EMG Pickups. Yuck!! | I'm kidding! Must Watch!!!
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- Опубліковано 2 лис 2020
- For a while I loved EMGs then suddenly REALLY disliked them. Hahaha! I yanked them out of my guitars and my buddy Steve shared this link with the 24volt "mod" which is just a battery compartment that uses two 12v batteries and WHAMMO! Instant amazing EMGs for ever!! Steve, thank you so much and here's a link to the ebaY store I bought mine from! ENJOY!!
► EMG 24Volt Mod Link:
tinyurl.com/ebay24voltmod
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Louis Torres is a New York based metal guitarist who
formed DARKWRENCH and Muerte De Dios
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► NY Hatecore - darkwrench.com - Розваги
99% of why people dont like EMGs is because they read on a forum and are following hype. Close to 90% of everyones favorite metal records are all recorded with emgs. It's not by accident.
I agree with you, for metal, it has to be the most popular pickup of all time
I'm okay with the standard 9 Volt setup and have an 81/85 pair in my Schecter. But I don't use them in any other guitars. I am pretty much a Duncan player. I love the Nazgul, Distortion, Custom, Full Shred, etc. Actives have their advantages, but I don't feel they are great enough for me to go full EMG. I prefer the natural dynamics of passives most of the time.
Yep! And that goes for those who no longer listen to music with their ears but with their eyes. In other words, without a video to accompany your music you go nowhere these days. Fucking MTV is to blame.
@@pteeng1 But MTV doesn't even show music videos anymore, let alone metal artists...
@@louistorres Zakk Wylde is probably _the_ main metal guitarist who put EMG pickups in the spotlights back in the 80s
I used to dislike EMG's too because I read everyone hates them. In my first guitar I had them but I got rid of them.
Recently I aquired a Jackson RR24 with an EMG81 in the bridge. And I fell in love. Great pickups for me.
Plottwist. I still think they are great. But.... I ordered a Bareknuckle ceramic Warpig to replace it :D
@@JasperPost46how does the noise floor compare between the two pickups? Is the Warpig hotter?
@@dudeguyman27 to be honest. Wouldn’t know anymore because another plottwist. There is a DP100 installed into it right now. Got a little tired of the fizz high end of the Warpig. Now considering to replace the dp100 for an evo2.
Randy Rhoads had EMGs lol? 🤔
@@noahchasinguitar5831 How did you jump to that conclusion?
I love Emg's. I have them in every guitar I own. In the SG's I use one 9v battery due to space. In the others I use 2 9v for 18v. It lowers the amount of compression giving you more dynamics.🤘🏼😎🍺
I can fit 2 9V’s in my SG
I also love emg pickups this guy is crazy I love does pickups
EMGs have never let me down. I really wanna try some Fishmans tho.
Everyone loves the Fluence too! Watch the full video and check out that 24V boost dual battery thing I mention. Or click on the link in the description. It's $10 and works like a regular battery.
I tried fishmans . Went back to emg 85
@@snapascrew same. They're good, but they sounded a little too "digital" for my taste, except for the "passive voicing". But, I felt silly having 2 voicings, and only using the "passive" one. And, why emulate "passive" tone with an active pickup? That just seems silly af.
Used to run the EMG 81s in basically all my guitars back in the day till i tried the EMG HETSET. They sound amazing, can be found for a good price and come in great colors. I'm more of a Bare knuckle Ragnarok guy these days but still use the EMG HETSET for recording.
I’ll always have a guitar with Emgs, are they my go-to? No, but they serve a purpose and they deliver a consistent, time-honoured tone. I’ve found that they’re super loud when I’m using amp-sims and they are one dimensional.
"Beep. Boop... Beep"
- Louis Torres, 2020
Love your vids, mate!
I really love EMGs, i play a dsl 100 and it sounds great with those, real oldschool
Such a great amp
Old school and active pickups dont work in the same sentence 🤪
@@idontgivea1769 so like early metallica, slayer, exodus these guys arent oldschool?
