I am building a guitar and was thinking about putting two 89's and and SA. The idea is two be able to switch between the 3 singles(with a 5-way switch) and 2 humbuckers(with a 3-way one).

Is this even possible? How good are 89s for metal(Opeth/Arch Enemy/Dark Tranquillity/Iron Maiden/Symphony X)?

The guitar is going to be black walnut(natural oil finish) with slightly modified strat-shaped body and neck with piezos(fuck yeah!) in the bridge.

Dude, almost anything is possible with pickup wiring. BUT, its not all easy or simple. You need to work on some wiring diagrams, and see if what you want will work, and wont be too hard to do.
EMG's are fine for metal btw.

Yeah, but the 89 specifically. Has anyone here heard one. I know it's supposed to sound "similar" to the 85, but how similar is it?

if its like the 85, it will be muddy as shit hahaha

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If the guitar is made of walnut, for the love of god do not put EMG's in it. Walnut is a really nice tonewood, you want something that will take advantage of that.

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I like EMGs, but I'm definitely open to suggestions. It's gotta be two humbuckers that can do coil-tap and a single.

In fact, it doesn't have to be a coil tap. I just want a good clean(blues/maybe some jazz) to go with my badass distortion.

The more I look into EMGs the more problems I have with them. For example, I want to run the output of the piezos into a different(accoustic) amp through a stereo jack, but The emgs need the stereo jack to tell if the cable is plugged in.

Also, the 85 would not be my first choice with EMG. I would brobably go with 81/81 or 81/60 if I wasn't going to play any clean stuff. And the 89 probably sounds at least a little worse than the 85 (or they would just make the 85 with the same magnets/coils as the 89).

So what do I want here? Seymour Duncan?

How about the SH-4 jb and the SH-2 jazz? Maybe a single or a stacked humbucker in between? What do you think?

Sounds like you should check out the DiMarzio ToneZone, it's supposed to have great cleans and distortion, with great picking dynamics.

If you are willing to spend some cash, bare knuckle pickups are pretty much the best. I think a Seymour Duncan JB might be a little bright in a walnut bodied guitar. I think a Tone Zone would work very well.

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The ToneZone Sounds cool, I'll have to try one. Dynamics are very cool, however, I pick very lightly on fast stuff. Do you think that would be a problem?



Walnut isn't all that bright is it? I mean, it's on the brighter side, but it's not like it's maple or anything.

Also, does this mean you think the SD jazz would be cool?

Let's say that I get the jazz and the toneZone. What would be a single coil in between (both of those 'buckers are coil-spitable)

Walnut is actually very similar to maple tonally, just richer and more balanced. Tone Zone and Jazz would be good, as long as you dont mind conflicting pickup aesthetics.

For single coils, if you are going SD I would choose something hotter like the SSL-3. For Dimarzios, maybe something like the Cruiser, although id recommend Duncan single coils over Dimarzios anyday.

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Ok, this combination (jazz/ssl-3/toneZone) sounds pretty good from the descriptions and sound samples on the manufacturers websites. But I really need to try them out a Guitar Center or somewhere.

How do I know if the single coil that is accessed by coil-splitting the ToneZone and the Jazz are any good, And how do I know if they will go well with the ssl3?

Also, should this be moved to the normal pickups thread, since I'm not going to use EMGs?

http://www.seymourduncan.com/suppor...w_pushpull.html

I think that this is supposed to coil-split both humbuckrers with one push-pull pot. Am I right?

i've got a Jackson Dinky with a pair of EMG-Hz passives and an afterburner gain boost in it, but i am planning to go active. there's already a battery in the cavity for the afterburner, and the passives have the quick connect wiring. does anyone know if i can simply swap my passive EMGs for actives via quick-connect?? i have not sat down to pour over wiring diagrams yet, but does anyone already know if the wiring would already be set for the actives (once swapped) to draw off of the existing battery that the afterburner uses??

