Tone knob? What's a tone knob? Is that the little round thing I keep accidentally bumping which makes it sound like my amp's on the other side of a thick wall? ;)
3 for 3! yeah! (by which i mean i got all 3 tests completely wrong, lol) thought they all sounded great, and love that blue flame look on both of the blue ones.
Active pickups get a bad rap. I use EMGs with a coil splitter, and they do anything I want them to. I actually prefer them over my guitars with passive pickups when I'm doing softer stuff. I really only use the passives when I want that particular guitar (they can do a lot, but a coil-split EMG in a Les Paul is never gonna sound like a telecaster).
@@andrewjhollins Only thing that sucks about em really is the battery. Always a pain to change em out. Also looks ugly on the back of the body... Some have them under the pickguard but that means changing it out is even more of a pain lol. And for vintage sound lovers just stick to passive. Want some metal head crap? Passive is fun to mess around with a lil.
@@ItsMinarmy me too! I only got them on the clean and because of that Im assuming that it was just luck lol (oh wait I think you actually meant that the high gain was the only time you got it wrong, but yeah still pretty interesting that none of us got 100% of them right!)
@@DatHombre I think it was luck. On the clean test I thought the active pickups were the best but for the 2nd test I knew isntantly as soon as he played the active ones.
Damnit Darrell. You have brought to my attention that I can no longer hear straight, as well as losing my manual dexterity. Think I'll go be depressed now. But I love watching you play. LOL
This is amazing! As somebody who started with passive humbuckers on a Les Paul in 2001 and then switched to active EMGs on a ESP many years later, I am so happy that you did this video. Once again, you put practical advice about guitars on UA-cam. Thanks, Darrell.
Honestly, I didn't even tell the difference, I was distracted by the excellent guitar playing. They all pretty much were in the same ballpark sound wise.
As time has gone on, and listening to so many people play the same song on different guitars, I've kinda come to the conclusion that the pick ups themselves really don't have as much 'tone' variation compared to the amp/effects you use. Yeah, some can be hotter and make a recording have this or that, but it's so minimal that I really don't think my $200 guitar is that different from my $1300. Although, the $1300 guitar has some added things like coil tap that does make it different.
(6 years late but) To be fair, he did such a bad job at mentioning which ones were active vs passive. I feel like the video was more about his guitar playing than it was educational about active vs passive.
The EMG 57/66 set stands out as a clear favorite. Especially the cleans. Bright. Clear. Lots of note definition. I guess it sacrifices some of the warmth, but that's easily dialed in with the tone knob if you want it.
Replaced my warlock passive with actives.. well worth it. Gives you crunch like biting into an apple 🍎🍏 active the King when soul crushing distortion is in play... And crispy highs. Listen to Yngwie Malmstein
After many years of playing, I finally just switched to active pickups. The high gain and reduction in noise is very forgiving with cleans and overdrive, and it is unique the way that they have a tend to "light up" volume wise when you really want to step on the strings and still keep definition between fast picking without washing things out. But, when playing live to the average crowd, all three of those guitars would be superb soundwise.
@@mr.mikehunt4286 you might want to check out the GFS Active Gold series... they sound more in line with a more modern take on actives, somewhere between an 81 and a Het Set, with a slightly brighter sound and a little more definition than the 81's. The older GFS Active Red's are a bit closer to the EMG 81's, have a more 80's "power rail" tone to them. A pair of either will run you about $75 for both.
I put EMG 81X 60X pickups (They're the same as the 81 60, but with a different pre-amp that has more clean headroom) in my Ibanez GRG. And so far, my first impression is that what I really like about them, is the consistency, like I can concentrate more on my technique without having to worry if I'm picking too hard or not hard enough. Also the 60 is one of my favourite clean pickups. Thank you Hetfield
I guessed the active every time, but the difference is subtle. I have a schecter with EMG 81/85 set and I love them. Why do they get so many haters? Love your aqua burst LP Darryl, and all your vids as well. Keep up the good work!!
I think EMGs get hate because of the fact that they're not traditional above all else. It's a mindset I personally try to avoid. I actually really like EMGs for clean. I think they add a lot of clarity so you can hear all the notes in a chord. I've personally never liked them for the overdrive that I use, but then I'm a blues guy so I never have a reason to go high gain. I see the appeal in actives for high gain though.
i had trouble with the double cut couldn't quite pinpoint the tone, but the Gibson less paul stuck out for me besides the active set. anyways good test darrell
@@davew.5664 The aqua burst references to the paint job itself. The "Flame" label references the wood finish used, NOT the paint job. A full description would be Flame Maple Aqua Burst, sometimes shorthanded to Flamed Aqua Burst. Note that this applies only to transparent finishes in which the wood grain are visible. In non-transparent finishes there are usually no references to the wood grain used even if there are such wood used in the guitar. In these situations any wood mentioned refers to the wood as structural components, not finishing component, eg: Gloss White Basswood or Crimson Red Metallic Alder. A few examples from my collection are three of my SCs. One is a 2010s Agile AL-3010, a SC with Flamed Oceanburst, is a much darker version of the featured Aqua Burst Gibson Les Paul Standard in this video. (My only complaint about this particular Gibson is the switch tip does NOT match the color scheme of the pup ring nor bindings used on this guitar. Too bright yellowish, it should've been a light cream or dark parchment.) My 2000s Austin AU-766 SC has that traditional red to yellow transparent finish similar to the Gibson Les Paul Traditional. The AU-766 called it's finish "Vintage Sunburst." While the wood grain used is nothing special, just regular maple, it still has an interesting grain pattern, just no flame nor quilt iridescence. The Sunburst Gibson has a lower grade flame maple, while lovely in its own rights, it doesn't compare to the flamed maple used in the other two guitars chosen by Darrell. Now, I don't have a worthy DC like Darrell's DC Les Paul Standard which has a nice vivid flame maple under the transparent sky blue finish. So I'll use my 2012 Ibanez S570DXQM-TGB, which is a SuperStrat that features a "Transparent Gray Burst," a transparent black to gray burst on a very nice (& thick) quilted maple capping a mahogany body. I'd call this one a Quilted Gray Burst. TBH, I DO have a DC (a 2013 Epiphone Limited Edition Genesis Pro), but its Transparent Black finish overlies an ok-grade flame maple veneer on a maple capped mahogany body. It's not worthy to be compared finish-wise to Darrell's DC, otherwise it's a respectable guitar in its own rights plus its relatively rare in that only 500 was made with this color. My opaque finished SC representative would be my 2015 Jackson JS-22 which is a flat black basswood SC which has Stratocaster-like contour cuts (tummy back, forearm and a neck relief cuts) that make for an ergonomically nicer SC. The only thing it doesn't have is the arch top, it's a flat top but the other ergonomic cuts more than makes up for that! The guitar used a satin black finish which is nice because EVERY other gloss black guitars I have are fingerprint magnets that requires frequent wiping EVERY time its handled by bare hands. :( EDIT: Typo errors not caught before posting.