Honestly like the tsl more than the dsl
Ordered mine today!!! I have an 81/60 set in my Schecter Hellraiser. Thanks for the vid!!!
Dude! I got a few of these off of ebay about 2 months ago!! I love emg's and with this battery mod, I love them even more! It is a necessary improvement!
I install EMG’s in all my builds. Have had people say they do not like them but they do not have any examples of songs or idea who has used them. Yeah, the battery sucks but you loose the hum in single coils. I love the ease of installation also. I put DiMarzio covers on a guitar with EMG’s and some thought it sounds better with those in it. They also think a black guitar sounds better than a red one , or some crap like that. I’ll keep my EMG’s! Man you got a lot of cool stuff!
Nope, not my thing either. I do like the DiMarzio DActivator though, it’s a passive with some active dynamics. The 7 string version turned my Ibanez into a monster.
Great stuff. Thanks Louis!
Is there more chord clarity with distortion after the mod? That's my biggest gripe with my 81-7/85-7 , absolute monster for chugs and pinch harmonics but somewhat muddy on the complex distorted chords
I've turned more to passive these days. As others have said though, they do serve a purpose.
I hate worrying about batteries and all I really want from actives is their chugging goodness in the bridge and the cleans can sound so good and clear, but you can pretty much get there with power in passives and the lovely cleans of passives as well anyways. There's just nothing like rocking out with those passives and the right amp though.
It's an everyday struggle on finding a balance to what suits you in one guitar/rig as many others face.
Thank you so very much for that info . I bought 2 of them AWESOME. Thanks brother
The first pickup upgrade in went was EMG 81.
I used to love it, I even experimented with the 85. Then i moved to SD and since 2016 I’ve been using fluences.
Nice. I’ll have to try swapping the pots on my EMGs to see if their sound improves
Yo Louis
Dam son your still kicking ass. I remember when I first started with you when you had 500 subs. Congrats on the 6,000 man!!! I just bought a guitar with EMGs 81&85 gonna try you advice. Thanks man
San Antonio Texas
I always see ppl complain about having to change batteries all the time with EMGs but they last 1,000 hours according to their specs. If you played guitar for 2 hours every single day that’s 1 year 4 months before needing a battery change. Like seriously give up the battery argument. All you gotta do is swamp out a battery every 6 to 8 months at worst. It takes less than 5 mins. You have to worry more about your phone battery more than your guitar battery. Now if you dislike the tone, that’s a valid complaint. I personally think EMGs have their place like anything else.
For some reason, my batteries would drain OR maybe I thought they were drained and really weren't. Hahaha
@@louistorres maybe that’s a lot of what it is for people, they replace it way sooner. The old battery on the tongue test never failed me.
@@louistorres just check stereo jack, and remove cable after play.
Yep and unplug the guitar when done playing
@@louistorres Hey brother, just pull out the jack from the guitar when you're not playing. That saves the battery. Thanks for your tip and all the hard work you put into your videos.
I recently picked up an LTD ST-1 with EMG’s (stock). First time using EMG. I was pleasantly surprised. They certainly sound more compressed than passive pups and offer better sustain. I did notice the amp settings need to be adjusted for actives. String Clarity on wholesome chords, like D G E, is fantastic.
This is super cool. After seeing your video I mentioned this to a buddy of mine who actually had one of those battery holders. He pulled it out of a guitar he bought and didn't want it so I grabbed it. I feel like my eclipse is so much more versatile now. I can go from the compressed emg vibe (which I do actually like) to a more open, passive feeling thing in 30 seconds with a battery change. Thanks for the tip!
I just got an LTD Deluxe in the mail today with EMGs, threw in the extra 24v boost and love it!! I'm glad you like it too! It's a big difference, right! Crazy!
@@louistorres enjoy the new axe!
@@louistorres wtf I just bought a LTD ec-1000 deluxe from guitar center (its used on hold) and i'm picking it up tomorrow. I really gotta get this mod now.
