CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

[slayer]

I am getting a CS Jackson and am getting 1-EMG 81 in the bridge. Question to you all is. I play all Metal and was wondering if you reccomend the standard 9 Volts or the 18 Volts. Also, do you reccomedn the Battery door or just put in the Cavity? Thanks-Jack.

[sambencuda]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

I'd get 18v and have the dual battery box installed. It's hard to explain, but to me, 18v gives you a more clear defined sound. I had a PC1 that had EMG's in it and I had planned on making one of the switches switch between 9v and 18v. Would be cool to hear a side by side difference.

[slayer]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Do most big bands that run the EMG`s run 9 or 18 volts? Jack.

[bonghits]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

18 volts gives you more headroom and better transients than 9 volts but not necessarily louder. Then again it's all a matter of taste. If I were to go CS then I would have it running 18 volts with the built-in dual battery box. Good luck!

[sambencuda]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Thats a good ? Jack. I have no clue. You could always skip the battery box, go with 18v, and if you don't like it, you could always go back to 9v.

[slayer]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Ya man, this is my last hangup so to say. When you say Headroom and Transient, could you please explain that further? I don`t want to give up Bass or Crunch for sure. Jack.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Jack, when your 9V battery is in the process of dying, your EMGs sound distorted and all garbled because the voltage is decreasing. INCREASE the voltage by putting in a fresh battery, and your sound is crystal-clear again. That's what I consider headroom, a clean signal free from wanted garble.

Is garble even a word? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Anyways, stick in another 9V battery in series to increase clean headroom. Stick in another 9V battery in parallel to get the same headroom as a 9V, but with twice as long battery life.

Or, make your CS Jackson entirely out of many 9V batteries wired in series AND parallel for an INSANE METAL MELTDOWN! It will rip your testicles and fry your face off!!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!! [img]/images/graemlins/headbang.gif[/img]

Ahem. [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Right here from EMGinc.com:

Can I use multiple batteries?

Yes. If you've got room for multiple batteries in your guitar, you can use two batteries wired in series to power your onboard circuitry at 18 volts. The output level will not appreciably increase, but you'll have increased headroom and crisper transients. This is especially useful for percussive/slap bass styles where you can generate enormous instantaneous power levels across the entire frequency spectrum.

You can also wire two batteries in parallel to provide a regular 9 volt supply but with much longer lifespan between battery changes.

Although most of our products are rated for 27 volts, we recommend a maximum of 18 volts. The additional benefits of 27 vs. 18 volts are negligible.

[necrotechno]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Hell, just go to Home Depot, get one of those eight-foot "lamp project" power cords, and plug it straight up to 110! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[bonghits]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

[ QUOTE ]
Hell, just go to Home Depot, get one of those eight-foot "lamp project" power cords, and plug it straight up to 110! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]I just soiled myself from laughing so hard! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[jgcable]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Jack, 18 volts rules.
I was thinking of a pretty cool idea regarding 18v/9v
How about hooking up an 18 volt system with a push pull or mini toggle switch that turns the system from 9 volt parallel to 19 volts series. It would be simple and you would have the benefit of having either a super long lasting 9 volt system or a super hot 18 volt system with a flip of a switch.

[Newc]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

JGC - That's what Sambencuda said above [img]/images/graemlins/poke.gif[/img]

Haven't tried the 18v setup yet, but I did have my SL Pro with 81/SA/SA wired with one battery for the 81 and a separate battery for the singles. The singles seemed more "alive" that way, and the 81 seemed a bit more raw and edgy than when they were all sucking on the same battery.

I might try the switchable 9/18 setup, though, as was said, to hear the difference side by side (rather than soldering, testing, then unsoldering and retesting again, by which time your ears have reset).

And personally I'd avoid the dual boxes on the back. Those just lok horrible IMO. I'd stuff them in the cavity. It's not like you're gonna be in there frequently, and you're certainly not gonna get any interference because the batteries are on top of the knob and output wire.
Even an SD route leaves plenty of room if you've only got one knob in there.
Heck, you'd have room to store spare batteries [img]/images/graemlins/idea2.gif[/img]

My question is: how many actual volts of a 9 volt is the pickup using? Can you get it running with say 4 AA's?

[pro-fusion]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

I'm running the EMG-707s in my ESP H-307 at 18V, and it definitely makes a difference in clarity and crispness.

[slayer]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Thanks guys, tough decision for sure. I think I may get a battery box for a single 9V, but yes 2 would look strange. Is more headroom=louder? Jack.

[Number Of The Priest]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

Nope, more headroom is not necessarily louder. The way the pickup is made (magnets, windings, etc.) determine the output/loudness of the pickup, along with the height they are installed on a guitar.

The only real experience I have with 18V is on my brother's Warmoth bass compared to his 9V-loaded Ibanez bass. At 9V, the Ibanez bass farts out and the signal is distorted before his volume knob hits maximum. At 18V, the Warmoth bass remains pristine clean even with the volume knob at maximum. As mentioned in my previous post about EMG's FAQ section: "This is especially useful for percussive/slap bass styles where you can generate enormous instantaneous power levels across the entire frequency spectrum."

Want your signal to be clean? Go with more voltage. That's what the extra 9V battery is for. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

So what is it you're looking for exactly? A louder version of your current tone? A more distorted version? A thicker version?

[slayer]

Re: CS Jackson/EMG 81/ 9 Volts or 18 Volts?

I am not totally sure. I like the way my EMG guitars sound now, I was just curious about the 18V setup. I like alot of crunch, and am worried the 18V will stay clean to long? Do most stage players use 9V or 18V? Jack.