question on tone of V-type bodies

[Matt Crooks]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
The EMG will always sound pretty much the same in any tonewood.

[/ QUOTE ]
A question: Have you ever had two different guitars with EMGs in them and A-B'd them through the same amp, at the same time? I have, and to my ears there are distinct differences in attack, sustain and frequency curve. However, structural differences like fixed bridge vs. Floyd are playing an even bigger part than tonewoods IMO.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have done this with several EMG-81 equiped guitars... there is a *very* noticeable difference in each one. About as much difference as comparing a different set of guitars with the same duncans in them.

The change, with my guitars, is dramatic. Everyone who has heard the guitars compared this way can hear the differences.

[Chrisb]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

With your setup maybe Matt, but not with mine. I really believe it has to do with the amp. My amp..well its not that great. You get what you pay for. I got it for 300ish. And I'm gonna be getting hopefully an Engl in the near future. Though I can't believe the difference is as noticable as the same duncans in two different bodied guitars. Thats not going to matter with the amp, if anything if your amp is better it will likely even be more noticable with the Duncans.

Gah this is a fucking senseless debate anyways, I never should have gotten started [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Matt Crooks]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
Gah this is a fucking senseless debate anyways, I never should have gotten started [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe not, but it's fun!

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[Sanctuary]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
...and a lot of guitarists max out gain and scoop out mids killing the tone totally [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, effectively forcing themselves to compete with the bass (low-end) and symbols/vocals (treble). Nuts [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[memphiskat]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
I think its do to the high output and active nature of EMG's that they cover up the subtle differences of various tonewoods. While this is more noticable in passive pups. I should also note that this was played through my home amp, it was not a high quality tube amp so its definitely possible that on a better amp the differences would be noticable but then again I think alot of guitarists don't have those kind of amps anyways.

[/ QUOTE ]

Hello- this is not what I would expect. If the EMG's have a transparent preamp in them (this is the active part), then they should only
excentuate(sp?) the subtle differences! The preamp stage of your amp will see a hotter signal. If left undistorted, this should reveal even smaller changes caused by tonewood, bridge, ect.

Karl

[Donovan]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
I will not argue whether EMGs kill tone or not. The thing that annoys me is just how people say that EMGs sound the same in everything. It's simply not true. You DO hear differences from wood types, bridges, etc. If you'd put EMGs in a toilet seat, it would sound like a toilet seat with EMGs in it. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

At one point I got my hands on a bolt-on Explorer that I discovered was made of plywood and sounded like shit. I tried all pickups I had in that one, and none would cure it - including a set of EMGs. I later discovered that the stock pickups that I salvaged from it were actually pretty decent. A typical case of "shit input -> shit output". I have also noticed how my EMGs sound slightly different in my regular players. Some guitars are perfect for them, while others aren't.

HOWEVER - EMGs do have a typical sound. They will not sound like a Duncan or a DiMarzio however much you try, as they just don't distort the same way. The EMG-81 is indeed very sterile and dead sounding. IMO the other models are much less so, but that's a matter of taste.

And I'm not an EMG bigot either. I actually prefer passives more these days.

[/ QUOTE ]
I'm going to have to agree. I have a set of EMGs in the Les Paul custom. I have another set that I pun into my 750XL and the sound was NOT the same. They sounded very thin in the Charvel. I yanked them and put them into a Neck thru Ibanez RGT3120 and they now sound very bannanced. The Ibanez has a very full but focused tone and the Paul sounds huge. Both EMG sets are the Zakk Wylde set. They sound just fine.

[withmyshadow]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Gah this is a fucking senseless debate anyways, I never should have gotten started [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Maybe not, but it's fun!

[img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]
I agree. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]
I got what I wanted to know and some more.
now that I know RR has more mid range than SL on account of the neck joint and no cutaway, who has emg's in RR1 installed? how do they sound?

[Matt Crooks]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[quoteI got what I wanted to know and some more.
now that I know RR has more mid range than SL on account of the neck joint and no cutaway, who has emg's in RR1 installed? how do they sound?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have several RRs with EMGs in them. They all sound great. The last thing recorded with my CS NAMM RR was the Pharaoh album, samples can be found at www.solarflight.net. All of the rhythms on "The Longest Night" are RR & EMG.

[withmyshadow]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

[ QUOTE ]
[quoteI got what I wanted to know and some more.
now that I know RR has more mid range than SL on account of the neck joint and no cutaway, who has emg's in RR1 installed? how do they sound?

[/ QUOTE ]

I have several RRs with EMGs in them. They all sound great. The last thing recorded with my CS NAMM RR was the Pharaoh album, samples can be found at www.solarflight.net. All of the rhythms on "The Longest Night" are RR & EMG.

[/ QUOTE ]
I am listening to fighting and up the gates as I type.
love your tone and playing, dude!
sounds to me like somewhere between randy rhoads and marty friedman. hope you take it as a compliment [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]
what amp did you use on that? and yes, lots of mids and smooth top end.

[Matt Crooks]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

Thanks, but it's not me playing. I produced the album, and the guitarist used my guitar. The rhythm amps are Mesa Road King Left and Right, 5150 in the middle. The leads are Soldano Hot Rod, the Mesa and ENGL Powerball.

[Eric_kv2]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

I had a SL-1 and have a KV-2. They both had the same make and model bridge pick up with the same make and model strings on. I did notice that the soloist sounded a little bit brighter than the king v. The king v sounded a little fatter and thicker than the soloist. There could have been different variables in there as well, but playing them unplugged I still noticed this difference.

[Hamner1]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

I dont think EMGs kill tone, just a different tone. Like someone said before, they will not sound like your Duncan or dimarzio, etc passive pickups. I have 81/85 in KV pro & 81/89 in DXMG. And they do sound different (only comparing the 81s).

[Oogadee Boogadee]

Re: question on tone of V-type bodies

Noodles has one of those Phil Collen archtops that is super dooper thick straight down the middle - all maple - where the pick-ups are, into the bridge area. It's truely massive, right where it's supposed to count. You can probably find pix through a search. It probably weighs at least 89lbs. Anyway, he should jump in here an describe the sound of the beast.