I use EMG selects whenever I can, reason being as an 80's kid I thought they were so cool and different once I got 3 of them I really just kept enjoying them. I just enjoy their dark sounds, and they remind me of a BC rich and super strat time period of my life.
I equipped my ‘92 Les Paul Standard with EMGs about 17 years ago. 81 in the bridge position and 89 with coil tap in the neck position. I love them! They are great with high gain, yet sound clean and tight through the clean channel. They replaced a Duncan Distortion in the bridge and a Duncan Custom in the neck. I loved those too, but the EMGs are far more versatile.
I tried them for the first time (EMG JS) when I installed the Jet Set on my guitar and became my main guitar now I wanna put them in all my guitars, instantly fell in love with them!
Hey man big thanks for this. bought it and it works famously. World of difference.
Isn't that battery pack crazy!! Hahaha! I'm glad you got it! You can order replacement batteries on Amazon or at any Lowe's/ Home Depot! Glad you like it, it makes a big difference. :)
I had 81/85 or 60 in all of my guitars. Then I tried the Hetfield set and was impressed. Then I found the 57/66 set. I found even people that hate actives like those. The 57/66 set goes in all my guitars.
Wow, good tip! Thanks!
Dude, I was the same. Till I came across the X and Retroactive series. Also, I do love the Mick Thomson SD blackouts.
I like the mick Thomson black outs, got them on my Jackson. But I feel like ( for me ) they pick up a lot of “ outside noise” regardless. Awesome pick ups, they were my first active pick ups I’ve ever used so I’m still new to them.
Pickups are definitely a personal preference, but most players I’ve talked to who were anti active pickups were mostly afraid to deal with 9v batteries and have little to no experience with the pickups.
Dudes need to use 24v power in their EMGs. I went from hating them and literally pulling them out of every guitar to loving them. It changed everything for me. :)
You Might hate them but I freaking love them
Read the title again and watch the video. It's actually the opposite. So, watch the episode when you get a minute.
I love almost everything omg does. I grew up in the metalcore era and all my favorite albums were recorded with emg's. I can totally see why people wouldn't like them though. They have their place
Louis also don’t discount trying the 85 in the bridge at 9V and at 24V. The 85 is warmer and less fizzy.
EMG 81 bridge and EMG 60 Neck pickups sound beyond good. i have emgs in a lot of guitars
i just replaced those volume knobs from 25k ohms to 100k ohms and it changes the sound on more head room and punchier tone and installed additional treble bleed.
I don’t understand why everyone’s favorite pickups aren’t EMG 81/85
With the extra boost in power to 24 volts, it's incredible! People don't know they can push the pickup and it sounds SO much better after the battery upgrade
EMG pickups are a selective taste however they are not only active they make passive pickups too and they smash however i find somthing like the Het Set from EMG is a good blend of passive and active id suggest you check them out
The Skull frets are so cool... I really like the EMG81's on my E-II M-II but that 24v sounds great.. gr8 vid
Glenn Tipton has used EMGs since forever, and if they're good enough for him, then, you know the rest.
I’ve always liked EMG pickups. Great for classic metal tones which is what I like although people don’t like it anymore.
I use DiMarzio Super Distortion bridge pickups in all my guitars. They are a nice output but not too high and they split well. They can go from blues to death metal.
I spent 18 years avoiding them, I finally bought an Ltd EX-401 in white. It came with EMG’s and at first I thought they were shit (my main is a Gibson Les Paul Modern). But then I realize how to eq them and stuff like that. Now I’m actually addicted to it. I found love.
Can you give me a brand to check out for emg potentiometers. I want to replace mine with some new ones to see if it makes any difference too
EMG makes passive pickups that sound very good and you might want to explore that route.
but i do agree with what you say, changing 9vs becomes annoying because it happens at anytime or anyplace and can ruin a jam session. but i’ve been looking to get RE-chargeable 9v batteries so i can save money
I have tried all 3 combos. Running my 81/85's on 9v, 18v, and 24v. The best sound is running on 18v. 24v you lose a lot of the low end. 18v gives you that true bone crushing sound.
