Which EMG guitar pickups for a bass?

Questions like this are hard to answer because everyone will have a different opinion on what sounds "best" depending on their preferences, the style of music they play, and so on. Is there a specific tone you're looking for? Is there a reason why you're looking at EMG pickups, and their guitar pickups in particular? Any thoughts on what you like/don't like about other pickups you've tried?

 

I think the 707 might be if interest. I forget the user name but somebody in the forum used one and get good results. It’s basically they’re DC pickup loaded with alnico magnets.

 

In general when I'm looking for guitar pickups to use in a bass, I look for hotter output and alnico magnets. That combination tends to result in a lower resonant peak and a little less high end - what you want in a bass to keep it nice and fat without getting brittle. I also try to steer clear of really heavily overwound pickups since they can get muddy on a bass.

EMGs are a bit of a different animal since, for the most part, they're active and don't really behave the same as a passive pickup in terms of translating the design to an expected result.

I'd probably try the H1A since it's a pretty warm and well rounded pickup, and fairly high output, and should hit the vintagey tones you're looking for better than some of the brighter models.

The 707 is only available in a direct mount case as far as I'm aware, it doesn't come in a version with mounting tabs like you'd get on a humbucker if you want to mount these to a pickguard.

 

60 is ceramic only, 81 is ceramic and steel, and 85 is Alnico. There's also the 60A which is Alnico. I'd be tempted to try the 81 out of that bunch since it has a lower resonant peak. The steel bar helps in that respect, it makes a ceramic magnet behave more like an Alnico magnet. The 60A or 85 would probably be good too. They're all spec'd to more or less the same output, thanks to the preamps being tuned to level the playing field in terms of signal voltage.

The H series instructions have specs on those models:

https://www.emgpickups.com/pub/media/Mageants/7/h/7h_b2450230-0270rb.pdf

 

The FT was Ned Steinberger's choice in the NS Stick which is tuned from B up.

 

I dropped a 60-7XH into my light show bass. It sounds big and meaty, rather aggressive. I like aggressive.



More commentary here, and a quick sound clip a few posts later. 2020 Winter Build Off - 4000LS

 

At the neck I’d be tempted to try an H - isn’t that their “single coil in a humbucker housing” model? I really like single coils up by the neck.

 

I don't know if EMG even still makes them, but the old guitar sized EMG HB might be right up your alley.

Made for the Steinberger and it is as flat a response as you could want.

 

They still make the HB and HBCS.

 

johnny from A7x has already done this Idea..

 

Not sure it's relevant but my Chapman stick uses an EMG tele neck pickup on each side. The bass side goes to C below bass guitar and has plenty of balls.

 

EMG used to do a Gibson sized mini humbucker that would look the part.

 

I have one of these in my Resonator, love it.

HB

 

In the 35 series, the J element is placed on the bridge side of the housing, though you can order it as a JR with it neck side. Do you know if the H is it on one side or the other or in the middle? I'd missed seeing this one and it might make a nice contrast to the HB in the bridge location on my Hohner B2.

NS Stick, I presume? If so I didn't think there were any down here. I'm going to order one, or maybe a Rail10 as a Christmas present to myself.

 

Likely not what the OP wants to hear... however, my experience with the EMG HB, 35P, and 35DC was that they sounded significantly worse than passive bass pickups, including the ones in my 1982 Ric 4001 and a late 60s Hagstrom 8-string. The EMGs all sounded sterile and had a harshness in the highs that was difficult to dial out, and I ended up replacing them with a set of Lane Poor M3.5Ws (wide aperture) in my Hamer 12-string, which sound much more natural and have a clear extended, but not harsh, high end response.