To EMG or not to EMG

Don1

If I pass my exams I'm thinking of treating myself and my Ibanez RGT-42 to a pickup upgrade. I know the difference kick ass pickups make (put Duncan's on my Epi LP) but I use the Ibanez in a slightly different way ie mega-gain stuff, so I'm obviously in a different part of the market now. I was looking at the EMG H 4 (like 81's with no active) for €66.09 on musicstore.de
In short I just want to know are these deadly or are there better? I could perhaps blow some more if it was really worth it. Don't think active is what I want as I do use the RG for the occasional foray into Maiden and the likes.

feylya

TBH, when I think Ibanez, I think DiMarzios. If you're going to get EMG's, get proper active ones. There's a link in the resource sticky to a dealer selling very cheap DiMarzio's. Can't really go wrong with a Tone Zone and an Air Norton.

Don1

Why thank you. Spose there's no real need for me to go all out EMG active mad as I wouldn't play enough filth to justify the cost and the re-engineering of my guitar's guts to fit in all the associated crap.
I'll check out the DiMarzio's now.

Cheers.

feylya

The only extra thing that comes with EMG's is the battery and that'll fit in any control cavity.

-=al=-

ibanez = dimarzio

gibson = seymour duncan.. first things i think of as pickups for those guitars

are u ordering the guitar ont he net? the stocks that come with ibanez's arent THAT bad, so u can do a lil more research into diff pickups, ive some in my Rg and find em aok, never a big fan of EMGs cant beat a good air norton and tonezone combo.. or a paf pro and a fred

try lookin at evo's there pretty loud punchy pups not quite as emg but if u wana u can really go for it with them

use the pickup picker thing on dimarzios site

Voodu Child

Only way to know if you'll like them is to try them - they are pretty distinctive.

Ive tried plenty of EMG equipped guitars over the years, and am still pretty happy with dimarzio's in all my Ibanez's. I particularly recommend the 'Steve's Special' bridge humbucker.

Don1

Cheers all.
I've had the Ibanez for a few years now. It's got the INF I and II pickups in it. I have a Hot Rails on my old squire and although the strings guage is massive it totally wipes the stock Ibanez's eye.
Those Dimarzio's look the business. Must go into AdLib and try out a few different guitars. Usually have top end stuff with EMGs/DiMarzios fitted.

Karl Hungus

Everything I've heard about the EMG HZ pickups seem to indicate that they are absolutely awful. I know I'm not a fan of EMGs in the first, but a lot of people who are can't say enough bad things about them.

Anyway, as far as DiMarzios go (And they do seem a winning combination with Ibanez) you've mentioned Maiden, so why not go for the Super Distortion? That was the classic metal pickup, and I'm pretty sure it's what the Maiden lads use.

Asiaprod

I don't normally recommend anything here. However, I have two sets of EMG sitting in a box which I will never use. I have been playing for 20 years and EMG are not the way to go unless your priority is in creating a wall of noise. I found EMG to be very unresponsive, it was always the same sound. IMO they are not great pickups at all. PAF, Soapbar, DiMarzio or Gibson Classic plus would be the direction I would look.

Don1

Thanks again everyone. Was looking into the Maiden side of things and I see Adrian Smith and Dave Murray both use Super Distortion in the Bridge and PAF in the neck. Looks good to me but would the PAF stretch to the higher reaches of my interests? (I don't go madder than Metallica/Pantera)

Karl Hungus

Don1 wrote:

Thanks again everyone. Was looking into the Maiden side of things and I see Adrian Smith and Dave Murray both use Super Distortion in the Bridge and PAF in the neck. Looks good to me but would the PAF stretch to the higher reaches of my interests? (I don't go madder than Metallica/Pantera)

I have a PAF in the neck of my K7, and I tell you it's an extremely good pickup, very smooth indeed. I don't know what you mean about going mad, because I find an aggressive sound comes more from your playing and your amp than a pickup.

Patricide

I have a set of 81's in my viper and although there great an all its like they have no character to them. I have a super distorsion in my yamaha pacifica and i honesly think it sounds better.

Besides that, i played a guitar with emg hz's and i honesly thought they were abysmally bad, muddy with the ability to make even a nice amp sound bad. Stearwell clear of them.

Duncans are good but from my experiances, dimarzio kicks the hole off them. Pickups like bill lawrence i would also hightly recomend.

Don1

KH I meant the kind of tone characteristics and overall balls of the PAF, but as it'd be in the neck I guess it'd be pointless to have some screaming high output unit. Been doing some more reading and it looks like Super Distortion and PAF in first place and the aforementioned Tone Zone and Air Norton combo in second.
EMGs not looking like my bag at all.
Patricide: I have a Jeff Beck 4 and Lil '59 on my LP, love the sound of it, and Duncan's came as standard on my G&L ASAT Deluxe semi-hollow, and it's perfect (Not sure which models, two lazy to check). Hotrails on the old Squire in CGCFAD is perfect for QOTSA.
Dimarzio's it is though for the Ibanez me thinks.
When my financial situation improves (drastically tbh) I'll be back for advice on an all valve amp to tie things up.
Cheers all.

Karl Hungus

Don1 wrote:

KH I meant the kind of tone characteristics and overall balls of the PAF, but as it'd be in the neck I guess it'd be pointless to have some screaming high output unit.

Well, as far as PAFs go, there's a few different DiMarzio ones, but they're all medium to vintage output.

darrenw5094

I own a Japanese Steve Vai Ibanez Gem already fitted with Dimarzio's. Lovely guitar....must be...the best designed it.

I also fitted my Gibson Les Paul with Seymour Duncans....can't go wrong there.

I never sell my old guitars when i buy a new one....sounds a bit silly, but i like to keep em.....all.

I recently took my Jap S series Ibanez out from under the bed to give it a go.
I am thinking that i will do my practice on this...so i won't wear the frets down on my Vai Ibanez. It was already fitted with EMG's....not the cheaper HZ's. An 89 in the bridge and a 85 in the neck.

Anyway i plugged it into my 15w practice amp and was blown away by the sound from the EMG's. I guess i just assumed that Vai's Ibanez was going to be the best around, but the EMG's are amazing......clean and distorted.

Even so....the dimarzio's are great pickups too....most Ibanez guitars are matched up with them.

Zakk Wylds EMG set seem to be the best around.

You can't go wrong with either. Hope this helps.

Darren.:)