Why are EMG Pickups so HIGHLY UNDERRATED? Sound Clip Inside

[BassinCT]

On Talkbass, I’m not sure if we’re a representative sample of the bass playing world, but TB’ers seem to have strong opinions on this, one way or another- I like them and think they work well for most situations. Definitely not underrated, but some people pass on them because they have a noticeably different character than many passive w/alnico designs.

I have owned three basses with different EMG models in each of them and they all worked well for me and my favorite was the CS soapbars. None of the EMG’s I have ever owned have ever been noisy, nor have I ever encountered a noisy EMG system on any bass. My current basses have Bartolini Original splits, Aero K and Nordstrand P5 pickups- all over the map!

 

[LiptonJigglers]

Never understood the attraction to them, had to many issues with them.
To hifi for my enjoyment. Made my bass sound like it had just hit puberty... the plug and play system was brilliant as it made for easy removal.

 

[B-Mac]

In what universe are EMG pickups underrated?!? They’ve been a top selling brand for almost 50 years!

The TB universe.

 

[blr2]

EMG Geezer Butler P pickup is very often recommended on the forums, and AFAIK, one of the best selling P pickups nowadays. Haven't tried it myself, but so many people cannot be wrong.

 

[B-Mac]

My first bass I ever owned was a Fender parts bass that Had EMG's and that simple EMG preamp back in 1991 and I always loved the sound of those pickups.

Fast forward to 2002. I briefly had an artist deal with Fender and coaxed them into gifting me a couple of 2001 Fender FMT Jazz Basses. I had EMG pups and preamp installed on them and while the stock setup sounded great, the EMG's really took the sound to the next level.

Fast forward again to 2024 and I took my 2002 Fender FMT Jazz to a gig for the first time in long time last Friday lol. I was loving the sound I got out of the bass during the gig and when we got a little video of one of our songs from the show...I was again pretty stoked on the tone from my ex main bass and long time partner in musical crime!

Anyone else think EMG's are super underrated?

Here is the vid..it's fine through your phone but through as speaker is a way better representation of course!

If I had a dollar for everytime I read 'first thing I did was rip everything out and make it Passive' here on TB I'd be a 'Bassionaire' by now!

 

[Discount Bassy]

What?

Edit: What?

 

[VeryTallBassist]

Never understood the attraction to them, had to many issues with them.
To hifi for my enjoyment. Made my bass sound like it had just hit puberty... the plug and play system was brilliant as it made for easy removal.

What issues did you have? I've owned tons of EMG pickups over the years and they've had stellar reliability and performance.

 

[Topkat13]

Says who?

 

[faulknersj]

What issues did you have? I've owned tons of EMG pickups over the years and they've had stellar reliability and performance.

same…20+ years in and these EMG’s are still kicking booty

 

[bherman]

I am definitely not in the TB camp of forever changing pickups, but when I did a P bass build I used Geezer P and have never looked back. Great sounding pickup, easy install. I'm in the fanboy camp.

 

[mcnach]

I think some people don't think EMGs are "natural" or "organic" sounding because they contain a pre-amp and need a battery. I don't really understand that. What does that even mean? Use what sounds good to you regardless of the technology behind it.

Yeah, it's not like the bass gets then plugged into a tree and sound comes magically from coconuts or something.

 

[Inertialsky]

I think their guitar pickups get the worst reviews recently. Some people love them but the emg 81 has just become such an overused and now considered an outdated sound for most modern music.

I have no beef their bass offerings. I had an EMG preamp in one of my modulus basses and it had a mid-sweep control. It was super sweet!

 

[GroovinOnFunk]

EMG... Underrated? Huh?
Oh! I get it. April Fool's joke? Hmmm.

 

[2thAche]

I had one bass with EMGs. I traded it for a guitar. Could have been more the preamp than the pickups FAIK but as much as I can describe with words, it had a plastic sound that wasn't organic like my others.

 

[logdrum]

I very rarely see them recommended on this forum when folks are asking about pickup options. Am I missing it? Do you see them being often highly recommended? Are you seeing a lot of basses being modded with EMG's?

I recommend them for me. Even on electric guitars

 

[faulknersj]

I recommend them for me. Even on electric guitars

I think I remember you recommending them to you…

 

[kgbeast]

EMG are definitely underated among the bassists... But only a small group of them. On their underrated lists are also 9v batteries, 3-band on-board equalizers, blend pots, pickup selectors, anything with 6-strings on it.... High mass bridges... Among few other whichimajigs and dealybobers.

 

[Pings Bass]

I put them in my 80s MiJ Fender, because they were all the rage back then. Maybe even over-rated. They're pretty good! But there are a lot more choices out there today, many with a bespoke hipster aura.

 

[faulknersj]

I had one bass with EMGs. I traded it for a guitar. Could have been more the preamp than the pickups FAIK but as much as I can describe with words, it had a plastic sound that wasn't organic like my others.

The bass knob on the EMG pre-amp with EMG pickups is where the magic lies for me…

 

[Dincrest]

I used to have an ESP/LTD F-205 with EMG-HZ soapbars that I had a luthier rewire fully passive (with VVT controls). I thought the bass sounded way better passive, like it could breathe and was unshackled from the preamp. The low B still sounded even and powerful, dispelling the myth that you need active electronics to bring out the best of a low B.

As for the tone, I liked the HZs and passive electronics. They weren't traditional sounding, nor were they "active" sounding like typical EMGs. Maybe that's why they get a lukewarm reception here on TalkBass. But I liked them alright. I could make the bass sound mellow or mean. Okay, I didn't like the HZs as much as my favorite Seymour Duncan passive soapbars, but I wouldn't chuck them.

Among EMGs, I'd say the passive HZs are the most underrated in their lineup. Yet, I think they're just fine.

(I no longer have that bass, as I've moved back to 4-strings).