EMG 81 too bright and brittle sounding..

[metalchurch79]

Ok guys, I have this guitar (Alder Strat style body) that I'm having a hard time finding a good pickup that sounds good.
I tried passives (Evolution, Breed, JB, Screamin Demon, Bill Lawrence, Dimebucker.)

I want to keep it active so, I also tried an EMG'85 which was too dark and muddy, (but it sounds great in my KV3),so I put in an '81, which sounds great, but the high end is too bright for whatever reason?
(I can cure this by rolling the presence back on my preamp)

I only use 1 Volume, with no caps,or resistors in all of my guitars, so I was wondering what resistor and capasitor values you guys recommend?

I heard that you could wire a cap in series with the 25k pot and it will act like a tone pot and suck up some high end.
***I am not putting a tone pot in this!***

What can I do to help with this?
Thanks guys.

[Axewielder]

I've heard of guys putting taped up pots in the control cavity, but what a hack! On my WR1 I took the tone knob off and put the cap inline with a 500K ohm resistor. That's the clean way to do it.

[Axewielder]

You might also get a variety of resistors from 250K to 600K or so and try them installed with alligator clips before soldering in the one that sounds best.

[Axewielder]

Whoops! EMGS....right, you need the smaller resistor values.

[metalchurch79]

Hahaha thanks man. See what you can find out for me.

A tone pot is outta the question, and if I could, I'd run them with no pot at all and only an on/off toggle, but in this case, I need to harness the power!

[metalchurch79]

Can someone please post a link to show how to decipher the codes on the caps and resistors?

I used to know, but I forget how.

Also, I found some caps in my tool box, some are Square Green ones, Square Orange ones, and I found two Round Orange ones.
The green ones have:
First one : .1K1
Second one:
104K
100V

The Square Orange one has:
2A223J
Second Square Orange has:
1K223K

Are the Orange ones caps or resistors?
The one orange one has #203 printed on it.
The other one has:
Y5U
102M
KCK

Thanks guys!!!

[Newc]

You can slightly adjust the tonal response by playing with the height of the pickup - dip the treble side down a bit maybe? The pickup will be angled, and you will probably lose some of the string response (harmonics might not jump out as easily, and at worst, you might lose sustain on higher notes).

The issue with the 85 is interesting. Granted I've never been a fan of EMGs but the 85 in the bridge sounds good to me.

Is there some compromise you can come to on your preamp so that your passives get a bit less Presence so the 81 sounds better?

Have you tried a Custom Custom or Custom 5?

[Newc]

Can someone please post a link to show how to decipher the codes on the caps and resistors?

I used to know, but I forget how.

Also, I found some caps in my tool box, some are Square Green ones, Square Orange ones, and I found two Round Orange ones.
The green ones have:
First one : .1K1
Second one:
104K
100V

The Square Orange one has:
2A223J
Second Square Orange has:
1K223K

Are the Orange ones caps or resistors?
The one orange one has #203 printed on it.
The other one has:
Y5U
102M
KCK

Thanks guys!!!

Resistor calculator:

http://www.dannyg.com/examples/res2/resistor.htm

[metalchurch79]

I have backed my presence off on my preamp and it cured it, but I'd rather just fix the problem so that I can keep my settings the same.

I first tried the 85 cause i liked it in my KV3, but for some reason it was too mushy and undefined in this guitar.

I havent tried the TB-5 or TB-11. I want to keep this one active like the rest of my guitars.

Also the problem isn't the treble side of the pickup, it's the bass side. so maybe I'll try to lower that side and see.

Thanks

And any help on these cap values would be sweet.:think: edit: Thanks alot NewC You da man sir!

[Newc]

Also, I've got a bag of the round orange ones with 203 on them. These are 0.020µF. That's what I put on the tone pot of my CT SoCal.

http://www.stewmac.com/shop/Electronics,_pickups/Components:_Caps_(capacitors).html

The physical size is in relation to the value (smallest size = smallest value).

[metalchurch79]

The StewMac link that you posted shows some of the codes and values.

What value takes the high end away?


ps thanks for the help bro

[Newc]

Here's a Capacitor chart

http://www.electronicsteacher.com/capacitor-chart.php

For treble-bleed circuits, you'd want the 0.001µF (microfarad) cap.

[metalchurch79]

Thanks.

Now for those treble bleed circuits thast you're talking about. Do you mean the actual "treble bleed mod" that I posted in your SoCal thread, or simply bleeding the treble/taming it down?

The treble bleed mod that I posted is to retain the high-end when you roll your volume down, so it doesn't get muddy.

Same thing you mean or not?

[metalchurch79]

Which lug should I solder the cap to?
The lead/hot lug...
Or the center lug (output)

One side goes the the lug, and the other side goes to the back of the pot, right?

[Spivonious]

I have the exact same opinion of the 81 and 85 I have in my Kelly. Rather than try to fix them, I'm just replacing them with passives.