Has anyone tried replacing their EMG HZ or EMG SSD pickups with active EMGs? If so what do you think of the results? Has anyone replaced the EMG SSD pickups with the active EMGs in their Spector bass and wired them to the Tonepump Jnr preamp? Is it worth going the whole way and replacing the Tonepump Jnr with the EMG accessory circuits such as the BTC or BTS? Thanks for any advice.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Replacing Passive EMGs with Active EMGs
- Thread starter lowendpurveyor
- Start date
If you're looking for a 'hi-fi' sound, then it'd be worth the swap. For me, I'd keep it passive & stock, using the money toward a great amp with a great built-in preamp. I play through an Aguilar, which has resulted in the flattening of EQ's in my 'active' basses, and a preference toward my passive basses, in general.
Have Spector Legend Classic 5. I am not happy at all with the tonal variety available with the EMG SSD and TonePump Jr combination. Frankly, they seem about as functional as an on/off switch, with no in-between on any of the controls.
If I was to upgrade the electronics, shoud I start w/ PUPS or Pre-Amp ?
If I was to upgrade the electronics, shoud I start w/ PUPS or Pre-Amp ?
Really depends on the passive EMG's. The electronics in my Schecter, 40HZ's with an EMG preamp, sound great if not a tad bright. I've read several reviews that stated that replacing these with barts did nothing to improve the tone....although it did alter the tone a bit.
Hi:
I did it with a Dean beater bass I have, replaced the EMG_HZs
with a 35P and 35J, world of difference. Found a used BTC preamp and now I have the same setup as my Godin BG-IV, which has served me well
I did it with a Dean beater bass I have, replaced the EMG_HZs
with a 35P and 35J, world of difference. Found a used BTC preamp and now I have the same setup as my Godin BG-IV, which has served me well
I had a Spector Legend 6 string. I did not care for the passive EMG's. They were quite noisy. I swapped them out for actives. I also replaced the tone pump jr. with a regular tone pump. However, I think that was really unnecessary, as I think the only diff between the two is about 4 dbs of boost.
In short, active EMG's work quite well with the tone pump and both can run off the same 9 volt battery. If you are unhappy with your tone, give it a whirl. I tend to love active EMGs, so the difference was exactly what I was looking for
In short, active EMG's work quite well with the tone pump and both can run off the same 9 volt battery. If you are unhappy with your tone, give it a whirl. I tend to love active EMGs, so the difference was exactly what I was looking for
