Replacing Pickups in Nate Mendel P (EMG GZRs?)

[markanini]

your friendly EMG rep will tell you otherwise if asked

Really? There were been multiple people inquiring EMG about color options for GZR that were directed to PHZ and their electronic specs match.

 

[mmbongo]

Really? There were been multiple people inquiring EMG about color options for GZR that were directed to PHZ and their electronic specs match.

The clincher is that if you look at the back of a GZR pickup, it says 'EMG GZR/PHZ'.

 

[JimmyM]

Wow, you save a whole $5 for going for the PHZ instead of the Geezer and get a pickup that at the very least doesn't look as cool, and we still don't know for absolute sure if they're the same pickup or not.

 

[epoxo57]

Really? There were been multiple people inquiring EMG about color options for GZR that were directed to PHZ and their electronic specs match.

Huh, not sure. I asked the rep the diff between the GZR and the PVA5 and they said I wouldn't be able to notice a difference in a mix... I didn't inquire about the PHZ since I thought it has ceramic magnets and I wanted the exposed poles...or so I thought: This from their website: Because the PHZ utilizes alnico magnets coupled with short, squat coils, the tone has a lot of high-end articulation, warmth, and incredible low end punch. But on the PVA5 HZ pickup page: The PVA5 is based on the original EMG PHZ but utilizes Alnico 5 magnets instead of ceramic. Soo....

 

[markanini]

Huh, not sure. I asked the rep the diff between the GZR and the PVA5 and they said I wouldn't be able to notice a difference in a mix... I didn't inquire about the PHZ since I thought it has ceramic magnets and I wanted the exposed poles...or so I thought: This from their website: Because the PHZ utilizes alnico magnets coupled with short, squat coils, the tone has a lot of high-end articulation, warmth, and incredible low end punch. But on the PVA5 HZ pickup page: The PVA5 is based on the original EMG PHZ but utilizes Alnico 5 magnets instead of ceramic. Soo....

Good catch. It stands as evidence of EMG silently updating the PHZ. Schecter might have asked for a GZR without the name to avoid paying licenses, and the PHZ was never a popular model(try to deny that) so the decision was made to consolidate the GZR and PHZ.

 

[mmbongo]

I installed the GZR in my Mendel over the weekend, overall I really like it. It's less output and less 'gank' than the stock SPB-3 which I really like as well (and eventually put back in after trying a handful of others). I actually kinda like the sound of the stock pickup just a hair more, but I think the GZR will stay and here's why....this thing is DEAD silent. When I'm not touching the bass, there is zero hum/buzz at all. I've had about 5 different pickups in here all ranging from 'nuclear substation' levels of buzz to silent to anywhere in between. The stock SPB-3 actually wasn't too bad and I could have dealt with it. But this GZR is silent. No buzz when touching the pole pieces either.

 

[NoiseNinja]

For me the Geezer is a clear winner.

And yes, the Geezers are dead silent, even without a bridge ground wire in a non shielded bass, which I learned after accidentally pulling out the bridge wire in one of my basses where I had the P/J set installed at that point.

 

[markanini]

I definitelty notice the GZR sitting better in the mix than the SPB-4 in that comparison.