EMG's for Genres of Music Other Than Metal

[LavJQ]

Hey Unofficial Warmoth-ers, I hope everyone's having a good day! I've recently found myself captivated by EMG pickups. Between the noiseless operation and the solder-less installation, they seem like a really strong option for a replacement set of pickups. I love metal, but it's not the genre of music I primarily play. I usually find myself genre hopping from classic rock to alternative to RnB (and sometimes country). Does anyone use EMGs for other styles of music? I'm looking for a HH set that has good clean sounds in all positions. I realize that's what everyone's after, but I felt it was worth including. I've been finding myself using the clean bridge pickup more and more.

I've been looking at the 57/66 set and some kind of setup involving an 85 in the bridge (maybe an 85/85?). A lot of the demos of EMGs on YouTube are all super high gain, which is totally badass in all the quality ways you'd expect, but not exactly helpful when trying to hear how clean tones sound. I realize that they're just pickups and that there are so many things that can impact how they sound (and if I'm being totally honest, I think my "interest" in EMG has crossed into the realm of overthinking), but I'm curious to hear what people think about EMGs in contexts other than rock and metal. Thanks for reading!

 

[rockandroller]

Ive been using EMG model "H" and "MH" since the late 70s, along with "S", and have tried almost all of the modern models that have come along in the intervening decades. They all clean up very nicely if you turn the gain down on your amp (or amps with no gain - turn the guitar volume down). Right now I have a strat with the Lukather SA set, and a prestige Futura with the 81/85 set, and they can both play clean very nicely all night long

 

[mycroftxxx]

I thought about EMG pickups - the Retro Active Crossroads set, to be specific - for my upcoming super-blues-Strat build, but the reviews are a bit mixed, so right now I’m planning on a Zexcoil set (I still have time to change my mind though , but I probably won’t). However, I want to use the EMG AB220 clean boost and SPC mid-boost to give me a Clapton mid-boost feel, while being able to control each boost separately (the Fender “Clapton” mid-boost pops in 12dB of cleanish boost at all times that the control is active; all the guitarist can control is the mid-boost part). So, I plan to use the EMG solderless system for almost all the wiring - the EMG 5-way switch, the EMG passive master tone and master volume pots, and the two EMG boost controls. I’ll have to solder the pickup wires to EMG harnesses to connect to the switch, and same thing for the battery box leads, but that all looks straightforward. Should be fun!

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

EMG 57/66 on my main TFS 6 and Ibanez FRG 7620.
EMG Standard Tele Set on my Warmoth Buckskin Tele.
EMG 58’s (P90 voiced) on my HH Tele, but it’s getting a Sustainiac installed as we speak.
My Carvin DC727 that I inherited from a friend remains dead stock except for the saddle shims that I installed.

I had the EMG SV set in my old Strat, and I loved those.

I primarily play metal as well, but I have no problem getting nice cleans from the 57/66 set. I’ve used them for church worship music just as easily as I have used either Tele, although they are the best voiced for that application in most sets.

Since I spend so much time recording, I find actives to be far more consistent.

 

[BroccoliRob]

the late, great Prince himself used an 81 in the purple guitar, so yeah, I'd say theyre more versatile than ppl give em credit for