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Watch This BEFORE You Buy Active Pickups

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Do active guitar pickups, get a bad rap? Let's find out!
Before you buy active guitar pickups, watch this...
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#ActivePickups #EMG #SteveLukather

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22 авг 2024

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Комментарии : 722

@joshblevinswebengineer 3 года назад

I have no clue where this "vintage warm tone" shit came from lol. Most vintage guitar tones were bright as fuck. Great playing and great tone btw.

@najmihakimkhairi1210 3 года назад

Maybe because when they old the sound get warmer

@angusorvid8840 3 года назад

It's BS. I think EMGs are very warm. They are very, very clear, and perhaps this is what strikes some players as being "cold". They just show so many dynamics without mud that I can understand how they could come off as abrupt. But you get used to them. I can't live without them. They have such an even, wonderful cut-thru tone no passives can match. Nothing against passives, I have scads of DiMarzios and Duncans, and both companies make great pickups, but my main guitars have EMGs. They just work so well for me. Been using them since 1986. And NO, I didn't get into them because of Metallica, but rather because I loved the tones I was hearing from Lukather, Gilmour, Knopfler, and many other outstanding players. Gary Moore was using them too. They are very versatile. I love the 81TW/89 set. Just fantastic. If I had to only use one brand of pickups I'd stick with EMGs.

@BugCatcher89 3 года назад

If we’re talking that 50’s blues or pop sound definitely but i mean think of clapton’s woman tone, or the intro to bring it on home by zeppelin, Duane Allman’s sound, Jimi Hendrix, etc. isolated the sound is actually much brighter than it sounds on the record but in the mix it sounds really big, warm, and throaty in Hendrix’s case. To be fair the mix and the player is a majority of whats created the misconception that “vintage means bright” but to me its an understandable misconception

@stephenhookings1985 3 года назад

@@angusorvid8840 I am treating myself to a DG20 set that I will put into the cheapest Harley Benton ST20 CAR maple fingerboard Stratocaster - will be comparing on channel. I put EMG J Pickups on a cheap J & D bass - £125 bass and £122 pickup. Awesome bass. No need to shield. I really love my other basses with Alnicos etc but I keep going to that dirt cheap anti tonewood bass.

@michaeltaylors2456 3 года назад

@@angusorvid8840 I have a 81/60 bridge neck 1985 ? in a ES-335 clone ( Yamaha SA2000) everyone that hears it is amazed.

@MarcNevali 3 года назад

That's how a pro makes a review. Very, very well done. And, those pickups sounds awesome to my ears. Thanks

@therealgrapesoda 3 года назад

Reading this comment before the video started and then hearing "active pickups, wtf." is the highlight of my week xD

@MarcNevali 3 года назад

@@therealgrapesoda 😁

@etpslick100 2 года назад

That’s what I have on my ‘85 Squier strat. Except mine is 3 SSS instead of HSS. EMG SLV set. OMG! What a big difference in my sound! EMG’s are great! Love ‘em.😌🎶❤️👍🏾

@dildojizzbaggins6969 2 года назад

The comma after the first "very" makes no sense, and for "those pickups" (which is plural) it should be "sound", not "sounds". Learn a language before you use it. I wouldn't use Italian if you weren't fluent in it for example. A bit disrespectful and arrogant :P

@RIDICULOUSLOGIN 5 месяцев назад

That's strange. My "self absorbed, xenophobic, language bitch" stream get crossed with my "professional thoughtful guitar reviews" stream get crossed?

@keschgelb 3 года назад

I use EMG Pickups since my whole life as a musician. I also use guitars with other (passive) pickups, mainly DiMarzio. And i must say, that i often prefer my EMGs. Especially in recording. I don't understand the general hate against actives.

@keithadams812 3 года назад

It's like driving a manual transmission some people like it some people don't..... If you haven't done it your whole life it's not going to be fun for you....

@cheeseUout 3 года назад

@@keithadams812 learning how to drive manual makes you a better driver, too. Because you HAVE to properly control your vehicle even while you're multitasking (changing gears)

@djandrewification 3 года назад

@@cheeseUout i feel like EMGs hides my mistakes when soloing vs my passive pickups. Passives taught me to better my muting/pickinf technique when playing solos

@PageandPlant4Life 3 года назад

because no one likes batteries.. the desire to throw them into the ocean is too powerful for any man to resist

@jeffarab4947 2 года назад

Seymour duncan blackouts are way better

@Dan_Ranger 3 года назад

A very nice review and great playing. I’ve played EMG’s since 1985 and I’ve pretty much played them all. Plenty of variety for any player or genre. Big fan of the Alnico 85’s and 57’s and the Retroactives. I used to play the 81’s for years but over time I’ve gravitated from the ceramics to the Alnico pups. Anyone worried about battery life, forget it. I change my batteries once a year and never had one die on me in over 30 years. Just don’t leave them plugged in when not playing.

@michaelnugent9758 2 года назад

Exactly. I went for years without changing my batteries. Such a nonsense argument.

