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11-12-2007, 02:44 PM
|  | Smile more, ok?
Staff Reviewer; Bass Gear Magazine Moderator | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: Columbia MO | | | EMG J pups: 9 or 18 volt?
EMG J pups: 9 or 18 volt?
Which way do you run, and what's the percieved diff if you've run both?
thx; alan
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11-12-2007, 05:55 PM
|  | The lowest of the low... | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC vicinity | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef  EMG J pups: 9 or 18 volt?
Which way do you run, and what's the percieved diff if you've run both?
thx; alan | I've used EMG's since 1984, always 9 volt. I've A/B'd 9V to 18V and honestly could not hear a difference. Even with a dying 9V battery they seem to retain a good deal of headroom without tonal change, so I've always felt the extra batterry would be superfluous.
That being said, I definitely hear a difference between 9V and 18V in my onboard Sadowsky preamp, both in the amount of headroom available and the degree of coloration it offers due to the single-ended Class A design with it's FET transistors. There are other on-board circuits that may also benefit from 18V, but that's usually due only to the increased headroom available. But as EMG's use opamps there is virtually no change in sound with varying voltage I can hear, until it becomes critically low, IMO/IME. (I personally use one master 9V battery for the EMG's and Sadowsky preamp.) IMHO, there is no reason to think that EMG's using 18V will sound like "EMG's on steroids" or louder, clearer, bassier, groovier, or [insert adverb here]. My recommendation is that unless you have additional on-board circuitry that requires or benefits from 18V, using 9V soley for the EMG's should be fine.  |
11-12-2007, 09:12 PM
| | Smile more, ok?
Staff Reviewer; Bass Gear Magazine Moderator | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: Columbia MO | | | This is why I ask; from the emg spec sheet:
1) Only one battery is required for the pickups,
and any active accessories such as the BTC,
BTS, BQC, VMC, B30, and B64 equalizers.
Two batteries wired in series for 18 volts is
recommended for bass to increase headroom
and enhance performance.
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11-12-2007, 10:19 PM
| | The lowest of the low... | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC vicinity | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef This is why I ask; from the emg spec sheet:
1) Only one battery is required for the pickups,
and any active accessories such as the BTC,
BTS, BQC, VMC, B30, and B64 equalizers.
Two batteries wired in series for 18 volts is
recommended for bass to increase headroom
and enhance performance. | Right - that makes sense. IMO, if you're going to use any of these active accessories with the EMG pickups it's probably best to just run the pickups off 18V also so the two 9V batteries run down evenly at the exact same rate, where you could then be able to replace them as a pair. According to the fAQ's from EMG's website, this is OK to do: Can I use multiple batteries? Yes. If you've got room for multiple batteries in your guitar, you can use two batteries wired in series to power your onboard circuitry at 18 volts. |
11-12-2007, 10:28 PM
|  | Sick and tired of being sick and tired. | | Join Date: May 2005 Location: Belfair, WA | | | I've been using a single 9V in my Kubicki (which has 35J p/us), and in my Guild Pilot 5 string. And when I get around to getting another 35J, my Peavey Foundation 5 string will have EMGs run with a single 9V. It sounds good, and works for what I'm doing.
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11-13-2007, 06:16 AM
| | Smile more, ok?
Staff Reviewer; Bass Gear Magazine Moderator | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: Columbia MO | | As I read that tho, they're saying "use two batteries for accessories; and when using in a bass guitar application as this will increase performance and add headroom."
Headroom is great for making low notes all phat and juicy... Quote:
Originally Posted by figuredbass Right - that makes sense. IMO, if you're going to use any of these active accessories with the EMG pickups it's probably best to just run the pickups off 18V also so the two 9V batteries run down evenly at the exact same rate, where you could then be able to replace them as a pair. According to the fAQ's from EMG's website, this is OK to do:
Can I use multiple batteries? Yes. If you've got room for multiple batteries in your guitar, you can use two batteries wired in series to power your onboard circuitry at 18 volts. |
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"Boy, that makes about as much sense as putting a milk bucket under a bull-cow and expecting to come home with breakfast."
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11-13-2007, 12:15 PM
| | The lowest of the low... | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC vicinity | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef As I read that tho, they're saying "use two batteries for accessories; and when using in a bass guitar application as this will increase performance and add headroom."
Headroom is great for making low notes all phat and juicy... | +1 The 18V for the accessories is essential for sufficient headroom, phat and juice , while 9V is sufficient for just the pickups. The pickups are actually specified for up to 27V, so for the convenience of using a single power supply, and without concern of overpowering them, they can also be run off your accessories' 18V supply. |
11-13-2007, 12:24 PM
| | Banned | | Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: New York City | | Quote:
Originally Posted by figuredbass The 18V for the accessories is essential for sufficient headroom, phat and juice , while 9V is sufficient for just the pickups. The pickups are actually specified for up to 27V, so for the convenience of using a single power supply, and without concern of overpowering them, they can also be run off your accessories' 18V supply. |
Huh...interesting. I've got a Modulus with EMG J pickups that came stock with a single 9V. I later added the EMG BTC tone control, but did *not* change the battery setup. It works fine, never had any problems with limited headroom, distortion, compression, noise, etc.
But it would be trivial to add a 2nd battery in series, so now you got me thinking...