EDIT: this is why i hate "sticky" threads.. nobody notices new shit in them

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No it wont. You'll have to rewire the battery and the afterburner so that the new pups can get power.

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i just installed 81/85 set on my ibanez. sounds great. i dont care if all guitars with emg's sound the same, sounds damn good.

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Yeah

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I am trying to wire up my EMG-ZW set in a Jackson Kelly. I have it set up for 2 tones and 2 master volumes (I cut out extra holes and enlarged the cavity). My problem is with wiring up the green wire from the jack plate and the wires from each colume pot to the switch. None of the schematics have my switch type.

Here is a picture of similar to my switch (http://www.ibanez.com/parts/2000_PA...T/3PS1C3WTG.jpg). There are six tabs, 3 on the outer edge and 3 in the center. When I picked up the body there was no existing wiring I could use as a guide.

I don't know which to solder to, any help would be appreciated.

i recently bought a 7 string, but i wanna change the pick ups.

im thinking of getting emgs 707.

but do i have to get 2 of them? or how does that work?

if so.. would it be better to get an emg 707 and another pick up, not the 707?

thanks.

Here are some things to consider.
Emg 7 string pickups are bigger than regular 7 string pickups, and routing might be required for them... in that case... i'd just get an x2n-7 if i were you.

and

emg 707's are muddy as shite, i'd recommend an 81-7 if you MUST go with emgs. My overall recommendation is to skip emg's altogether and go with something with more balls, like an x2n for example.

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has anyone tried the EMG HA before? the single coil in a humbucker, I think it has a great sound, but not many people have tried it out it seems, mostly seems to stay around the 81/85/60 zone, which i think are all great pickups and I have all 3 of those throughout my 3 Beasts...emg 81 in all the bridges, and 60/85/HA in all the necks...I still think 85 sounds great clean though, just has a different kind of tone than the 60, which has a GREAT clean tone in the neck i think, but the HA is real smooth, and I think should be recognized more...

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So if I were to replace the duncan in the back of my jackson should i use The 85 or the 81?

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By "back", do you mean the bridge pickup? If so, use an 81 in the bridge. The 85 is muddy and dull.

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Thanks man!!!! That is gotta be the baddest fucking pickup ever. Its amazing the difference it makes verses the duncan. My leads and harmonics have improved 120% in the past week. Fuck Yeah!!!!!

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Trying to decide on pickups and i've heard a few options.

81-85: I've heard it and I like the sound for lead guitar
81-81: never heard this set-up but I've seen it installed in some esp guitars
81-60: I heard it gives you better clean tones

Obviously my first love is metal or I wouldn't be on this site. I want to play a mix of lead and rhythym guitar but my main concern is having decent clean tone for when I decide to fool around with some other styles of music. I really like the sound of the 81-85 set up but I'd like to hear your input on some of the others. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure I have passive dimarzio pickups in my guitar. It has a battery in the cavity. I've played the guitar without the battery.

Do active pickups need the battery to work? Do actives work without the battery?

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Yes active pickups need a battery. No they wont work without it.

Heres how an active works

(rediculously cheap underwound pickup) --> preamp (powered by battery) --> pots, input, all that jazz.

if theres no battery, the preamp will not have power, and if the preamp doesnt have power, it will act as a wall and will block what little current comes from the pickup. Its just like plugging into a guitar pedal with no power: it will silence you.

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Since we are on the topic of EMG pickups, anyone know what would be an Ideal single coil for me? I want to place a single coil at the neck. I'm looking for something where it will give me a nice warm tone for playing things on clean. No distortion. Though when used with distortion it would also make a great pickup for sweeping and what not. Most preferably I want to get a single coil pick up though it must be passive. I don't want active. From what I told you what do you guys think would suit me best, an s3 or s4?

http://www.emginc.com/displayproduc...8&catalogid=168

Also what do you guys prefer for a neck pickup. I'm curious to know and as well your reasons.