Thanks for this, I was really broken up between Passive and Active as ive just always been told passive is better, but what they didn't tell me is that passive is better... while playing clean. (which, since I intend on getting an 8 string, you can guess how often ill be playing it clean haha)
@@SnavelsPassives being better only when playing clean is not really the greatest advice I would say. The best sounding tones on 8 strings seem to come from passives usually. Lundgren M8's or M8C's are a good choice. But maybe there's a grain of truth to what you say as the heaviest tones do tend to have dialed back gain. Humanities Last Breath for example.Actives are fine too though.
i played EMGs (81 & 85) for more than a decade and loved them. last year I started wanting a different tone, and got Les paul Traditional (Classic 57s), and now I really love the warmer, not clinically perfect tones. it's funny, but dirtiness and imprections in the sound is what I really love.
Wow Darrell, you really had me there... my favorite sound (going by clarity amid other things) was coming out of the double cut Les Paul. The active pickups blended almost exactly with the third model Les Paul, even after changing my headphones for some high end Bose ones. Incredible!!! (Probably my tinnitus had something to do with it 😯). Anyways, awesome video and cannot wait for next week’s video! Cheers!
I went two for three so I’m pretty happy. There’s just something about that double cutaway that really works for me, can’t put my finger on it but... another great video though.
Omg that aqua blue 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 my god what a beautiful Les Paul! Pickup wise I actually liked the active which shocked me because I never cared for the old emg 81/85 combo. I have always preferred the ‘57 classics in a les Paul but THOSE emg’s sound very nice!👍👍👍 great vid👏👏
Interesting. I didn't try to guess. Just listened to which I liked best. Active every time. Especially surprising since I am more of a clean strat player than high gain.
The EMG's are great for high gain set ups, I have a pair in my Schector. They work really well with my Peavey 6505, an amp not known for its clean tone. Some nice Les Pauls you have there Darrell, thanks for ripping it up for us!
I have the EMG Het set and absolutely love them, they are like a passive active set, real heavy with gain and clean and clear without, absolutely love them.
Friend of mine has a '65 or '68 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe goldtop... with active pickups. Haven't seen this before or since. Apparently it came out of the factory this way. It's lovely. It has a unique sound. Very emotive. However reproducing this is a damn fine question.
It was tough to distinguish between the active pickups and the double cut in the first two tests. The LP Traditional was easy to identify each time since it had so much lower output. In the third test with lots of distortion and palm muting, it was easy to tell which sample had the EMGs - they sounded the heaviest and best!
You seem to read my mind (or probably the mind of many) when it comes to what to do next. This was definetly what I was waiting for. Great comparision again. The difference was rather small I would say. Might be my old ears, not making out that subtle things.
I always sucked at blindtests but this one, i got them all right. I guess the difference was more evident than I had expected. I could definitely hear the difference between the active and the passive pickups but, honestly all three had quite different tones. And I liked them all..damn les pauls, they even look good..
What about Fishman Fluence? There's a lot of hype for these pickups,you see many famous players,who used EMG's for many years,changing to Fishman(guys like Devin Townsend,Wolf Hoffman of Accept etc. etc.) What is really intriguing about the Fishmans,is that you can use them in active and passive mode and you can even coil-split them.Would be cool,if you could make a demo of them,in the future.
That blue finish is gorgeous... But, as I said before, I'd go for the double cut because the sound is great and the look is awesome. In the second test I really didn't know which was which, but in the clean was clear which was the active!
Back in the late 80s (bass guitar) you could definitely hear the difference. A set of EMGs on a Spector verses the passive Js on a Fender Jazz Bass was like night and day. Especially with a pick the attack was clear and precise. Nowadays it seems technology has leveled the playing field. I couldn't tell the difference either.
wow I actually got that right, I have a set of emgs in my ltd and Im happy no matter if im feeling like playing clean, sometimes especially clean! and slightly broken up is great as well..just play with the volume.
I’ve used a lot of different guitars both live and in the studio. EMG- I’ve used the 81/85’s and loved them. To me they are an all around great combo for hard rock and metal. I never found them yo be sterile. The way they sound has a lot to do with the amp you use and the way you play. EMG -707TW’s, I personally couldn’t stand them. The coil tap wasn’t much of a difference. To me these just didn’t sound all that great. They seemed to be far to flat and lifeless. RedActive- these are active pickups made by GuitarFetish. They are bargain pickups but surprisingly sounded great. They have two versions in the active humbuckers the Red that is more PAF sounding and the Gold that are more EMG 81/85 sounding. Very easy to put in and for the money you can’t complain. They have single coils but I haven’t tried them but if as good as the Humbuckers they should make people on a budgit looking for great active pickups very happy. Fish man Fluence- To me, these are the best of the best! They give you the option of passive and active along with single coil splitting on some of their pickups. You also have a choice of Alnico or Ceramic on the modern ones. These are simply amazingly made and sounding pick ups. They are also re-chargeable! Check them out, you will be amazed at how clear yet noiseless they are and having the best of both worlds is priceless.