I'll have to try the 18v then. I love the 24v but my bass is always set to ten, so maybe that's why it sounds good to my ears. :)
A set of two EMG 85's are great; I'd prefer an active/passive switch tho because I hear active is good for a live setting but passive is better suited for recording
They just sound sterile, without certain dynamics. I just replaced a set with a 59 neck and a Voodoo Custom Krueger bridge. That is an amazing set of pickups together. The Voodoo Custom pickup just blows me away.
I bought this mod cant wait to hear the difference.
You'll hear a much wider range that's much more manageable with your amp. You're going to love it!
@@louistorres dude it kicks ass its amazing 👏
I have the 24 volt mod in all my EMG guitars, I run the KHBB’s, 81/81 set, 81/85 set, I just got the KH202 and it will also be getting the KHBB set! I have 2 other guitars with SD’s, Mustaine Live Wires, they will only run a 9 volt, and the Black Winter set, but I find SD’s have to many highs, and more low end with EMG’s...!
My LTD E401 has EMG's and I'm constantly changing batteries. I swear I can hear the loss in dynamics as soon as the battery starts to get weak. My buddies say I'm nuts but I can tell the difference. Thanks for the video Lou, I'm going to look into the 24volt upgrade. \m/ \m/
The battery will still drain if you leave the cord in the input jack, even if your amp is turned off.
What's up louis..good to see ya man.....I tried the 24v in my Esp but to me, it didn't have the same tone as 18v...but still cool...love the 81/60's @ 18v though...killer tone...
from what I remember 24 seemed a bit harsh or maybe just to much juice if that makes sense..ha,ha..anyway, Thanks man..👍
Ive got the same battery set up in all my emg guitats. Amazon has packs of batteries for the battery pack pretty cheap
Get ya some black winters
Love my EMG's. I have 81/60 on a squier Jim root, I have the 57/66 on a Epiphone Les Paul pro, I have a het set on a Ltd ec401 and I am working on a cheap Les Paul SL by adding single coil EMG pups.
Dude that red ESP custom is fucking unreal! So sick!! I'll probably give that battery a shot if my sd blackouts can handle the extra juice. I never disliked the actives but i mean more voltage is has to be better right! Haha
I suggest you to try out the fishman fluence modern pickups. Not only because are active pickups too, but also you have the option to install a rechargeable battery pack using an usb cable
i have them. im having trouble getting the tone i like on them.
Damnnnnn son that XMedium Chasing Yesterday tee looks legit!! Thanks for the support!! Im all EMG tho hahaha
I played the EMG 81 since 1985 with zero issues through pretty much every amp made. I switched to the 57 5 years ago and now use them exclusively. Battery issues? I gig 40 to 50 times a year and play everyday and change my batteries every January. Never had one fail.
You can power EMG's through a stereo cable no? I'm still waiting for my first set to arrive, but if i feel i want more voltage i would go that way rather than trying to cram more batteries into my guitar that hasn't got enough space and I'm not routing.
Yeah man, I'm with you. You can go as high as 27 volts, as per EMGs website and manual, so doubling with 12v batteries is ideal. These make such a huge difference too!
Ive always liked the look of EMG pickups its probably because in my mind they were synonymous with Metal, typically you didnt load them in a guitar for grandpas country music 😂
Hahahaha!! EMGs in a banjo would be fun to hear! Hahaha!! : )
I think that a dimebucker or an invader would be better, but if you are installing the pickups yourself, I would go for the EMGs for its quick connect system
I am waiting on a sa/sa/81 kit for my 90 mij jackson kinda expensive but hopefully it makes it sound better also just ordered this 24v thing too
I find EMGs work really nicely with amps that aren't super high gain. I used to have an ESP Eclipse loaded with an 81 in the bridge and 85 in the neck I played through a JCM800 into a 4x12 with greenbacks and got absolutely killer tones. Plenty of gain, nice low end thump, and good high end that wasn't too piercing. Probably my favorite tone I've ever had. I've owned other amps, guitars, and pickups over the years and I'm still trying to get back to those killer tones I got with just EMGs into a JCM800 through greenbacks.
