Do the EMG-HZ series suck, or is it just me?

[Etbass]

Pretty much all in the title. I got a Schecter Hellraiser 5, tuned EADGC playing through an Ashdown 180 head and an Ashdown cab with 2 10s and a tweeter. I'm just trying to figure out why my tone sucks. The bass has standard EMG-HZ in them. The bridge one sounds really cheesy and electric, and the neck one is weak, and a bit hollow. I want a really solid hot tone - and a bit of growl.
I'd change to Delanos based on what I've heard here, but what I'm trying to decide is whether I need them or not. Should I be able to get playable tones out of my bass and rig? Or does the head need changing too?

Thanks team!

[CapnSev]

It's not you. They suck.

[Darkstrike]

I don't know, I hear a lot of crap about them here, but never had a problem with mine, sound great in my Cort.

[J.D.B.]

Have you played with set-up and strings or is this a new rig?
Josh

[steve66]

My Schecter 4 custom has EMG- Hz pups and they sound great out of my rig. You probably need to change the battery or play the bass out of a different rig.

[Surprise Panda!]

They do suck the big one

[El-Bob]

you'll always get mixed reviews on EMG. some like them, others don't. it appears to me that you don't, so change them

[Webtroll]

When I see EMGs I listen for the EMG tone. It's a good tone and pretty versatile, but not for everybody, and the HZs don't do it at all. I'd get real EMGs or real passive pickups.

[nonfatmatt]

I'm going to go on the record and say that I like them, but they're not for everyone. They have the propensity to sound weak and kind of sterile at the same time if they're not in the right bass (For instance I liked them in my Spector but not in a Dean I played). A good cheap upgrade would be the Duncan basslines passive SSB-5, would make your tone more organic and yet still somewhat aggressive (you could go for Barts or something but they're more 'polite'). Delanos are great but they're also three times the price.

[ihateusernames]

I don't care for them, however with a LOT of tweaking and processing I found a way to live with them - still bought a different bass because of them....

[KsPiNeSh]

They're a deal breaker unless I can get a GREAT deal. Way sterile and thin... can't stand them.

[iplaybasstexas]

I have a Schecter Studio-5 (top of the line for schecter) and I love my EMGs. Mine has SOOO much growl to them, its endless. I could play metal with this bass very easy. I usually have to compress and add some effect to the bass to tone it down so that i can play acoustic/ rock/ church.

P.S. I have Rotosound Swing Bass 66 roundwounds on mine. try that.

I don't have to replace the battery that often either.

[Ampeg SVT]

i dont care for them, too thin sounding.

[metallicafan18]

Originally Posted by Webtroll

When I see EMGs I listen for the EMG tone. It's a good tone and pretty versatile, but not for everybody, and the HZs don't do it at all. I'd get real EMGs or real passive pickups.

What are the "Real Deal EMG's" I use HZ's and i wanted to know what other EMG's would fit in the bass that would be even better than these. I have a Schecter Custom-5.

[Darkstrike]

Wow, the last thing I would call them is thin sounding, mine reach the depths of hell, nothing but depth and low end growl.

[ihateusernames]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

What are the "Real Deal EMG's" I use HZ's and i wanted to know what other EMG's would fit in the bass that would be even better than these. I have a Schecter Custom-5.

By real most people refer to the active EMG's. For a five string it would be anything with a 40 in it....EMG 40DC, 40CS, 40TW, 40P, 40J.

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by metallicafan18

What are the "Real Deal EMG's" I use HZ's and i wanted to know what other EMG's would fit in the bass that would be even better than these. I have a Schecter Custom-5.

Check that your pickups are 4 inches wide (102 mm). They should be. If so, then the EMG 40 series is your ticket, as ihateusernames pointed out.

Given your user name and your sig line, I'd say that a pair of 40DCs or a 40P5 neck pickup and 40DC bridge pickup will give you a tone that you'll love.

edit: And to speak to the thread topic: I've played around on plenty of basses with EMG-HZ pickups. Never totally dazzled by the plugged in sound. But they weren't completely rotten either, at all. Passable, definitely!

[eedre]

I think part of the bad wrap they get is because they often get packaged with a very sub-par Spector TonePump preamp.

[4StringTheorist]

Originally Posted by eedre

I think part of the bad wrap they get is because they often get packaged with a very sub-par Spector TonePump preamp.

Possible. Alembicplyr's Tone Dump thread is a neat exploration of remedying that problem.

[eedre]

Originally Posted by 4StringTheorist

Possible. Alembicplyr's Tone Dump thread is a neat exploration of remedying that problem.

Neat and useful thread... although I wouldn't call that a simple remedy... I'd call that ripping out a crappy preamp and replacing it with a good one