I could hear the difference between guitars but only got one test right. Listening through a second time, is the learning experience. Thanks for the comparison
Wow, I surprised myself and got all 3 tests correct. I've had an emg guitar for a long time and prefer passives. But anything Darrell touches sounds great
Sooooo, similar to this vid, on my good ole Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster pedal, which works specifically with the signal of single coils, there's a 3-position toggle switch on the pedal (position 0 in the middle, position 1 on top, and position 2 on bottom). Position 0 is unchanged signal, position 1 mimics a vintage humbucker, and position 2 mimics a high output humbucker. Sooooo....though I do have a Fender SRV signature series Strat with excellent tone, I really enjoy my 1963 Gibson Melody Maker, which original pickup has TWO shorts in the pickup wire, so in my younger days I bought a stock Strat neck pickup for the Melody Maker's sole bridge pickup position. And then come home to find out that the Seymour Duncan is juuuust a bit shorter in length than the original Gibson pickup, so I had to choose "am I favoring the high end or low end?" and high end it is because I just gotta have sizzling leads ;) Sooo back to the Pickup Booster pedal, I've been REALLY listening to the different tonalities of the 3 positions, I mean just playing the same licks over and over and scrolling through the positions over and over, and really HEARING the difference, and it's quite amazing how "each pickup" brings out tone dynamics in a unique way that the other positions lack. It's not really one being "better" than another, but like Rock Paper Scissors lol where each has an advantage and a disadvantage in respect to the other two. So it's just a matter of what kind of tone and playing you're aiming for. The single coil has a wider dynamic range, but not as much punch. The humbucker is more smoothed out, but has a different "bite", let's say "stronger but not sharper", than the single coil. And the active humbucker (or, simulated active humbucker, as the pedal simulates the signal itself) has a very searing and lasting quality, and super filled out with the mid boost. So it's really just a matter of what performs best for the style that you're playing! So, I'm coming to really enjoy the Pickup Booster pedal more than ever before -- more than a "pre-front-end volume boost" as I previously used it -- and really using it in a "3 guitars in one pedal" kind of way :) :) :) and I must say it really does a great job at altering the signal!!!
I guessed all three... wrong. This was a surprising test, as I expected there to be much more of a difference. Back in the day... sometime around '87 I had an EMG in my Japanese Strat and I could clearly hear the difference between the passive pickup it came with and the EMG 81 that replaced it. I liked it at first but eventually went back to all passive pups and haven't returned to an active set. This test might have made me rethink that, though, were it not for my having found my sound in the SD Pearly Gates. Well done, as usual, Darrell. Oh, and those two blue Les Pauls are gorgeous, especially your double cut.
Only time I was able to pick out the EmG’s was in the high gain sample. I have multiple guitars with active pickups including an ESP with those same pickups so I feel slightly ashamed I could not sniff them out in the clean samples. Definitely a compelling case that active pickups can be dynamic at times as well!
This test is easy if you own a guitar with active pickups. I have an Iron label Ibanez with EMGs and the emgs stuck out like a sore thumb in this test. Theres no mistaking the tone. I love them.
I guessed the active only in the test number one. And I've been surprised with how the double cut sounds. Excellent! Les Paul's big fan! Man, please, give us a comparison among the Fender Jazzmaster and the Gibson P90 Les Paul!!!
Wow, I’m just a rank amateur, but playing clean, the pickups in the Traditional sounder noticeably louder than the other two through my headphones, with the double cut right behind. When the dirt was applied, I had a harder time telling the differences, but still noticed the Traditional was maybe brighter and not as smooth slightly. Fun comparison! 🙂🎸
I failed at picking out the active ones in the first two tests, but had no problem in the third. Currently looking to buy some passive pickups(or buy an active pickup guitar), so the relatively little difference was good to know :)
Great test! The actives stuck out to me in Test 1 (in a bad way) and in Test 3 (in a good way). Was far more difficult to pick them in Test 2 (in fact, I think I thought they were #1 instead of #2, though I'm on my laptop and cooking at the same time, so ... :P). Would definitely grab some for metalz, if that was my thing ...
In the clean and overdrive, I didn't like the active one. In the clean, I also didn't like the double cut, while in the overdrive I didn't like the traditional. On the hi-gain I really couldn't tell a difference.
I liked the double cut for the first test, traditional the best for the blues breakup tone in test 2 and definitely the active pickups for the metal. Cool vid keep up the good work your killin it.
Omfg I thought the traditional stock gibson had more clarity and whole while clean... I dont really have a preference for active or passive. I do get agressive sounds from actives a little easier but its negligible under my fingers most guitars sound the same. Im just happy with a guitar in my hands. Passives sound simple and sweet. Its like the perfect brush for the right strokes. While actives are more like a paintgun. You can paint a picture with both just preference.
Amazing Les Paul collection. I had two different sets of active pickups, first set was EMG 81/60 and the second one was Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine. I liked more of the EMG set, and I really want to have this new generation set, by the way used by new Judas Priest guitar player.
Honestly blackouts are the best of both worlds. Better than any active or passive & you can just roll off or on gain if you want. Never have to compromise genres. Emgs sometimes are too gainy on cleans but shine in heavy distortion or Palm mutes.
I got the double cut and active mixed up on test 2 as the double cut squealed. The metal test was close between all 3 and struggled most with that test. Overall, I preferred the Standard. It was the sound I preferred in the blind test and even after going back and listening again knowing it was stock humbuckers. If I was to pick, I would take the standard first, the active 2nd and the double cut 3rd as I didn't like the way the humbuckers worked together.
I picked out the active pickups in all 3 tests. I’ve been wondering if I should buy the Jackson Demmelition, now I know it will sound great. Thanks for posting this!
I have the 57/66 set in my EC-Redburn, so I was able to pick them out everytime. I have either the 81/60 or 81/60A in the rest of my guitars. The alnico magnets aren't what makes the 57/66 sound more passive. Both the 85 and the 60A are alnico pickups. The big differences are the steel pole pieces instead of blades and they most likely tweaked the preamp circuit in the pickups. The JH set is supposed to be very much like this, but with ceramic magnets, ceramic pole pieces and a little higher output. On a side note, the 60A sounds pretty awesome in the bridge position.