it's true. Emg81/85+ tubescreamer or Rat +jcm 800 (especially Kerry king Slayers signiture)= One of the greates metal tone. Although other marshall amps like jcm900,2000 and JVM 410 have more gain ( but not very much, you know marshall is not famous for modern metal tone) jcm 800 has greater legacy in metal ( and ofcourse in hard rock)
I yank out EMG and I stuck a DIMEBUCKER in there and problem solved. That pick up is a monster... you already know that though, I remember you did a video on it
I use seymour duncan ahb-2b blackout metal on the bridge and a ahb-1n on the neck but the best tone pot capacitor value for my preference is the 224. 0.22uf 250volt's
People will say they hate active pickups and then go on a hunt for boost, EQ and compressors just to end up with what an active would give them signal wise. There is a reason why sound engineer really like to record with actives.
EMGs are AWFUL unless you power them with more than 9Vs then they're amazing. Such a huge difference at 24V than at 9v.
I play in a metalcore band and EMGs just fit the sound I'm looking for. I paired a EMG 35DC with a 35CS. I could of splurged a little more and got Fishman pickups though.
I never could get the chug I was looking for until I got single 81 in my jackson warrior
If you swap to passive pickups, can you just solder onto the original pots, etc?
No , EMG pots are 25k and pots for passive humbuckers 500k so u need to swap everything in the control cavity. And also the jack...
I buy most every old emg 81 I see, just the ones with the dull yellowy white wax potting from the early 80’s (I think, I’ve never actually researched it) favorite pickups by a mile for getting fat thrash tones and b standard or c# death metal sounds.
Now I have to find an old set!! Argh!! Hahaha! Thanks, brother!! I'll try a set to hear the difference.
What a great video and I even get mentioned a few times I feel like a celebrity... Anyway my and got lost in the mail and and still waiting to receive them dam it...
Hahahahaha!! Yes, bro!! You are the main character in my new quest to add EMGs back to my guitars!! You are the man, brother!!
Have you considered putting your emgs up for sale?
Active pickups have no noise way better than passive there's no comparison EMG pickups are the best pickup you can buy besides Seymour Duncan Blackouts active pickups.
The 81 & 85's are the best pickups ever made. I have both in my schecter and id put them up against any other pickups. Hands down best ever! Ill never go back to passive pickups.
Yes bro! Get that battery pack for your EMGs, it's so great! I hated EMGs for a long while, now I'm back to loving them!
I have a set of 81-89 on an old Jem555 from the mid 90s, did the 24V mod. I think people over exaggerate how compressed they sound
It's not an exaggeration. When you record with emg and passive and put the waveforms side by side to compare you can really see how compressed the actives are. It's not a bad thing in my opinion because I end up with less post processing. The passive waveform is all over the place with spikes and valley's and I end up having to add compression to the guitar tracks. With the emg's all I have to add is some minor eq in the mix.
I got Active EMG,s 81 and I fkn love them!!!!
Get the 18v or 24v battery boost and you'll love them even more! I hated EMGs for years, now I love them but only with extra volts.
Had tried 18V myself and i can admit it sounds clearer and better, so 24 volts should do even more. From what i see, this mod do use A23 batteries (like say, those they put into the auto alarm controls). I believe its won`t be hard to make a holder for those. Thanks for the hint!
24v sounds clearer for sure and yes, you can create a holder for the A23 batteries easily.
@@louistorres Yes, i just mean the battery kind doesn`t seem to be mentioned, but I believe that should be useful. Guys would need new batteries sometime ...
I have old walkie talkies and old amfm handheld radios from the 1960s some have those double A 9-volt battery adapters
Thanks for the mention Can't wait to see how they turn out..
