›

emg pickups sound a bit weedy?

What's Hot
axisusaxisus Frets: 28397
in Guitar
I have put some emg SA pickups into one of my strats, but I have to admit that they sound rather thin and weedy. I figured that they would have a lot of presence. I checked the battery and it seemed OK before installing.

Is there anything logically that I may have done wrong?
Can you test their output by putting a meter on the output cable?
Do they just not sound that good?
Might they be knackered? I did buy 2nd hand


0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom

Comments

  • KittyfriskKittyfrisk Frets: 20600
    In my experience EMG's need to be much closer to the strings than normal pickups.
    I believe it is something to do with them having a reduced pull on the strings compared to a 'normal' non active magnetic pickup.
    Worth a try as it is easy & reversible (measure your existing heights before adjusting anything).
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 4reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 74494
    They can't be faulty or they wouldn't work at all - and it wouldn't be all three with the same fault anyway.

    Did you replace the pots with the 25K ones?

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 2reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 11014
    Aren’t SA ones passive ? 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • fretmeisterfretmeister Frets: 25567
    Danny1969 said:
    Aren’t SA ones passive ? 
    No.

    I’m so bored I might as well be listening to Pink Floyd


    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • StevepageStevepage Frets: 3168
    Never thought the SA's sounded weedy. I personally loved them. 

    Maybe go through the wiring again and make sure you didn't put a connector in the wrong place
    https://soundcloud.com/steve-p-5
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • Danny1969Danny1969 Frets: 11014
    Well active EMGs are basically a passive pickup going into an opamp with a low Impedence output so the only thing that would cause low output is if you accidentally connected the tone control in a way it divided down the output voltage ? 
    www.2020studios.co.uk 
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28397
    they came with the solderless kit. I'm pretty sure I wired them up right, as per EMG diagram. 

    I guess I'll have to pull it apart again and take a look. Strats are such a pain in the ass with wiring problems, all the strings off again!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 15276
    I have EMG-SLV, -SLV, -HA pickups in my Charvel Model 3/1 mongrel. Pickup heights are set as follows (low E to high E):
    N 6mm, 5mm
    C 6mm, 5mm
    B 4mm, 4mm.

    My controls are 5-way selector, Volume, EMG-SPC mid booster. The latter is what provides the extra push for hard rock or metal sounds.

    In my opinion, the VLPF is of limited use. The old, hard-wired, passive treble roll off tone control is okay after the capacitor value is changed to .033 or .047uF.
    You say, atom bomb. I say, tin of corned beef.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • skullfunkerryskullfunkerry Frets: 4418
    If you’ve used the solderless kit then the wiring should be fine. One of my friends fitted an 81 in one of my guitars once and wired it up wrong: it worked, but it sounded really hollow and lifeless. I’m not sure what he did, but I took it to get set up and asked the luthier to look - he sorted it.

    Just a thought: don’t the solderless kits have a couple of tiny screw connectors for things like the pickup selector switch? Double check that they’re all making good connections...
    Too much gain... is just about enough \m/

    I'm probably the only member of this forum mentioned by name in Whiskey in the Jar ;)

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • p90foolp90fool Frets: 32391
    axisus said:


    I guess I'll have to pull it apart again and take a look. Strats are such a pain in the ass with wiring problems, all the strings off again!
    Capo on neck, slacken strings, take neck off. 
    0reaction image LOL 1reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28397
    p90fool said:
    axisus said:


    I guess I'll have to pull it apart again and take a look. Strats are such a pain in the ass with wiring problems, all the strings off again!
    Capo on neck, slacken strings, take neck off. 
    ha ha! Does that work??? That's a great hack I haven't heard of before!
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ICBMICBM Frets: 74494
    I usually find you can get the guard out just by slackening the strings off completely. The capo is useful to stop them popping out of the machinehead posts if they've vintage-style slotted ones.

    The best trick is on a Floyd - without slackening the strings at all, take the vibrato springs off round the back and you can lift the bridge out to get the strings out of the way, work on the electrics, reassemble it all and it will usually still be in tune :).

    "Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski

    "Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 5reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 15276
    As always, pics of the wiring in its present condition would help.

    Could be a simple omission of the blue plastic shunt connectors on the Solderless™ selector switch. Could be connections reversed on the jack socket. Could be no +9v supply to the VLPF tone control PCB(s).
    You say, atom bomb. I say, tin of corned beef.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28397
    Funkfingers said:
    As always, pics of the wiring in its present condition would help.