Thanks for demoing these pickups. I was wondering if there’s a tonal difference. It was a little tough to tell on the clean demos, but I did notice the difference on the distortion demos. The active guitar sounded like there’s a boost compared to the passive guitars. Other than that, this is a great demonstration between these guitars.
I have a schecter I bought a few weeks ago that had EMG 81/85 added by a previous owner... It was priced lower than buying a new set of EMGs and whoever put them in put the rings in the wrong place, put the switch in backwards, and made a mostly functional mess of the wiring (mostly because they used a mono jack so the battery was always draining) I love them for high gain aggressive metal tones Also a little note... The EMG 85 uses alnico v like the 57/66 the main difference is the 57/66 are a more traditional construction with slug/screw pole pieces the 81/85 are rail style underneath all the plastic and epoxy
I’m not that hung up on active...all mine have passive...but you kick ass either way...so I figure it’s in the hands...I could make passive and active sound just bad...really really bad🤫🤫🤫
Thanks for this demo. I didn't try and guess the active pickups, I just listened for what I liked the best. The double-cut stood out to me for both test 1 & 2 but the active pickups did for test 3, when on their home turf.
I was 0 for 3 on guessing right...Oh well! I have both guitars with active and passive. Active is the EMG James Hetfield set and passive is the Seymour Duncan P-Rails with Triple Shot pickup rings. I tell more of a difference in playing then listening. I can play with a lot softer touch with the active. The string detection is so much better. So, I like the feel of active much better then the passive. I do dig the laziness in me with the passive and not having to change batteries or worrying about unplugging the cable so battery doesn't drain. Good video!
It took some good headphones to tell the difference. All 3 guitars are beautiful and make great additions to your collection. Love your videos and your very inspiring playing. God bless bro!
The only thing I was able to tell was the active on the metal section, even I could tell the difference. On clean, #3 sounded different to me but it was passive and I could not tell the active vs the first passive at all. Blues, complete mystery to me which one was which. But on the metal part, #2 popped out big time.
Wow ever other comparison Ive never heard differences. This test, it was close on this crappy kindle speaker, but I absolutely could hear the clarity of the active pickups. It's subtle, but definetly there.
I pick out the passive 3/3 but that is all I try to play, I have a few guitars one being a Gibson standard premium AAAA flame in tea burst that I purchased in 2013 and have never thought of changing the pickup on any of them until now great channel, thank you for all the hard work you put into this \m/from the England UK
finally you made my wish come true, i've always wished listen an explanation about active vs passive pickups by you, I mean, with your knowledge it's great
We all know that the red finish will sound warmer, while the blue one will be colder #tonepaint
This is why I want to stain the fretboard of my guitar. It's the least expensive way to make it sound less bright.
The easiest way to reduce treble is to turn down the tone knob.
Tone knob? What's a tone knob? Is that the little round thing I keep accidentally bumping which makes it sound like my amp's on the other side of a thick wall? ;)
Absolute poppycock warm colours in tone woods are as diverse as pickups Fact.
@@johncrafton8319 🔩
That blue les Paul standard is BEAUTIFUL!
Which one? The blue one or the blue one?
Luey Tele Deluxe the les Paul standard is the one with the single cut away
I agree... any fade pattern on a les paul is beautiful… especially the colored ones.
@@yeboisiggy it’s a flame top
3 for 3! yeah! (by which i mean i got all 3 tests completely wrong, lol) thought they all sounded great, and love that blue flame look on both of the blue ones.
Me too amigo, and I have always professed my hatred of active pickups, I feel stupid.
Active pickups get a bad rap. I use EMGs with a coil splitter, and they do anything I want them to. I actually prefer them over my guitars with passive pickups when I'm doing softer stuff. I really only use the passives when I want that particular guitar (they can do a lot, but a coil-split EMG in a Les Paul is never gonna sound like a telecaster).
@@andrewjhollins Only thing that sucks about em really is the battery. Always a pain to change em out. Also looks ugly on the back of the body...
Some have them under the pickguard but that means changing it out is even more of a pain lol.
And for vintage sound lovers just stick to passive. Want some metal head crap? Passive is fun to mess around with a lil.
Wow, the only time I could pick out the EMG’s was on the high gain metal. Great video!
John E for me it was the opposite, even though I listen to a lot of metal
@@ItsMinarmy me too! I only got them on the clean and because of that Im assuming that it was just luck lol
(oh wait I think you actually meant that the high gain was the only time you got it wrong, but yeah still pretty interesting that none of us got 100% of them right!)
@@DatHombre I think it was luck. On the clean test I thought the active pickups were the best but for the 2nd test I knew isntantly as soon as he played the active ones.
Damnit Darrell. You have brought to my attention that I can no longer hear straight, as well as losing my manual dexterity. Think I'll go be depressed now. But I love watching you play. LOL
😄😄😄 Thanks Tom!
Don’t feel bad. The difference between the actives and passives here was not night and day like I was expecting.
This is amazing! As somebody who started with passive humbuckers on a Les Paul in 2001 and then switched to active EMGs on a ESP many years later, I am so happy that you did this video. Once again, you put practical advice about guitars on UA-cam. Thanks, Darrell.
Honestly, I didn't even tell the difference, I was distracted by the excellent guitar playing. They all pretty much were in the same ballpark sound wise.
there really isn't any difference lol
As time has gone on, and listening to so many people play the same song on different guitars, I've kinda come to the conclusion that the pick ups themselves really don't have as much 'tone' variation compared to the amp/effects you use.
Yeah, some can be hotter and make a recording have this or that, but it's so minimal that I really don't think my $200 guitar is that different from my $1300. Although, the $1300 guitar has some added things like coil tap that does make it different.
@@user-yl4lf9mh1w there was a clear difference in the 2nd test. The first one I had no idea they were so close but the 2nd one I knew instantly
(6 years late but) To be fair, he did such a bad job at mentioning which ones were active vs passive. I feel like the video was more about his guitar playing than it was educational about active vs passive.