@jng1226 2 года назад

Thanks @danranger and @michaelnugent for info on the battery life. I just picked up a Roadhouse Deluxe Strat swapped to EMG SAs and I was curious how often to check the 9V.

@basildog007 3 года назад

I tried EMGs yesterday and was blown away by the active tone circuit!! For a jazz fusion dark clean warm sound, the tone was amazing on a Squier, absolutely brilliant!! Even with the tone on zero, the guitar retained clarity and warmth. I'm swapping my 2017 Elite strat pu with some EMGs. That's for sure. CRAZY TONE CIRCUIT!! Kind of a revelation to me, I only slept 4 hours, already up checking out EMGs.... Great demo man, I love it!

@BlazonStone 5 месяцев назад

If you have the tone at zero, you literally only have warmth xD

@nikolaykoprinkov-silkman 3 года назад

The EMG 57/66 combo on my LTD EC-2015 Anniversary carried me through the whole of The Voice (of Bulgaria) franchise with almost no need to reach for another guitar. Given the range of styles we had to cover, that must mean something. Fit great in the band, was a joy for the FOH guys and was fab on television. Can't complain :) RJ's observation about the judicious use of volume and tone controls is the key here! Well done!

@PooNinja 3 года назад

My only issue with active electronics as I often forget to unplug my guitar and the battery dies, But that’s more my issue than the pick ups fault 🤘🏽

@AndyDion 3 года назад

Don’t do that!! Lol

@weets69 2 месяца назад

Yep. Learned that the hard way🤘

@robertsylvester3542 Месяц назад

NINE VOLTS STOCK UP ON THE NINE VOLTS LOL

@brpadington 3 года назад

I played guitars with passive pickups for 20 years. I got my first guitar with EMG's a couple years ago. I didn't like them at first. Once I learned that I had to EQ the amp differently I started to really like them. I immediately noticed how much quieter they were. I used to get feedback from my amp if I turned toward my cab. I still really like my guitars with JB/59 combo but I think I will convert one more to Actives.

@brpadington 3 года назад

@D. A. I like the Jazz in the neck too. Can't go wrong with either one.

@mitchconnerandsometimesjlotoo 3 года назад

Strange, my passive sounds quieter.

@brpadington 3 года назад

@@mitchconnerandsometimesjlotoo I am talking about noise and feedback. I play with a full 100watt stack and my passive guitars always want to feedback.

@curtisy6234 2 года назад

I was always kind of against active until I got a guitar as a gift with the 81 85 set and that is now my metal guitar tuned to B standard and I swapped the pickup order

@curtisy6234 2 года назад

My other electric guitar has a JB in the bridge and the slash alnico pickup in the neck with a five-way switch and it's pretty versatile

@KingDadBod666 3 года назад

I dont see why people hate them. I've used them for ages. I can get a Death Metal tone with low gain. It basically saves you the need for a boost pedal on your pedal board. Purists are just way too close-minded. Sounded great to me. 👍👍

@An2oine 2 года назад

They use these things called batteries.

@wingsoficarus1139 2 года назад

@@An2oine So do a lot of pedals. Plus, they also look nicer than most open humbuckers. Take Fishman pickups and the recent EMG lineup where they've been doing stuff like brushed chrome or gold which all look beautiful.

@An2oine 2 года назад

@@wingsoficarus1139 So you are telling me you use batteries rather than PSU with your pedals?

@wingsoficarus1139 2 года назад

@@An2oine depends on the pedal and what kind of gig I’ll be running but in short, I prefer not to use either. What I usually run though is an amp sim on my laptop output to the speakers for a live show with a foot switch connected to the sim. Foot switch is also connected to an outlet for power. Most PSUs are made for a bunch of pedals at once and I always have to deal with a ton of wires which I don’t want on top of what I already have to deal with. Just one pedal and a computer keeps the set up nice and clean.

@200130769 Год назад

@@An2oine you scared of a battery?

@rontheguitarcollector 3 года назад

I have the Ernie Ball BFR Luke first generation with the EMG set. I love the guitar but have not been crazy about the sound until after watching this video. I rolled the tone and volume way down and it sounds AMAZING!! Can’t believe I’ve been so dumb all this time!

@TraneFrancks 3 года назад

The secret to getting rid of 60-cycle hum is to move to the UK. Presto-change-o! 50-cycle hum. 😅 Jokes done, I think the pickups sound fine, but I don't think I'd ever be inclined to want to worry about batteries, especially a drop-in solution where access is only by removing the pickguard.

@Mykkus 3 года назад

Batteries last for years in the emg set. No worries in loosing it on a gig.

@TraneFrancks 3 года назад

@@Mykkus Still not inclined to go in that direction. In the 20 years I've owned my Strat, I've never removed the pickguard. The day I do would only be to install a set of CS '69 pickups or some other repair.

@Mykkus 3 года назад

Trane Francks different strokes. I’m not a fan of the 69s (prefer 54’s) but I generally prefer telecasters or paul Reed Smith style guitars anyway

@forestyogin2218 3 года назад

EMG batteries last 3-4 years. I change mine after 3 and the battery that I remove still have lots of power. I have had EMG's in my Tele since 1991 and Have never ran a battery dead yet. It is also the best tone that I have ever heard in a Tele.

