Pickup Swap for EMG's

[Moons21]

Hi Everyone,

I have a JS32 with the Jackson active pickups in it.. IMO.. they sound horrible, but couldn't turn down this guitar for the price I paid for it. That being said, I have a set of EMG 81/60's here and was wondering if anyone has just directly swapped the pickups without changing the pots, input or switch. Since the existing pickups are active ones, with a battery box and the same wiring, just wondering if it can be a direct swap or not.
Thanks
Greg

[toejam]

If the pots are 25k, then you should be fine.

[Mechayoshi]

The actives were stock? What model was this?

[toejam]

Some newer Jacksons do indeed come with active pickups. I was shocked to learn this a few months back.

[Crumbling]

Jackson experimented with actives on a few limited run models, but there was the KVX which came with it stock as as production model. Else they're JSes for GC/MF and Long & McQuade. GC/MF got the JS30EX, which was a flattop, and Long & McQuade got a JS32TQ DKA with actives

[Moons21]

What Crumbling said.. this was a Long&McQuade special JS32. Has a battery box in the back and really crappy active pickups. I did a straight swap to the EMG's last night and they work fine.. just make sure you have the EMG screws for the pickup rings as the ones from the factory are too big for the EMGs.

Now this is starting to sound like a real guitar.

[Mechayoshi]

Oh yeah. I knew about that js30 Ex at least, I just had a brain fart. I see Long & McQuade is a Canadian thing so that’s why I didn’t know of that other special run.


Anyway, glad the guitar is sounding much better now.