The EMG 57/66 set stands out as a clear favorite. Especially the cleans. Bright. Clear. Lots of note definition. I guess it sacrifices some of the warmth, but that's easily dialed in with the tone knob if you want it.
Replaced my warlock passive with actives.. well worth it. Gives you crunch like biting into an apple 🍎🍏 active the King when soul crushing distortion is in play... And crispy highs. Listen to Yngwie Malmstein
totally agree
After many years of playing, I finally just switched to active pickups. The high gain and reduction in noise is very forgiving with cleans and overdrive, and it is unique the way that they have a tend to "light up" volume wise when you really want to step on the strings and still keep definition between fast picking without washing things out. But, when playing live to the average crowd, all three of those guitars would be superb soundwise.
im thinking fo switching myself after hearing a $35 EMG set from China!, I know a EMG freak and they are identical..
@@mr.mikehunt4286 you might want to check out the GFS Active Gold series... they sound more in line with a more modern take on actives, somewhere between an 81 and a Het Set, with a slightly brighter sound and a little more definition than the 81's. The older GFS Active Red's are a bit closer to the EMG 81's, have a more 80's "power rail" tone to them. A pair of either will run you about $75 for both.
I put EMG 81X 60X pickups (They're the same as the 81 60, but with a different pre-amp that has more clean headroom) in my Ibanez GRG. And so far, my first impression is that what I really like about them, is the consistency, like I can concentrate more on my technique without having to worry if I'm picking too hard or not hard enough.
Also the 60 is one of my favourite clean pickups. Thank you Hetfield
I did the same with my neck pickup, I left the 81 in the bridge. It does make a difference with the headroom.
I liked the Active sound on the bridge pick up, really clarity and definition Darrel, Cheers
I guessed the active every time, but the difference is subtle. I have a schecter with EMG 81/85 set and I love them. Why do they get so many haters? Love your aqua burst LP Darryl, and all your vids as well. Keep up the good work!!
I think EMGs get hate because of the fact that they're not traditional above all else. It's a mindset I personally try to avoid. I actually really like EMGs for clean. I think they add a lot of clarity so you can hear all the notes in a chord. I've personally never liked them for the overdrive that I use, but then I'm a blues guy so I never have a reason to go high gain. I see the appeal in actives for high gain though.
i had trouble with the double cut couldn't quite pinpoint the tone, but the Gibson less paul stuck out for me besides the active set. anyways good test darrell
got test 1 and 3 right. Number 2 threw me off. Very interesting and cool video!
That finish is so killer the aqua burst les Paul 🤟
Yeah, it's soooo pretty!
Check Kiesel Guitars - they specialize in such styles of finish.
I'd say it was a flamed type finish, not burst.
@@davew.5664 yeah, it’s a flammed maple. No burst.
@@davew.5664 The aqua burst references to the paint job itself. The "Flame" label references the wood finish used, NOT the paint job. A full description would be Flame Maple Aqua Burst, sometimes shorthanded to Flamed Aqua Burst. Note that this applies only to transparent finishes in which the wood grain are visible.
In non-transparent finishes there are usually no references to the wood grain used even if there are such wood used in the guitar. In these situations any wood mentioned refers to the wood as structural components, not finishing component, eg: Gloss White Basswood or Crimson Red Metallic Alder.
A few examples from my collection are three of my SCs. One is a 2010s Agile AL-3010, a SC with Flamed Oceanburst, is a much darker version of the featured Aqua Burst Gibson Les Paul Standard in this video. (My only complaint about this particular Gibson is the switch tip does NOT match the color scheme of the pup ring nor bindings used on this guitar. Too bright yellowish, it should've been a light cream or dark parchment.)
My 2000s Austin AU-766 SC has that traditional red to yellow transparent finish similar to the Gibson Les Paul Traditional. The AU-766 called it's finish "Vintage Sunburst." While the wood grain used is nothing special, just regular maple, it still has an interesting grain pattern, just no flame nor quilt iridescence. The Sunburst Gibson has a lower grade flame maple, while lovely in its own rights, it doesn't compare to the flamed maple used in the other two guitars chosen by Darrell.
Now, I don't have a worthy DC like Darrell's DC Les Paul Standard which has a nice vivid flame maple under the transparent sky blue finish. So I'll use my 2012 Ibanez S570DXQM-TGB, which is a SuperStrat that features a "Transparent Gray Burst," a transparent black to gray burst on a very nice (& thick) quilted maple capping a mahogany body. I'd call this one a Quilted Gray Burst.
TBH, I DO have a DC (a 2013 Epiphone Limited Edition Genesis Pro), but its Transparent Black finish overlies an ok-grade flame maple veneer on a maple capped mahogany body. It's not worthy to be compared finish-wise to Darrell's DC, otherwise it's a respectable guitar in its own rights plus its relatively rare in that only 500 was made with this color.
My opaque finished SC representative would be my 2015 Jackson JS-22 which is a flat black basswood SC which has Stratocaster-like contour cuts (tummy back, forearm and a neck relief cuts) that make for an ergonomically nicer SC. The only thing it doesn't have is the arch top, it's a flat top but the other ergonomic cuts more than makes up for that! The guitar used a satin black finish which is nice because EVERY other gloss black guitars I have are fingerprint magnets that requires frequent wiping EVERY time its handled by bare hands. :(
EDIT: Typo errors not caught before posting.
Thanks for this, I was really broken up between Passive and Active as ive just always been told passive is better, but what they didn't tell me is that passive is better... while playing clean. (which, since I intend on getting an 8 string, you can guess how often ill be playing it clean haha)
I guess (or at least I hope) you'll be playing clean everyday, no one should be all covered in mud while playing.
@@leandro8897 I was about to give a serious reply about my experience with both active and passive, only to realize I missed the obvious joke
for metal active pickups are betteR?