Thanks.

See, i had a lot of trouble finding a neck pup that i liked. Because i had a single coil guitar for the longest time, i couldn't find a metal one. Then i found Dimarzio. Most single coils are passive by them (i say most ,because i don't know all of them off hand), and i use the 'chopper' in the neck of my hamer, which kicks major ass. Very silent, and picks up a lot, very easy to sweep without excess squeaks. Then in my strat, i use the YJM in the neck, and it speaks for it self, i mean, if Malmsteen uses it, it has to be good, haha.
But i have no idea how the single coil emg's sound, i heard that the single coil emghz was decent, but, don't take my word for it, i do not like using emgs at all

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about how much would it cost to get a ZW 81/85 set installed at a guitar store? i just bought a set and i dont really wanna mess it up by putting em in myself

hey guys, yeah im new so sorry if i sound like an idiot but here goes: i really want to put active pups in my prs se (v.1) so im thinkin definately emg 81 for the bridge, + i like the idea of the coil tap in the 89 so i can have the versatility of the 85 / SA... i'll probably get a technician to do it purely cos i know the guys in the store and they won't charge much

1. will the wiring etc of an 81 and an 89 (cos it has a push / pull thing to switch right?) fit in my one volume + one tone guitar, bearin in mind i keep the volume and tone at full anyway so i don't care what they get assigned to .. im assumin it will work but its good to check ..

2. how easy would it be for someone like me who's pretty new to fitting / changing things to take out the 89 and rotate it 180 degrees so that the single coil is right under the neck in the lowest position? - im sorta hopin it'll sound a bit nicer there..

3. is it always better to have the pickups as close as possible to the strings for both neck and bridge? i.e. my neck pickup is quite far away / low down, so should i make a point of telling my guy to raise it up?

sorry if this stuff is pretty basic

Not sure about 1, but:
2. It's quite easy. EMG pickups use a quick connector that you can simply disconnect, pull out the pickup, rotate it, and then reconnect it, no soldering necessary. You will have to unscrew the pickup casing from your body though.

3. Because EMGs are active, they produce very little string pull themselves, so it's best to place them very close to the strings.

Hey , I recently installed a set of 81 - 85 on my guitar (bought 'em sepparetly so i had to do some modifications, i mean, not prewired as the Z W set), and i made a 2 vol independent and a master tone configuration on a epiphone explorer.

I took it at first with a stupid "technician" and he made the ground connections wrong and the 85 neck pickup sounded twangy as hell and u could hardly hear it was effectivly sounding..... after doing some research on that (i couldn't sleep knowing my guitar was sounding like real crap) I found out that the stupid tech put the 85 pickup "out of phase", after reading about the subject I moved the ground cables and fixed the problem.

Now the 85 neck pickup sound allright, full, nice, loud and beefy, but my problem is that there is a lot of difference of output level compared to the 81 in the bridge... many people has told me that it is normal since all the neck pickups always have more volume because of the possition, and because the 85 emg has more output than the 81 by deffinition... but after all the crappy connections the first stupid tech did to it, im afraid there's something else that would be fuckd up .....

Other thing i came up with, is that the guitar still has the same string gauge it comes from factory (9's) and that could be the reason for the thin, not loud sound from the 81 pickup....

The difference between sounds is more obvious when you are using the clean channel, when using a heavy dist u could hardly say wich pickup you are using...

Somebody knows if this is allright? somebody has the same pickup configuration? somebody knows if it is normal to have more volume output (notticeable) from the 85 pup?

Thanx a lot, any help would be appreciated!

I just bought a EMG 81 and 60 because the the EMGHZs in my older jackson dinky sound like shit... the problem i have is the 2 wires between the volume and Tone pods arnt long enough to reach the preexisting holes.. what should i do?

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You're going to have to buy new wire and replace the current wires. Use a soldering iron, and do it one wire at a time so you don't connect anything to the wrong thing.

