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EMG pickups...

#8
I tend to like passive pickups with an active preamp - except where EMGs are concerned. I've never cared much for the sound of the EMG Hz passives and think you are much better off with the active p'ups. They just sound better, IMO.

As walterw mentioned, EMG's preamps are designed to sound good with their pickups (both active and passive) and pairing them with the actives - as you are - is a very good bet.
 
#9
Most EMG pickups are active. They have a preamp inside to add gain, since their design use magnets and coils that aren't as strong compared to traditional pickups. This is why magnetic pull on the strings from EMG pickups is less than the usual, which allows them to be closer to the strings if a player wants then to be.
 
#11
Lo-E said:
Not so sure I can agree with you there. In the case of EMGs, which have been hugely popular for 30 years, people do it all the time.
Click to expand...

Using EMGs with preamps is the exception, because EMG popularizes the use of their own preamps with their pickups. Otherwise, it's not common. Buffering is generally either done at the pickup, with EQ done externally, or at the preamp, with a direct connection to the pickup coils. The only reason to have active pickups and a preamp, is if the pickups are wound to a low impedance, with a gain-boosting buffer, and onboard EQ is desired.
 
#17
grendle said:
active pups with an active preamp are quite common. only a few do active pups with passive tone controls. also passive pups with active tone controls / pre are pretty common. It's got nothing to do with buffering, its all about tone shaping.
Click to expand...

Most modern bass manufacturers include at least a 2-band, and often a 3-band, preamp; a VVT setup is much more common on basses with passive pickups, I can't remember the last time I saw a stock model bass with active pickups (EMG's or otherwise) and only a VVT setup.

Back to OP's question, unless the EMG's say 'HZ' on the front, they are one of their active models...in order to find out which one you'll have to pop it out and take a look at the back ;)
 
#18
Your pickups are active and the BTC is a quasi parametric tone control not a preamp.
It is a matched system and should sound great. I have used EMG pickups for 25 years plus - and am very pleased all around. Contrary to popular myth, they do not sound the same on all basses - I own 5 basses with EMG's and 3 without and I allways play out with the emg's and each bass has a distinct character - and NO HISS OR HUM. These are great pickups.
 
#19
rberry7777 said:
Your pickups are active and the BTC is a quasi parametric tone control not a preamp.
Click to expand...

Those are shelving filters, not a parametric, and all active tone controls are indeed a preamp. Any active circuit, including a buffer, is a preamp.

The 3 band BQC EMG preamp has a quasi parametric midrange control (frequency and boost/cut, but no Q).
 

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