@@ShadowD2C as I've been told and from my experience, but they will pick up absolutely everything so noise gate it well
@@SnavelsPassives being better only when playing clean is not really the greatest advice I would say. The best sounding tones on 8 strings seem to come from passives usually. Lundgren M8's or M8C's are a good choice. But maybe there's a grain of truth to what you say as the heaviest tones do tend to have dialed back gain. Humanities Last Breath for example.Actives are fine too though.
I dont know what it is but the way you play your guitars make me get goosebumps.
Really liked the sound of the active pickups! Wish I had one to play too. Thanks for sharing Darrell :)
The active pickups stuck out a lot in test 3, with the high gain... but that's the idea behind them! 😂
I'm really surprised by this. The LPDC sounded amazing, and I was always certain it was the actives, it was just so clean.
i played EMGs (81 & 85) for more than a decade and loved them. last year I started wanting a different tone, and got Les paul Traditional (Classic 57s), and now I really love the warmer, not clinically perfect tones. it's funny, but dirtiness and imprections in the sound is what I really love.
Wow Darrell, you really had me there... my favorite sound (going by clarity amid other things) was coming out of the double cut Les Paul. The active pickups blended almost exactly with the third model Les Paul, even after changing my headphones for some high end Bose ones. Incredible!!! (Probably my tinnitus had something to do with it 😯). Anyways, awesome video and cannot wait for next week’s video! Cheers!
ppp
Is this the best guitar channel or what?? Your playing always inspires me Darrell. Thank you!
Thanks man! I really appreciate the kind words ☺
Let's kick off the weekend with a blindtest!
Did you guys find yourselves drawn to a particular guitar? If so, which one?
Impressed by the EMGs! Still slightly preferred the Double Cut LP. That thing sounds gorgeous.
I got none of the blind tests correctly, and i would be happy with any of these 3 beauties
I liked all three, but maybe my favorite is the Tradicional. There's something in that guitar. I hope you have a lot of fun with it!
Darrell Braun Guitar
Got 7/9 right 😎🤣 Only mixed up the fist two in the middle position..
Double cut my fav! :)
I went two for three so I’m pretty happy. There’s just something about that double cutaway that really works for me, can’t put my finger on it but... another great video though.
Omg that aqua blue 🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤 my god what a beautiful Les Paul! Pickup wise I actually liked the active which shocked me because I never cared for the old emg 81/85 combo. I have always preferred the ‘57 classics in a les Paul but THOSE emg’s sound very nice!👍👍👍 great vid👏👏
Forget trying to hear the difference I’m entranced and focused on that amazing out this world playing and complex techniques literally 🔥
Interesting. I didn't try to guess. Just listened to which I liked best. Active every time. Especially surprising since I am more of a clean strat player than high gain.
The EMG's are great for high gain set ups, I have a pair in my Schector. They work really well with my Peavey 6505, an amp not known for its clean tone. Some nice Les Pauls you have there Darrell, thanks for ripping it up for us!
great review. you have unmuddied the water. picked out the active pickups on all 3. I now realize I'm looking for the ones in the LP
I have the EMG Het set and absolutely love them, they are like a passive active set, real heavy with gain and clean and clear without, absolutely love them.
The blue Les Paul with passive pickups sounded great in clean. Active pickups did truly sound best with gain. Very informative video Tbh thank you.
Friend of mine has a '65 or '68 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe goldtop... with active pickups. Haven't seen this before or since. Apparently it came out of the factory this way. It's lovely. It has a unique sound. Very emotive. However reproducing this is a damn fine question.
Clicked for comparison kept repeating it for the demo playing. Great job Darrell!
Active sounds really strong, outgoing, and.... well Active! Really cool comparison vid my man!
Thanks RC!
It was tough to distinguish between the active pickups and the double cut in the first two tests. The LP Traditional was easy to identify each time since it had so much lower output. In the third test with lots of distortion and palm muting, it was easy to tell which sample had the EMGs - they sounded the heaviest and best!
I’m loving the double cut Paul! I’ve been wanting one for years.
Great playing! I was busy listening to the music and could not focus on guesswork.
That aqua burst LP is killing me! SO PRETTY
You seem to read my mind (or probably the mind of many) when it comes to what to do next.
This was definetly what I was waiting for. Great comparision again. The difference was rather small I would say. Might be my old ears, not making out that subtle things.
So apparently I love active pickups, but have never had them on my guitars. Thanks for the video!
the blue is so amazing.
I always sucked at blindtests but this one, i got them all right. I guess the difference was more evident than I had expected. I could definitely hear the difference between the active and the passive pickups but, honestly all three had quite different tones. And I liked them all..damn les pauls, they even look good..
What about Fishman Fluence? There's a lot of hype for these pickups,you see many famous players,who used EMG's for many years,changing to Fishman(guys like Devin Townsend,Wolf Hoffman of Accept etc. etc.)
What is really intriguing about the Fishmans,is that you can use them in active and passive mode and you can even coil-split them.Would be cool,if you could make a demo of them,in the future.
I'll see what I can do!
I have them, the single coil ones. BTW, they're always active. I absolutely love them.
Loved the active pickups every time. I’m really considering getting some now.
Thanks brother, well done as usual!
i guessed the actives on both pickups. Both together is the one that got me. I really like the clarity
That blue finish is gorgeous... But, as I said before, I'd go for the double cut because the sound is great and the look is awesome.
In the second test I really didn't know which was which, but in the clean was clear which was the active!
Back in the late 80s (bass guitar) you could definitely hear the difference. A set of EMGs on a Spector verses the passive Js on a Fender Jazz
Bass was like night and day. Especially with a pick the attack was clear and precise. Nowadays it seems technology has leveled the playing field. I couldn't tell the difference either.
wow I actually got that right, I have a set of emgs in my ltd and Im happy no matter if im feeling like playing clean, sometimes especially clean! and slightly broken up is great as well..just play with the volume.
I’ve used a lot of different guitars both live and in the studio.
EMG- I’ve used the 81/85’s and loved them. To me they are an all around great combo for hard rock and metal. I never found them yo be sterile. The way they sound has a lot to do with the amp you use and the way you play.