    Could be a simple omission of the blue plastic shunt connectors on the Solderless™ selector switch. Could be connections reversed on the jack socket. Could be no +9v supply to the VLPF tone control PCB(s).
    Thanks for the suggestions, but Jack socket is correct, I got it the wrong way around first time! Shunts are in place, power wires are going to the pots.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FunkfingersFunkfingers Frets: 15276
    don’t the solderless kits have a couple of tiny screw connectors for things like the pickup selector switch? Double check that they’re all making good connections...
    That is the EMG B157 Buss Board. It is only of use on guitars with two Solderless™ pickups and a hard-wired three-way selector switch or for wilfully eccentric semi-Solderless™ circuits for bass guitar. There is no reason to install this part into a regular Stratocaster circuit.

    •

    Two remaining possibilities.

    1) The guitar wiring harness could be a hotchpotch of EMG, Duncan or Fishman Fluence parts. (If this were the case, it would have been mentioned in the opening post.)

    2) Power supply failure. 

    Could be a clapped out, old PP3. Could be a botched +18v mod. More likely, could be a defective battery clip. The wires can break away from the terminals beneath the plastic material. 

    All other possible explanations defy solving by telepathy. ;)

    You say, atom bomb. I say, tin of corned beef.
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • axisusaxisus Frets: 28397
    Funkfingers said:
    don’t the solderless kits have a couple of tiny screw connectors for things like the pickup selector switch? Double check that they’re all making good connections...
    That is the EMG B157 Buss Board. It is only of use on guitars with two Solderless™ pickups and a hard-wired three-way selector switch or for wilfully eccentric semi-Solderless™ circuits for bass guitar. There is no reason to install this part into a regular Stratocaster circuit.

    •

    Two remaining possibilities.

    1) The guitar wiring harness could be a hotchpotch of EMG, Duncan or Fishman Fluence parts. (If this were the case, it would have been mentioned in the opening post.)

    2) Power supply failure. 

    Could be a clapped out, old PP3. Could be a botched +18v mod. More likely, could be a defective battery clip. The wires can break away from the terminals beneath the plastic material. 

    All other possible explanations defy solving by telepathy. ;)

    Thanks for the thoughts, I'll see if the power is getting to where it should be when I take it apart
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 12256
    SAs sound amazing, my favourite EMG pickup, I have several sets
    Definitely improved by active EQ, but they are never weedy without

    You can get broken ones, I think I had one broken used EMG once
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 1reaction image Wisdom
  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 12256
    axisus said:
    Funkfingers said:
    don’t the solderless kits have a couple of tiny screw connectors for things like the pickup selector switch? Double check that they’re all making good connections...
    That is the EMG B157 Buss Board. It is only of use on guitars with two Solderless™ pickups and a hard-wired three-way selector switch or for wilfully eccentric semi-Solderless™ circuits for bass guitar. There is no reason to install this part into a regular Stratocaster circuit.

    •

    Two remaining possibilities.

    1) The guitar wiring harness could be a hotchpotch of EMG, Duncan or Fishman Fluence parts. (If this were the case, it would have been mentioned in the opening post.)

    2) Power supply failure. 

    Could be a clapped out, old PP3. Could be a botched +18v mod. More likely, could be a defective battery clip. The wires can break away from the terminals beneath the plastic material. 

    All other possible explanations defy solving by telepathy. ;)

    Thanks for the thoughts, I'll see if the power is getting to where it should be when I take it apart
    have you tried connecting one pickup at a time?
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • ToneControlToneControl Frets: 12256
    Kittyfrisk said:
    In my experience EMG's need to be much closer to the strings than normal pickups.
    I believe it is something to do with them having a reduced pull on the strings compared to a 'normal' non active magnetic pickup.
    Worth a try as it is easy & reversible (measure your existing heights before adjusting anything).
    true, much closer
    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
  • FelineGuitarsFelineGuitars Frets: 11978
    tFB Trader
    I find the solderless kits more aggro than proper soldering
    Just make sure that the push on connectors to the back of the pickups are not on backwards

    Many guitars have a re-sale value. Some you'll never want to sell.
    Stockist of: Earvana & Graphtech nuts, Faber Tonepros & Gotoh hardware, Fatcat bridges. Highwood Saddles.

    Pickups from BKP, Oil City & Monty's pickups.

      Expert guitar repairs and upgrades - fretwork our speciality! www.felineguitars.com.  Facebook too!

    0reaction image LOL 0reaction image Wow! 0reaction image Wisdom
Sign In or Register to comment.