@kospandx 3 года назад

For what it is worth, you don't necessarily have to remove the pickguard. A normal Strat has a pretty flexible pickguard. The battery is likely to fit under the pots, and if that is the case it will be enough to unscrew three screws or so to lift it up.

@fuckenps3 3 года назад

The reason that actives maintain the highs is because of the buffer effect you described earlier. The higher frequencies stay present regardless of cable capacitance or resistance encountered in the tone or volume pots. They actually work like they're supposed to. You can even mod the capacitors on your tone pots, increasing the uF value, to get even more high-frequency roll-off if you want to, to counteract the increased brightness. This gives the player a greater range of frequency control to play with and it's all built into the guitar. Which means you've got more tone at the source, that you can play around with later in the signal chain with pedals and what-not. For this reason I'm honestly shocked that the guitar industry hasn't updgraded to active pickups exclusively. Although, I suppose cost is always a factor. Guitar is a bit like the skate industry, they shunt change even when it's objectively superior. Btw, for any skaters reading, check out Avenue suspension trucks, this isn't an advert or anything, they're just AMAZING. Also, my background is in metal so it was surprising to me to hear that actives have bad reputation with some guitarists! Btw, nice channel man, I subbed.

@AlikaMadis 3 года назад

Dude! I can't tell you how many times I've tried to explain what active pickups ACTUALLY do to people that just read forums and think that they know. Now I just have to send a link to your video! Thank you. Great vid, sounds great

@mr8ty8 Год назад

Little tip. I've bought this set 10 or so years ago and I've put the 9v battery under the backplate tremolo cavity. If you straight out the springs and put two one side and space out the other to the other side,you have the right amount of space to fit the 9v block. And you have easy access to the battery without removing the strings. Just 6 little screws and you have access.

@JeighNeither 7 месяцев назад

Meh, there are issues with that setup. First of all, the spring configuration is really important depending on the setup & the style of music a person plays. String gauge is also another major factor at play here. The heavier the strings, the fewer springs can be taken away, & anything over 10's requires every spring to be in place or the trem won't function properly. Another major possible hang-up could come from the type of tremolo. Many Strat players prefer aftermarket trems, that in many cases wouldn't allow this scheme to work. Lastly, most Strat players I know, including myself, don't keep the backplate on. Taking it off opens up resonance & lets you feel the string vibrations against your hip or chest, where ever the guitar sits on you, allowing for a more intimate playing experience with haptic feedback so to speak.

@robertsylvester3542 Месяц назад

@@JeighNeithergood to know thank you. I have a strat in my collection and it was originally a fender bullet. Which was my first real new guitar back in 98. Now it’s a 59 Strat. Thank to an amazing tech.

@Supperconductor 3 года назад

I have the David Gilmour DG-20 set in one my strats and I love it.

@ezm69 3 года назад

Just popped that set in one of mine last week, and wow! What an awesome set of pickups! Any sound you want is at pinky length with the tone controls!

@michaelsteven1090 3 года назад

so....Did his black strat have active pu's?

@gdawgs101 3 года назад

@@michaelsteven1090 No his black strat had passive pickups but he did use EMGs in his red strat that he used extensively throughout the '80s and early '90s

@ricardoraulino-guitar 3 года назад

This DG set brought my MiM strat to LIFE.. (while i do still enjoy the old pickups in a reliced strat copy, sometimes)

@mikaelbiilmann6826 3 года назад

I put in the DG20 in my 1981 Squier Stratocaster. The old PUs were beginning to die. Totally new guitar!

@waedi73 3 года назад

Having an LTD with EMGs and never want to change. The EMGs are awesome !

@jooyoonchung3593 Год назад

I played only passive pickups from age 16 up until age 45. Picked up an LTD EC1000 with EMGs and holy shit, I’m kicking myself for not having done it sooner. They are so incredibly responsive, and sound amazing both clean and with distortion.

@Scrimshaw_DuBois42 3 года назад

I mostly associated active pickups with metal and thought it was the best for that, but not much else. But this video makes me think I should consider them more seriously for other genres, especially since you mentioned David Gilmour uses them

@PageandPlant4Life 3 года назад

i feel the same way.. i hear gilmour and think okay maybe give em a try

@wingsoficarus1139 2 года назад

I have EMG 66/57 on my 8 string. They sound absolutely beautiful for both beefy metal tones and clean tones. Especially the 57 in the neck position.

@randymiles904 3 года назад

I love actives. I also love passives. For me, depends on the guitar, and the general mood of the day. I like the tight precision of actives, but I also love the musicality and personality of passives. That strat sounds AMAZING btw.

