EMG's vs. S.D. Blackout's

[GibSinCity]

What's your experience with them?

If you've tried them both, which ones and why?

I already know they will affect the beloved Les Paul tone we all know and love, I'm just curious about how adding an active axe to the arsenal would affect an amp set for passive pickups, and looking for opinions and experiences of those who have ventured into "Active" territory.

Feel free to link me to older threads from this, or another Gibson forums if this subject has been discussed to death, I got no response at the Gibson Pickup forum.

[93DMTX]

Just a couple of things....

 

Haven't tried SD's.

 

If you are patient and have access to a active used market you should be able to pick up a set of either at a price that you could resell without loss if you don't like them. I bought an unopened ZW (81/85 of course) set for $100. Probably more likely to find the EMG's. Many more of them have been sold I'd guess.

 

I put the ZW's in my Custom replacing a 490/498 set that just wasn't doing it for me. Ended up going back and forth several times until I finally decided the actives were giving me more of what I was after. Have to say that initially I was suprised that I couldn't tell a bigger difference. My EMG's are running at 18V.

 

IMO, it just depends on what you're after. I think the reason there is a good supply used is a lot of people don't like them. I do, what can I say. I've played a number of borrowed gibsons (vintage ES and LP's) through my rig recently and when I pick my EMG loaded Custom back up I have not failed to say to myself "yea, thats what I like". The only reason I could see removing them at this point would be to put the stock pups back in to sell or trade the guitar.

[Thundergod]

I have tried and own some guitars with EMG pickups. I also own some guitars with "normal" pickups and I can testify EMGs are great. Most people bash them but I think it's mainly because of who uses them and how they are using them.

 

If you read EMG what do you think? Nu metal and **** like that. You don't think single coil tone with no hum. You don't think jazz. You don't think latin music. So yeah most people think they suck and the tone is awful 'cause they are watching and listening shitty bands use them. Truth is those shitty bands would sound the same with whatever pickup you gave them, and sometimes is not even THEIR fault but their producer's.

 

I've used both single coil sized and HB sized active EMGs and they are great. The T-set I have on my main guitar right now is perfect and suits all of my needs, I can play everything from jazz to heavy metal with them, they are very responsive to changes in volume and dynamics and they are (almost) noise free.

[GibSinCity]

Thanks guys, that helped.