Active/Passive pickups & Solid State/Tube amplifier

[The_Sentry]

OK, I have a question for those who have a lot of equipment, and may know the answer, or can provide some assistance.

 

I am contemplating a set of active pickups for one of my guitars. I've heard the arguments, that they're pretty cold and glass-sounding. But at the same time, a lot of people use them, even those who don't per se shred but just use a pickup that can carry a wide amount of frequencies.

 

This also goes into the question of the tube amp vs. the solid state amps which have amazing sampling abilities these days.

 

It seems that (and this is based upon my recollection) if someone is getting a really killer sound out of an active pickup, it's often through a tube amplifier, and on the same token, passive pickups seem to sound really great with solid state/sampling amplifiers. BUT....(and here's the question)...in order to have any warmth at all in your tone, should you have one or the other in the chain somewhere?

 

I know that tone hounds will swear to both, but in all honesty I am just curious as to whether or not this is a question of having both vs. having none at all.

 

Is a guaranteed tone killer an active pickup through a solid state amplifier? And, if you are using solid state, are you better off with passive pickups, even if it's not going to deliver the classic vibe/tube sound?

 

I am curious about this and I don't want to buy and install a set of actives if they're going to sound like garbage through a solid state amp.

[Ricochet]

Is a guaranteed tone killer an active pickup through a solid state amplifier? And' date=' if you are using solid state, are you better off with passive pickups, even if it's not going to deliver the classic vibe/tube sound?

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Back when I used EMGs and FGIs(Fernandes EMG-clones) I played SS. Usually with heavy overdrive/distortion and processed through a Digitech 19"rack effects unit. Not better or worse sounding then my passive PU-guitars. Just different. Maybe a slight edge over the passives since they always retained note defintion and cleaned up nice.

[The_Sentry]

 

Back when I used EMGs and FGIs(Fernandes EMG-clones) I played SS. Usually with heavy overdrive/distortion and processed through a Digitech 19"rack effects unit. Not better or worse sounding then my passive PU-guitars. Just different. Maybe a slight edge over the passives since they always retained note defintion and cleaned up nice.

 

Thanks, Richochet. I think at this point due to the unavailability of the Iommis. (I'm going to have a hard time ordering since I'm on the road a lot of the time and I don't know if I'll be at a place to receive them) and the mixed reviews on those, I'm really looking into having at least one set of actives on a LP...and right now I'm looking at the Seymour Duncan blackouts. (And if I get 'em, I'll move my Burstbuckers into my other guitar.)