@wjewell63 3 года назад

I recently tried the tele and I'm hooked..still love my strat but I don't pick it up very often....thanks for this info

@ezm69 3 года назад

I moved to EMG's in the late 80's with my '86 Strat and those are still in there today (SA's). I just swapped out the pickups in another Strat going back to the SA's after trying 3 different sets including Fender Pure Vintage Custom Shops. This time I went with the David Gilmour set and I LOVE them. The tone controls act as pretty much presence and a mid boost and they're the first tone controls I've ever found useful. I can get almost any sound I want out of that set. I have Fishman Fluence in one of my Tele's (Greg Koch set) and I LOVE those in that guitar as well. That said, the Fishman Fluence Strat set is one of the ones I tried in the Strat I put the EMG's in and I hated those in the Strat. I have close to 20 other guitars and they're all traditional pickups, but of the 4 guitars I use most, it's the 2 Strats with EMG's, the Tele with the Fishmans, and another Tele with custom shop pickups that I love.

@57Techboy 3 года назад

I have a Japanese strat with SA's in a DG20 set up and an American 52 reissue Tele with EMG T's. I can play any style on either Axe and they sound awesome.

@hoosierdaddy2308 Год назад

Indeed. The volume and tone controls really respond and I love it. Also, you don't get shocked as you are not the ground when you touch the strings, and you don't have to ground to the trem. You can use a cord to the amp that's 200 feet long and it doesn't lose it's tone and make it dark, etc.. Just great.. The tone's are great, and I like that it's flat almost sounding for lack of a better word because it allows me to adjust the amp or use an EQ and get exact settings and tones! Plus, they are dead quiet. No need for a Hush unit! Thanks man. Great video!

@alexnismachin 3 года назад

What a beautiful sound came from your guitar! Wonderful subject for this review Ronquillo! Steve Lukather, David Gilmar and Mark Knopler can't be wrong!

@Lone_wolf_31 3 года назад

Man you play so beautifully ! It’s so melodious to listen. Others must learn how to play honestly. ! It’s not only about crazy distortion and extreme shredding

@SuperChicagoDude 3 года назад

For real. This dude kicks ass

@DavidDiMuzio 3 года назад

Didn't know Lukather played active pick-ups. Prince did as well in his Cloud guitars. I have his Cloud and I love the active pick-ups in it. Yes, you need to roll back the tone knob more on the active pick-ups I find as well.

@carvinblack 3 года назад

Do you have the Schecter?

@DavidDiMuzio 3 года назад

@@carvinblack yes, the Schecter. You'll see it on my channel in the videos for my Right Here Waiting cover and My Little Red Corvette cover

@angusorvid8840 3 года назад

You should start building guitar pickups with a name like DiMuzio.

@DavidDiMuzio 3 года назад

@@angusorvid8840great idea 🤘😋

@mohitrahaman 3 года назад

Hey David, big fan!

@BRIDKIE 3 года назад

Damn! This sounds nice! I was one of those people who thought active Pups was only for really REALLY heavy tones, but the clean sounds are really good! Kind of twangy as well

@leesimeone 3 года назад

Seriously wondering why Andy Summers never used EMG's with The Police, would have picked up more of his playing for sure

@bestevaer1977 3 года назад

I love videos debunking misconceptions! and I love both passive and active pickups, they're just different sounds.

@grilledspaghetti Год назад

I'm eyeing this exact set at the moment and come here and find that the perfect guy has done a rundown. Thanks Ron, love your reviews.

@SAPscottpayer 4 месяца назад

I don’t feel a need to watch any other video’s about these pickups. I’m sold. You’re such a talented player and so relatable!

@toemasmeems 3 года назад

Love it I just ordered EMGS for my 7 string as it was a childhood dream but was always too poor lol 😂 love this channel everytime i tune in. You make just good quality demos man, salamat po

@DruNature 3 года назад

wow man, I gotta say I've seen your comments on almost every single guitar video I've been watching over the last month. I must have watched every video about schecter guitars on youtube! I've been shopping for my first guitar (just recorded my entire album with my bandmates guitar, and they want it back!) and I picked up a schecter reaper 6 and i'm not super sold on the pickups. so I impulse bought a used LTD ec-1000 with these active EMGs and its arriving sunday... lol Im only keeping 1 guitar, but if i gotta switch out for duncans, I might as well try these EMGs first. Anyway, that's my story, thanks for listening lol. rock on dude I'm sure I'll see you around XD

@toemasmeems 3 года назад

@@DruNature LOL i definitely spend way too much time these days on RU-vid browsing through gear vids lol those EC-1000s are always quality. I legit think that it doesn't get much better past that in terms of craftsmanship and quality. but yeah gotta say Duncans I like more than EMGs but i also just like passives because i like to swap out pickups when im bored and with actives it's process unless you stay active. GL on your gear journey!

@JonathanKillstring 3 года назад

Love'em. For most of my purposes, they fit so much better in the mix than other pickups I've used.. I love love love the sound of p90s, jazzmaster pups... really, there are a lot of things that sound super good. But for the past couple years, I've really been bonding with EMGs and Fishman Fluence Moderns.

