more grind and aggression and a bit less clarity, but not by much. Overall really happy with the results, and I love how stupid easy installation is. It should be the industry standard.

I think that about settles it... I'm putting a Titan in my RG565. The HS arrangement with the hot rails is too neat to butcher for EMG's, and I've been trying to find something that will slot into the bridge and get me "close enough". That neck pickup is super neat for leads, just dont want to change it. The Titan was in my shortlist with the black winters...

Plus, it'll be the only one of my 5 guitars that has passives.... I figure I probably need at least one, right?

 

[Marked Man]

Remember though, everyone: The EMG HZ passive stuff sucks. All of it is really, really low quality, terrible, and just half a step above Asian OEM pickups on low to mid tier import guitars.

Please send all of your junk EMG HZ passive stuff to me and I will be certain to recycle it properly.

/s

My very first electric guitar (a cheapie Kramer bought in '89) had a single EMG HZ at the bridge. I was just thankful to have SOUND, but I quickly realized it was a POS.....

 

[Marked Man]

Zakk's tone on NMT/NRFTW is, to me, THE Marshall hi-gain sound; it's that perfect level of midrange growl, with a little bit of bass in it to not be entirely dry and thin; I mean, shit look at the first verse of No More Tears when he plays those three chords and listen to how thick it sounds while being what, Drop Db? It's wild/wylde.

Zakk specifically inspired me to buy my first LP (actually an Eclipse Std) to get that LP/EMG sound. Absolutely love it! The LP is the ultimate platform for the EMG 81 @ the bridge for power metal.

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

My very first electric guitar (a cheapie Kramer bought in '89) had a single EMG HZ at the bridge. I was just thankful to have SOUND, but I quickly realized it was a POS.....

The guitar and amp likely weren't great.

 

[fabronaut]

figured I'd throw in another strong recommendation for the eBay seller "Don't Tell the Wife Guitars" -- great customer service. seems like the mini humbuckers are discontinued. I presume they didn't make a ton of them vs. their P series (still in production?), so I missed out on the fancy black chrome covers haha.

needed long shaft pots for the guitar instead of the standard shorter ones, so he swapped those after confirming that was necessary.
the bundle I ordered came with 6 packs of strings, and as the baritone gauge I requested wasn't stocked, he offered to do 3 packs each of common gauges.

ended up swapping in a solderless switch after asking some questions re: old part number vs. new (vertical stack switch vs. horizontal std LP style), so I don't even have to bother getting out the soldering iron! dealers here don't seem to bother offering the full parts catalogue, so that saved me a bunch of irritation tracking stuff down.

I'll be ordering more from him down the line, as EMG / active stuff is completely new to me and the solderless swap is super convenient. fantastic customer service. completely crushed the half-assed "support" I've gotten from Reverb over the years. (sellers and corporation alike.) very pleased and stoked for them to arrive!

 

[InfernalVortex]

I was getting really fed up with the cocked wah tones of my C7 SLS Elite.... just tossed an 81-7 I got off reverb in it and man.... Glen Fricker can go suck a frick, because the stupid cocked wah shit the fluence moderns do is gone and Im so much happier with this guitar now.

When brands like Duncan or Dimarzio talk about pickups voiced for "modern metal", is this what they're talking about?

 

[Spaced Out Ace]

Just put a 60A/SA/60A set in my tobacco burst and tortoise shell pickguard Stratocaster. Definitely a fun time.

Normalize (God, I'm so fucking sick of the over use of this word) putting "neck" pickups in the bridge.

 

[lewis]

I was getting really fed up with the cocked wah tones of my C7 SLS Elite.... just tossed an 81-7 I got off reverb in it and man.... Glen Fricker can go suck a frick, because the stupid cocked wah shit the fluence moderns do is gone and Im so much happier with this guitar now.

When brands like Duncan or Dimarzio talk about pickups voiced for "modern metal", is this what they're talking about?

100% yes. They just push upper mids and cut some lows.
Tonally across the board, an 81 in 6 or 7 string form, craps all over the EQ of a Fluence Modern.

 

[lewis]

the Fluence modern situation reminds me of the Shure 57 for guitar tones.

It creates an annoying Fizz/hiss and EQ curve you learn to get rid of in a mix - rather that just admit there is better mics (even if they're cheaper) for what youre going for, that get you closer instantly without all the messing around.

People who are gung-ho Fishman fall into this stubborn camp 100%.
I get stick as being an over the top EMG user, yet I bought and use Fishmans too.
How many staunch Fishman users are willing to buy and also use EMG? I suspect theyre in the minority.