Also you can search for my band we released a new album search UA-cam gravel 14 years thanks
You are the man!! I had to make a video with these things you told me about! You know I was going to mention you!! You are the reason I love EMGs again!!! Thanks for always looking out and sharing with me, bro!!
I got some EMGs on a 7 string and I think they are great.. just wish I could swooping with black-hawks :D nah but 81s are dope
I love EMG Blackouts and Fishmans
Fishmans are monsters! EMGs are great too, get the 24v packs, you'll love them even more!
I’m that weird guy who likes the clean tone out of the 81.
Where is the link for the battey box? Twentyfour volts huh. I'm gonna convert a preamp stomp to 24 volts.
EMG have their place and time.... i played CS ESP Mustaine Vs and LTD Eclipses that sound incredible, I love all kinds of Humbuckers... Dimarzio Mo Joe and Suhr Doug Aldrich are great too
The EMGX are the 24modded EMG with a 9volt
Hey Louis! What do you think of the Peavey Invective? I'm kind of suprised you don't own one yet 😂 I've had the mini head on preorder for about 6 months now 😒
Holy smoke, six months? I'm not a patient guy but guys have suggested that model for a while! I need two! The invective and the 50w stealth!
@@louistorres I know right? I guess covid has been pushing the MH release date back... here's a listing I found on the big 120 watt version. The ONLY listing I've found 🤷♂️
Peavey Invective 120 Misha Mansoor Signature 120-Watt Guitar Head reverb.com/item/36441186-peavey-invective-120-misha-mansoor-signature-120-watt-guitar-head?
Duncan Dimebucker is my favorite high output pickups
Such a great pickup, bro! I'm glad you like it too!
Just ordered the 24v battery mod! i'll edit this when I get it to let others here know how I like it.
Emg does sell passive pickups if you hate the active pickups, in my opinion I don’t find the swapping batteries that annoying or anything else that comes with owning emgs, I love the percussive sound they have to em very chuggy and I love it, have a kickass day man🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Everyone loves the 81/85 set. I gave them a go and meh....
Them I got the 57/66 set! Bang! Love em.
I feel like there are two EMG clans, the 81/85s and the 57/66s. :) And each side hates the other! Haha! :)
I love EMG's, but I get what you're saying :-)
Bro, get that boost! I bought three more last week, just for the heck of it. Lol.
EMG 81X 85X 60X..
GREAT PICKUPS BRO..
Rathen than noisy passive pickups..
It's fun to jam some cheesy metalcore riffs now and again with too much gain and no mids. Otherwise my emg's gather dust
that top...holy shit the sides
I think the red one was one that Devin Townsend sold on Ebay some time ago it was a custom.
I got Edwards guitar with EMG-81 on it and I really loved it. If battery is gone, just change it… As a musician, you should’t judge just because of your personal sensational reason, buddy.
I can't get over needing batteries though man. Lol sounds killer though
The batteries last around 3000 hours of use. (When the guitar is plugged in) Personally I have never found the batteries to be a problem. They last long enough that by the time you need a new one it doesn’t really matter. Who doesn’t have a few extra batteries lying around?
@@whiskeya1207 valid point for sure
What about the passive EMG? Alexi Laiho uses Passive EMGs.
I've been playing around with 24 volts as well on my LTD for a while, and the actually testable and audible benefit is that as long as the pickups aren't extremely close to the strings, when playing as hard as you can on clean with the volume rolled back on your guitar, you can hear that there is less hard clipping in the pickup built in preamps than at 9V because the voltage gives those preamps more volume headroom.
Also you probably have by now already, but be sure to try the 57 or the Het or the 85 in the bridge, which is a whole different kind of tone. Most modern EMG guitars should have a solderless installation making them extremely easy to swap out as it's just a plug in cable connection. Right now I have a Het in the bridge and a 60 in the neck which is my favorite combo so far (haven't tried the 57 yet).
Lastly the X series EMGs already have minimal clipping and very high headroom when run even at 9 volts because they have a redesigned preamp such that they don't need to run on 24 volts to avoid clipping like the older models. Your setup is incredible, keep it up.