@Coastal-Sasquatch Год назад

Isn't it funny how the passive Nazi's say they're "dull" "lifeless" but then need a bunch of compression when mixing

@noahpavey6504 3 года назад

Laughed my ass off at the intro! 😂 Active pickups. WTF

@dwightgarcia9197 3 года назад

This video and Fluff’s Beard files video are exactly why I’ve gutted all pickups from my guitars and strictly use EMG pickups. They are an amazing innovation, but most importantly very consistent, quiet, dynamic, clear and durable from elements and sweat that would cause them to short or even go microphonic. They are indeed balanced, but balanced in a way that lets you sound like yourself; a put in left field reference would be transparent OD’s like Timmy, Klon and the Dumble sounds. They let you’re playing come through and allow you to add or cut whatever you need on the volume and tone knob and mainly let you focus on adjusting your amps character sound to your hearts content. They are very misunderstood and very underrated piece of gear and I personally have enjoyed the ability to just pick up a guitar and focus on playing rather than fiddle with tone on the guitar for hours on end. Thank you for making this video and I hope people consider actives in their setup. :)

@Billywagner22 3 года назад

I had flashbacks from the movie Vision Quest when you played the clean chorus part.

@57stratkat Год назад

Great, intelligent review! I'm an "older" guy and have used EMG's in some of my guitars since the 70's. They do require you to get familiar with your amp. I have some vintage passive's that are brilliant but I've grown increasing sensitive to the 60 cycle hum. (combined with tinnitus!) The newer EMG X series is impressive- very natural sounding and crazy versatile. I recently put an EMG 89XR in the neck position of a prototype guitar I snagged on eBay and can now capture the sweet spot for single coil neck position. Pure bliss/ no noise / crystalline clarity / articulate attack - I'm sold.

@csrobles74 3 года назад

I have the same set. Tried lots of passives but these shine. They make me play different. I love how they sound in low gain. The dynamic range is awesome.

@Patrick-857 Месяц назад

This is one of the reviews that finally made me purchase a set. I think it's going to give me what I've been searching for. I want a smooth consistent sound, that allows natural and pinch harmonics to really pop.

@EddRocker5150 Год назад

For a live situation they're probably the best choice to me, cause they fix most of passive pickups "problems" and they give you the perfect range of frequencies to fit better in the mix. In a studio situation we can debate what's better but i think taste in guitar tone is always different among guitarists.

@MichaelZola 3 года назад

I have EMGs in my vintage Steinberger, (S,S) Tele, (S,H) Duo Sonic, (H,H) Les Paul. Really want them in a Strat. Great for modulation effects. Very quacky cleans! Thank you R.J for giving active pickups another go!

@mannylebron2880 3 года назад

that is the best demo I've seen so far about that particulat EMG set ,

@Bliggick 3 года назад

I did a lot of gigs with two guitarists in the 90's and one had a Strat and one had a Tele with EMGs and both eventually went to Strats, one with stock passive pickups and one with Lace Sensors. For the music we were playing, which you could broadly call classic and southern rock, they both sounded way better with the switch away from EMGs in my opinion. Maybe I just got tired of hearing the EMGs for so long could be part of it, but there was something else there. The EMGs to my ears were just too much in your face, they weren't as dynamic, too fat sounding and almost compressed sounding. When they switched suddenly their playing was way more dynamic, they could play with a delicate sweet sound but still dig in and rip when they need to. Maybe EMGs are perfect for metal or other types of rock, but that was not what we were doing. Your mileage may vary. R.J. as usual makes everything sound great.

@DanRodriguez1 9 дней назад

I play at weddings, EMG is my way to go, I love the sound and the vince gill set lets you have SSS configuration with an additional boost(in the tone knob) that not just adds volume but fatness. Love it!

@ahoneyman 3 года назад

Being an occasional bass player guitar players really miss out with active pickups. A 3 band EQ really blows the doors open tonally with actives. With a guitar an EQ pedal really helps with actives. Set up the EQ pedal for a warm clean tone and engage for cleans. For dirt turn it off and run the tone knob for EQ. That's for indie rock and goofball metal rhythm work. They make some great bluesy/funk rhythm tones as well. The extra clarity sits well with greasy blues/Dorian solos.

@butchdelaware3174 Год назад

I love my EMGs I have them in both squires I've got just an 81 in the bridge on one. On my other I've got a 60 in the bridge and two singles and the amount of tone options is epic.

@metalboy50 11 месяцев назад

One thing that is not often mentioned is that EMG makes passive pickups as well. I know EMG is widely known for the active humbuckers for that heavy metal sound, but the EMG passive HZ' are out there.

@JeighNeither 7 месяцев назад

Yeah, but they're mostly cheaper models & not very well respected. Not sure about HZ's, but overall that's a vibe that's out there.

@Bacontruffle 2 года назад

Dang, this actually legitimately made me re-think how I looked at active pickups... I kinda want to try them now, for versatility reasons Thanks for the super informative video!

@jsirius94 2 года назад

Thank you for this demo video! Even if EMG pickups aren't for the everyday tones I am chasing, I really dig some of the tones you got here. While listening I realized this is the kind of set I would need for some specific tones I've not been able to get with passive pickups.