Hey guys, I'm sorry if this is already in this thread, but I can't search all 37 pages so here goes:

I have a Jackson Dinky with EMG-HZ pickups in it, and I want to replace them with actives. I know I have to change some things to make the switch from passive to active, but is it a little easier seeing that the pickups are already EMGs even if they are passive?

I would like to install these myself, but I have never installed pickups before. Is this an attainable goal?

Thanks,
Avenite.

Hey guys im new to the site. My guitar is in the Artist series of Ibanez i believe the AR2000 the one with the wood finish. I'm dropping the 81 85 setup in it and i wanted some criticism on it, haha constructive or destructive. i think i may being doing a good thing, just hit me back.

If you buy EMGs new, they come with everything you need. You would basically replace all the electronics in the guitar with what comes in the EMG boxes. Each pickup comes with a volume pot, tone pot and capacitor, battery connector and output jack, and of ocurse wiring diagrams for the most common pickup/control layouts.

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This sounds pretty normal to me. Yes, the 85 sounds a fair bit louder on a clean channel.

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yeah that's normal assuming both pups are level with one another. My pup configuration goes 85-SA-85 and the neck 85 is lowered more than the rest to even out the output difference. The string gauge shouldn't really have anything to do with it. So, lower your 85 and go from there.

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ok, im on the right thread now. I recently switched my 85 to the bridge and 81 to the neck. if i decide to keep it like that i'll probably want to get either a 60 or an 89 in the neck. leanin toward the 89 since its supposed to sound like the 85, which im already familiar with.

Does anyone have a wiring diagram for emg? the adobe viewer ones don't work for me for some reason. 1 volume 1 tone and gibson style toggle. The tech i brought i to never put the 25k emg pots in it and left the 500k ones because the knobs had screws holding them on to the pots and they were rusted right in there. i just put the 25k ones in myself and i lost quite a bit of output. its about equal to the duncan distortion pup in my other guitar now. Im guessing that he somehow wired it different to work with the 500k pots.(?) It's also a little noisy, pre and post pot change. if the ground wire isn't connected i get popping sounds when i touch the knobs although emg says not to connect it.

I've got a les paul custom sitting at home here but only one EMG 81. Can I drop that in the bridge and still have both pickups working or would I have to disconnect the neck p/u entirely?

yes you can, but its kinda wierd how to do it. the emg website has a diagram on how to mix actives and passives.

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Cool cool, I thanks you.

I have installed an EMG 81 pick-up in the bridge position on my B.C.Rich KKV.

I know that the EMG's are internally shielded. Would it be of any help to shield the pick-up cavity with copper foil and then solder it to the volume pot?

At high volumes on stage sometimes there is a lot of feedback, even with the noise supressor on, so I'm trying to avoid this feedback in any way.

Thanks a lot !

Shielding wont help feedback, only background noise from RF interference.

Your main problem is that the cheap kkv is made out of light and shitty wood that resounds and feeds back easily.

Now heres a list of things you can do to help it.
1. Put foam behind the pickups
2. turn down gain
3. turn down treble
4. turn down presence.
5. get further away from your amp

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I've put some foam in the pickup and in the pots cavities and the feedback seems to be gone. The pickup was really tight in the ring, I've filed the ring a little bit, as a guy from the EMG forum suggested.

Thanks

i recently installed an EMG 81 on my guitar, its one volume and one tone with just one EMG. I double checked everything the quickconnect is connected in the right side, everything, but the pickup is still very quiet. it doesnt pick up distortion very well neither, and the batteries are brand new.

any help would be appreciated

Make sure that you adjust the height of the pickup close to the strings.

these total no0b-wads speaking of pickup height reminded me of a good question. I've heard that EMG's have a "sweet spot" when it comes to height does anyone know what it is???? I play Duncan JB's and have them relatively low...but my next guitar will have EMG's, and I want to get it sounding as good as possible.

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