EMG -707TW’s, I personally couldn’t stand them. The coil tap wasn’t much of a difference. To me these just didn’t sound all that great. They seemed to be far to flat and lifeless.
RedActive- these are active pickups made by GuitarFetish. They are bargain pickups but surprisingly sounded great. They have two versions in the active humbuckers the Red that is more PAF sounding and the Gold that are more EMG 81/85 sounding. Very easy to put in and for the money you can’t complain. They have single coils but I haven’t tried them but if as good as the Humbuckers they should make people on a budgit looking for great active pickups very happy.
Fish man Fluence- To me, these are the best of the best! They give you the option of passive and active along with single coil splitting on some of their pickups. You also have a choice of Alnico or Ceramic on the modern ones. These are simply amazingly made and sounding pick ups. They are also re-chargeable!
Check them out, you will be amazed at how clear yet noiseless they are and having the best of both worlds is priceless.
I was distracted by the beautiful riff you played during the guitar test hahah...wish I could learn that!
I could hear the difference between guitars but only got one test right. Listening through a second time, is the learning experience. Thanks for the comparison
I got them all right every time. I have been using both since the 80’s and active is my thing for everything!
Wow, I surprised myself and got all 3 tests correct. I've had an emg guitar for a long time and prefer passives. But anything Darrell touches sounds great
Wow… those sound great! Im highly tempted to get a set of Super 77s
unpretencious, no showman, great guy, explains very good, 5*, thanks from Portugal!!
Sooooo, similar to this vid, on my good ole Seymour Duncan Pickup Booster pedal, which works specifically with the signal of single coils, there's a 3-position toggle switch on the pedal (position 0 in the middle, position 1 on top, and position 2 on bottom). Position 0 is unchanged signal, position 1 mimics a vintage humbucker, and position 2 mimics a high output humbucker. Sooooo....though I do have a Fender SRV signature series Strat with excellent tone, I really enjoy my 1963 Gibson Melody Maker, which original pickup has TWO shorts in the pickup wire, so in my younger days I bought a stock Strat neck pickup for the Melody Maker's sole bridge pickup position. And then come home to find out that the Seymour Duncan is juuuust a bit shorter in length than the original Gibson pickup, so I had to choose "am I favoring the high end or low end?" and high end it is because I just gotta have sizzling leads ;) Sooo back to the Pickup Booster pedal, I've been REALLY listening to the different tonalities of the 3 positions, I mean just playing the same licks over and over and scrolling through the positions over and over, and really HEARING the difference, and it's quite amazing how "each pickup" brings out tone dynamics in a unique way that the other positions lack. It's not really one being "better" than another, but like Rock Paper Scissors lol where each has an advantage and a disadvantage in respect to the other two. So it's just a matter of what kind of tone and playing you're aiming for. The single coil has a wider dynamic range, but not as much punch. The humbucker is more smoothed out, but has a different "bite", let's say "stronger but not sharper", than the single coil. And the active humbucker (or, simulated active humbucker, as the pedal simulates the signal itself) has a very searing and lasting quality, and super filled out with the mid boost. So it's really just a matter of what performs best for the style that you're playing! So, I'm coming to really enjoy the Pickup Booster pedal more than ever before -- more than a "pre-front-end volume boost" as I previously used it -- and really using it in a "3 guitars in one pedal" kind of way :) :) :) and I must say it really does a great job at altering the signal!!!
Test 2 was very interesting... i thought the blue LP ST was the double cut, really warm tone
I guessed all three... wrong. This was a surprising test, as I expected there to be much more of a difference.
Back in the day... sometime around '87 I had an EMG in my Japanese Strat and I could clearly hear the difference between the passive pickup it came with and the EMG 81 that replaced it. I liked it at first but eventually went back to all passive pups and haven't returned to an active set. This test might have made me rethink that, though, were it not for my having found my sound in the SD Pearly Gates. Well done, as usual, Darrell. Oh, and those two blue Les Pauls are gorgeous, especially your double cut.
Only time I was able to pick out the EmG’s was in the high gain sample. I have multiple guitars with active pickups including an ESP with those same pickups so I feel slightly ashamed I could not sniff them out in the clean samples. Definitely a compelling case that active pickups can be dynamic at times as well!
This test is easy if you own a guitar with active pickups. I have an Iron label Ibanez with EMGs and the emgs stuck out like a sore thumb in this test.
Theres no mistaking the tone.
I love them.
I got all 3 right trying to pick out the active pickups!!! Wow I did not realize the difference pickups made!!
I guessed the active only in the test number one. And I've been surprised with how the double cut sounds. Excellent! Les Paul's big fan!
Man, please, give us a comparison among the Fender Jazzmaster and the Gibson P90 Les Paul!!!
Wow, I’m just a rank amateur, but playing clean, the pickups in the Traditional sounder noticeably louder than the other two through my headphones, with the double cut right behind. When the dirt was applied, I had a harder time telling the differences, but still noticed the Traditional was maybe brighter and not as smooth slightly. Fun comparison! 🙂🎸
I failed at picking out the active ones in the first two tests, but had no problem in the third.
Currently looking to buy some passive pickups(or buy an active pickup guitar), so the relatively little difference was good to know :)
Great test! The actives stuck out to me in Test 1 (in a bad way) and in Test 3 (in a good way). Was far more difficult to pick them in Test 2 (in fact, I think I thought they were #1 instead of #2, though I'm on my laptop and cooking at the same time, so ... :P).
Would definitely grab some for metalz, if that was my thing ...
Your playing here is awesome! Very catchy licks
Thanks JC!
In the clean and overdrive, I didn't like the active one. In the clean, I also didn't like the double cut, while in the overdrive I didn't like the traditional. On the hi-gain I really couldn't tell a difference.
I liked the double cut for the first test, traditional the best for the blues breakup tone in test 2 and definitely the active pickups for the metal. Cool vid keep up the good work your killin it.
Thanks Bret!