Last edited by Hoover : 11-13-2007 at 12:27 PM.
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11-13-2007, 12:29 PM
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Owner/designer; SGD Lutherie | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Hoover Huh...interesting. I've got a Modulus with EMG J pickups that came stock with a single 9V. I later added the EMG BTC tone control, but did *not* change the battery setup. It works fine, never had any problems with limited headroom, distrotion, compression, noise, etc.
But it would be trivial to add a 2nd battery in series, so now you got me thinking... | I've used EMG's from about 1985 until recently. In my bass with two Jazz pickups, that was 9 volts. My other basses had EMG-40 soaps of various styles, and BTC pres. I always ran those on 9V.
I decided to upgrade the basses to 18V, and I immediately noticed the basses sounded less compressed than with 9V.
I think it's more of an issue with the hotter output pickups like the DC.
Currently I have my own active pickups in the same bass which still has the BTC, and I'm running on 9V. |
11-13-2007, 01:13 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Houston, TX | | | I noticed a very subtle difference going from 9V to 18V. As David said, it seemed less compressed. Also the lowest notes seemed cleaner and clearer, especially the B string. Not a huge difference, but definitely noticeable.
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11-13-2007, 02:40 PM
| | Smile more, ok?
Staff Reviewer; Bass Gear Magazine Moderator | | Join Date: May 2004 Location: Columbia MO | | Anyone running a different preamp with these?
Something like OBP3 or Audere; something with more like Volume/Blend/T/M/B; versus V/V/T?
Here's what mine are in: FS / FT: Warmoth 5 String w/ EMG's
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11-13-2007, 02:46 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Buffalo, New York, USA, Earth | | | I've had EMG J's in a fretless fender CIJ Jazz at 9v and Warwick Corvette fretless at 18v. As mentioned, less compressed more dynamic and clear. Not super noticeable, but I'd run 18v every time. |
11-13-2007, 02:50 PM
| | Registered User
Owner/designer; SGD Lutherie | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Chef Anyone running a different preamp with these?
Something like OBP3 or Audere; something with more like Volume/Blend/T/M/B; versus V/V/T?
Here's what mine are in: FS / FT: Warmoth 5 String w/ EMG's | I had two EMG-J's in my Ibanez with a blend and the stock preamp. Sounded great. |
11-13-2007, 10:24 PM
| | The lowest of the low... | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC vicinity | | I'm probably the exception here, as I normally prefer a small amount of compression live as well as recorded. I acheive this using 9V power for my onboard electronics: EMG J's (attenuated 8 dB) fed into my onboard Sadowsky preamp. I then plug my bass into a DBX compressor set to a 2:1 ratio (live). Another man's poison is this man's meat!  |
11-13-2007, 10:59 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Chugiak, AK | | Quote:
Originally Posted by figuredbass Another man's poison is this man's meat! | Well, just keep your meat outta my bass! 
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11-13-2007, 11:10 PM
| | The lowest of the low... | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: NYC vicinity | | I guess I shouldn't take an old classic expression and try to say it backwards (or is that back words??) |
11-14-2007, 01:07 AM
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Endorsing: Ampeg | | Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Apopka, FL | | | I don't get it. You all must have bat hearing. I tried 18v in my EMG basses and it lasted about a month. Made no difference whatsoever. |
11-14-2007, 09:18 AM
| | Registered User
Owner/designer; SGD Lutherie | | Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Montclair, NJ, USA | | Quote:
Originally Posted by figuredbass I'm probably the exception here, as I normally prefer a small amount of compression live as well as recorded. I acheive this using 9V power for my onboard electronics: EMG J's (attenuated 8 dB) fed into my onboard Sadowsky preamp. I then plug my bass into a DBX compressor set to a 2:1 ratio (live). Another man's poison is this man's meat! | I always use a compressor live. I also have an old MXR AC Limiter which is good for a lot of squash! |
11-10-2012, 10:29 AM
| | Registered User
Endorsing Artist : Ernie Ball, LaBella Strings | | Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Detroit, MI | | | There is a difference. It is subtle. The 18 volts will give you a slightly less compressed wave file. I could easily see it. I noticed a slight increase in highs too. As if any of us need more highs from a set of emg's.
A friend and I made a quick exchange harness and A/B'd several times. The 18 volts was just "more emg". By that I mean it was a little louder (or maybe less compressed), a little brighter. It was not a big change.
Keep in mind, you start adding another battery, a badass, some chrome knobs, covers , a hipshot drop key, large leather strap with locks and you'll have a 14 lb. bass.
Last edited by James Simonson : 11-10-2012 at 10:40 AM.
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11-11-2012, 01:06 AM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Lansing, Michigan | | Quote:
Originally Posted by DavidRavenMoon I decided to upgrade the basses to 18V, and I immediately noticed the basses sounded less compressed than with 9V. | THIS..
I noticed that the pickups sounded compressed when run at 9v. Specifically "the pickups" were a standard EMG J-set. 18v was just better and both batteries fit under the control plate in my warmoth Jazz bass so it was no issue to change.
I did the same on the EMG P, except I used 24v via 2)12v batteries wired to a 9v clip. Again same effect. Less compression.
Not that the tone was way different, but more dynamic. Like taking a transparent compressor set at 1:1.5 and putting it at 1:1.
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Last edited by joelb79 : 11-11-2012 at 01:08 AM.
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