@CJ-22 2 года назад

I will get this week my first Japanese Fender Stratocaster 1984-1987 with exactly this EMG SL20 pickup set and pickguard. 😍🎸

@FlankinspanK 2 месяца назад

you are a very versatile player!

@satarello 2 года назад

ironically EMG active singiels are very good to the vintage tone. I love this company because they made good pickups for different styles of music: starting with blues to metal

@weets69 2 месяца назад

I have a set of these in my 84 MIJ Squire that I modified years ago. I luv them.

@larsfocken3456 2 года назад

Thank you for this video. I really recommend that you check out what the tone controls do when you are considering active PUs. E.g. I have a Strat with the EMG DG Pickguard on it. It has two tone controls, one is a midboost and the other boosts the low and the upper frequencies. With the controls all on zero it is almost like a passive Strat with the tone controls on 10. Then in switch positions 1, 3 and 5 with the midboost you can really nail down DG, EC and SRV tones. In positions 2 and 4 with the low / high boost you get the most lovely in-between-sounds I have ever heard from a Strat. If you don't use your tone controls on your guitar active PUs don't make sense I believe.

@stephenwalters4019 Месяц назад

Thanks for the video, this is without a doubt the best video on this subject I’ve ever watched and I have watched hundreds over the years, this is also the first time I have watched one of your videos, you are a very talented player and unlike most videos on this subject don’t try to trick someone into agreeing with your opinion. Good luck keep playing and will try to keep following your channel.

@douglassloan6831 2 года назад

I'm so glad I found this review. The only time I've ever used active pickups was on a bass for recording. They evened out all the levels almost like someone was riding the levels and it was awesome. I build guitars and just finished my first with a Lukather set up, as per customer request. I plugged it in and was kind of shocked by how toppy and harder to really drive they were. That being said, after watching this and messing around with the tone control and some effects, it sounds fantastic. Thanks for all you do. You got a new subscriber.

@qtheband751 3 года назад

Fantastic review RJ. Thank you for covering everything and introducing me to the wondrous world of tone and volume. I used to be an “everything on 10“ guy myself. So impressed with the range of incredible tones you achieved. This Lukather set sounds amazing. I’m in the market for an EMG HSS set. This helped a lot. By the way I could listen to you play all day. It inspires me to be a better guitar player.

@john-di1mz Год назад

Agree with every word!!!

@bluematrix5001 3 года назад

I think this is one of the very best sounds I heard from you, and you are just playing and checking them out, wait until you know them well.... great pickups

@drej1714 3 года назад

I've never been into active pickups but I am into that blue! Man that is gorgeous!!

@michaelbarber590 Год назад

I added an extra battery and switchable 9v/18v mod, which {in 18v} makes the clean tones sound less sterile and gives them more headroom. I do prefer 9v for high gain though.

@brian1749 3 года назад

I love actives! I have various active EMG's or Seymour Duncan Blackouts in almost every guitar I own.

@LIGHTintheHALLS 3 года назад

I love the sound of alnico magnets interacting directly with tubes through a wire. 🔊💨❤️

@karlboman Год назад

Very informative and helpful, thank you!

@mnxnmnxn Год назад

Just wanted to let you know this: somehow I stumbled upon this video while investigating about active pickups. Not much to say until there. The thing is I saw the video with my 6 months old boy and found out he loves the demo. I play it out for him almost daily haha. So there, you have a little fan.

@richardhamilton5203 2 года назад

Thank you buddy. I've never done that thorough examine either . I needed that.

@JayFromEarth 3 года назад

Soon as the chorus pedal came on everything totally made sense for me. Personally, I would never replace those pickups in that guitar. That was a really good sound.

@dsholt 3 года назад

Knowing almost nothing about pickups at the time I bought a used strat with EMGs in it in 1996. I've always loved the sound of that guitar, then bunch of years ago I started watching a lot of guitar RU-vid, which has given me this nagging feeling that I should swap them out for "real" strat pickups. I can't quite bring myself to do it though! This was a great demonstration as to why.

@FabrizioPeretti 3 года назад

Don't even know were to start here. I' m watching this with a luke 2 in my hands. These pickups are what you'd expect a session player to use, plain and simple. Really versatile but without the problems of a traditional pick up. The biggest difference with other guitars to me is the effectiveness of the pots which work like mixer faders instead of going all over the place at a certain point. The guitar has more dynamics and overall frequencies, so if you want to go "tratidional tones" turn down volume and tone a bit ti get where you want. These are fantastic pickups to me, they served me well for a lot of gigs.

@everybodylovesgav 3 года назад

The very first guitar i owned had Emg active pickups, i grew up playing with those pickups i know, how they react and what does and doesnt work with them. The hate i found from people was they didnt know how to use them. They all had passive setups and the just simply plugged the guitar in and said " naw dont like it" because they didnt change there settings or the way they approached playing with active's. To say actives are shit considering Gilmour, Prince, Zakk wylde , Lukater, Moore ,have all got amazing tones out of them says more about you as a player rather than the pickups. P.s pretty much all Bass players love them, so you cant really hate one rather than the other.