I wasn't sure weather to get active or passive emg. Active is pretty good for metal. Thanks to this I now know what I really need.
Omfg I thought the traditional stock gibson had more clarity and whole while clean... I dont really have a preference for active or passive. I do get agressive sounds from actives a little easier but its negligible under my fingers most guitars sound the same. Im just happy with a guitar in my hands.
Passives sound simple and sweet. Its like the perfect brush for the right strokes. While actives are more like a paintgun. You can paint a picture with both just preference.
Amazing Les Paul collection.
I had two different sets of active pickups, first set was EMG 81/60 and the second one was Seymour Duncan Dave Mustaine.
I liked more of the EMG set, and I really want to have this new generation set, by the way used by new Judas Priest guitar player.
WOW! I was surprised, I love those active pickups.
Honestly blackouts are the best of both worlds. Better than any active or passive & you can just roll off or on gain if you want. Never have to compromise genres. Emgs sometimes are too gainy on cleans but shine in heavy distortion or Palm mutes.
I guessed everything =D the difference is small, but I use both active and passive pickups. therefore, I distinguish subtleties.
I love your singlecut les pauls. They're really beautiful 🤘🤘🤘🤘
The biggest issue that I have with active pickups is changing the battery.
Lame, I know. But I'm excessively lazy! :)
Get the rechargeable battery pack from Fluence...
So you can plug in your guitar for charging :D
DarthRegis i have active pickups and no battery
What active pickups do you have?
DarthRegis They last a long long time as long as you disconnect the cable when not playing
but its soooooooooooooooooo true
I got the double cut and active mixed up on test 2 as the double cut squealed. The metal test was close between all 3 and struggled most with that test. Overall, I preferred the Standard. It was the sound I preferred in the blind test and even after going back and listening again knowing it was stock humbuckers. If I was to pick, I would take the standard first, the active 2nd and the double cut 3rd as I didn't like the way the humbuckers worked together.
I picked out the active pickups in all 3 tests. I’ve been wondering if I should buy the Jackson Demmelition, now I know it will sound great. Thanks for posting this!
I have the 57/66 set in my EC-Redburn, so I was able to pick them out everytime. I have either the 81/60 or 81/60A in the rest of my guitars. The alnico magnets aren't what makes the 57/66 sound more passive. Both the 85 and the 60A are alnico pickups. The big differences are the steel pole pieces instead of blades and they most likely tweaked the preamp circuit in the pickups. The JH set is supposed to be very much like this, but with ceramic magnets, ceramic pole pieces and a little higher output. On a side note, the 60A sounds pretty awesome in the bridge position.
Thanks for demoing these pickups. I was wondering if there’s a tonal difference. It was a little tough to tell on the clean demos, but I did notice the difference on the distortion demos. The active guitar sounded like there’s a boost compared to the passive guitars. Other than that, this is a great demonstration between these guitars.
There is one guitar with active pickups among us
I have a schecter I bought a few weeks ago that had EMG 81/85 added by a previous owner... It was priced lower than buying a new set of EMGs and whoever put them in put the rings in the wrong place, put the switch in backwards, and made a mostly functional mess of the wiring (mostly because they used a mono jack so the battery was always draining)
I love them for high gain aggressive metal tones
Also a little note... The EMG 85 uses alnico v like the 57/66 the main difference is the 57/66 are a more traditional construction with slug/screw pole pieces the 81/85 are rail style underneath all the plastic and epoxy
I’m not that hung up on active...all mine have passive...but you kick ass either way...so I figure it’s in the hands...I could make passive and active sound just bad...really really bad🤫🤫🤫
I prefer passive as a strat into Fender amp player, I just watched the video for your great playing.
Thanks RC!
I own a guitar with that set of EMGs and I only guessed right on the last one, the high gain. :D
Very obvious. The sharpness of the mid range makes it easy to pick it out. :) very fun exercise!
LOVE that aqua burst. WOW.
Yeah, it's a really pretty top! 👍
clean tone active pickups are actually sounding really good compared to passive ones
I actually would prefer them more for clean tone
Thanks for this demo. I didn't try and guess the active pickups, I just listened for what I liked the best. The double-cut stood out to me for both test 1 & 2 but the active pickups did for test 3, when on their home turf.
I was 0 for 3 on guessing right...Oh well! I have both guitars with active and passive. Active is the EMG James Hetfield set and passive is the Seymour Duncan P-Rails with Triple Shot pickup rings. I tell more of a difference in playing then listening. I can play with a lot softer touch with the active. The string detection is so much better. So, I like the feel of active much better then the passive. I do dig the laziness in me with the passive and not having to change batteries or worrying about unplugging the cable so battery doesn't drain. Good video!
It took some good headphones to tell the difference. All 3 guitars are beautiful and make great additions to your collection. Love your videos and your very inspiring playing. God bless bro!
The only thing I was able to tell was the active on the metal section, even I could tell the difference. On clean, #3 sounded different to me but it was passive and I could not tell the active vs the first passive at all. Blues, complete mystery to me which one was which. But on the metal part, #2 popped out big time.
Wow ever other comparison Ive never heard differences. This test, it was close on this crappy kindle speaker, but I absolutely could hear the clarity of the active pickups. It's subtle, but definetly there.
Beautiful axes you got, BTW, Darrell :)
Guessed 1 and 3 right, but the 2nd time really threw me off... Congrats on the always amazing video, man!
Thanks! Tiago!
I pick out the passive 3/3 but that is all I try to play, I have a few guitars one being a Gibson standard premium AAAA flame in tea burst that I purchased in 2013 and have never thought of changing the pickup on any of them until now great channel, thank you for all the hard work you put into this \m/from the England UK
got all three right! but the only one i was 100% sure about was the neck possision
finally you made my wish come true, i've always wished listen an explanation about active vs passive pickups by you, I mean, with your knowledge it's great
Thanks Julio!
The cleans on the Les Paul were beautiful
Three out of three 👍 My first active pick up guitar was a black 1980 Gibson SG R1 that I bought in 1980. Lots of Black Sabbath lol