Why are EMG Pickups so HIGHLY UNDERRATED? Sound Clip Inside

[faulknersj]

Yup. I remember in the mid-eighties every other guy had a bass loaded with EMG's running through a GK800 RB and a Hartke 410. I had that rig for a while.

How did it sound?

 

[faulknersj]

that tone is sick!

Thank you bro. I’ve had a different main squeeze for a while and taking my ex out for this gig reminded me how sweet the EMG setup is…

 

[faulknersj]

With regard to the OP, I don’t think EMGs are underrated but nowadays, as many have said, there are multiple options available for dressing up a FSO or other kinds of basses.
I personally am one of the three persons who left a review of the PAX pickup on the EMG official website in 2019.
I just had a old P-bass clone (Hondo II) to re-dress and I put the above pickup on it.
The result was .. WOW .. not exactly vintage sounding but WOW !
I have to find out where I put it

That would be awesome if you could share a link to that thread!

 

[makanudo]

Guitarists often turn away from them because "my dynamics" even when playing into high gain and that sort of bleeds into the bass world too.

Also, EMG's are more "hi-fi" or full spectrum and can sound "brittle" or to bright for people who are used to or want the P/J passive sound or the coveted "warm bass" sound.

 

[2F/2F]

EMGs are everywhere, and have been for generations. They're the most commonly used aftermarket bass pickups, in my experience. They're perfectly good, but if anything, they're overrated, not underrated.

 

[faulknersj]

Guitarists often turn away from them because "my dynamics" even when playing into high gain and that sort of bleeds into the bass world too.

Also, EMG's are more "hi-fi" or full spectrum and can sound "brittle" or to bright for people who are used to or want the P/J passive sound or the coveted "warm bass" sound.

That is not my experience at all although I hear this old wives tale repeated often.

IMHO, EMG’s with the bass boosted are not at all ‘hi fi.’ They are the fattest booty smackin’ bass with zero cringy shrill ‘hi fi’ hi end I’ve ever experienced. Full spectrum…now that I can get on board with as an accurate description!

Passive Norstrand and other throwback vintage single coils and their ilk are way brighter and far more sparkly on top without that Lucious articulate bottom end in my experience. I love me some Lindy Fralin’s or stock Lakland single coils for a certain aesthetic, but EMG’s get the biggest, fattest, and most articulate bottom end I have experienced from a pickup/pre-amp combo.

Big, fat, lush, articulate bottom end with a little growl and low mids in the perfect place are what EMG’s mean to me..

 

[retslock]

It's just a TB thing.
Lot's O'Peeps here don't like anything active or with an active pre-amp, unless of course if it's a Stingray since Leo was involved.
Leo didn't use EMG's so the worshippers don't like 'em.
I think they're just fine.

I don't care for Stingrays or EMGs or any of my basses in active mode. Call it what you want.

Like 'em or don't.

Play music.

 

[r_bnks]

How did it sound?

Something like this, except it's not Hartke cab.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

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?

100% especially if you’re talking about Spectors, and the EMG Geezers get recommended a lot for P bass Upgrades

 

[Baker69]

I replaced the SD 1/4 pounders that were in my CIJ P Bass a few years ago with EMG Geezer’s, it was a brilliant and very worthwhile upgrade.

 

[Acoop]

I also found EMG's, without pole pieces, great in the studio and boring on stage. ... I did have a Road Worn J-bass with EMG JV pickups and I found those pretty good but, after I sold the bass and didn't miss them. ... I have a J-bass with a set of Fralin J-bass pickups with +7% over wound that, I believe, would blow away any set of EMG's.

 

[Bitterdale]

Often, people judge active EMG’s on the combination of pickup and active preamp.

Running them with a passive volume and tone control gives you a much clearer impression of the pickup character, uncolored by the preamp.

I’ve never found the pickups themselves to be harsh sounding. Preamps, however, can be a different story.

 

[micguy]

Have you tried passive EMG pickups? Thats’s what I’ve always used…

I have - the ones I tried were fine for what they were, just not quite as good as what I could get elsewhere - for my tastes.

 

[Gianni "Orlandez" Orlati]

That would be awesome if you could share a link to that thread!

It’s on the EMG website under the PAX pickup reviews section, albeit being characterised by some typing mistakes ehm ..

 

[JRA]

i don't know if i can go with "highly underrated" --- at least it's not that way in the real world. i agree with some of the posters, however, TB is hardly a reflection of 'gigging bassists in the real world'.

IMO/IME, EMG active systems are about as good as it gets! i used them for years in every ax. i've generally gone for passive configurations these days, but i still have to have one active setup (for all of its sizzling hot potential), and it uses EMG active PJ pickups. i'd have no issue using an EMG preamp (love 'em!) with those pickups, but i decided to try an audere preamp instead. so: active EMG (silvers) + audere pre = glorious stuff!

 

[Lo-E]

Running them with a passive volume and tone control gives you a much clearer impression of the pickup character, uncolored by the preamp.

This is how I’ve always run EMGs and it’s much of why I changed my mind about them sometime in the 1990s.

Through passive, conventional volume and tone controls they sound very neutral, detailed and even. Depending upon how you set your amp up they’ll be whatever you need them to be; smooth and warm or aggressive and focused. They’re very versatile.

I think my initial negative reaction to them in the ’80s was mostly due to the amplification, PA, and recording technology of the time. All three have come a long way since then.

I like passive basses, too, but I definitely came around to EMGs once I had given them a chance.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

who's responsible for the pickups rating system? it's probably a secret group of industry insiders whose identity will never be revealed

 

[VeryTallBassist]

Cutting it short: original set and two sets of the same system, replaced under warranty, each new system developed a constant clacking sound on every note after just a couple of hours use.
The bass became unusable whilst EMG gear resided within. It was not something I'd call reliable and the lousy tone quality is not what I'd call stellar.

Thanks to EMG, all my bases are passive with DiMarzio P or PJ.

Sucks that you had that experience. That's surprising to me. I've had them in something like 12 basses over the past 30 years. I've also tried swapping multiple models to find the combinations that worked best for me and I've gotten rid of more HZs than I can count (they're just not my thing), so I'd say I've been through at least 40 active pickups. Still have 9 of those basses today. I'm not the biggest fan of their preamps as I think they can be a little harsh, but the pickups themselves have been excellent and I have a few go to combinations if I'm doing a pickup swap on an instrument depending on what tone I'm going for.

 

[r_bnks]

Sucks that you had that experience. That's surprising to me. I've had them in something like 12 basses over the past 30 years. I've also tried swapping multiple models to find the combinations that worked best for me and I've gotten rid of more HZs than I can count (they're just not my thing), so I'd say I've been through at least 40 active pickups. Still have 9 of those basses today. I'm not the biggest fan of their preamps as I think they can be a little harsh, but the pickups themselves have been excellent and I have a few go to combinations if I'm doing a pickup swap on an instrument depending on what tone I'm going for.

Neither with me. I never had a faulty EMG, and I encountered with more than two dozen sets, and I'm mostly using pre 90s EMG PJ sets.

 

[Z-Bass]

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

I found this thread and just wanted to comment on the great performance and tone. Sounded great to me. I like EMGs. I believe the turn off for some is more related to the clarity and if you're not used to that or perhaps a heavier handed player, it may be jarring at first. Another stigma is that the EMGs are more for the "slappity, bappity" type playing which I think EMGs lend themselves well to but you're clip is a fine example of a really nice and clear fingerstyle tone and is present in the mix. I dig that.