@clgmafnas 3 года назад

Generally, actives are great for certain things: output, dirty power/lights, metal... But generally, I find passives to be more dynamic and that's why they work better for me. But my favourite music is more vintage flavored anyway.

@letsgofuckingcrazy Месяц назад

That's my feeling and playing style as well but I never tried an active pickup... Have you? I'd like an opinion from someone who values dynamics like us...

@Oilid 3 года назад

You love Strats. We love you. Active pickups: yay AND nay! 😁 Nay: 9V batteries budget, compression, lack of dynamics, lifeless EMGs (especially on your funky playing). Yay: sustain, noiseless, power for metal! 🤘🤘🤘🤘

@TheSammyreynolds 3 года назад

People who say EMGs are lifeless don't know what the hell they're doing.

@AndyDion 3 года назад

I was really impressed by the tones RJ got with tone knob. But I agree, doesn’t sound as good as passive pickups on the cleans, especially those funk chords.

@Oilid 3 года назад

@@AndyDion Hello bro! Yes, I agree. Didn't sound funky at all imo.

@FabrizioPeretti 3 года назад

Dude, less compression and more dynamic you ment right? Cause that's the case really! As far as the lifeless part... The only alive part of a guitar is the player, u know what i mean ;)

@Oilid 3 года назад

@@FabrizioPeretti No comment.

@griiseknoen 3 года назад

Sounds great! Well *intonated* too! Some of that is naturally because the guitar is well set up, but I've found that *a lot of it* is also down to the skill and "touch" of the player - and *you* have NAILED IT! 👍 (I'm still working at it myself... 🙄)

@Patrick-857 Месяц назад

Yep. I have been going for lighter strings after 20 years of playing 10s in standard, 12s on acoustic, and literal elevator cables in low tunings, because my picking was too heavy, and my intonation with my fretting hand was so bad. I'm now down to 9s in D standard/drop C, and 10s in C#/drop B. I've learnt to trust my tuning stability and setup, and play lightly. My hands still get tense, but I think bad technique gets absolutely wrecked by forcing yourself to play super light strings. You have no choice but get your playing under control.

@otonarboleda3281 3 года назад

EMG pickups are the best. I've used them for 20 years. Started with a 81/85 set (the ones you actually had to solder) and then installed a T-System on a custom made Telecaster. A year ago I got an SA set for a strat and now a 60/81 set for a reverend. They sound great, no noise, batteries last years and they look cool. I think in the future all my guitars will have emgs

@happyfarmer6823 Год назад

thanks for the explanation plus sweet jamming.

@bobtucker1049 Год назад

I just talked myself out of buying this exact pickguard - then I heard you play it. Gosh darn you sir.

@ryant3600 3 года назад

Man you're saying exactly everything I have said this year. I love modifying strat bodies, I always change out the pups in my guitars. only guitar right now that I have that have stock pups is my 2021 60's standard Epi I got from my daughter for Xmas this year. And that's cause actually I think they sounds great and I haven't had time to swap them. But as I get older and my eyes get worse I'm finding it harder to solder, so been looking into this whole "EMG" solderless thing this past week.. Only problem with trying to find a good demo for EMG's on youtube is everyone tunes down and just chugs the crap out of it and it's just noise to me. Although I did hear Faulkner do a demo for 57/66s which sounded nice. and I do have a strat that I was thinking about his Lukather set.. I have never owned or played active pups in the 40 years I've been playing.. I always told myself I will never get EMG's. but never say never..i wish Seymour would make their pups solderless. That would be awesome.

@ryant3600 3 года назад

after watching this.. I will be getting the EMG's.. my mind is made up. .Thanks for a great demo..

@wingsoficarus1139 2 года назад

I been thinking of building a franken-strat using a baritone neck off of another fender then sticking EMGs into it for metal. Not sure if its safe though.

@benlux7500 2 года назад

That was an awesome coaching! Great playing as well! 2 thumbs up for your descriptions! TY

@davidurias6778 Год назад

Man, the chorus and distortion together sound gnarly!

@timjones9727 3 месяца назад

Just throwing this in. Mark Knopfler had EMG’s on his Pensa Suhr’s. He had the 85/SA/SA set with the SPC boost on a push pull. One of those guitars (the quilt maple topped one) sold for over £500,000 recently at his massive guitar auction. He retains at least one more which is in black he’s retained and used on his 2024 album on the song ‘Scavengers Yard’. The song just oozes compressed EMG goodness.

@tomjulian7226 4 месяца назад

Excellent demonstration as usual RJ. I have a set of Gilmour EMG's on one of my Strats. They just have that hi-fi sound that is enjoyable to me...and they're noiseless which always bothered me too about traditional single coils.

@philipaaronson8878 3 года назад

I've had this exact set in my strat since 2011, and along with a Baggs bridge it has made that strat my most gigged, most versatile guitar. People bag on EMGs, but the right sets / combos shine. I have an MJT build with an SLV single and 89R hum which I very much looking forward to getting back from the luthier completing the build! Thanks for a very fair, informative review!

