Active power

Spent some time with the EMGs last night. These are the only EMGs I can tolerate; the 57/66. I find active pickups very synthetic sounding. Some of us like this very boosted output, others simply prefer no battery influence in the guitar's electronics. 

Speaking of batteries, I was wondering why the 57/66 sounded half-baked, they were singing like single coils, in fact. There was this strange twang living in them which would be very enjoyable should I be in the mood for non-humbucking pickups. A hunch told me it was the power source. True enough, the EMG battery was on the verge of dying. So my friends, if you hear your active pickups sounding a little crispy & veering towards the clean end, the battery is the likely culprit. 

PS: Hello October 😄

Schecter 2017 (2)

Abbath didn't get any endorsements going for his LTD guitar so here's the Schecter Ravendark for 2017. Specs are rather impressive; EMG 57/66, ebony fretboard, FR1500 bridge & flat compound fretboard radius for you speed freaks (12" - 16").

My other worthy consideration for 2017 is this Sun Valley Super Shredder but why the FR Special bridge, Schecter?

E-II: The 57/66 menace

One of the reasons I ignored the ESP/ E-II guitars with active pickups is due to the EMGs- not my kind of aggression. This year some of the models are equipped with EMG's 57/66 humbuckers as seen here (E-II Horizon NT-II). I have personal encounters with these EMGs & I prefer them over the other models. Hmm... *checks wallet*

6005

So it's another Ibanez RG regurgitation but this time, it's equipped with a pair of EMG 57/66- the regional exclusive RG6005. I'm not a big EMG fan but I'm with what the 57/66 has to offer. That's right, it's not available here. Bummer.

LTD 40th Anniversary

The LTD 40th Anniversary models are in at Davis GMC, do check them out. The Eclipse you see here is visually stunning & the QC on show is befitting of a commemorative release. Those 57/66 EMG pickups are still my favourite. LTD EC-2015: SGD1,250 (list)

The saving grace (57/66)

Nothing new here, just my Charvel DX-1 ST.

However, these are new: EMG 57/ 66 humbuckers.

I lost faith in this guitar, but after a re-think, I blame the default pickups in there which were EMG's 81/ 85 pair. I'm not an ardent active fan but I do make it a point to live with some active tones once in a while. This helps me with tone diagnosis; what to do when dealing with a deviant aspect of my equipment. 

Both the 57 & 66 feature an Alnico 5 magnet core with ceramic pole pieces but there is a need to remind ourselves that all magnetic goodness are displaced by pre-amp influence in an active circuitry. Players who worship active tones tend to declare a real, audible influence in magnetic essence but it's like telling people the voice going through a loud hailer sounds fantastic.

I'm very pleased with the 57/66 namely because they do not sound as tampered by the active circuitry, less charged response, more magnetic. It's like hearing a set of passive pickups with a pedal-boosted assistance. As such, some guitar volume play yielded a rather responsive outcome, making both pickups go from crunch to stun at the turn of the knob. Having said all this, I am not of the opinion that these sound 'better' & more suitable to players already affiliated with passive pickups, but they sound slightly different from their 81/85 counterparts for instance. Clean-wise, I won't say this pair have what it takes to outperform a sweet-sounding, passive pickups but it's more likable & that's a lot coming from an active heretic like me.

So there, my adventure with active pickups taking a turn for the better.

Schecter 2014: Jeff Loomis

2014- Jeff Loomis is still with Schecter, here's an updated bit:

• more pronounced body curved top
• re-aligned fretboard for upper fret access
• EMG 57/66 humbuckers
• Hipshot fixed bridge version available this year