@Music-di5sh 3 года назад

Great playing and videos. Love the Tracker Trucks shirt!

@kellyjandrews Год назад

This is great. Really helped me decide on giving active pickups a try. I love that you can dial in the preamps there the same as you would anywhere else in the signal chain.

@jacttanna2353 3 года назад

I always thought that the old Eric Clapton Signatures with the Gold Lace Sensors sounded great. Contemporary to be sure, but just a great tones all their own both clean and with the mid boost. Also liked being able to control the amount of breakup from the guitar. You can also do that from the volume knob, but these are two different sounds. Gives you a lot of sounds before you even think about a pedal. Makes it easy to plug in anywhere and still sound good. The new Claptons sound good too, but I like the gold sensors better.

@RutheniumPictures Год назад

I recently upgraded my Squier Stratocaster Classic Vibe 60th Anniversary with Lace Sensor Gold pickups and the Mid Boost Circuit and I'm in love with the sound now! The EMG SL20 sound great as well...just wandering what an EMG SPC would add

@posarelli Год назад

Just installed my... it's up & working, a couple of days and already love them!

@sunnys3325 3 года назад

Fishman Fluence....best of both worlds🙂

@MichaelZola 3 года назад

I really like them too brother!

@ezm69 3 года назад

LOVE them on my Tele but hated the Strat set!

@Melkor0410 3 года назад

Okay not bad yes bu thats sound wise. Yes they have active and passive voicings but overall they are still active pickups

@Fishman_Music 3 года назад

@@Melkor0410 They are fully passive sounding but just "powered" to use the tech!

@themodernguitarist 3 года назад

Meh

@alexshevchenko7568 Год назад

Mark Knopfler and David Gilmour are probably the best known active EMG pickups players. In their hands these pickups sound absolutely astonishing.

@joeficalora1773 3 года назад

Great playing and a great review! I’m building a travel guitar in the steinberger style and changing out the pickups for active style. Since it’s mostly playing through headphones while in a hotel or late at night I didn’t want any 60 cycle hum or buzz in my ears... thanks again for the review!

@EvLoutonian 9 месяцев назад

Really appreciate you going into a deeper dive on this setup (and great playing as always!) Would be interested to hear what you make of some of the other EMG control configs, such as those in the Dave Gilmour set (mid boost & bass/treble boost setup)

@srinip 10 месяцев назад

Your description is very correct. I myself have the DG set, so I don't have a tone knob, but I find the SPC does a great job of adding some meat when you need it. I'm not completely sold on the EXG yet, but maybe I'll find a use for it some day. That said, your point about these being great for the studio is spot on. Then again, I love that 80s stuff, so maybe I'm biased..😄

@lloydnorval1989 3 года назад

Duuuude you really do them pickups and that strat justice and a very nice informative detailed video so thank you! :)

@hoosierdaddy2308 Год назад

I love this channel. You have some great info.. I love Active pickups.. Love them.. I'm 61 and when I started playing back in the day I gigged a little and I played at these bars that were in buildings where the electric wires and wiring in general sucked. I was shocked a couple times, and that was it.. Passives you become the ground when touch the strings. I've heard the arguments that they're too compressed, but I think that's not true. I think people like to be mad at something.. hehehe I love them. I have the old soldered 3 EMG SA's and I'm probably going to get a new pickguard and use a EMG 85x in the bridge and one of my SA's in the neck, because I like a Humbucker / Single coils setup. The middle pickup gets in my way and I rarely use it as I play mostly blues, rock, hard rock and metal.. Been playing for 45 years almost.. Great channel man and thanks for the info.. Very cool. Sounds great to me all the tones you were getting.. Thanks again. Tim (Southern Indiana. USA The heartland)..

@michaelhawkins6149 Год назад

I have always loved emg pickups! Thanks for the video.

@bipbipletucha 3 года назад

That Strat looks like the Tony Franklin P Bass

@skidogbill 3 года назад

I used EMG SAs in a super Strat in the ‘80s and ‘90s, and they worked great. I recently put that old set into an Ibanez AZ244F with a basswood body and they sounded fuller and better IMHO than the Duncan Hyperions it came with. The full-range quality is what makes them useful. By the way, rolling off the tone can give a pretty decent jazz tone, too.

@ceebee491 2 года назад

Just been looking at these pick ups online. Great timing!

@keithcarter9396 3 года назад

I loved the tones and clarity, nice playing too.

@samwilcockmusic Год назад

Great video. Articulate, informative, accurate info and some badass playing too.

@jaceyrondeau8133 2 года назад

Thought that was very cool. Nice demo. Never realized how much variety of tone was available, especially from just tweaking the volume and tone knob. Thanks for the review.

@dave.todden 3 года назад

My brother! That's some really great playing and I love that Strat! Watching this makes me wanna go buy one and the Lukather drop-in set to go with it! lol Thanks for the great video!

@TeleCustom72 3 года назад

The 85 is indeed a very balanced pickup - the most of all their humbuckers imo. The 81 had that grinding metal midrange in the bridge and the 61 is clear as a bell (especially nice in the neck).